A few short days later and my new down-alternative duo, one firm and one soft (both $53), arrived in a vacuum-sealed package. I was a little discouraged when I couldn’t immediately tell which was which (there wasn’t any obvious labeling on either one), but it didn’t take long for them to fluff right up and reveal themselves to be rather obviously distinguishable. And when I say they fluffed up, oh, wow did they expand when let out of their flat-as-a-pancake packaging. To be honest, I was worried the firm pillow might not actually fit in my regular pillowcases. It took some stuffing, but yes, both fit pretty nicely into in my standard-size linens, leaving little to no excess fabric to flop about. To the bedroom they went, and I was surprised how much they seemed to instantly freshen up the look of my bed.
Aesthetics aside, the most important thing, of course, was how they felt when it came time to hit the hay. I’m a side sleeper and promptly determined the firm pillow was far too puffy to comfortably fit under my head. The soft one, however, seemed to be just right. I’d often felt the need to flip my old pillows in the middle of the night in an effort to find a cool spot or one that hadn’t been squished flat by my head, but the FluffCo pillow remained cool and supportive from the moment I got into bed until the second my alarm went off. And now, my new favorite pillow is still going strong and is every bit as comfortable (and fluffy!) as the day it arrived.
Because I’d been sleeping on lumpy, squashed pillows for so long, I wasn’t even sure whether I’d prefer a firm or soft style (hence why I tested both). And while you could always buy one of each for your own by taking advantage of the brand’s 30-day trial period, FluffCo also has a quiz on its site that uses just a handful of questions, like “Are you a back, stomach or side sleeper?” and “Do you like to sleep with a pillow between your legs?”—to determine which option is best for you. According to the quiz, I was always going to be best off with the softer style, although I’m still glad I tried both. (I tend to use the firm model for extra back support whenever I read in bed.)
After doing some research there are two main things that separate FluffCo from other deluxe pillows: the price and the innovative chambered design which helps them maintain the optimal level of support over time. The ethically-sourced down pillows start at $71 apiece, while the vegan down-alternative styles are just $53. This compared to the usual triple-digit price tag for hotel pillows. And while their prices are equal to or more than other direct-to-consumer brands (we’re talking Buffy or Brooklinen) FluffCo’s are much less likely to lose their shape or fluffiness over time. Inside each one are two chambers filled with different combinations of materials—sturdier white duck feathers for the inner chamber and softer white duck down for the surrounding outer chamber—that is engineered to better maintain their shape, even after years of tossing and turning.
