I didn't know you could get silk pillows – until I tested this luxurious Cozy Earth pillow

You've heard of a silk pillowcase: a light, little layer to smooth your hair and plump your skin, retaining moisture while dissipating heat. Cozy Earth takes the natural cooling properties of silk and ups the ante with their brand-new Silk Pillow.

Filled with 100% mulberry silk for sumptuous softness, the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow is wrapped in premium bamboo viscose to boost breathability (and bring down the cost a little bit). This premium pillow works from the inside out to keep you cool.

As H&G's resident sleep writer, I've been lucky enough to test some of the world's best pillows. I've tried every kind of down alternative fill, from all-natural wool to malleable memory foam, but this was my first silk pillow. I couldn't believe the difference it made to my sleep temperature, even through a pillow protector.

Cozy Earth Silk Pillow review

Silk Pillow | Was $330, now $264 at Cozy Earth
You could save more than $65 on this Silk Pillow when you shop the Cozy Earth bedding sales and get a reusable tote thrown in for free.

Cozy Earth Silk Pillow Specifications

Who would the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow suit?

• Hot sleepers: silk is naturally thermoregulating, so the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow should keep you just the right side of cool and dry.
• Sensitive sleepers: silk is naturally hypoallergenic. The Cozy Earth Silk Pillow should also feel soft and smooth through the pillowcase, reducing friction on your face to minimize irritation.

• Eco-conscious shoppers: the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow is OEKO-TEX certified free from toxins and harmful chemicals, so you know that you're breathing cleaner, healthier air while you sleep.
• Shoppers with money to spare: retailing for around $330, the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow isn't exactly budget-friendly. If you're keen to get the look for less, you could invest in one of the best silk pillowcases, instead.

What's it like to sleep on the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow?

Your ideal pillow firmness and feel is entirely dependent on your sleep position: whether you tend to lie on your front, back, or side. If you want to learn how to sleep better, then you need to find the right pillow for you.

As a stomach sleeper, I appreciated the soft and squishy feel of the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow. It might look plush, but it flattens out beneath your body to save your neck from straining. It should spring back into shape as soon as you remove your weight, though I recommend giving it a good fluff in the morning before you make your bed.

I found that the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow kept me cool and comfortable, especially as I paired it with a Shleep Pillowcase, made from highly breathable Merino jersey. Singing its praises, I passed the pillow onto my sister, but she was less enthusiastic. She slept comfortably for a few nights, but soon found that the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow was insufficiently supportive to ease her back and neck pain. I think she'd prefer something firmer, such as the Purple Harmony Pillow, which is filled with Talalay latex for pressure relief. If you're looking for something to suit every member of your family, no matter their sleep style, then I recommend an adjustable pillow: the Marlow Pillow is the best of the best.

How does the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow rate online?

The Cozy Earth Silk Pillow boasts a 4.8 average star rating from 558 reviews. Happy customers praise the comfort and cooling properties of the pillow. Almost everybody agrees it's worth the money, and several shoppers liked the Cozy Earth Pillow so much that they went ahead and bought another for their guest room. A few customers struggled to stuff this plush pillow inside a standard pillowcase, while others found it needed daily fluffing to look its best, but that's about as negative as these reviews get.

Should I buy the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow?

The Cozy Earth Silk Pillow retails for around $330, though it's often listed for less in the bedding sales: right now, you could bag it for $264 and save 20%. That might still sound like a lot to spend on a pillow, but it's an incredible price for 600 square inches of silk.

If you're a hot sleeper, and you're looking for hard-core cooling comfort, I'd argue that the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow is worth the price. It manages to dissipate heat, yet retain moisture, keeping your skin soft and your hair shiny: that is, as long as you protect your pillow with the right pillowcase. There's no point investing in a silk pillow, then wrapping it in a piece of polyester. Consider natural, breathable materials, such as wool or bamboo, or go the whole hog and get the best silk pillowcase to match.

How we test pillows

We put a lot of thought into how we test pillows. It's more than a matter of sleeping on the job. Our experts test pillows for weeks, if not months, to monitor their performance over time and see how well they hold their shape.

We assess each pillow against the same criteria: comfort; cooling properties; lightness and loft; and the all-important price. I'd expect the test results for a silk pillow to differ from those for a down or down alternative pillow. For example, silk tends to sleep cooler than down, but it lacks that natural loft which makes for a beautiful bedspread. Silk might be more expensive than other types of down alternative fill, but you should get what you pay for: sumptuous softness.

When our testing time is up, we cross-check our findings with verified customer reviews. That way, we should account for any blind spots and give you a fuller picture of what it might be like to use this pillow, depending on your sleep style. Finally, we compare our results against the price of the pillow to help you determine value for money.