What You Need to Know to Find the Best Feather Pillows

Reading up on Domino’s shopping guides is like having your own personal product concierge. We do the tedious part—deep-dive research, hands-on testing, and tapping experts for advice—so all you have to do is hit “add to cart.” That’s why we call them Simply the Best.

We suspect that you, like us, have unsavory feather pillow experiences from your past, like being poked in the cheek by errant feathers or breathing in unpleasant gamy odors. But as it turns out, feather pillows have come a long way from these associations, and quality-crafted versions can indeed be quite dreamy. We would know: We researched and tested the best ones on the market, which offer an expansive range of fillings including down, feathers, and a combination of the two for a feel that’s supersoft or firmer, so you can find the perfect pillows for your bed (paired with some pretty throw pillows, of course). 

Read on for our five standout picks for deep, restorative sleep with nary a quill jab in sight.

Our Favorites

• Best fluffy: Parachute Down Pillow
• Best supportive: Brooklinen Down Pillow
• Best balanced: Quince Luxe Goose Down Pillow
• Best chamber design: Casper Down Pillow
• Best sustainable: Boll & Branch Down Pillow

Best Fluffy: Parachute Down Pillow

Sizes: Standard and king |  Sustainably sourced: Responsible Down Standard certified | Fill: 85% down, 15% down and feather fiber | Firmness: Soft, medium, firm 

Why we chose it: An impossibly fluffy pillow made from responsibly sourced feathers. 

Parachute’s down pillow is supremely fluffy (like, instantly-forms-to-your-cheek fluffy). It’s composed of all-natural European white down and has a 750 fill power (the higher the fill power, the plusher the pillow). On first inspection, this pillow was noticeably lightweight compared to the others. But despite the airiness, it still felt supportive and maintained its loft throughout the night. We like that there is a three-year warranty and the pillow is Responsible Down Standard certified. There’s even a down pillow option that’s designed with a 3.5-inch gusset intended to take the strain off of your neck and shoulders, making this one of the best pillows for side sleepers. The only downside? This pillow is not cheap. But if you’re ready to upgrade your snooze cycle, it’s worth it.

Best Supportive: Brooklinen Down Pillow

Sizes: Standard and king | Sustainably sourced: Down Association of Canada (Downmark) certified | Fill: Down clusters and feathers | Firmness: Plush, mid-plush, firm 

Why we chose it: A fluffy yet supportive pillow that’s treated with antimicrobials to keep your sleep environment fresh and clean. 

Of Brooklinen’s three firmness options, we tested its mid-plush down pillow, which has a filling of 85 percent waterfowl feathers surrounded by 15 percent down. Because this ratio tips more toward feathers than down, this pillow was slightly firmer and heavier and felt more supportive for the neck (making it the most versatile option for side and back sleepers). The brand’s plush option is made entirely of down (so it’s softer and fluffier), and its firm pillow has an even higher ratio of feathers to clusters. Brooklinen’s down is ethically sourced from Hutterite Farms in Canada and certified by the Down Association of Canada (Downmark). The pillows are treated with Ultra-Fresh Antimicrobial Additives to help keep your sleep space fresh, clean, and odor-free. Altogether, this is a fluffy yet supportive pillow that costs less than $100. What are you waiting for?

Best Balanced: Quince Luxe Goose Down Pillow

Sizes: Standard, king | Sustainably sourced: Responsible Down Standard Certified | Fill: 700 fill power European white goose down | Firmness: Soft/medium, medium/firm 

Why we chose it: Despite being entirely filled with down, this pillow still manages to feel supportive (while maintaining its delectable fluffiness, of course).

We put Quince’s luxe medium-density down pillow to the test and were delighted by the balance between fluff and firm. It’s filled with 85 percent down cluster and 15 percent fiber (the latter is plumule, which can be thought of as soft, fine feathers) and has a 700 fill power. Because of this high down concentration, the pillow is lightweight, but it still felt surprisingly supportive on the neck. Quince’s down pillows are Responsible Down Standard certified and competitively priced at around $120. Unlike other options on this list that offer a soft, medium, and firm range, Quince’s is available in either soft/medium or medium/firm. If you’ve refrained from sleeping on down pillows until now in fear of a lack of support, consider trying this cozy pick.

Best Chamber Design: Casper Down Pillow

Sizes: Standard, king | Sustainably sourced: Ethically sourced down | Fill: Outer chamber 80% down, 20% feather; inner chamber 60% down, 40% feather | Firmness: Low loft, mid-loft 

Why we chose it: With a unique chamber design and a 30-night trial, this feather pillow feels like a no-brainer.

When Casper’s down pillow arrived on our doorstep, we were immediately intrigued by its so-called five-chamber design and what that meant for the feel of this pillow. The brand created this construction technique with support for all sleep positions in mind, with the inner chambers adapting to your sleep style and the outer chambers maintaining the puff. Did it live up to the hype? Indeed it did. Beyond this technical design, we also appreciate that Casper offers a 30-night risk-free trial—but with one caveat: The low-loft option is final sale. We also noticed that the pillow didn’t return to its full height without a little assistance and required a little fluffing in order to get it back to its optimum loft. Overall, we’d recommend this pick to anyone who wants a squishy pillow with a mix of feathers and down.

