We spend about a third of our lives sleeping – or trying to do so – and feeling comfortable and well supported during slumber is crucial. But all too often, our pillows let us down. I can’t be the only person to have bought a comfy-feeling pillow from a reputable brand only to feel it becoming increasingly flat or lumpy with time, or after putting it through the wash.
Synthetic pillows are touted as a squishy yet supportive alternative to traditional feather and down pillows, and they’re versatile and easy to clean. Plus, they’re a great option for people with asthma, or dust and feather allergies, like me.
From hollow, micro- or ball-fibre polyester to cubes or shreds of foam, the choice of synthetic fillings is greater than ever. Some are biodegradable, potentially reducing their environmental impact when they reach the end of their useful lives, and luxury options are equipped with antibacterial or cooling covers, or air vents to reduce overheating. But which pillow is best?
In recent years, I’ve become obsessed with trying to find a synthetic pillow that will retain its plumpness night after night, without being so plump that it feels too firm to sleep on or my neck cricks. I regularly unsheathe hotel pillows to learn which brands or materials they use, but with so many options available, I wanted to conduct a more comprehensive test to find the best synthetic pillows available.
At a glance
Why you should trust me
I am the author of a book on circadian rhythms and sleep, and a science journalist who’s scrutinised health and science claims, separating the facts from marketing hype, for two decades. I also love my sleep and need at least seven-and-a-half hours a night to function the next day, so having a supportive pillow is very important to me.
How I tested
My family and I cosied up with 17 different synthetic pillows to assess their comfort and durability. Despite having different sleeping styles and body shapes, we found a surprising amount of common ground in our shortlisted favourites.
Comfort was the biggest factor. Each pillow was initially scored out of 10, and the average was used to identify the five pillows preferred by side sleepers and the five favoured by the back sleepers in our family. We then spent at least three nights sleeping on each shortlisted pillow – or more, if we fell in love with them. After the sleep test, our shortlisted pillows were rated again.
Washability was another factor. All shortlisted pillows were taken to a launderette and put through a washing machine, before being tumble-dried following the manufacturers’ instructions. Only pillows that could be washed – or had a padded outer cover that could be washed – and dried without losing their shape and comfort made it on to our recommended list.
Since pillows must be durable enough to withstand being squashed, plumped and shaken in and out of pillowcases, we also put each shortlisted option through a pillow fight, to ensure they retained their shape and showed no signs of falling apart. Although the focus of this review was synthetic pillows, rather than those containing natural fibre fillings, bonus points were awarded for the use of sustainable or biodegradable materials in their construction. Finally, because no pillow is perfect for everyone, we favoured products with a right-of-return policy.
The best anti-allergy pillows in 2025
Best synthetic pillow overall:
Brightr Nox vegan down pillow
This pillow was lauded by side and back sleepers alike, due to its adjustability and squishy, down-like comfort. Its design is unusual, consisting of a padded outer case that can be filled with different combinations of medium- and low-loft inserts. There’s even an extra bag of microfibre stuffing that can be added via a zipper to the medium-loft layer for further customisation. Some side sleepers liked it with both inserts, others with just the medium-loft one, while our back sleeper preferred the low-loft insert. The heft of the fully stuffed pillow also proved a formidable weapon in our pillow fight.
Another interesting feature is the weaving of copper fibres into the cover to fight bacteria, viruses and allergens. Although Brightr doesn’t specify which allergens this targets, independent studies have suggested the viability of dust mites may be reduced by copper. It also has antimicrobial and antifungal properties, so such claims are plausible, even though we didn’t test them ourselves.
Care should be taken when laundering this pillow. Although Brightr claimed it was fully washable, ours went a bit lumpy after the first wash and tumble dry. Upon rereading the care instructions, we tried putting it back into the tumble dryer with a tennis ball, which restored its former fluffiness.
It’s a shame that … while spare copper-infused pillowcases can be bought, these aren’t padded like the original. This means that any unused inserts can’t be repurposed into a second pillow and are therefore wasted.
Height: variable, adjustable; 22cm when fully stuffed
Support: adjustable from very firm to soft. Extra filling also provided for further customisation
Filling: recycled polyester microfibres. Cover infused with copper antibacterial fibres
Washability: fully washable
Allergy claims: copper fibres are woven into the cover to fight bacteria, viruses and allergens – presumably fungi and house dust mites
Sustainability: filling manufactured from recycled plastic bottles. Pillows come vacuum-packed to reduce CO2 emissions during delivery
Returns/guarantee if bought direct from brand: 30-night trial, free exchanges for other pillows
£79.90 at Brightr Sleep
£59.90 at Myza
Best pillow for side sleepers:
Hanse Select feather-free pillow
Hanse is a German textile manufacturer favoured by various top-end hotels, including the Marriott Group, Hyatt Group, Six Senses, Jumeirah, and Kempinski properties, where this pillow is often offered as a feather-free option. The filling is composed of polyfibre “pearls” (polyester fibres rolled into small fluffy balls that glide over one another, making the pillow easy to plump).
Hanse is also about to launch a biodegradable option: the same pillow, except the filling has been treated with enzymes designed to gradually break down the material when it is exposed to soil, moisture and warmth. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen during regular machine washing. We tested both the standard and biodegradable pillows and our side sleepers found them impressively comfortable, although they were too plump for our back sleeper. A firm version is also available, which we didn’t test – it’s labelled “fest” via this link, whereas the soft version we tested is labelled “weich”.
