Pillow Test 2026: What Stiftung Warentest and ÖKO-TEST show – and how to recognize a good pillow

"Pillow test winner" is one of the most common searches before buying a pillow. But which pillows were tested at all, what did the testers criticize – and what does that mean for your choice? Here is the summary.

What tests are there?

Test	What was tested	Main results
ÖKO-TEST, October 2024	20 washable 80 × 80 cm pillows: 17 with polyester filling, 3 with organic cotton or Lyocell	11 × "good," none better, the rest "satisfactory" to "sufficient." Criticism mainly regarding washability. Around half contained optical brighteners, two were downgraded due to antimony.
Stiftung Warentest, Issue 9/2025	14 neck support pillows, mostly made of foam, 40 to 164 euros	"Good" to "satisfactory." Only 4 provided good support in every sleeping position, many were difficult to adjust, and the memory effect was often weak in the lab.

Classic pillows with down or feather filling did not appear in these tests.

What do the results mean for your purchase?

1. The height must be right. Even expensive specialty pillows do not support everyone well. A pillow whose height you can adjust is more forgiving.
2. The pillow should be washable. Pillows have close contact with skin and hair. Pay attention to the permitted temperature and whether it is suitable for tumble drying.
3. Harmful substances should be tested. The OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 label confirms that the materials have been tested for harmful substances.
4. The filling must be clearly stated. For down: down content, class, and filling amount in grams.
5. With down, origin matters. A label such as DOWNPASS excludes live-plucking and stuffing mills.

Checklist: How to test a pillow yourself

Feature	What to look for	More about this
Size	40 × 80 cm for side sleepers, 80 × 80 cm for those who like a lot of pillow	40 × 80 or 80 × 80?
Height	suitable for your sleeping position, ideally adjustable	Pillow height
Filling	Down, feather, or fiber – depending on sleeping comfort and care	Filling comparison
Construction	3-chamber pillows combine a core with soft outer chambers	3-chamber pillow
Adjustability	Filling removable or addable, so you can readjust the height – for example via an inner chamber with a zipper	3-chamber hybrid pillow
Care	Washing temperature and tumble-drying suitability on the label	Washing pillows
Harmful substances & Allergies	OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, for dust mite allergies a NOMITE cover or washable at 60 °C	Dust mite allergies
Origin	for down, DOWNPASS or a comparable standard	Without live-plucking

80 × 80 pillows in tests: What you should look for

80 × 80 cm is the classic pillow size in Germany – the 2024 ÖKO-TEST also tested exclusively pillows in this size. We haven't found a Stiftung Warentest test winner specifically for 80 × 80 cm (as of October 2026). What the testers at ÖKO-TEST evaluated can still help you with your choice:

• Washability: In the wash test, some pillows lost volume, the filling clumped, or the cover shrank. Pay attention to the permitted washing temperature and whether the pillow can go in the dryer.
• Harmful substances: The cover, filling, and label were tested – among other things for optical brighteners and antimony. A label such as OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 shows that the materials have been tested for harmful substances.
• Adjustable filling amount: In some models, the filling could be adjusted. This is particularly helpful with 80 × 80 cm.

What is different with 80 × 80: The large pillow needs more filling and offers a lot of surface area for cuddling. But as a side sleeper, your shoulder rests slightly on the pillow – then the height under the head is no longer right. Those who sleep on their side often get along better with 40 × 80 cm. More about this in the guide 40 × 80 or 80 × 80?

This is how much filling is in our 80 × 80 cm pillows (according to the product description):

Pillow	Filling	Filling amount 80 × 80 cm
3-chamber hybrid pillow	Outer chambers 90% down (Class I), inner chamber Primaloft Bio, height adjustable via zipper	1,400 g
3-chamber down pillow	Outer chambers down (Class I), spring core, flat and firmly sewn	1,200 g
Primaloft Bio pillow	100% Primaloft Bio, vegan, adjustable height	1,500 g

You can find all pillows in this format under 80 × 80 cm pillows.

Pillows for allergy sufferers: What matters in tests

We haven't found a separate test for allergy pillows at Stiftung Warentest (as of October 2026). For a dust mite allergy, three points are particularly important:

• Dust mite-proof cover: The NOMITE label identifies bedding suitable for dust mite allergy sufferers. A cover with this label is a good foundation.
• Washable at 60 °C: According to Apotheken Umschau (January 2025), the German Allergy and Asthma Foundation recommends washing bedding at at least 60 °C. Therefore, also check whether the pillow can withstand this temperature.
• Change the cover regularly: The same article recommends changing normal bedding approximately every 14 days.

Our Primaloft Bio pillow is vegan and washable at 60 °C – good for everyone who also reacts to down or feathers. The 3-chamber down pillow is also washable at 60 °C and has a NOMITE cover. With the 3-chamber hybrid pillow, the inner chamber is made of hypoallergenic Primaloft Bio fiber, the cover is NOMITE-certified; the outer chambers contain down. If symptoms persist, have the cause checked by a doctor. More tips in the guide Bedding for dust mite allergies.

What you should know about "test winners"

• A test result only applies to the tested model – not to other sizes, fillings, or successor models.
• Many "test winner" lists online are not based on any lab test. Check who tested and how. Stiftung Warentest and ÖKO-TEST publish their testing criteria.
• The best pillow is the one that suits you. In the neck pillow test, every model helped at least one test person – but none suited everyone.

And the Traumwelt pillows?

Traumwelt pillows were not part of the tests mentioned here. What we can show you are the features from the checklist: With the 3-chamber hybrid pillow and the vegan Primaloft Bio pillow, you adjust the height yourself via the removable filling – suitable for side and back sleepers. The 3-chamber down pillow with Class I down (approx. 750 Cuin) in the outer chambers and a spring core is flat and firmly sewn – our pillow for stomach sleepers. All are tested according to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, the pillows with down are additionally DOWNPASS-certified with a NOMITE cover.

Adjust the height yourself3-chamber hybrid pillow – Down & Primaloft BioSoft down outer chambers, height adjustable via zipper, in 40 × 80 and 80 × 80 cm.View pillow

Frequently Asked Questions

Which pillow is the Stiftung Warentest test winner?
We haven't found a recent test for classic down or feather pillows (as of October 2026). Neck support pillows were tested in 2025 – which models scored well is stated by Stiftung Warentest.

Are there test winners for 40 × 80 cm or for side sleepers?
The tests mentioned tested pillows in 80 × 80 cm or neck support pillows. For side sleepers, the height is particularly important – more about this in the guide Pillows for side sleepers.

Is an expensive pillow automatically better?
No. In the neck pillow test, prices ranged from 40 to 164 euros – the deciding factor was whether the pillow suited the sleeping position.

Were vegan pillows also tested?
Yes, in ÖKO-TEST 2024, 17 out of 20 pillows had a polyester filling. Whether pillows with Primaloft Bio were included is not apparent from the publicly available reporting.

Were Traumwelt pillows tested?
No. Our pillows were not part of the tests mentioned here.

Is there a 2026 pillow test winner?
We haven't found a newer pillow test than those mentioned here until October 2026. The most recent results are ÖKO-TEST from October 2024 and the Stiftung Warentest neck pillow test from Issue 9/2025.

Did a 3-chamber pillow become a test winner?
In the tests mentioned here, classic down and feather pillows, and thus also 3-chamber pillows with down, did not appear. How a 3-chamber pillow is constructed and who it is suitable for is explained in the guide What is a 3-chamber pillow?

Sources: Stiftung Warentest, Neck pillows in tests (Issue 9/2025); ÖKO-TEST, Pillow test (October 2024), report on t-online. As of October 2026.

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