WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN QUALITY PILLOWS

1 WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN QUALITY PILLOWS

It may not be a surprise to you that I LOVE pillows. They are the easiest way to breathe life into a room and they are a great bang for our bucks! And for those bucks, we want to make sure we are purchasing quality pillows! It’s not hard to spot a pillow that will look beautiful for years and bring style to a room in your home. Here are a few things to look for in quality pillows…

 

Here are my best tips for choosing quality pillows. The black and cream buffalo check pillow below is one of my favorites. It’s simple design and exceptional workmanship makes a really beautiful pillow that works in many rooms in my home! Unfortunately, the company who sold it does not anymore. But it is a great example of what to look for in a fabulous pillow.

FABRIC

Much of the cost of a throw pillow is the material and workmanship. Good quality fabric and designer styles do cost more than everyday cotton and polyester ones. The difference between a modestly priced pillow and one that costs a couple hundred dollars if often in the fabric. 

Because I change up my pillows often I opt for more mid-range ($50-150) priced pillows. They are affordable and also have some of the finishes of the pricer pillows I love.  Once in awhile, I can actually find a good quality pillow for less and I feel like I’ve mined gold!

Designer fabric is usually made in smaller lots than the fabric found in a craft store and with better quality material. 

When it comes to pillows you do for the most part get what you pay for! 

BACKING

A pillow that is backed with the same fabric front and back or a nice coordinating fabric is a must for me. If a pillow is backed with a plain white or neutral cotton I pass it up. It’s usually a way to cut corners to make a pillow less expensive. And often times it is also a sign of lesser quality workmanship! And it shows… literally!

TRIM

 

Trim is any other embellishment on the pillow like cording, piping, rope and more. It is usually found around the perimeter of the pillow added to the seams. The more expensive and elaborate the trim the more expensive the pillow.

Look for pillows whose trim start and stop neatly and are anchored into the seams of the pillows.

Remember the more ornate the trim around a pillow the more care a pillow needs to keep it looking nice.

The small flange works as a nice detail. No trim is needed.

WORKMANSHIP

Workmanship is so important in a pillow. For looks and longevity. I always look for the front and back fabric to match at the seams, the zipper is installed properly and that no raw edges are showing. 

Give a pillow you are considering to buy a good once-over with a critical eye. Try the zipper and make sure it works easily and the opening is ample enough to remove and put in the insert. If there are embellishments on a pillow make sure they are fastened down and there are no loose threads that could be pulled to make the embellishments come undone. Also, make sure the trim is fastened down and in excellent condition.

 

ZIPPER CLOSURE

Better made pillows often have hidden zippers. And sometimes it’s hard for me to find which end the zipper is in! Look for a nice nylon zipper that is easy to work and if the pull tab shows it is small and blends in with the color of the pillow.

INSERTS

There are a lot of information about pillow inserts out there. So I’m throwing my two cents into the ring! Don’t buy down alternative or polyfill or foam inserts. Stick with down unless you have allergies. And you don’t have to buy the best either.

You want to make sure an insert has a blend of down (the soft tiny feathers closest to the skin of a water bird used for insulation) and feathers (outer feathers closer to the outside of the body that usually have “pins”). 

And be careful the type of cotton or material used in making an insert. If the material is not tightly woven some of the feathers might poke through.

A good down insert can last for years! And they will keep their shape with just a little fluffing.

And here’s a fabulous tip when buying inserts. BUY THEM ONE SIZE BIGGER THAN THE INSERT YOU WISH TO FILL. Your pillows will automatically look so much more plush and expensive!

If you have a favorite place to buy pillows I’d love you to share!

You might like to see my FAVORITE PILLOW PICKS for spring/summer 2018…

 


You may like to follow me on Pinterest and see what I’m finding to pin every day HERE.

1 WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN QUALITY PILLOWS

 

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27 Comments

  1. Thank you Yvonne! My favorite place to buy pillows is in the clearance section of TJ Maxx. Some of the ugliest pillows have really nice inserts (though a bit embarrassing when checking out). I then make or buy my covers elsewhere.

    1. I have done that! I had needed a good insert, but the cover was awful… I live in a small apt. and love to change things out, but have limited storage. Thanks for the tip about the size of insert to buy!

  2. Just ordered a Lands End 18 X18 pillow with a feather/down insert. By using a 50% off birthday coupon combined with their sale price I only paid $10! Plan to use the insert on other covers.

  3. What wonderful pillow tips!! I have said before that throw pillows are not a strong point for me so this was very helpful! Thank you for sharing where to buy some of your favorites..that helps so much!

  4. Thanks for the great tips! I’ve bought several pillows that when I got home, I wasn’t happy with. These tips will really help me pick out my next pillows.

  5. Thanks for the tips,I love pillows too.

  6. Great tips! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂 I have definitely learned to never use polyfill pillows. Yuck, I hate when they get all flat like a pancake and can never get fluffed up again. Here’s a tip for anyone who is allergic to down: shredded foam! It’s not nearly as nice as down, but it has the same property of being able to be refluffed over and over again.

