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When you imagine a pillow that makes you feel like you're resting on a cloud, you're probably thinking of a down pillow. Thanks to all the soft and light down clusters inside, a down pillow will cradle your head comfortably and conform to your movements as you sleep.
Down pillows are usually available in various support levels for different sleeping styles: plush/soft for stomach sleepers, mid-plush/medium for back sleepers, and firm for side sleepers. Chelsea Nightengale, the general manager of The Restoration Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, also recommends looking for a chambered pillow, which "will alleviate the aggravation of any fill bunching in certain areas of the bedding throughout the night."
We tried eight down pillows and evaluated their comfort and support for different types of sleepers, as well as their construction, return policies, and warranty. Learn more about how Insider Reviews tests and researches products.
The best down pillows in 2022:
Best down pillow overall: Brooklinen Down Pillow, $98.10 on Brooklinen
The mid-plush Brooklinen Down Pillow conforms well to different sleeping positions, making it the ideal pillow for people who shift throughout the night. It feels as good as pillows double its price.
Best down pillow for side sleepers: Parachute Down Side Sleeper Pillow, $159 on Parachute
Though the Parachute Down Side Sleeper Pillow isn't super firm, its boxy design provides strong support for a side sleeper who also wants the soft, luxurious feel of down.
Best down pillow for back sleepers: Company Conscious Down Pillow, $129 on The Company Store
Made with a recycled down filling and Tencel lyocell shell, The Company Store Conscious Down Pillow is environmentally friendly but doesn't compromise on feel. Its medium-firm design keeps back sleepers comfortable and supported.
Best down pillow for stomach sleepers: Boll & Branch Chamber Pillow, $158 on Boll & Branch
Soft and moldable but still supportive, the Boll & Branch Down Chamber Pillow comes in three firmness levels, including a great option for stomach sleepers.
Best luxury down pillow: Continental Bedding Siberian Goose Down Pillow, $199.99 on Amazon
The Continental Bedding Siberian Goose Pillow is made from high-quality goose down and combed cotton and feels like you're sleeping in a luxury hotel. With an 800 fill power, it's ultra-lightweight and soft.
Connie Chen/Insider
The mid-plush Brooklinen Down Pillow conforms well to different sleeping positions, making it the ideal pillow for people who shift throughout the night. It feels as good as pillows double its price.
Pros: Comes in multiple support levels, soft yet supportive, good value
Cons: Down smell is a little strong
A pillow that adapts to movement but stays supportive and comfortable is vital for sleepers who don't favor one position over another. Brooklinen's mid-plush down pillow is versatile enough for most people and very comfortable to sleep on.
It's also a great middle-of-the-road option to try out if you're not quite sure what kind of pillow you like best. Sleeping on this pillow can help you determine if you'd prefer a more firm or plush version, both of which Brooklinen offers.
The mid-plush version has a feather core for support and is surrounded by fluffy down clusters. The down compressed easily but bounced back up quickly and was easy to fluff up. This pillow had the most noticeable down smell of all the pillows I tried, so you'll need to throw it in the dryer for a few cycles to get rid of the scent. Otherwise, I was pleased with the construction and feel of the pillow.
Connie Chen/Insider
Though the Parachute Down Side Sleeper Pillow isn't super firm, its boxy design provides strong support for a side sleeper who also wants the soft, luxurious feel of down.
Pros: Supportive gusset that doesn't lose shape quickly, generous warranty
Cons: May not provide enough support as a memory foam pillow, length and width are smaller than the average pillow
In my personal experience, a firmer memory foam pillow has the absolute best support for a side sleeper. If you're dead set on sleeping on a cushiony down pillow, Parachute's Down Side Sleeper Pillow has enough structural support so you can sleep comfortably on your side while enjoying a plush feel.
It has a tall, 3.5-inch gusset, which is the extra material in the middle and side panels that gives the pillow a more boxy shape. This design prevents your head from sinking in too much and keeps your spine aligned while you sleep. At the same time, it's not so tall that your neck is uncomfortably strained.
