The 9 Best Hotel Pillows Of 2023

The 9 Best Hotel Pillows

Supportive. The right height. Makes you feel good. No, we aren’t talking about the most desirable qualities in a life partner. Rather, the perfect hotel pillow. After all, a bad pillow can easily stifle what would be a night’s restful sleep. That’s why luxury resorts are often regarded for their high standard when supplying guests with fluffy accouterments. Because hotel pillows see their fair share of action, with washes between each guest, they’re known for durability and are furnished to fit an extensive gamut of guest needs. If you’re keen on enjoying a boudoir with a 5-star hotel feel or want to up the appeal of your Airbnb, try adding a fluffy pair of the best hotel pillows to your home or guest bedroom. With the help of Mattress Advisor and their enthusiastic testers, we’ve rounded up nine hotel pillows that fit the bill for every sleeper. Keep reading if you want to discover who the pillows we plucked are best suited for. We factored in key details, like the preferred position for sleeping, and pillow fabrication material.

Best Hotel Pillows - Our Top Picks

Best Memory Foam Hotel Pillow - Brooklyn Bedding Luxury Cooling Memory Foam Pillow Best Down Alternative Hotel Pillow - Saatva Down Alternative Best Luxury Hotel Pillow - Cozy Earth Silk Pillow Best Cooling Hotel Pillow - Brooklinen Marlow Pillow Best Hypoallergenic Hotel Pillow - Parachute Down Alternative Best Side Sleeper Hotel Pillow - Beckham Hotel Collection Luxury Gel Pillow Best Feather Hotel Pillow - Down & Feather Hotel Collection Feather Pillow Best Stomach Sleeper Hotel Pillow - Boll & Branch Down Alternative Pillow Best Back Sleeper Hotel Pillow - Casper Original Pillow

Best Memory Foam Hotel Pillow - Brooklyn Bedding Luxury Cooling Memory Foam Pillow

Customer Rating: 4.5/5 Firmness: Medium-firm Fill Material: Memory foam Case Material: Cotton, polyester knit Washability: Machine washable cover, spot clean inner foam Sleep Trial Period: 30 nights

With some hotels, they’ll ask your pillow preferences when booking — memory foam or down? Those materials are two of the most commonly seen inside luxury hotel pillows. For hot sleepers who love memory foam, Brooklyn Bedding’s Luxury Cooling Memory Foam Pillow delivers. That’s because the pillow combats what is often the biggest drawback of a memory foam pillow — their inclination to amass heat. The foam is aerated to keep air moving, and the cotton cover feels cool to the touch, testers said. Another deal-breaker with pillows can be their size, since the pillow’s loft, or height, may be incompatible with your sleep position. Fortunately, Brooklyn Bedding has you covered by offering their Luxury Cooling Memory Foam Pillow in a low loft (suggested for back and stomach sleepers), and high loft (ideal for back and side sleepers) option.

Best Down Alternative Hotel Pillow - Saatva Down Alternative

Customer Rating: 5/5 Firmness: Medium-firm Fill Material: Down alternative fibers and latex Case Material: Organic cotton Washability: Spot clean only Sleep Trial Period: 45 nights

Down alternative is a godsend for those who love the fluffy feel of down, but can’t enjoy animal products or have a down allergy. A down alternative pillow with a down-like feel, but the fill isn’t actually made from the quill-less, soft layer of feathers that come primarily from a bird’s chest. Instead, pillows like the Saatva Down Alternative use fibers that are still fluffy, and often have the added bonus of soothing the sniffles for those with allergen sensitivities. The pillow has multiple layers, including a shredded latex core, to add bounce to the fluff. The multi-layer build also allows the loft of the pillow to be adjusted, if you need sleep height to keep your spine properly aligned.

Best Luxury Hotel Pillow - Cozy Earth Silk Pillow

Customer Rating: 4.9/5 Firmness: Soft Fill Material: Mulberry silk Case Material: Viscose from bamboo Washability: Spot clean, dry clean, or no spin machine wash (rinse only) on delicate, low heat; hang dry Sleep Trial Period: 100 nights

Unlike some of the other hotel bed pillows we’ve gone over, the Cozy Earth brand has planted its flag solely in the pillow and bedding accessory industry, rather than furnishing pillows as an added bonus accessory to complement its larger mattress biz. Consequently, it’s no surprise that Cozy Earth makes one of the best luxury silk pillows, particularly for hot sleepers. And yes, as it turns out, silk is just great for pillowcases but pillows themselves, thanks to the silk fiber’s natural breathability. The Cozy Earth’s silk core is surrounded by a viscose bamboo case, which wicks moisture away from the body, then dries it quickly, so your head rests cool and crisp all night.

