Are you looking for ways to upgrade your bedroom comfort or need to choose pillows that better match your lifestyle, needs, and preferences? It’s going to be challenging, as there are quite a few features and benefits to consider. There are also way too many brands promising the moon and the sky. I hope the tips below will guide you in the right direction.
10 Factors to Consider When You Choose Pillows
1. Sleeping Arrangement
Do you sleep alone or with a partner? Each sleeper has different needs and preferences and what works for you may not work for your partner. Therefore, before you go shopping, it’s important to clarify if you’ll be shopping for yourself alone or multiple sleepers. If the latter, it’s essential to take their needs and preferences into account as well, and, if necessary, choose different pillows for each sleeper.
2. Sleep Position
Do you sleep on your back, stomach, side, or toss and turn? Depending on your answer, you may need anything from a standard, queen, or king pillow to a more custom model with neck and shoulder cutouts. Take a few minutes to lie on the bed in your favorite position, with your favorite pillow, and analyze what you like and what could be improved, if you need a thicker, softer, or bouncier pillow, if you would like additional cooling properties, etc.
3. Filling
Some people like their pillows soft and thin. Others prefer them thicker and harder. What about you? If you’re not sure, you can always choose adjustable pillows. These are usually of two types. Traditional adjustable pillows have a zippered lining that allows you to remove or add more filling, be it feathers, microfiber, shredded memory foam, coconut fiber, etc. Some newer adjustable pillows come with multiple inserts (2-4) that can be combined as needed to ensure your comfort. These pillows are great for guests and rental units as well, as they allow every sleeper to adjust their pillow as needed to enjoy ultimate comfort.
4. Cover
The cover is one of the most important parts of the pillow, as it’s the one in direct contact with your skin if you don’t use a pillowcase. It’s recommended to choose pillows with the cover made of natural, certified materials, like organic cotton, or OEKO-TEX® certified fabrics, to avoid allergies and ensure breathability. Newly developed fabrics with silver, graphene, or copper infusions and cooling properties are known to perform extremely well.
5. Mattress Firmness
When you choose pillows, it’s important to consider the firmness of the mattress you’re sleeping on. If it’s soft, your body will sink into it, and the gap between your head and your mattress will be lower, easy to fill for a thin pillow. If the mattress is firmer, it will support your body better, preventing it from sinking. The gap between your neck and the mattress will be larger, requiring a fuller pillow.
6. Allergies
Are you allergic to latex, buckwheat, dust mites, or other substances commonly used in bedding and pillow filling? Then you have to make sure that the pillows you buy are allergen-free and, more than that, are made of materials that inhibit and prevent the spread of the substances you’re allergic to. Unfortunately, some sleepers discover that they’re not allergic to the material their pillow is made of but to the chemicals it releases. For example, some latex products release volatile organic compounds and chemicals such as formaldehyde. If your allergy symptoms continue with your new pillow, choose pillow protectors that could keep the allergens away from your skin and airways. 
7. Cleaning
Even if you use pillowcases that you wash and replace regularly, it’s important for the pillows to be easy to clean in-depth as well. Think of repeat, excessive sweating that results in unpleasant odors or coffee spills. Zippered, washable covers are a godsend. A zippered lining that allows you to air the filling can go a long way as well. A pillow that can be cleaned professionally, machine-washed, or hand-washed is ideal.
8. Specific Needs
Do you suffer from neck or back pain? Are you pregnant or recovering from injury or surgery? Perhaps you have a chronic condition that affects your sleep or breathing. Many people find themselves in at least one of these situations sooner or later. It’s important to take your specific situation and needs into account when shopping. The right pillow can make a huge difference in your comfort, sleep quality, and overall well-being.
9. Features and Benefits
By now, you surely have an idea of what type of pillow to choose, and matching offers from several manufacturers. Instead of going with the first pillow brand you come across, review at least five. Compare their specs, features, and benefits. Check manufacturer history and product trial and warranty. Hopefully, you’ll make the right choice and not need to worry about returns, refunds, or warranty claims. If something does go wrong, it’s important to ensure that you’ll be able to recover your money or get the right product for your needs.
10. Reviews
All brands claim to be the best and have the best products but don’t take their words for granted! Check what others have to say about them and their pillows. Check not only 3rd party expert reviews but also buyer reviews and ratings. If the feedback is predominantly positive, you have a high chance of being happy with your purchase. If there are quite a few negative reviews, you may want to keep looking or at least do your due diligence and contact customer service to make sure they’re responsive.
Shortcut: Quizzes to Help You Choose Pillows
Are you still not sure which pillow is right for you? Perhaps you’re having a hard time factoring all the above? Take a pillow quiz! Respectable manufacturers know that one product cannot meet all needs, so they offer more, tens of products. But choosing between tens of products can be challenging and confusing, so they’ve found a solution to this problem as well: the quiz. All you have to do is answer a few simple and straightforward questions regarding your needs and preferences in order to receive product suggestions.
Of course, the pillow suggestions you receive will be from the brand whose quiz you’re taking, but you can always look up similar pillows and compare them all. I Love Pillow provides a very intuitive and helpful quiz for choosing pillows: Find Your Fit Guide. They have one for mattresses as well. As renowned manufacturers and memory foam experts, with over 25 years of experience under their belt, noteworthy clients like Tesla, Ford, GM, and BMW in their portfolio, and over 30 unique and highly-rated pillow models in their inventory, they should know what they’re doing.
Take the Quiz and Choose Pillows You’ll Love Here!