Because it's thicker and more supportive than non-gusseted pillows and filled with fluffy white down, my sleep experience felt extra luxurious and comfortable. It doesn't flatten as quickly as non-gusseted pillows and fluffs up easily by hand or in the dryer.
The only way this pillow could be unsatisfying is for side sleepers who are used to more firm support. Thankfully, Parachute has a 60-day return policy, so you'll be able to determine for yourself.
Connie Chen/Insider
Made with a recycled down filling and Tencel lyocell shell, The Company Store Conscious Down Pillow is environmentally friendly but doesn't compromise on feel. Its medium-firm design keeps back sleepers comfortable and supported.
Pros: Made from sustainable and dust mite-resistant materials, extensive range of sizes
Cons: Difficult to evaluate whether the materials make a concrete difference in long-term durability
I can only fall asleep on my back, and my favorite pillow to doze off on was The Company Store's down pillow. It has an appropriate loft (height) to prop up my head with no neck pain, and it's not so soft that my head sinks too much.
Even though the filling is made from a mix of recycled and virgin (new) down, and the shell is made from a blend of Tencel lyocell (a sustainable fiber made from wood pulp) and cotton, I couldn't tell any difference in comfort and feel. That's a good thing, proving that it's possible to make comfortable bedding products that are also sustainable. On the downside, this construction does make the pillow a bit more expensive than competitors'.
Supposedly, the lyocell will help protect against dust mites better than cotton alone, but it's been difficult to test that in a short period. We'll continue monitoring all the pillows for dust mites and see if there's a significant difference in The Company Store pillow.
I appreciated that the pillow comes in a few different sizes so that you can get the right amount of coverage no matter the size of your head or bed.
Jenny McGrath/Insider
Soft and moldable but still supportive, the Boll & Branch Down Chamber Pillow comes in three firmness levels, including a soft option for stomach sleepers.
Pros: Very soft, supportive, moldable, comes in three firmness levels
Cons: Softest version may sink in too much for some
Soft, flat pillows work best for stomach sleepers. The least-firm version Boll & Branch's down pillow is incredibly soft and squashes down the instant your head touches it.
The three-chambered soft pillow has down in all three sections, meaning it's luxuriously cushiony. We found it very flexible, and we were able to mold it and fold it in various ways to make it plumper or flatter, based on how we were lying. The two firmer versions have more-supportive feathers in the inner chamber, which would make them more suitable for side sleepers.
The organic cotton shell is well constructed and smooth. Overall, the pillow feels plush while still providing a bit of support so your head doesn't sink all the way to the mattress.
Connie Chen/Insider
The Continental Bedding Siberian Goose Pillow is made from high-quality goose down and combed cotton and feels like you're sleeping in a luxury hotel. With an 800 fill power, it's ultra-lightweight and soft.
Pros: Made from 100% goose down, extensive range of sizes, made in the US
Cons: Not firm enough for side sleepers
This pillow is all down, with no feathers, giving it a super light and fluffy feel. Even better, it's goose down, which is more premium and harder to find than duck down. I could certainly feel the difference — this pillow was noticeably lighter and the most compressible of all the pillows I tested.
Unfortunately, side sleepers will have to skip out on this pillow since there's not much support, and it's pretty soft. However, for anyone who wants to feel like they've just climbed into a hotel bed after a long day out sightseeing, the Continental Bedding provides a dreamy escape.
It'll cost you to invest in this luxe pillow, but you can trust in the expertise and history of the brand. It's been around for almost 100 years, making down bedding products.
Connie Chen/Insider
What else we recommend and why
Continental Bedding Standard Down Pillow: We tried another one of Continental Bedding's pillows. This pillow has a lower fill power (550) and thus doesn't feel as fluffy or luxurious, nor did it beat out any of the other contenders in comfort. But it's noteworthy for being made of 100% down, and it's available in multiple sizes and support levels.
