Our review compares pillows on customer satisfaction, so you can find out what other Aussies think about the compared brands before you go ahead with a purchase. Think of it as like asking hundreds of your closest mates which pillow they think is best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 2,588 Australians for their feedback on the new pillow(s) they have purchased in the last two years.
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Find more detailed information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
Bambillo has received five star ratings for comfort, durability, design and overall satisfaction as well as four star ratings for ease of clean and value for money.
Bambillo is a new brand in the Canstar Blue’s pillow ratings, swooping in to take out the competition. Bambillo offers a number of sleep solution products including adjustable beds, toppers, bedding and linen as well as a range of pillows. Its range of pillows include the perfect fit pillow and the 8-in-1 bamboo pillow that can be adjusted to suit the way you sleep, whether it’s on your back, front or side.
Koala received five star ratings for comfort, durability and ease of clean, and achieved four stars for value for money, design and overall satisfaction.
If there’s a brand that’s serious about sleep, it’s Koala. The brand behind the popular Koala Mattress (now reworked as the New Koala Mattress) also offers three pillows: The Cloudy Pillow, The Koala Pillow, and The Breeze Pillow. Koala offers a 120-night trial if you want to try before you buy and a one-year warranty on its pillows, plus free delivery across Australia.
Tempur received five stars for comfort, durability and design, four stars for value for money and overall satisfaction, with a three star rating for ease of clean.
Tempur is known for its custom design for mattresses and pillows to suit how you sleep. Tempur pillows have a number of different designs to suit your needs, from dual sided design, notched design and the original Tempur design. You can select firmness from soft to firm, select washable cover pillows and the right pillow for how you sleep, whether that’s on your side, front or back.
Dunlopillo received a five star rating for design, four stars for comfort, durability and overall satisfaction and three star ratings for value for money and ease of clean.
Dunlopillo offers nine pillows to choose from in its range, with different fillings available, including latex, memory foam and memory fibre to suit your sleeping needs. The range of pillows includes the luxurious latex range with different profiles with standard to high feel firmness, the Therapillo with memory foam with some including a cooling gel for those hotter summer nights.
Pillow Talk received four star ratings for durability, value for money and design, with three star ratings for all other categories including overall satisfaction, comfort and ease of clean.
Pillow Talk are said to be the comfort experts, offering a number of homeware products from the bedroom to living space and bathroom. Its range of pillows include memory foam, therapy latex, microfibre, bamboo and its comfort science range. Its pillows come in a range of different firmness and shapes to create the right support for your head, neck and back.
IKEA achieved a four star rating for value for money and three star ratings in all other categories, such as overall satisfaction, comfort, durability, design and ease of clean.
Swedish brand IKEA is known for its reasonably-priced homewares and furniture, and its pillows are no exception. You can find a number of relatively cheap pillows that range from soft to firm and low to high to suit those who may sleep on their back, side or front and need different firmness for their comfort. You can also find a number of ergonomically designed pillows with memory foam, latex or down/feathers, giving you plenty of options to choose from when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep.
Tontine received four star ratings for value for money and design, with three star ratings across the board in all other categories, including overall satisfaction, comfort, durability and ease of clean.
Tontine sell a number of Australian made pillows for adults and children with varying needs. You can select from allergy sensitive pillows, comfortech hydrocool pillows for hot summer nights, latex pillows and much more from its range. You can find low to high profile pillows and soft to firm feel pillows to suit your sleeping habits.
ALDI received five stars for value for money, four stars for durability, design and ease of clean as well as three star ratings for comfort and overall satisfaction.
ALDI offers a number of pillows that are available at different times of the year in its catalogue. You can find duck down and feather replicas, memory foam pillows and pillow two packs. As ALDI is known for its cheaper products, its pillows are no different sitting at a reasonable price for each type, allowing you to find something that’s friendly on the budget.
Sheridan received four stars for durability and design and three star ratings for all other categories, including overall satisfaction, comfort, value for money and ease of clean.
