Best Down and Down-Alternative Pillows

What separates the best down pillow picks on this page?

Four pillows, four different answers to the same question. The Layla Kapok Pillow scores 8.2 at $109, the highest here, and it is the only one you can adjust: it arrives overstuffed, so you remove fill to taste. Our side sleeper rated it the softest of the adjustable options. The trade-off is a fill that cannot be machine washed, and it runs slightly warmer than the Coop.

The Casper Original Pillow scores 8.1 at $65 and takes a different route. A microfibre core sits inside a plush outer layer, and that core held 3.6 inches under load, far better than a plain down-alternative. It is machine washable, but not adjustable, and the 30-night trial is short.

Real down shows up in the Brooklinen Down Pillow, 8.0 at $69, in three firmnesses. Both testers called it the most luxurious, and the 365-day trial is the longest here. It also compressed to 2.8 inches under load, the flattest of the four, and needs daily fluffing.

The Beckham Hotel Collection Pillows (2-pack) scores 7.4 at $40, which works out to $20 a pillow. Machine washable and soft enough for stomach sleepers, but it compressed to 2.5 inches and lost the most loft of any pillow here in one week.

What should you check before buying a down pillow?

The load measurements above tell you more than the label does.

• Adjustability: only the Layla lets you remove fill. If you sleep in more than one position, that matters.
• Washing: the Casper, Brooklinen and Beckham are machine washable; the Layla's fill is not.
• Trial length: 365 days on the Brooklinen, 120 on the Layla, 30 on the Casper.
• Loft loss: down and down-alternative both flatten. The Brooklinen needs daily fluffing; the Beckham lost the most loft in a week.

Which one for whom?

Side sleepers who want to tune the fill should look at the Layla Kapok Pillow. If you want down feel with a spine and a washable cover, the Casper Original Pillow fits. The Brooklinen Down Pillow suits anyone chasing the hotel feel who does not mind fluffing. For a guest room or a low-cost pair, the Beckham Hotel Collection Pillows (2-pack) covers two beds for $40.

The Layla Kapok Pillow suits side sleepers who want to adjust the fill, and the Casper Original Pillow is the pick if you want down feel with a supportive core and a washable cover. Choose the Brooklinen Down Pillow for the classic down feel and the 365-day trial, or the Beckham Hotel Collection Pillows (2-pack) if you need two pillows for $40.