Best Sustainable: Boll & Branch Down Pillow

Sizes: Standard, king | Sustainably sourced: Sourced from ethical down and feather farms in Ohio | Fill: Feather and down | Firmness: Soft, medium, firm 

Why we chose it: A sustainably and ethically crafted down pillow that makes falling asleep feel like a breeze.

Boll & Branch’s soft down pillow is filled entirely with down; the other two densities, medium and firm, are a mix of feathers and down for more support. We tried the medium, which is 70 percent feathers and 30 percent down, and immediately fell in love with the soft, supportive feel of this ultra-luxe pillow. It’s wrapped in an organic cotton shell and triple washed with environmentally safe Bluesign certified detergent. Also the brand sources 100 percent ethical down and feathers from farms in Ohio and sells a hypoallergenic pillow protector separately for $35. The only drawback to this pillow is the price—it’s the most expensive on this list—but it’s also memorably soft, supportive, and sleep inducing and one of the best down feather pillows we’ve found. This is a splurge we can get behind.

How We Chose These Products

There were a few key attributes we had in mind when researching the best feather pillows on the market. Ethically sourced feathers, sustainable materials, fill power, and overall loft were all at the top of our list, with bonuses like warranties and sleep trials also part of our consideration. We researched dozens of feather pillows from a wide range of producers and at a variety of price points, filtering out brands that had a track record of poor customer service and any companies that weren’t clear about whether their feathers were responsibly sourced. As always, we kept design in mind, looking toward brands with modern visuals and clever branding. From there, we tested our favorites to put the puffs to the test, sleeping on each pillow several times before finalizing our list.

Our Shopping Checklist

Sizes

Picking a pillow size is even simpler than choosing bedding. If you have a king-size bed, go for the king-size pillows. Anything below that (queen, full, or twin) and a standard-size pillow should do just fine.

Fill

The term feather pillow might mean different things to different sleepers, but it’s important to know the technical difference between down feather clusters and waterfowl feathers with quills. We tapped the American Down and Feather Council to help us distinguish between the two, and it explained that down is the light coating found beneath the feathers of waterfowl. These three-dimensional clusters are composed of fluffy filaments and don’t have a quill. They’re also naturally insulating. As for feathers, they do have quills, are two-dimensional, and are known for the springy support and recovery that they provide.

In essence, a pillow with a higher concentration of feathers will be firmer and provide more support, while a pillow with more down clusters will be lighter and fluffier. The fill you pick will ultimately depend on your preference: If you require more support, go for a pillow crafted with a higher ratio of feathers. If you want to feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud, invest in one that’s made entirely of down.

Responsibly Sourced Feathers

Choosing to buy a feather pillow means accepting the fact that the filling is coming from an animal. If that’s something you’re comfortable with but still want to confirm that the pillow is created as ethically and responsibly as possible, make sure the company you’re buying from is transparent about where it sources its feathers, as well as which certifications it holds. The American Down and Feather Council told us that the International Down and Feather Bureau and its members are firmly against the harvesting of feathers and down from live birds. There are also certifications like RDS (Responsible Down Standard) that further ensure that down is harvested in a humane manner. It added that consumers can look for both the ADFC seal and the RDS logo on the pillow’s product tags. 

Firmness

As mentioned above, the ratio of down clusters to feathers will determine how firm your pillow is, with more feathers creating a firmer sleep experience. It’s important to remember that added support isn’t the main draw of a feather pillow; it’s more about the fluffy feel.

Care and Maintenance

You should always check the care instructions for your specific pillow, but generally speaking, you can machine-wash your feather pillow on a cool, delicate cycle using mild liquid laundry detergent, followed by a low-heat cycle in the dryer. Beyond cleaning, it’s not a bad idea to give your pillows a fluff from time to time to create more space for the feathers and down to spread out.

Ask Domino

Q: How long do feather pillows last?

Brandon Palmer, the communications chair of the American Down and Feather Council, told us that there’s no set timeline on the life of a down and feather product. “Warranties vary from product to product and largely depend on the consumer use and care of the product,” he explains. However, you can expect the typical down pillow to last for around three years, provided you wash and fluff it when needed.

Q: Are feather pillows unsustainable?

The answer to this question ultimately depends on who you ask. If you are against using animal products, then a feather pillow will be unsustainable. If you’re okay with a pillow that uses feathers harvested from an animal, you should go the extra step to ensure the company you’re buying from is doing this in a way that’s responsible and humane (as outlined above in the “responsibly sourced feathers“ section).

Q: Does it matter what position I sleep in?

If you’re like most people and identify as a side sleeper, a pillow with medium firmness will be the most comfortable for your neck and shoulders. If you snooze on your stomach, a fluffy and lightweight option will be best so that your head isn’t tipped upward in an uncomfortable position. As for back sleepers, medium is usually a good range, but firm can also work well. With this in mind, if you’re a back or side sleeper, go for a feather pillow with a higher ratio of feathers. If you’re a stomach sleeper, an ultra-fluffy down pick will be a winner.

Q: I’m a hot sleeper. Will I like feather pillows?

Brett Rife, chairman of the American Down and Feather Council, says that “down and feather products are perfect for ‘hot’ sleepers given that the fills are breathable and airy. This also helps maintain a comfortable body temperature that will prevent tossing and turning from chills or night sweats.”

The Last Word

We love feather pillows for their soft, fluffy qualities, and the best options ensure that the filling—feathers, down clusters, or both—are responsibly sourced. If you’re ready to invest in a new pillow and want to feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud, rest your head on one of our favorites, above.