9 Best Down Alternative Pillows for Sneeze-Proof Slumber (2025)

While down pillows look refined and feel plush, they also come with a couple downsides, most familiar to those with allergies. The best down alternative pillows, however, are popular for resembling down without the dust and mites that can often wreak havoc on sinuses overnight. Plus, their fabric and fill are less likely to accrue that ever-darkening yellowish stain that tired goose down pillows acquire over time, thanks to sweat, oils, lotion residues, etc. Lastly, down alternative pillows are a more sustainable option, as their production leans on machine-washable recycled fabrics. These fabrics are known for repelling dust mites, mold, mildew, and other allergens much more effectively than traditional down.

While we’re still fans of the goose stuff—there’s nothing quite like a soft bed of feathers—the more allergen-sensitive among us have tested and shared the best down alternative pillows we love that are completely hypoallergenic. Lest we forget—a bed of organic cotton and a durable microfiber fill goes a long way too.

Our Favorites

Best Overall

Boll & Branch Down Alternative Pillow

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Most Down-Like

Brooklinen Down Alternative Pillow

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Best Firm

Beckham Hotel Collection Bed Pillows Standard (Set of 2)

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Best Overall

Boll & Branch Down Alternative Pillow

“Usually I prefer down, but it’s genuinely impossible for me to tell the difference here from real down,” says commerce writer Julia Harrison, who’s well-studied in Boll & Branch’s line of superb bedding products (especially their sheets). This cotton cover pillow comes in firm, medium, and soft variations to suit your sleep preferences, and Harrison found the medium as firm as she’d like (who tends toward softer support). These are also breathable and machine washable, making them suitable for even the drooliest or sweatiest sleeper, and Harrison says they offer “considerable support” to help prevent neck pain. Plus, as with most if not all Boll & Branch products, it’s Oeko-Tex Standard 100 verified.

Most Down-Like

Lightweight, airy, and made with their trademarked hypoallergenic PrimaLoft Bio, this plush pillow is bouncy and cool due to its 100% cotton sateen shell, which ensures a temperature-regulating sleep experience. “I love its strong bounce-back game,” says senior commerce editor Nashia Baker of the medium firm option. “Even though it’s very soft and squishy, I see it fill right back up to its full size after I get out of bed,” no fluffing required. She recommends this pillow for stomach sleepers, as it’s not the sort of firm pillow a side sleeper requires.

Best Firm

Beckham Hotel Collection Bed Pillows Standard (Set of 2)

Ranked our best mid-plush pillow, this has long been a bestseller among AD fans and Amazon customers alike. These are machine washable and designed with side sleepers in mind, which Harrison can confirm—as a stomach sleeper these can be hard on your neck. However, she says this is the right pillow for those who love the “cool side, and anyone who’s working to be intentional about a supportive pillow. These are even firmer than I’d say they’re advertised.”

Best for Back Pain

Rated “best overall” in our guide on the best bed pillows, this one still ranks highly for us, as contributor Sydney Gore found that with all her back problems, this pillow actually helped alleviate the pain. Standard and high loft options make it so you can adjust the pillow to suit your sleep preferences—lower loft for stomach sleepers, higher loft for back sleepers.

Best Budget Option

EIUE Hotel Collection Bed Pillows (Set of 2)

At $17, we were suspicious. But Baker confirms: these retain their plushness night after night, and with the combination of 50% Hollow Fiber and 50% Gel fiber “these pillows are great since they have a soft and firm side to fit sleepers’ preferences.” The flexibility between a soft and firm side make these perfect for a guest room, so if you’re the type of host that worries about everything last thing, your guest’s neck support won’t be one of them.

Best Temp-Regulating Option

Contributor Yelena Moroz Alpert has nothing but good things to say about this bamboo pillow: ”The pillowcase shell has a slight luster as it is made from viscose bamboo and feels like baby’s skin—delicate and velvety.” With a fill material of 60% recycled polyester and 40% bamboo viscose, she says the give is like “hugging a bag of marshmallows. When I squeeze it, the shape has a give but goes right back to the perfect rectangle of a pillow.“ She recommends this piece for hot sleepers and those who like a medium-soft pillow. If it was up to us, we’d pair with a Cozy Earth duvet cover in bamboo too.

Use the code ARCHITECTURALDIGEST at checkout to secure 35% off your Cozy Earth purchase.

Best High Loft Option

Casper’s down alternative pillow has also ranked in our best pillows on Amazon for its temperature-regulating qualities and the plushness of its microfiber fill. They’ve opted to put a pillow inside of a pillow for a premium loft, and crafted a design with neck pain at top of mind. Contributor Madeleine Luckel says, “somehow the pillow stays pretty cool and it really is at some indescribable sweet spot in terms of its firmness.” Her parting words? The pillow’s thickness is laud-worthy.

Best Cooling Pillow

“I sleep on this pillow almost every night, and if it wasn’t for the unique grid cloud texture, I would definitely mistake this for down because of its superior softness,” Baker shares, adding that the moisture-wicking cover keeps her refreshed on warm nights. The standout aspect of this pillow is its patented honeycomb GelFlex Grid support, which Baker says is “like a trampoline” on account of its springy design. Underneath the grid is a thick cushion of down alternative fill which provides a soft cushion in tandem with the grid’s premium support, making this a great in-between pick for those who don’t like going full memory foam or full down.

Best Adjustable Pillow

This is an ideal pick for combination sleepers, who can adjust these pillows to suit their ideal loft depending on their needs. Alpert particularly loves the Layr for her guest room, ”because I have no idea about everyone’s sleeping preference, and with Layr, I don’t have to.” This piece is Oeko-Tex certified, and while one side is made with a soft down alternative adjustable fill, the other side employs gel-infused memory foam for superb cooling technology and firmness. If you’re making a slow change from memory foam pillows, this is your best starter for the down alternative life.

How We Tested

Many of these pillows have been with our editors a long time—no one wants to risk switching up on a great pillow. We polled our staff to find someone who represents every sleep style so that each one was represented in the article. From there, we’ve delivered the best take on down alternative options for everyone from back sleepers to hot sleepers to sneezy sleepers. We focused on high-quality and machine washable options in our testing, as those felt like no-brainers for comfort and routine upkeep.

What to Look for

Here are additional factors to consider as you search for the right down alternative pillow for you: