You’ll Ditch Store-Bought Pillows Forever Once You Try This Customizable Brand

I struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep and go back to sleep, so I’ve totally gutted my bedtime routine and bedroom for better overall sleep hygiene. I found the perfect mattress worth the money. I’m now a devout believer in mulberry silk sleep essentials. And I splurged on high-end linen bedding from Parachute because, for me, it’s that Goldilocks just-right blend of casual-cool sophistication, and their color fog is the end all, be all perfect gray. But for all the new bedding and accessories, I still couldn’t find a pillow that checked all the boxes. I found amazing down-alternative pillows for my buffer pillows. You know the ones: The second pillow you use between your actual pillow and the headboard. (As a side sleeper, Second Pillows are very, very important to sandwich my hand from reality and keep it absolutely squished in an infinite bundle of pillows. I’m not sure what would happen if my skin were to touch my headboard or wall, but it’s an unspoken rule that this can never happen.) But First Pillow, the pillow that cradles your head for eight to 10 hours, is the most important, and I finally found one that caters to my sleep needs ... because I designed it. Like creating a custom perfume or being matched on a dating site, Pluto was created to outfit sleepers with their perfect, customized pillow. Once you try this process, you’ll never buy a pillow from a store again. Here’s why Pluto is worth the hype.

The Process of Customizing a Pluto Pillow

Susana Saeliu founded Pluto in 2018, and the brand is unlike any other bedding shopping experience because it's completely customizable. Before you add anything to your cart, you have to take a five-minute questionnaire and answer a series of questions about your sleeping habits and preferences. It asks you your age, weight and height. Then it asks you about your current pillow: the material, firmness, how high it sits when not compressed, etc. The quiz then goes on to ask about your bed, how firm it is and if you run hot or cold at night. It asks you what position you tend to settle into when you go to sleep, but it also asks you what position you’re in when you wake up. It’s a thorough screening.

Once the questionnaire is complete, your answers are fed into the site’s proprietary AI software and matched with one of more than 35 design variations to custom-build a pillow just for you and your sleep needs. My pillow has specific cooling fibers on the outside as I tend to run hot and the foam is perfectly firm. And because I’m a side sleeper, there’s a hybrid core so I get the support I need while still maintaining a comfortable squishiness. It really is the perfect pillow — for me. And this customization can be gifted, too. You can buy a Pluto digital gift card good for one pillow, and it includes the same questionnaire process and tailor-made pillow. It’s a gift card, but it’s a highly personalized, thoughtful gift, too!

The Materials of Pluto Pillows

Beyond the customization, what makes a Pluto pillow different is the two-piece design the company calls a “pillow within a pillow.” Whether in standard or king size, every Pluto pillow comes with a core and a cover system. And like a Harry Potter wand, each pillow has a unique core and cover combination for you and your answers, but don’t call it memory foam. These “performance foam” cores are not standard memory foam and feature CertiPUR-US polyfoam made in the U.S. with tweaked support and density based on your answers. You won’t find latex or down of any kind at Pluto, so they’re fine for vegans. The company also touts low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions, less than 0.5 parts per million, for all materials, too. Unlike memory foam pillows I’ve had in the past, I didn’t notice any off-gassing or weird chemical smells.

The core is encased within a plush pillow cover, filled with “silky, coated fibers thinner than human hair!” Pluto says these fibers don’t clump in the way that cotton pillows do and the material is “suitable for those with allergies to down feathers.” Even better for allergies: All covers are machine washable. Each cover varies with fiber material and thickness. There’s a temperature-regulating eucalyptus cover that’s popular, but for sleepers who run hot, there’s also a quilted cooling cover.

The Cost of Pluto Pillows

A standard Pluto pillow is $125 and a king-size pillow is $155. Shipping is free, and all pillows come with a one-year warranty and a 125-day return window. Unlike other high-end pillow brands, the return shipping is free, too. (But you must use the original packaging to return and you can only return one item per year per bedding category for free.) It’s easy, hassle-free online shopping where you’re not on the hook for any fees if you don’t love it, and that’s why it’s worth the splurge. While $125 is on the higher end for a pillow, it really feels like a luxe concierge shopping experience, and considering the washable, quality materials, it’s an investment worth making. I’ve had my Pluto pillow for about a year now, and it’s still perfectly firm and cooling – just how I designed it.