Best Cooling Hotel Pillow - Brooklinen Marlow Pillow

Customer Rating: 4.1/5 Firmness: Adjustable Fill Material: Memory foam, polyester fiber Case Material: Cotton Washability: Machine washable Sleep Trial Period: N/A

A straightforward, affordable pillow that could fit any sleeper was the goal in constructing the Marlow, and testers say the brand succeeded. The Marlow Pillow from Brooklinen is a no-muss, no-fuss cooling pillow to its core, even down to how you can add loft or flatten the pillow by zipping and unzipping the pillow’s sides, rather than having to dig into and dispose of the filling. The memory foam is imbued with cooling properties, according to the brand, so that the foam doesn’t harbor heat. The memory foam and polyester fiber fill overall offer an excellent balance of firmness and support that can be tinkered with thanks to the zipper feature. Mesh gussets also help promote airflow through the pillow when the sides are unzipped.

Best Hypoallergenic Hotel Pillow - Parachute Down Alternative

Customer Rating: 4.3/5 Firmness: Soft, medium, or firm Fill Material: Microfiber Case Material: Cotton Washability: Delicate machine wash; tumble dry low with wool dryer balls Sleep Trial Period: 60 nights

You may have seen or heard of Parachute’s sheets, a frequent ad fixture of Instagram feeds and podcast airwaves. You may not know about Parachute’s pillows though. However, you should if you’re in the market for a pillow that’s customizable, hotel-quality, and hypoallergenic. Parachute’s down alternative pillow uses a microfiber fill geared toward those with allergen sensitivities. Down alternative is a popular pillow option for folks who are allergic to down feathers (although those annoying jabs you get from the quills can prompt a reaction from anyone). Down alternative mimics the cozy fluffiness of natural down, and the pillow is swaddled in a cotton cover. Soft, medium, and firm models of the pillow cater to your sleeping style, with the exception of side sleepers (Parachute offers a separate side sleeper pillow).

Best Side Sleeper Hotel Pillow - Beckham Hotel Collection Luxury Gel Pillow

It’s all in the name of the Beckham Hotel Collection Luxury Gel Pillow. The pillow brings the 5-star resort experience to your home for less than $25. And because side sleeping is far and away the most popular sleep position, hotel pillows like Beckham’s tend to accommodate side sleepers splendidly. The memory foam core is infused with a cooling gel to keep night sweats at bay, and the high thread-count cover is so soft you might find a pillowcase superfluous.

Best Feather Hotel Pillow - Down & Feather Hotel Collection Feather Pillow

Customer Rating: Not available Firmness: Soft, medium, firm, or extra-firm Fill Material: Goose feathers Case Material: Egyptian cotton Washability: Spot clean only Sleep Trial Period: 30 nights

Luxury goose feather pillows are sold for as much as $400 by some of the high-end, third-party retailers. But thanks to the direct-to-consumer market for bedding, you can get a luxury goose feather pillow for just under $100 when you buy online from Down & Feather. The made-to-order pillows are furnished in multiple sizes and densities so that they can complement any sleep need. And if you’re worried about how the geese were treated in order to create the pillow’s down fill, you can relax, since Down & Feather is in compliance with the Responsible Down Standard to ensure the ethical treatment of animals. In addition to a 30-night sleep trial, the brand gives you one year from the date of purchase to send the pillow back for a density adjustment.

Best Stomach Sleeper Hotel Pillow - Boll & Branch Down Alternative Pillow

Customer Rating: 4.6/5 Firmness: Soft, medium, or firm Fill Material: Proprietary down alternative fiber Case Material: Cotton Washability: Machine washable Sleep Trial Period: 30 nights

Another pillow among the popular down alternative category is from Boll & Branch, which like Parachute, is also a brand known for its sheets. Boll & Branch is also known for its commitment to sustainably- and ethically-sourced materials, making it an ideal choice for those whose eco-conscientiousness keeps them up at night. The pillow comes in three firmness options, and we recommend the soft style for stomach sleepers. The smushier the pillow, the better for keeping your neck in line with the spine, rather than unnaturally torqued away.

Best Back Sleeper Hotel Pillow - Casper Original Pillow

Customer Rating: 4.5/5 Firmness: Medium Fill Material: Down alternative Case Material: Cotton cover Washability: Machine washable Sleep Trial Period: 30 nights

The Casper Original Pillow is yet another in the ever-popular down alternative category. And it’s not hard to see the appeal of down alternative pillows. After all, they are often less pricey but equally comfortable as their down feather pillow counterparts. Testers said the pillow felt cool — no need to flip to the cool side — and sat at an optimal height to prop up the head and neck of the typical back sleeper. The Casper Original Pillow, like the mattress, also delivers plenty of cushioning via its multi-layer design. The brand calls the design a “pillow inside a pillow.” The inner pillow is a microfiber fill for adaptive support as you move and adjust positions. The outside layer is soft and soothing polyester fabric, with surrounding 2-inch gussets to buff the pillow’s sturdiness.