It’s a shame that … the height of this pillow isn’t adjustable, as some others are.
Height: 18cm
Support: soft (weich) or firm (fest)
Filling:100% polyfibre
Washability: fully washable
Allergy claims: feather-free and suitable for house dust allergy sufferers. Oeko-Tex certified harmless to health
Sustainability: a biodegradable version is expected to launch shortly
Returns/guarantee if bought direct from brand: 14-day risk-free right of return, two-year manufacturing quality guarantee
Best pillow for back sleepers:
Richard Haworth Soft micro-down hypo-allergenic pillow
I first encountered Richard Haworth pillows at a friend’s ski chalet, where I was so impressed that I pulled off the pillowcases to inspect the labels. Although my friend had bought the brand’s Clusterfill pillows – which we also tested and would recommend for side sleepers – it was the softer micro-down pillow that our back sleeper rated as his joint favourite (alongside the Brightr pillow). These were also some of the cheapest pillows that we tested.
Since the company primarily serves the hotel industry, you’d expect its pillows to survive rough handling and a wash cycle unscathed, which they did. And though soft, they still felt supportive and bounced back into shape after being slept on.
A marginally plumper standard version of this pillow is also available, which our side sleepers favoured.
It’s a shame that … these pillows could be more sustainable, even though Richard Haworth is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative.
after newsletter promotion
Height: 13cm
Support: soft
Filling: 100% microfibre
Washability: fully washable
Allergy claims: hypoallergenic filling
Sustainability: Better Cotton Initiative member. No recycled or biodegradable material used
Returns/guarantee if bought direct from brand: unused items can be returned within 14 days
The best of the rest
Simba Hybrid pillow
Best for: people who sleep on both their side and their back
This pillow has won numerous awards and accolades. The “hybrid” label stems from its filling: cubes of open-cell foam, which provide the mouldable cushioning of memory foam pillows, with the feel of a more traditional pillow. Opinions were split over its comfort: some of our side sleepers loved it, others found it a little on the soft side. The amount of filling can easily be reduced via a handy zipper, lowering its height, although our back sleeper then found it a little “lumpy”.
The pillow’s padded, outer jacket has Stratos “cool-touch” tech woven in, which means the surface feels cool, while mesh panels in the sides help to dissipate moisture and heat. Overheating can be a problem with solid memory foam pillows, but our testers didn’t report any issues with this. The foam cubes can’t be washed, but the padded outer jacket can, and the pillow’s comfort was unaffected by doing so. The cover also dried quickly, without the need for a tumble dryer, which was another benefit.
It didn’t make the final cut because … my side-sleeper children found it too soft, and my back-sleeper husband too firm, even though I loved sleeping on this pillow. Extra filling can be bought from Simba’s Amazon store, which may benefit side sleepers who prefer a loftier pillow, although we didn’t try this.
Height: adjustable; 18cm when fully stuffed; support: medium firm to soft; filling: quilted outer cover filled with polyester fibres, inner core of foam nanocubes; washability: padded cover washable, foam core not washable; allergy claims: hypoallergenic outer cover. Foam is CertiPUR certified, meaning it is free of harmful heavy metals and dyes. It’s also free of the flame retardant chemical TCPP, phosphate, parabens, biocides and persistent organic pollutants; sustainability: polyester fibres are made from recycled bottles, foam cubes are biodegradable, packaging is 50% recycled and storage bag is 100% recycled; returns/guarantee if bought direct from brand: 30-night trial, one-year guarantee
£109 at Simba
£107.49 at Amazon
Julian Charles Feels Like Down hotel pillow
Best for: side sleepers on a budget
These very comfortable pillows are often reduced in price, making them a great budget option for side sleepers. Like the Brightr pillow, they’re filled with very fine denier polyester “microfibres”, providing a squishy, down-like experience, yet they’re still plump enough to provide the support side sleepers need to keep their necks and spines aligned. They’re also surprisingly weighty, making them feel more like a traditional feather pillow – and were excellent weapons in our pillow fights.
We liked the medium-firm pillow, but soft-medium and extra-firm options are also available.
It didn’t make the final cut because … our back sleeper did not like this pillow, although our side sleepers did. They were also less sustainable than some of the other shortlisted pillows.
Height: 18cm; support: medium firm to firm; filling: polyester microfibre; washability: fully washable; allergy claims: none made; sustainability: unspecified; returns/guarantee if bought direct from brand: none
£22 at Julian Charles
Soak&Sleep Soft As Down microfibre pillows
Best for: a springy-feeling pillow
If you like a squishy but bouncy-feeling pillow, these Soak&Sleep ones are worth a try. Like many of the pillows we tested, they’re filled with microfibre, but their core is filled with 3D hollowfibre – polyester fibres that have more gaps between them, resulting in a springier feel.
We tested the medium-firm option, which was too high for our back sleeper, but our side sleepers found it extremely comfortable. A soft-medium version is also available.
It didn’t make the final cut because … opinions were split over their comfort. If you like a squishy yet springy pillow, they’re worth a try.
Height: 20cm; support: medium firm; filling: polyester microfibre and 3D hollowfibre; washability: fully washable; allergy claims: allergy-friendly; sustainability: unspecified; returns/guarantee if bought direct from brand: unused items can be returned within 365 days, two-year guarantee.
£19.50 at Soak&Sleep
£19.50 at Debenhams
Searching for stylish sleepwear? Read our guides on the best pyjamas for men and the best pyjamas for women
Linda Geddes is a former Guardian science correspondent
