4 Important Questions You Should Ask Before Choosing the Right Pillow

by Carla Mendoza November 11, 2022

When considering the perfect pillow for a heavenly night of rest, there are many factors involved that you should strongly consider:

Does the pillow provide optimal comfort?
Is the pillow hypoallergenic?
Is the pillow safe to use?
Is the pillow ethically produced?

Comfort is always top-of-mind, of course; It’s the most obvious factor when it comes to choosing a pillow. But questions 2 through 4 usually take a back seat to comfort. You may not realize it, but these are the questions that can help save your health and the environment.

1. Does the pillow provide optimal comfort?

The most desirable characteristic of an ideal pillow is an ergonomic pillow that provides long-lasting head and neck support. Pillows filled with down, cotton, or synthetic fibers may all be comfortable at first, but after 6-12 months, they start to migrate or get lumpy and are nearly impossible to fluff back up again. Foam and alpaca fleece-filled pillows offer lasting head and neck support and don’t migrate like down, cotton, and synthetic fibers do.

Another vital characteristic of comfort is temperature regulation. Whether you’re a hot sleeper or need to pile three thick blankets on top of you to keep warm at night, there are temperature-regulating pillows that can make sleep more comfortable for you. Cooling pillow technology usually contains a layer of gel that absorbs body heat to cool you off during sleep. Alternatively, you can use electric heating pillows if you’re a cold sleeper.

If you want a pillow that does both, alpaca fleece-filled pillows are your best bet. Alpaca fiber has hollow pockets that trap heat, so if you get too hot, it cools you off by absorbing your body heat. It can also keep you warm with this exact mechanism. The heat trapped within the pillow will cool you down if you get too cold. It naturally works to balance the temperature.

2. Is the pillow hypoallergenic?

Do you ever wake up with itchy, watery eyes and congestion? You may have a pillow allergy. But it’s not the pillow you’re allergic to; it’s what’s living inside it… bed bugs. Certain pillow fillers, like down, are more prone to attracting bed bugs than others. Bed bugs are attracted to moisture, which is why they love nesting in your mattress and pillows. Down pillows hold onto moisture, unlike down alternatives. They are not conducive to proper sleep hygiene. Alpaca fleece pillows and some synthetic pillows are moisture-wicking, hypoallergenic alternatives that keep your pillows free of bed bugs. However, synthetic down alternatives have a downside (pun intended). This brings us to our third question…

3. Is the pillow safe to use?

If you go to any nearby retail store, they will likely only have polyester pillows, and they rarely have organic pillows for sale. Polyester pillows are the cheapest to manufacture, so they are affordable and easy to sell. As with most inexpensive items, there is usually a trade-off. The manufacturing process exposes these pillows to harmful chemicals that are then absorbed by the pillows and released into our homes and bodies. Ethylene glycol is the main chemical you need to look out for. Extended exposure can cause throat irritation, back problems, and involuntary eye movements. Most organic pillows are free of this harmful toxin.

4. Is the pillow ethically sourced?

If you want to sleep well at night, the last box you’ll want to check is having peace of mind. How a pillow is made and where it is sourced can have a significant impact on animals, people, and the environment. For example, the process of making down pillows is not particularly friendly. Humans pluck feathers from live geese, which can be quite painful for them. People working in large synthetic pillow factories are exposed to the harmful toxins released during the process, which are less-than-ideal working conditions. The large factories producing these pillows also contribute to the carbon footprint harming the environment.

So, if you want a pillow that answers “yes” to all these crucial questions, you’ll want an organic, alpaca fleece-filled pillow, as Hoppy Dreams offers. They use alpaca fleece which offers long-lasting comfort, is hypoallergenic, is non-toxic, and is ethically sourced. Alpacas are never harmed in the process, and the materials are handcrafted right in Brevard, NC. The people making each pillow are never exposed to harmful toxins, and every Hoppy Dreams pillow is 100% safe. Start shopping for the best pillow on the market that offers you high-quality sleep and peace of mind.