Getting a fantastic night’s sleep is also an important part of maintaining your health. A key part of this is picking a pillow that permits you to break your head in comfort. For those seeking a fluffy, soft pillow filled with natural materials, pillows filled with epoxy fit the bill. To pick the ideal pillow for you, look for one with high-quality materials and a manufacturer’s warranty.
Feather Types
Pillows are stuffed with feathers or down, or even a combination of both. Down is the insulating material beneath the masks that retains a bird cozy and warm. Down feathers are very soft and fluffy, while the bird’s outer masks are more difficult with sharp quills. Better feather pillows include all down or a majority of down feathers. In general, pure down pillows are of higher quality than other feather pillows and tend to last longer and be resilient through the years. Some higher quality pillows come with a warranty from the manufacturer, so you’ll have peace of mind if your pillow doesn’t function well.
The Fluff Factor
How fluffy a pillow is depends on the fill power of the pillow. Fill power indicates the amount of space that the ounce of the downward will fill in cubic inches, according to the Down & Feather Company. A higher fill power indicates that the pillow contains down from a mature bird. This down is larger than that by a younger bird. Larger down masks mean more height or loft to the pillow. Normally, pillows using a higher fill power are fluffier. They also tend to last longer and wear better than pillows with a lower fill power, making them a better investment.
Thread Count
The thread count of a pillow indicates the tightness of its fabric. A higher thread count ensures that the fabric is more tightly knit than fabric using a lesser count. Tightly woven fabric doesn’t allow the feathers or down within the pillow to escape through small spaces in the material. This is especially essential for pillows filled with feathers, whose quills can easily poke through fabric using a low thread count. These quills are sharp and can scratch your skin if they come through the fabric, which is something that you definitely don’t need when you settle down for a night of rest. A pillow with higher thread count will also feel smooth and soft to the touch.
Firmness
How firm you would like your feather pillow to be will decide which pillow is best for you. This is something special to each sleeper. A feather cushion’s stability is determine from the amount of feathers or down stuffed into it. The more ounces of feathers a pillow comprises, the firmer it will be, while fewer feathers lead to a softer pillow. If you are a side sleeper, you may prefer a heavier feather pillow, but if you are a back sleeper, then a slightly softer pillow could be your best bet, according to a report by CBS News. Stomach sleepers tend to need cozy, soft pillows that don’t elevate the mind too much.
Considerations
If you have allergies, look for pillows filled with hypoallergenic feathers. The filling of the pillows is cleaned of any dust mites, dander and bacteria in the birds. While you may believe that a knitted pillow would include more allergens than just one with artificial fill, the contrary is actually true. In a study published in the June 2004 issue of “Clinical & Experimental Allergy,” pillows featuring artificial fibers included many more dust mites than feather pillows. A similar finding was published in the May 2000 issue of “Pediatric Allergy and Immunology,” showing feather pillows develop fewer allergens over time than other types. That is because feather pillows have tightly woven covers to keep the masks intact.