Casper Down Pillow: We tested this as a potential pick for stomach sleepers and found it soft yet supportive. It wasn't quite as malleable as the Boll & Branch pillow and didn't flatten as much. It could be a good alternative if you want a bit more height than the least firm Boll & Branch option.
What we don't recommend and why
Made by Design Feather Bed Pillow: I wanted to compare the feel of a mostly feather pillow to a mostly down pillow, and the difference is clear. The feather pillow flattens out and stays flat, and it's not as soft as a down pillow. While feather pillows are much more affordable than down pillows, we think the difference in comfort is worth paying for.
Connie Chen/Insider
What is down?
Down is soft and light fiber from the underbelly of a duck or goose. It's located underneath a bird's feather layer and is shaped in fluffy clusters. It's used in bedding and clothing because it's highly insulating yet breathable and lightweight.
Is goose or duck down better?
In terms of insulation and durability, goose and duck down perform the same, though duck down is generally cheaper. If you want the lightest and fluffiest pillow with the most warmth — and you're willing to pay a little more — go for goose down.
Is down ethical?
Down comes from birds that have been raised for food, so it is a sustainable byproduct, but there are concerns about animal welfare. The Global Traceable Down Standard (GTDS) and Responsible Down Standard (RDS) certify responsibly sourced down.
Is a down pillow worth it?
For a fluffy, low-maintenance pillow, down is worth the investment. Naturally breathable, down and feathers are also very soft and comfortable. The material conforms to body movements well so that you can shift positions at night with little disturbance.
How long do down pillows last?
The lifespan of your down pillow depends on how often you wash it. Generally, they last at least five years and up to 10 years. Replace your pillow when it remains flat after fluffing, or you fold it in half, and it doesn't unfold by itself.
Can you wash a down pillow?
Generally, it's okay to wash a down pillow on the delicate setting with mild detergent. Follow the care instructions of the manufacturer for the best results. Dry cleaning is an option, but it breaks down the natural oils in down, reducing your pillow's lifespan.
Can down cause allergies?
"People can be allergic to feathers, although it is not very common. Much more common is a dust mite allergy," said Tania Elliott, MD, an allergist at NYU Langone Health. To help prevent dust mites, try a pillowcase made from tightly woven 100% cotton.
What's the difference between down and down alternative?
While down is natural, down alternative is an affordable alternative made from synthetic material, usually polyester fibers. PrimaLoft is a popular, premium brand of down alternative that mimics the lightweight feel, insulation, and comfort of down.
What's the difference between down and feather pillows?
Down is the fiber on the underside of a bird, while the feathers are quilled and found on the back and wings. In general, down pillows are softer and more expensive. Feathers offer more support. Many pillows contain both, a feather core and down exterior.
What are the best pillow styles for side sleepers, back sleepers, and stomach sleepers?
Here are the lofts and firmness levels you should look for based on your sleep position:
| Loft | Firmness | |
| Side sleeper | High | Firm |
| Back sleeper | Medium | Moderate |
| Stomach sleeper | Low, thin | Soft |
Connie Chen/Insider
To test the best pillows, I slept on each pillow for three consecutive nights. I also rotated the pillows through three family members (one back sleeper, one side sleeper, and one with mixed sleeping positions), who slept on each pillow for a minimum of two nights and provided feedback.
I evaluated how supportive each pillow felt; how well it held its shape; its softness and coolness; and the quality of stitching and seams, including whether any down or feathers poked out. I also noted the fit of the pillow inside a standard-sized Casper pillowcase (21 x 29 inches). Lastly, I put each pillow on the air fluff setting in the dryer to see how well the pillows fluffed back up. I will continue rotating through all the best picks to evaluate long-term comfort and durability.
Outside of comfort, feel, and support, I looked at each brand's return and warranty terms. Since it can be challenging to determine whether you'll really like a pillow until you try it, I only considered brands with a minimum return policy of 30 days and a minimum warranty period of one year.
James Brains/Insider
The 5 best down pillows for side, stomach, and back sleepers
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