The best hypoallergenic pillows for allergy sufferers

Allergies are difficult to live with at the best of times, not least when you are trying to get off to sleep. If you are allergic to goose or duck feathers and down, are asthmatic, or simply have trouble sleeping, it might be time to change your pillow. Synthetic pillows can be an inexpensive solution, but some can make you hot and sweaty in the night and the filling doesn't tend to retain its softness and shape as well as its feather-filled counterparts. Luckily there are other options and we have scoured the market to find a range of luxurious hypoallergenic pillows that are filled with wool, silk or synthetic hybrids.

Wool is hypoallergenic and inhospitable to dust mites, so is perfect for people with a range of allergies including asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitus. Devon Duvets has won a reputation for its products filled with British wool, which is neither bleached nor chemically treated. Its Original Wool pillow (above) is made using only natural materials and has a discreet zip that makes it easy to get your hands inside the pillow to fluff up the wool. You can also remove the wool to air it when you want to wash the cotton pillowcase.

It's also worth watching the video on Devon Duvet's website to see the versatility of its multi-functional Folding pillow (above), which is filled with high-grade British wool. It can be folded to create a standard-size pillow or unfolded and used as a small lap blanket or to line a suitcase. The pillow comes in soft, medium and firm options, so you can get the correct thickness and firmness. Plus, if you have neck or back problems, it can be rolled slightly before being folded to create a handy neck support.

For other wool-pillow options, The Wool Room has a Deluxe Wool pillow (above), which has been accredited with the Allergy UK Seal of Approval. This natural pillow also has a zip, so extra wool can be added for a firmer pillow or removed to make it flatter. Be sure to visit The Wool Room's website for handy advice on why wool helps you to sleep better and find out more about the company's Sleep Guarantee.

The soft and sumptuous Alpaca Luxury Wool pillow (above), also from The Wool Room, contains a 50/50 blend of alpaca and British wool and is an excellent solution for allergy sufferers and restless sleepers. Wool can also help to prevent night sweats, as it wicks away moisture more effectively than synthetic fibres and traditional down fillings.

If you don't fancy a wool pillow, silk is also hypoallergenic and discourages dust mites. Gingerlily offers a 100% Silk Filled pillow (above) that contains long-strand silk, which is firm, dense and provides good neck support. It is covered in a 300-thread count cotton sateen cover and keeps your head at a constant temperature throughout the night. The company also has a softer option, which is made from silk wrapped around a hollow-fibre polyester core that helps the pillow to retain its softness and shape.

The White Company has a good selection of allergy-friendly pillows, which includes a Silk and Polyester option that is an indulgent alternative to an entirely synthetic pillow. The silk fibre surround provides incredible softness, while the polyester core offers support for the head and neck, as well as excellent recovery so that the pillow doesn't get too flat. It also says its synthetic Premium Hollowfibre pillow, available as medium/soft or medium/firm, is the closest equivalent to natural down and is machine washable at 30°C.

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