I finally tried the custom Pluto Pillow and now I get the hype

I've heard very good things about the Pluto Pillow. This custom pillow gets rave reviews from expert testers and paying customers alike. When Pluto co-founder and CEO Susana Saeliu approached me with an offer to make my own Pluto Pillow, I couldn't wait to take her up on it.

Susana sent me the link to a five-minute questionnaire where I answered all sorts of questions about my sleep style and the state of my current pillow. She fed my answers through the Pluto algorithm to make me a personalized pillow – one of 35 variants – that arrived just two weeks later, all the way from Los Angeles to London.

As H&G's resident sleep writer, I lead the charge to find the world's best pillow. I talk a lot about adjustable pillows, which allow you to alter the firmness and feel, but this is the first truly custom pillow I've ever tested. If you've never been able to find a pillow that meets your needs, then I suggest you give the Pluto Pillow a go. 

Pluto Pillow review − tried + tested

Sleeping with an unsupportive pillow is one of the worst ways your pillow can ruin your sleep quality. Right before I started testing the Pluto Pillow, I was sleeping on my old down pillow, which has started to sag after years of use. Immediately, I noticed a difference with the Pluto Pillow, but it took me a few weeks to get used to the new feeling.

Pluto Pillow | $125 at Pluto

For your average pillow, that would be a little pricey, but it's a downright steal for bespoke bedding.

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What makes the Pluto Pillow special?

Pluto claims to be the world's first fully-custom pillow company. Each pillow is made to order off the back of a five-minute questionnaire. First, I had to supply my name, age, height, and weight. All of these factors were relevant: my age, height, and weight informs what style of pillow might suit me, while my name was handwritten on a thank-you card and just makes the whole thing feel more intimate. If you still don't like the idea of a company collecting your personal data, I suggest you read the Pluto Privacy Policy for peace of mind.

Next, I told Pluto all about my current pillow. I checked boxes to indicate the filling (down, foam, latex, and so on); the firmness (on a scale from Soft to Hard As A Rock); the height (when uncompressed, in inches); my satisfaction with it (on a scale of 1-10); and whether it feels too hard, too soft, too high, too low or just right. 

Finally, there were a couple of questions about me and my sleep style. I checked boxes to describe my mattress (whether it feels soft, medium, or firm); whether or not my head gets hot in the night (which it certainly does); and which sounds better − 'plushy and melt-in' or 'settled and supportive'. Pluto also asked about my sleep positions: how I lie on the bed to sleep, as well as how I lie on it to relax.

What's the Pluto Pillow like to sleep on?

My Pluto Pillow arrived in a cute branded box just two weeks after I placed the order.  Inside the box, I found my personalized pillow, already inflated. That meant I didn't have to wait for my pillow to expand or the unpleasant odor from off-gassing to dissipate: I could start testing straightaway. I also found a notecard that recapped the details of my order for total transparency. 

As a stomach sleeper, I had asked for a firm, flat pillow to save my neck from straining. Since there isn't anywhere to write in your own measurements, I had selected the option at the lowest end of the scale to ask for a pillow between 0 and 3 inches high. Pluto took that to mean '3 inches', on the dot. That's quite a lot thicker than I'm used to with my old down pillow, which had started to sag over years of use. It took me a few weeks to get to grips with my Pluto Pillow, but now I appreciate the extra support: it stops my neck and shoulders from sinking into the mattress.

The Pluto Pillow is a pillow within a pillow: you get the squishy foam core and the supportive fiberfill case. I laid them out side by side so that you can see the difference. If you look closely, you'll see that the foam core is perforated to boost breathability throughout the pillow.

Filled with foam and encased in down alternative, the Pluto Pillow is made from hypoallergenic materials to suit sensitive sleepers and vegan shoppers. I found it felt perfect for pressure relief and eased a lot of the aches and pains I get at the top of my spine from sitting and staring at my screens all day. With that said, I didn't feel the same contouring effect you get from the best memory foam pillows.

I tend to suffer from night sweats and hot flashes, especially in the summer. I told Pluto this in my questionnaire and I'd hope to receive a specially cooling pillow. I was slightly disappointed. If you're a hot sleeper, like me, you might want to consider the best cooling pillow, instead. The Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Pillow is another adjustable option that might meet your needs.

How does the Pluto Pillow rate online?

The Pluto Pillow boasts a 4.82 average star rating from 2,332 verified reviews. The vast majority of customers rave about the comfort and support it offers to promote proper ergonomic alignment. Many of those customers agree with me that the Pluto Pillow takes a little getting used to, but it's ultimately worth the investment.

There are a smattering of more mixed reviews, in which customers complain that their Pluto Pillow is too thick, too thin, too firm, too soft for comfort. Underneath any review that gives four stars or fewer, the Pluto team reply and offer to improve the pillow: their language is pretty vague, but that can only mean a refund or a return. In my case, co-founder and CEO Susana reached out via LinkedIn after the first few weeks of testing and asked how I was getting on with the pillow: feels like pretty good customer service to me.

Should I buy the Pluto Pillow?

The Pluto Pillow retails for $125 in the Original size and $155 in the King size. When you consider the extent of the customizability, and the quick turnarounds, this seems like a pretty good deal, though you could always try to bag a bargain in the bedding sales. It took me a few weeks to get on board with the Pluto Pillow, but now I love it: I wouldn't want to go back to my store-bought pillow any time soon.  

Pluto Pillow | $125 at Pluto

I'd happily pay full price for this pillow.

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How we test pillows

We put a lot of thought into how we test pillows. Our expert testers sleep on pillows for months, ideally through several seasons, to monitor their performance over time, with a special focus on thermoregulation. We assess each pillow against the same criteria: comfort; support; cooling properties; and the all-important price. 

Where possible, we compare our findings against verified customer reviews to reveal a range of experiences with the same pillow. We consider all sorts of practical points, including sleep trials and warranties, before we bring it all back to the price to help you determine value for money.