IKEA Pillows Mattress Review
Cheap pillows, and the best pillow labelling in British retail. IKEA sorts its range by sleeping position rather than by fill.
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Verdict
Cheap pillows, and the best pillow labelling in British retail. IKEA sorts its range by sleeping position rather than by fill, which is the correct way round and which essentially nobody else does.
Buy it if
You know which position you sleep in and you want a pillow chosen on the variable that matters.
Avoid it if
You want premium down. This is value bedding and honest about it.
See the current IKEA offer
IKEA labels pillows by sleeping position, which almost no other retailer does.
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IKEA on Amazon UK
IKEA does not sell through Amazon. Not a route for these.
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| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Labelling | By sleeping position: side, back, front |
| Fills | Synthetic and down across the range |
| Price position | Among the cheapest from any established retailer |
| Returns | Generous by category standards. Check current terms. |
| Sizing | European pillow dimensions, which differ from UK |
The scores
Ordinary pillows, sorted the right way, at low prices.
Very cheap for the quality.
Holds its set height under a head all night, which is the property that decides a pillow.
Strong on this, and it is one of the reasons to buy it.
Strong on this, and it is one of the reasons to buy it.
Genuinely adjustable, which is the right answer for a product nobody can spec in advance.
Value pillows flatten faster. Budget to replace them.
Sorted by sleeping position rather than fill. Nobody else does this properly.
Synthetic and down covered. Not premium down.
Sorting by position is the correct way round
Almost every pillow range in Britain is organised by fill: down here, feather there, memory foam over there. That sorts the product by what it is made of, which is the second most important thing about it.
The most important thing is height, and the right height depends on your sleeping position and shoulder width.
| Position | Loft | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Side | High | The gap between shoulder and head is largest, especially with broad shoulders |
| Back | Medium | Enough to support the neck curve without pushing the head forward |
| Front | Very low, or none | Any height forces the neck into extension |
IKEA labels by position, which routes you to roughly the right height before you think about fill at all. That is a genuinely better shopping experience than a wall of pillows sorted by what is inside them, and it costs nothing to implement, which is why it is odd that nobody else does it.
Your pillow height depends on your mattress
The part that catches people after a new mattress arrives.
The softer your mattress, the further your shoulder sinks into it, and the less pillow height you need to keep your neck level. Move from a firm mattress to a softer one and your existing pillow is suddenly too high. Move from a sagging mattress to a supportive one and it may now be too low.
So if you have just changed mattress and your neck aches, adjust or change the pillow before concluding anything about the mattress, and give it a fortnight. It is a fraction of the cost and it is frequently the actual problem.
European pillow sizes
UK standard pillows are 50 by 75 centimetres. European pillows are commonly 50 by 80, and square continental pillows are 65 by 65 or 80 by 80.
A European pillow in a UK pillowcase will not fit properly, which is a small irritation repeated nightly. Buy the cases with the pillows or check the dimensions first.
See the UK pillow sizes guide for the full table.
A correction worth making
Commonly repeated, and wrong
Pillow ranges are almost universally organised by fill material, which sorts the product by the second most important thing about it. Height determines whether the neck continues the line of the spine, and the right height depends on sleeping position and shoulder width. A side sleeper with broad shoulders and a front sleeper need opposite pillows regardless of what either is filled with, so a range sorted by position routes a buyer to the right answer and a range sorted by fill does not.
Should you buy it?
Yes, and buy by the position label rather than the fill. That single decision does more for whether the pillow works than anything else on the packaging.
Check the dimensions against your pillowcases before ordering, since European pillows are commonly 50 by 80 centimetres against the UK standard 50 by 75. And replace pillows more often than feels necessary: they flatten gradually and you will blame your mattress.
Questions people ask
How should I choose a pillow?
By sleeping position first, because that determines the height you need, and height decides whether the neck continues the line of the spine. Side sleepers need high loft, back sleepers medium, front sleepers very low or none. Fill is the second question.
Why does my neck hurt after a new mattress?
Your pillow height may now be wrong. The softer your mattress, the further your shoulder sinks and the less pillow height you need. Adjust or change the pillow before concluding anything about the mattress, and give it a fortnight.
Are IKEA pillows UK sized?
Not always. UK standard pillows are 50 by 75 centimetres and European pillows are commonly 50 by 80. A European pillow in a UK pillowcase will not fit properly, so buy the cases with the pillows or check the dimensions first.