My Search for the Most Perfect Pillow on the Planet Has Ended

UPDATE: From November 23 to 26, Pluto is slashing the price of its custom pillow by $15! See the code below. 

Original story continues below...

We’ve all been there: It’s 2 a.m. and you’re lying awake in bed. It’s not the room temperature keeping you up, nor is it your rumpled, sagging duvet cover. It’s your pillow. Has it gotten flatter? Or is it just you? Or maybe it’s a hair too fluffy. Or maybe it is just you. Why is your neck aching? Did someone switch your pillow?! Is someone messing with you?!

I have legit had this conversation in my head in the middle of the night. Which leads me to this point: Your pillow choice is going to make or break your night’s sleep. You can’t put too much thought into picking your pillows because they are vital to your overall well-being. And while there are a slew of really great, fairly-priced mattress options out there nowadays, we’re all still headed to Bed, Bath & Beyond when it comes to buying generic for-the-masses pillows.

So when Pluto came onto the scene earlier this year offering custom-made pillows well under $100, I was ALL IN. Why? Because no pillow I’ve ever purchased has been exactly right for me. Sure, I’ve gotten really close, I’ve even been 90 percent satisfied… but I’ve never felt 100 percent happy, as they’ve always been a smidge too fluffy or a teensy bit too downy. Or hot on my head. Why is my head so dang hot?!

Pluto aims to solve this LIFE-THREATENING problem (I kid, this is solidly a #firstworldproblem!), by creating a hybrid pillow unique to each customer. Fill out the brand’s online survey covering body stats, sleep habits, and preferences (fear not, the answers all remain confidential), and Pluto will then build you a pillow by hand especially for you. 

Here’s how it works: While all the Pluto pillows are designed with a CertiPUR-US foam inner core and an outer plush pillow (read: support and comfort), the way they are tailored varies based on an individual’s sleep profile. What’s that mean? Well, some might have taller foam, while others have denser foam. The covers are also custom, and have different surfaces that all vary in thickness. Example: Hot sleepers like myself get a cooling fabric comprised of a high percentage polyethylene. Others have a quilted knit surface or a high-thread-count cotton surface.

More to know: Pluto pillow materials are all hypoallergenic (which was important to me because I’m allergic to everything under the sun), the covers are machine washable, and you can return them within 100 nights if you’re unsatisfied and get a full refund. Also, the brand is working on a king size that should be coming to market in Q4.

So my husband and I filled out the survey. A few days later, two cheery-looking boxes arrived and inside were our custom pillows, complete with a note about what our surveys revealed and how the pillow will address our needs/concerns. Since both of us are stomach sleepers and prefer a settled in feel, our pillows were on the slimmer side, but once unzipped we could see they were totally different. I had read about Pluto’s pillow-within-a-pillow concept, but didn’t fully grasp it until I was holding mine in person. Basically, the pillow case is lined so densely that it, too, functions as a secondary pillow, with the foam core providing the main support.

Back to how ours were different: My husband’s foam core was yellow, full of medium-sized holes and roughly two centimeters in thickness. Mine, however, was blue, only featured smaller holes in the center of the pillow and was much thicker at five centimeters in height. Both were encased in silky quilted covers that screamed FANCY! (To us at least.)

While I could wax on about how my custom design has achieved everything I’ve ever wanted out of a pillow (it has), really all you need to know is that I’ve been sleeping. A lot. Straight through the night. (And yes, I’m still using my weighted blanket, too, because I’m obsessed with it!). And so has my husband. Can we point to the exact reasons as to why the pillows are now the favorites on our bed? Nope. But we shouldn’t have to, because Pluto did that for us. And if you hate your pillows, you should let them do it for you, too. 

Shop the pillow here.