  7. I love pillows and my favorite place to buy them is Etsy! Redoing my home office space and ordered all my pillows from two shops. I’m so excited to see color, chintz and “brown wood” making a strong comeback! Love all your blog posts. Thank you for all you do!

  8. I recently discovered quality linen pillow covers on H&M website that I love which were a real bargain!

  9. Where or how, do you store the pillows you are not using. Help, I’m running out of room. i.e. Christmas, Fall, Easter, etc.

  10. Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder says:

    Dearest Yvonne,
    Indeed, quality pillows has the plaid pattern neatly continued front and back and the invisible zipper is a sure high end giveaway; just like with couture clothing!
    Kindest regards,
    Mariette’s Back to Basics

  11. The problem I have with down sometimes is the smell. Is there anything I can do to help with the smell that comes along with down pillows?

  12. Yvonne,
    Do you have a brand of down pillow inserts you like best?
    Thank you,
    Jill

  13. Lisa McCrorey says:

    I’ve slowly been replacing my poly filled pillows with down inserts, but they can get pricey. Last week I was in my favorite consignment shop and found a pair of very outdated pillows. They were a very high end brand, down filled avocado and gold striped silk. The thought came to me to unzip them and check out the inserts. They were pristine. My guess is these pillows sat in a formal living room and were never touched for decades. They were marked $9 each, but because they had been in the store over a month, they were half off! What a steal!! I brought them home, stripped off the ugly case and gave them a good vacuum. Then I put them in the dryer with a dryer sheet and tumbled them on air dry with tennis balls. What a difference those forms made with my pillowcases. They are fat and squishy, not flat and lifeless.

  14. I am a pillow hoarder. I buy inexpensive or clearance pillows (think TJ Maxx) even if they’re ugly but are filled with down just for the insert. I LOVE Pillow Covers, mostly from PB, and love to change out my pillows for holidays or just to suit my mood. Great article!

  15. Julie Briones says:

    I always love your pillow posts! 🙂 Have you ever heard of Trillium filled pillows? I love them just as much as down-filled… but, I think they can be even more pricey!

  16. Jan Nesbitt says:

    You’re opening photo thrilled my heart as I have a pair of shutters I am planning on hanging behind my sofa. My question is, did you take the shutters apart so instead of folding you actually used only one full shutter to make the two panels? My second “need help” question is, my sofa only fits against the wall and sits between two large windows. (This is the only area in our living room it will actually fit to keep it open and not butting up against a wall near one end.) Friends have recommended I fill the whole width of the wall behind with “objects” to make it cohesive but I’d love your thoughts of how much area needs to be covered. I hope this makes sense as I am at a loss.

    1. Hi Jan, it’s hard for me to say without seeing your space. My best guess is to not fill up the whole space. It will look too busy. But center the shutter and then add a wreath or small picture to it. I think one shutter standing alone might look too thin. OR space two or three shutters on the wall behind your sofa. Hope this helps.

  17. I confess an addiction to pillows – as I’m always looking for new ones, and the thrill of finding just that one that can change the look of a room.

    Yvonne, would you kindly give us a “heads up” on neutral rugs – especially the ones you’ve selected. I’m thankful for you, as I always learn so much from your posts!

    1. Hello Yvonne,
      I did a google search on pillow inserts & came across your blog. You’re very talented & thank you for providing all your tips. You recommended to size up on pillow inserts, do you use 28”x28” for a euro sham? I’m just getting started on decorating our home, so this fun world of pillows is new to me! I appreciate your time. 🙂

      1. Hi Karissa, great question. I would use a 28 x 28 insert in a pillow sham. Make sure to get feather and down inserts. They will work the best.

  18. I buy my pillows at Nell Hill’s in Kansas City, Mo. They have the most beautiful designer fabrics and you can buy the pillows off the floor or have them custom made. They also have a Trims Bar with so many options. And they also offer beautiful monograms too. Their seamstresses do the most exquisite work. The pillows have hidden zippers and as you said it’s hard to find which end they’re on. They also sell down inserts. The good thing about that is once you have the amount of inserts you will need for the pillows that you will display at any given time then all you do is buy the pillow tops and when you change them out you unzip it and put the pillow top on a clip type hanger and hang it in your closet and reuse the insert. They also sell custom bedding such as duvets. They have about a dozen beds all made up with their own custom bedding. It’s all so breathtaking. There are two floors. First floor is all furniture, artwork, tableware and decorative objects etc. And the second floor is all beds, bedding, fabric and even more artwork and decorative objects. So if you live in KC or nearby you should go and browse. I spend a couple hours in there each time I go. I live a few hours away and it is well worth the trip. It would be dangerous for me to live in KC.

    1. You are very lucky to live next to this gorgeous store! LOVE Nell Hill’s!