Are Polyester Pillows Safe to Use?

This post is a part of the complete polyester pillow buyers guide

Pillows are one of the most common household items in the world. They are the major source of comfort for all of us. It is difficult if not impossible to find a house where there aren’t any pillows. How well a pillow serves its purpose is dependent on so many things and this includes the material with which the pillow is filled

Generally, pillows can be filled with a word range of materials. This includes but is not limited to cotton, down and feathers filler etc. In this article, we will be discussing polyester-filled pillows at length and we will check whether or not they are safe to use.

Polyester pillows aren’t entirely safe to use. Polyester is a synthetic material that is intended to mimic cotton and during the manufacturing process they are filled with chemicals, such as ethylene glycol, which in large quantities are unhealthy to humans.

What Are Polyester Pillows?

Polyester simply put, is the man-made result of an attempt to re-create cotton. They are often very soft and fluffy almost in the same way that a cotton pillow is.

They are also designed to fit any kind of sleeping posture making them ideal for back, side, and stomach sleepers.

In addition to these, they are machine washable and are very inexpensive which explains their popularity amongst other types of pillows. 

Are Polyester Pillows Safe? 

Owing to the way they are manufactured, polyester pillows are not entirely safe. They are often filled with a lot of chemicals that are not human-friendly, an example being ethylene glycol.

This chemical is inseparable from polyester fiber from the process of manufacturing it and they get transferred into the environment when we are using the polyester pillow. Your body can absorb it through the skin and in large quantities it can cause real damage to your nervous system and entire body. 

With that said, the quantities of these chemicals are not that large in store allowed polyester pillows, especially not in pillows from larger brands that are rigorously tested before they’re allowed on the shelves.

Polyester can also cause a terrible sleeping experience. Because of the material they are made of, polyester pillows can cause you to overheat and sweat a lot during your sleep. The result of this could cause poor sleep and a very uncomfortable and smelly pillow. Once your pillow is drenched in sweat, you will have to clean it often to avoid acne and skin irritation. 

Also, research has shown that the conditions under which polyester pillows are made is often terrible and unhygienic. This makes it difficult to trust the product when the factories where it is manufactured cannot be trusted. The manufacturing process of polyester pillows is not eco-friendly and poses a danger to the earth. 

Considering all these, experts have advised that people should stay away from polyester pillows. In contrast, the following pillows are the most beneficial to human health. 

Recommended Non-Toxic Pillows

Buckwheat pillow

The bucket pillow is the most frequently advised and recommended non-toxic pillow. It is a great choice to opt for instead of a polyester pillow.

It is made with hulls that are gotten from buckwheat seeds and it has a lot of medicinal values. The buckwheat pillow is very organic with no toxic content.

They are hypoallergenic and have cooling properties that make sleeping very comfortable. Also, owing to the structure of the hulls, buckwheat pillows can help with the realignment of the spin. 

Cotton Pillows

The cotton pillow is another pillow that can be used as a perfect replacement for the polyester pillow. Cotton pillows are fluffier and are made from natural cotton, which makes them non-toxic and safe to use.

They are breathable and will not trigger any of your allergies. Unlike most of the other types of pillows, cotton pillows do not smell. Their manufacturing process is very ideal and it involves a lot of care, which reduces the health risk. 

You can read more about the pros and cons of cotton pillows in this post.

Polyester pillows can be very cheap but you might be paying a higher price for your health if you opt for them.