What Makes a Good Hotel Pillow?

Like the quirky requests that a concierge will accommodate with a smile, what you want out of a hotel pillow will vary. As such, a singular definition of a “good” hotel pillow doesn’t exist. Instead, it’s all about finding the right hotel pillow for you to take home. One person’s favorite feather pillow may have the totally wrong feel for a memory foam lover. So, in a literal sense, what’s good for the goose isn’t necessarily good for the gander in the pillow world.

Are Hotel Pillows Worth It?

If you’re looking for hotel-quality pillows — and we mean the kind that would be in a Hilton or Ritz-Carlton, not a fleabag motel — you can expect to spend a bit more. But are hotel pillows worth their weight in down feathers? For our team personally, many of whom had never tried a nicer pillow until getting into the reviewing biz, having pillows with a luxurious feel at home became a necessity rather than a luxury. In other words, once you go the way of the high-quality, luxury hotel pillow, you may never want to go back. Consider yourself warned.

Things to Consider When Buying a Hotel Pillow

Type of Pillow

Memory foam: Memory foam pillows are essentially small, pillow-sized versions of the memory foam mattress you may sleep upon. A foam pillow may be one whole loaf of foam or shredded pieces of foam that are packed together. Foam pillows generally offer the lofty, firm support needed when side and back sleeping. Down/Down Alternative: Down is the classic pillow for a Hollywood pillow fight scene full of cinematically floating feathers. Of course, we’re pretty sure the goose or duck feather-stuffed down pillows we put forth today are a tad more durable. Down, and down alternative which mimics the feathery feel, tends to be smushier, and cool to the touch. Latex: Pillows made from latex foam will have many similarities to memory foam. One of the biggest differences will be the bounce in a latex foam pillow compared to the slower-moving feel of a memory foam pillow. Hybrid: A hybrid pillow will incorporate multiple materials to achieve its unique feel. Hybrid pillows often have some of the best structural integrity, thanks to having multiple layers and materials.

Performance Factors

Allergen-resistance: A pillow’s resistance to collecting allergens is a hugely important factor if you have severe sensitivities to dust mites and other potential irritants. Keep in mind too that a pillow’s allergen resistance is all-the-more important if it’s tricky to wash. Loft: Loft is industry jargon to describe a pillow’s height. High loft pillows are best for side and back sleepers, while low loft pillows better suit stomach sleepers. Size: You can select pillow sizes that match your mattress, or go rogue, and buy whichever you prefer. Standard, queen, and king-size pillows comprise the familiar options, and then there are less conventional sizes as well, like the Japanese pillow size. Firmness: A pillow’s firmness may vary over time, and it’s a good idea to parse reviews if you’re worried about a pillow losing firmness. Pillows marketed as hotel pillows err on the medium-firm side since that’s the most broadly beloved firmness. Washability: With a high volume of folks using the pillows, hotel pillows tend to be washable. If you have allergy sensitives or are simply accident-prone when eating ice cream in bed, make sure you select a washable pillow option. Durability: If your preferences in pillows are fickle, you may not even want a pillow with uber durability. However, if your tastes have been cemented for a long time, you should probably go the sustainable route and try to find a pillow that can go the distance. A pillow protector can add years of longevity to any pillow you opt for. Price: Pricier doesn’t always mean better in the pillow world, especially when you consider that often, you can save huge sums by buying directly from the brand, rather than from a third-party retailer. The pillows we’ve rounded up stay in a fairly humble range of $25 to $125, although there are far pricier options out there. Do hotels have different pillows? Down-alternative fills are the most popular hotel pillow type, although the brands themselves vary. You can always check under the hood, so to speak, if there’s a hotel pillow you fall in love with, or ask the front desk if they have the pillow brand on file. What are hotel pillows filled with? Luxury hotels will most likely use down, or white goose or duck feathers. The average three-star hotel will likely use a down alternative. When you book your room, some hotels will actually ask your preferences — down or memory foam. What firmness do hotels use? A medium-firm is most commonly seen in hotels. Why? Because patrons are more likely to find pillows overly soft rather than overly firm. Medium-firm is the closest to a general consensus preference.

Summary of Our Top Picks for the Best Hotel Pillows

title: “The 9 Best Hotel Pillows Of 2023” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-15” author: “Wilma Smith”