Sheridan is known for its homewares, including bath towels and mats, bedding and its pillows. Its pillows are slightly more expensive, but you can expect materials such as memory foam, genuine feather and down, memory fibre and latex as the trade-off for a slightly higher price tag. Its range of pillows are designed to suit different kinds of sleepers and has a number of contoured and body pillows for those who need something a bit extra to help drift off to sleep.
Spotlight received a four star rating for value for money and threes across the board for overall satisfaction, comfort, durability, design and ease of clean.
Spotlight is the home of everything homewares, sewing, kitchenware and more. Its pillows are included in its extensive homewares range and feature memory foam, cloud pillows and other types, along with a number of brands including KOO, Logan & Mason and Brampton House. You can find cotton pillows, low allergen, bamboo and ergonomic pillows for a better night’s sleep.
Target achieved a four star rating for value for money and three stars for all other categories including overall satisfaction, comfort, durability, design and ease of clean.
Target offers a broad range of homewares, clothing, sporting and electronics. Its range of homewares and bedding includes a number of different pillow types to suit different peoples’ sleep. Whether you’re a front, side or back sleeper or need a little extra support, Target has pillows that suit. Its range includes gusseted pillows made from cotton and bamboo, memory foam pillows, European pillows, posture support pillows and latex contour pillows.
BIG W’s homewares brand Brilliant Basics received a four star rating for value for money and three star ratings for overall satisfaction, comfort, durability, design and ease of clean.
Brilliant Basics offers a variety of pillows from different brands including Openook, Jaspa and Jason to name a few. You can find latex, microfibre and feather and down pillows at a range of prices. You can also find pillows for pregnancy and infants for mum and bub to feel comfortable at home no matter what stage they’re at.
Kmart’s brand Anko received four stars for value for money and three star ratings for overall satisfaction, comfort, durability, design and ease of clean.
Kmart is known for its value products and its pillows are included. You can find types of pillows at a range of prices with makes such as memory foam and cooling gel makes, foam core, anti-allergy and low to high profile pillows, covering all the basics you need when it comes to bedtime.
Not all brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are several more brands to check out before making a purchase decision.
Although pillows seem like a fairly straightforward product, there are actually a few different types to choose from. It comes down to how you sleep – whether it’s on your side, front or back – and how you like your head positioned.
Our survey found Aussies spent an average of $38 on their new pillow, suggesting that many are keen to take a relatively cheap option. Interestingly, the retailers that are generally home to the cheapest pillows around – Kmart, Big W, and Target – didn’t fare too well in our ratings, suggesting it pays to spend a little extra on a quality pillow. It also found that 43% of respondents bought their pillow on sale which shows they were potentially looking for a cheaper option.
When selecting the firmness of the pillow, the majority of respondents (63%) said they preferred a medium pillow to a soft or firm one, so middle of the range was a go-to. When it came to selecting the materials, the pillow of choice for 24% of respondents was cotton, while the next highest choice was memory foam, sitting at 21%.
Pillows can cost as little as $15 and reach upwards of $250 for some makes. The price will be dependent on the brand of pillow first and foremost, but more importantly it will depend on the materials it is made from, and possibly if they are ethically sourced. Materials like duck feathers and down will increase the price of the pillow as well as materials like memory foam, but as the materials directly affect the comfort levels, it’s an important area to note, and potentially not something you want to skimp out on.
If you’re someone who likes to wash your pillow itself and not just the pillowcase – like 23% of respondents do – there are a couple of ways to do it. First it will depend on the material your pillow is made from. If it is made from materials that may break down easier or be damaged easier, like feathers, handwashing or soaking may be a better option. For most other materials you can put them through a gentle wash in the washing machine.
If you’re choosing to soak your pillow or hand wash you can fill a large sink, tub or bath with water and washing detergent and submerge the pillows in the water. You can give them a bit of a scrub with your hands but leaving them to soak with good detergent will draw out all the dust and dirt.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Home & Lifestyle Content Producer Kate King. Kate holds a Bachelor of Creative Industries from QUT majoring in Journalism and Media and Communications, and has written for a number of publications over the past five years.
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Here are the past winners from Canstar Blue’s pillow ratings:
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*Prices correct as of publication date.