Softest pillow: the softest fills and who they suit
The softest pillow you can buy is a down pillow. Goose down with a high fill power sits at the top, and eiderdown sits above that if price doesn't matter. Microfibre down alternatives come close when new. Shredded memory foam is a step firmer but keeps its feel for longer. A very soft pillow suits stomach sleepers and many back sleepers. Side sleepers should be careful: a pillow that flattens under the head leaves the neck bent towards the mattress, so they need one that feels soft on top and still keeps its height.
Is there a softest pillow in the world?
Nobody measures pillow softness on a shared scale, so a "softest in the world" label on a product is marketing. The closest thing to a real answer is eiderdown. It is gathered by hand from the nests of eider ducks, mostly in Iceland, and it is very light. It also costs far more than goose down. In UK department stores and bedding shops, the usual top tier is Hungarian or Siberian goose down with a fill power of 700 or more.
UK labels often give the fill as a percentage, such as "90% down, 10% feather". A higher share of down means a lighter, softer pillow. A higher share of feather means a heavier pillow that pushes back a little more.
Two kinds of soft
When people say a pillow is soft, they usually mean one of two things, and a pillow can score well on one and badly on the other.
- Give is how far your head sinks when you lie down. The fill controls this.
- Surface feel is how smooth or plush the pillow feels against your face. The cover and the pillowcase control most of this.
Squishability is a third thing. It matters if you fold your pillow in half or hug it. Down and shredded foam bunch up easily. A solid block of memory foam feels soft when you press slowly, but it won't fold under your arm.
Soft doesn't have to mean flat
Loft is the height of the pillow, and soft-pillow shoppers often forget about it. Once your head has sunk in, the fill left underneath decides whether your neck stays in line with your spine.
Side sleepers need to fill the gap between the ear and the outside of the shoulder. That gap is bigger if you have broad shoulders. Stomach sleepers want very little under the head, and back sleepers need something in between. If you want softness and height together, choose more fill. An overstuffed down pillow stays squishy on top and still holds your head up. A thin one does neither.
Soft pillow fills compared
| Fill | How soft it feels | Holds its shape | Heat | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Down (goose or duck) | The softest and lightest | Poorly; needs shaking most days | Breathes well | Stomach and back sleepers who like to sink |
| Feather and down blend | Soft, with some quill feel | Shifts during the night | Breathes well | A down-like feel for less money |
| Microfibre or hollowfibre | Close to down when new | Clumps and flattens with time | Can trap heat | Anyone avoiding animal fill or washing often |
| Shredded memory foam | Medium-soft | Well; can be reshaped by hand | Warm unless ventilated | Combination sleepers, side sleepers who want soft |
| Solid memory foam | Soft surface, slow sink | Very well | Often warm | People who want steady support more than plushness |
| Latex (Talalay) | Bouncy rather than sinking | Very well | Cooler than most foam | People who dislike the slow sink of memory foam |
Down and feather
Fill power describes how much space the down clusters take up. Bigger clusters trap more air, so a 700 fill power pillow feels puffier than a 550 at the same weight. Goose down clusters tend to be larger than duck down, which is why goose down pillows cost more. The catch is upkeep: down drifts to the edges and is flatter by morning. Feather pillows are cheaper and firmer, and you may feel a quill through a thin cover. Some people avoid both for allergy or ethical reasons.
Microfibre and hollowfibre
This is the cheapest route to soft, and most of these pillows go in the washing machine. The fibres mat together with use, though. A pillow that felt like a cloud in the shop can feel lumpy within a year or so.
Shredded memory foam
Less airy than down, but it springs back better, and some versions let you add or remove fill. Brands such as Simba and Panda sell foam pillows in the UK. Foam holds heat, so look for ventilation or a breathable cover if you sleep warm.
Latex
Talalay latex pushes back gently rather than letting you sink. Some people call that soft, others call it springy. Try it if memory foam has felt like quicksand.
Who a soft pillow suits
Stomach sleepers are the clearest match. A low, soft pillow stops the head being pushed up and back, and some stomach sleepers do best with almost nothing under them.
Back sleepers usually get on with soft to medium, provided the pillow fills the curve behind the neck rather than letting the head drop flat.
Side sleepers have the hardest job. If you love soft, buy an overstuffed pillow and check in a mirror (or ask someone) whether your head tilts down towards the mattress. Waking with a stiff neck or a sore shoulder suggests you need more height or support, and a softer pillow will probably make it worse.
People who change position through the night tend to like down or shredded foam, because they can punch it into a new shape each time they roll.
Keeping a soft pillow soft
- Shake down and fibre pillows every morning to put air back into the fill.
- Tumble dry down pillows on low heat with two or three tennis balls or dryer balls to break up clumps.
- Use a pillow protector so you wash the pillow itself less often, since every wash wears fibre fill down.
- Fold a fibre or down pillow in half. If it stays folded, it has lost its loft and needs replacing.
The pillowcase changes the feel more than most people expect. Cotton sateen feels smooth and cool. Brushed cotton and flannelette feel fuzzy and warm.
Where Dosaze fits, and where it doesn't
Dosaze doesn't sell a down, feather or microfibre pillow in the UK. If you want to sink into the puffiest pillow you can find, a good goose down pillow will do that better than anything we make.
Our one pillow is the Dosaze Contoured Orthopaedic Pillow, and it has a different job. It is shaped memory foam that cradles the curve of your neck and keeps your spine in line while you sleep. The memory foam gives a soft first feel as you press into it, but it won't squash flat or fold in half. It works for side, back and stomach sleepers, the cover fabric is naturally cooling and anti-microbial, and the cover comes off for washing. The memory foam is CertiPUR-US certified, and the pillow ships locally within the UK.
It makes most sense for someone who keeps buying softer pillows and still wakes up stiff, or a side sleeper whose soft pillow is flat by 3am. And if the real complaint is a hard bed digging into your shoulder or hip, that is a mattress question rather than a pillow one. The DreamAlign Side Sleeper Mattress Topper and the DreamAlign Pressure Point Relief Mattress Topper are where to look.
Frequently asked questions
What is the softest pillow material?
Down is the softest common pillow fill, and goose down with a high fill power is softer still. Microfibre down alternatives feel similar when new but flatten sooner. Shredded memory foam is a little denser and keeps its shape better over time.
Is goose down softer than duck down?
Usually, yes. Goose down clusters tend to be larger, which gives a higher fill power and a lighter, puffier feel. Duck down is cheaper and can still be very soft, so check the fill power and the down percentage on the label rather than relying on the bird alone.
Is a soft pillow bad for your neck?
It depends how you sleep. Stomach sleepers and many back sleepers do well on a soft pillow. Side sleepers need enough height to keep the head level with the spine, so a very soft pillow that collapses can leave the neck bent towards the mattress.
Are memory foam pillows soft?
Solid memory foam feels soft when you press into it, but it sinks slowly and doesn't fold or squash the way down does. Shredded memory foam is softer and easier to reshape. Memory foam suits people who want support that lasts more than a cloud-like feel.
How can I make my pillow softer?
Shake down and fibre pillows daily and tumble dry down on low with tennis balls to break up clumps. A smoother or plusher pillowcase also changes the feel. If a fibre pillow stays folded when you bend it in half, it has lost its loft and replacing it will help more than any fix.
