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Feather
Pillow Review and Analysis
Pros
Soft, moldable, cuddly, lightweight, durable, firmer than
down
Cons
Lacks significant contouring support, quills can poke through
cover, some noise, can cause allergies
Below,
the pillow is evaluated for each characteristic on a scale of
one to ten. One means the pillow does not have the characteristic,
and 10 means it fully has the characteristic.
Firm
Feather pillows are soft and offer low to medium firmness and
support. They often do not maintain significant support throughout
the night because they tend to sink in to some extent.
As a result, you may find yourself needing to adjust the pillow
during the night. And fluffing the pillow or shaking it may
also be necessary to return the pillow to its desired loft.
As the pillow ages, increased fluffing and / or shaking will
likely become necessary.
Score: 4 out of 10
Contouring Support
They contour to the head and neck reasonably well, again somewhat
better than down. Also, the pillows tend to be flexible so that
they can be manipulated to provide the shape you prefer for
maximum support and comfort. However, their contouring support
and comfort are somewhat undermined by the fact that the feather
quills can often be noticed through the covering or even poke
through.
Score: 4 out of 10
Adjustable Height and Firmness
You cannot add or remove the amount of feathers in the pillow
(not without fairly major surgery) to affect the loft or firmness.
Whatever the height and firmness of the pillow is when you buy
it is what you will have to live with, for good or bad.
Score: 1 out of 10
Good for Back Sleepers
They are often appropriate for back sleepers.
Score: 7 out of 10
Good for Side Sleepers
Some moulding or scrunching of the pillow may be required to
achieve the needed height for proper support and alignment.
Score: 5 out of 10
Good for Stomach Sleepers
They can be well suited for stomach sleepers because they are
soft and will tend to allow the head to sink low.
Score: 5 out of 10
Quiet
Unlike down, feather pillows may make a crunching-like noise
when being compressed because the feather can contain hard parts
or because the pillow has a plastic layer to prevent the feather
from poking through.
Score: 5 out of 10
Air Flow
Feather pillows provide good air flow and some insulation, but
not nearly as much insulation as down. The pillow when in use
will have a temperature somewhere between your body temperature
and room temperature.
Score: 5 out of 10
Light Weight
Because birds fly, their feathers must be light weight or they
would not get off of the ground. Consequently, feather pillows
weigh very little. Even though they have a lot of mass, they
usually weigh no more than a pound or two.
Score: 10 out of 10
No Smell
Feather pillows have been known on occasion to have a particular
odor, perhaps of water fowl or chemicals used to clean the feathers.
Score: 6 out of 10
Durable
Feather pillows can last several years or more if properly maintained.
This is considerably longer than most other types of pillows,
especially synthetics.
Score: 9 out of 10
Easy To Care For
Feather pillows can often be machine washed and dried.
Score: 7 out of 10
Hypoallergenic
A feather pillow can be allergy causing unless the feathers
have been thoroughly cleaned by having all dander and microbes
removed from it. Most brands that do this cleaning clearly state
it in some fashion. The feather should also be encased in at
least a 200-thread count cover to prevent any down from escaping.
In regard to dust mites, they are certainly susceptible to large
populations, as are most types of pillows.
Score: 6 out of 10
Low Price
Feather pillows are low to medium priced and are less expensive
than down.
Score: 7 out of 10
Value
They can last many years, making them a good buy for the money.
Score: 8 out of 10
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