For instance, if you sleep on your side, you may want something with a bit more loft. And if you’re someone who is prone to overheating at night, it’s important to be aware that some pillows – particularly memory foam ones – may feel warmer than others. Different sleepers will get on better with different pillows, and it’s important to bear that in mind when testing. The next step after looking at products in the same category, was to look at products from the same brand, Silentnight. Price is another really important factor for analysing the quality of Silentnight Soft Like Down Pillow vs other products in the Pillows category. It’s obvious, but you will need to set your expectations of quality based on your budget and the price of the product you’re looking at, against the price of alternatives. Key features – Filling: Goose down and feathers; Cover: 100% cotton cover (machine washable) Sizes: Standard, superking, square

UK based Aeyla has developed quite a clever concept here: a pillow within a pillow. The main reason is that the plumpness actually lasts. The filling is a vegan down-alternative made from microfibre. It’s encased in a cooling cotton cover. The cover layer of the Silentnight Just Like Down pillow is made from microfibre. This is a form of polyester which is super soft to touch but also very durable. Giving the pillow a soft feel greatly adds to the comfortable feel of the pillow and you relax in an enjoyable sleep environment. A bonus of using this material is that it is easy to keep clean. The cover is not removable but it does not need to be as the full pillow can be machine washed. Keeping the pillow clean and hygienic will help it keep its shape for longer. 2. Down Like Eco Fibre Layer As for the pillow we are reviewing, the Silentnight Just Like Down pillow is a hypoallergenic, hollowfibre alternative to traditional down pillows. Silentnight have aimed to produce a similar, super soft feel too down while not using animal products. Using hollowfibre as fill material is extremely common in pillows but using it to recreate a down feel is a little different. A bonus of using hollowfibre within pillows is that they can be machine washed, keeping them smelling and feeling better for longer. Silentnight is one of the largest and most well-known mattress manufacturers within the UK. With over 70 years of experience in the bed industry, Silentnight is by far one of the oldest companies still going strong. With this experience, they have continued to develop a wide range of bed products. Silentnight claim they are the UK’s most trusted bed brand. Knowing their long history of producing mattresses that suit all, it is difficult to disagree. Compared to feather or down pillow it is great that this pillow is easily machine washable and hypoallergenic. This can be a great option for allergy sufferers. A downside is that because of the hollowfibre fill material, it is unlikely they will last as long.

Sumptuously soft as they are, down-filled pillows can present a problem for allergy sufferers. Scoom created this pillow with that in mind. It is made from a core of Hungarian goose feather sandwiched between chambers of goose down, but it is finished with a special sateen cotton cover that’s tightly woven and down and dust mite-proof to make it hypoallergenic. It is certified by the Nomite anti-allergen standard; you won’t get any pesky feathers poking out of this one. The brand of product you buy can vary in importance, from person to person. Some people will of course be much more particular about the brands they will use. Whilst others aren’t interested in the brand and are more interested in the overall quality or price of the product itself. Thankfully Silentnight is a brand that many customers have grown to love over the years and is very popular for items in the Pillows category.

Where relevant, we also take into account other aspects including trial periods, washable covers and extra features – such as adjustable and ergonomic designs – all of which can play a part in our recommendations. As you can imagine, pricing is one of the most important factors of any purchasing decision. We can find the perfect product for our needs, that fits the brief in every single way. But if it doesn’t fit our budgets, we simply can’t (or at least shouldn’t) buy it. They seem to have dropped the astronaut talk, but they don’t really need it: Stratos works noticeably better than other summer pillows that rely on ‘cooling gels’, which we’ve never been convinced by. The fibre filling, made of recycled plastic bottles, is also remarkably soft, light and fluffy, making this a good choice for those who don’t get on with either foam or feathers – although it’s a bit too soft for those who need a lot of head-support.The movement isolation that this pillow provides would be average at best. If you are frequently disturbed by your partner’s movement during the night then a memory foam pillow may be a better option as these do not transfer movement as much. This would mainly be a problem with the mattress instead of the pillow, however. Trial and Guarantee

The pillow’s two polyester microfibre layers are encased in a soft padded pillowcase. With both layers inserted, the pillow has a good amount of loft, which is a good thing for side sleepers who need to support their head and shoulder (though we also found the pillow to be comfortable and supportive with just the one insert). While most of the pillows on our roundup have a machine washable cover, you might also be pleased to hear that this pillow – inserts and all – can be popped in the washing machine at a temperature up to 60°C.

How to wash bedding

Its excellent temperature regulation is thanks to Simba’s Stratos technology, which is printed on one side of the pillow. It was inspired by Outlast, a material originally designed for space exploration (NASA uses it in space suits) to help regulate temperature by absorbing, storing and releasing heat. Along with the mesh strip around the edge of the pillow to promote airflow, Stratos helps keep you cool and comfortable throughout the night. Having tested this pillow in a heatwave, I can confirm it works.