People are particular about their pillows — just like our mattress, a good pillow determines whether or not we have a great night’s sleep. Unfortunately, many pillows are made from toxic chemicals and synthetic materials — chemicals that are potentially cancer causing and have been linked to hormone disruption. Thankfully, there are a number of brands creating non-toxic and eco-friendly pillows that you can feel good about.
Whether you’re looking for a travel pillow, body pillow, or sleep pillow, one of the eco-friendly pillow brands below is bound to have what you’re looking for.
What Goes Into an Eco-Friendly Pillow?
When deciding if a pillow is sustainable, transparency is key. In general, if sourcing, materials, or production methods are unclear, the company is most likely not a sustainable one.
A sustainable pillow will be made from eco-friendly, non-toxic materials. This means no harmful chemicals or synthetic materials. The materials used will be sustainable and responsibly sourced, such as organic cotton and natural dye.
Sustainable pillows, and brands, will most likely have one or more of the certifications listed below. These certifications verify that the materials and production methods a company is using comply with trusted global standards.
Additionally, sustainable pillow companies will produce their products in a way that doesn’t involve exploitative labor. They will implement production methods that are eco-friendly and ethical – benefitting both their workers and the planet.
Non-Toxic Pillow Materials to Look for — and Materials to Avoid
Below you’ll find some of the most common and sustainable materials to look for when it comes to eco-friendly pillows:
- GOTS-certified organic cotton
- Sustainably sourced organic kapok fiber
- GOLS organic certified latex
- Responsibly sourced, organic or Woolmark certified wool
- Natural, ethically sourced down
- BPA-free recycled PET
- Eucalyptus Lyocell
- Sustainable hemp
- AAA grade 100% long-strand mulberry silk
- Sustainably sourced bamboo
- Buckwheat hulls
- Natural dyes
- No chemical fire retardants
If a pillow has any of the following materials, it’s most likely not sustainable:
- Synthetic polyurethane foam or memory foam
- Chemical flame retardants or harmful chemicals
- Synthetic materials or proprietary blends where the full materials are not disclosed
- Synthetic latex
- Polyester
Certifications for Eco-Friendly Pillows
Certifications are a great way to ensure a brand isn’t greenwashing. If a company has one or more of the following certifications, they are most likely a sustainable and trustworthy brand.
eco-INSTITUT certified: A German certification that measures a material’s emission level and verifies if it is responsibly sourced.
FLOCERT: An Independent global certifier that ensures a company truly meets fair-trade and other leading sustainability certification standards.
Made Safe: A U.S. certification that verifies products are safe for everyday use.
Greenguard Gold: Greenguard Gold Certified products must meet a low chemical emission level that ensures it is safe to use.
OEKO-TEX: OEKO-TEX offers six different certifications that measure if various materials and textiles are free of harmful substances and safe for use.
FSC Certified: A US certification that verifies materials are sustainably sourced from responsible forests.
GOTS-Certified: The Global Organic Textile Standard is the leading certification for any organic fibers. It ensures that your material is up to this standard, no matter where it’s produced.
GOLS-Certified: Global Organic Latex Standard verifies that latex is 100% organically grown and natural.
USDA Organic: This US certification ensures that materials like wool or cotton are grown without chemicals and that meet a specific standard.
Where to Find Eco-Friendly Pillows
Note that some of the brands below are affiliates, meaning we’ll earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you choose to purchase through these links. As always, all brands meet rigorous criteria for sustainability and are brands we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
1. Avocado
Based In: USA | Made In: USA
Sustainable Materials: No chemical retardants; organic GOTS-certified cotton and kapok fiber, GOLS organic certified latex
Price: $25-$199
Avocado is one of the leading brands for eco-friendly pillows. They are a climate neutral B-corp that sources their materials from their own Fair-Trade farms in India and Guatemala. Each pillow is handcrafted in their local GOTS-certified factories.
Plus, Avocado has the trusted certifications you want like Gold Certified vegan, Eco-Institut certified and Made Safe certified.
2. Eco Sleep
Based In: USA | Made In: USA
Sustainable Materials: Organic cotton, Joma wool, 100% natural latex
Price: $39.99- $149
Eco Sleep is a family-run company that produces non-toxic pillows locally. They offer four different types of sustainable, antimicrobial pillows at an accessible price point.
While Eco Sleep uses great sustainable materials overall, they do have some room to improve. They use foam in two of their pillows, including memory foam. More transparency is needed on how eco-friendly their foam is.
3. Savvy Rest
Based In: USA | Made In: USA
Sustainable Materials: Organic wool, natural USDA and GOLS-certified Dunlop or Talalay latex, organic cotton, organic kapok fiber, natural dye
Price: $29-$239
Savvy Rest has a large selection of eco-friendly pillows, with eight different styles to choose from, including body and contour pillows. Savvy uses a variety of sustainable materials and even offers customizable filling options.
Savvy Rest is both a B Corp and a GOTS-certified organic company, as are their factories.
*Use code CONSCIOUSSTYLE20 for 20% off at Savvy Rest!*
4. Coyuchi
Based In: USA | Made In: Sri Lanka
Sustainable Materials: GOLS Certified Organic Latex, GOTS certified Organic Cotton, sustainably sourced Down; reusable cloth bag packaging
Price: $68-$198
Coyuchi is a woman-owned, Made Safe Certified company. They produce four different types of organic latex pillows including a body pillow.
Coyuchi uses Fair-trade certified factories and a circular production process. They are also a 1% for the planet partner.
5. SOL Organics
Based In: US | Made In: India
Sustainable Materials: Certified 100% Organic cotton, 100% Canadian down, non-toxic dyes; pesticide & harmful chemical free, hypoallergenic
Price: $169
SOL Organics is a BIPOC-owned and family-run company. They are passionate about ethical production and only work with FLO, OEKO-TEX, GOTS, and Fair-Trade Certified manufacturers.
Responsibly made with care, you can sleep soundly on these sustainable down pillows.
6. Birch
Based In: USA | Made In: USA
Sustainable Materials: GOTS-certified organic cotton, organic birch wool, 100% natural Talalay latex, recycled polyester filling; chemical fire retardant free
Price: $75-$119
Birch offers two different non-toxic pillows. Their organic pillow comes with a 100 night trial and is Greenguard Gold and GOTS Certified.
Their eco-rest pillow is GOTS and Fair Trade certified. Both are handmade in a Fair Trade certified factory.
7. Sleep & Beyond
Based In: USA | Made In: Kyrgyzstan, India, China
Sustainable Materials: 100% natural or organic wool and latex; GOTS, Woolmark and OEKO-TEX Certified
Price: $49-$139
Sleep & Beyond is a BIPOC-owned company that offers nine different types of eco-friendly pillows, including a travel pillow. They have a handy comparison guide so you can easily find the best fit for you.
Sleep & Beyond produces everything in Fair-trade Certified and solar factories using zero waste production.
8. Buffy
Based In: USA | Made In: USA
Sustainable Materials: GRS or RCS certified BPA free Recycled PET filling, Eucalyptus Lyocell, hemp linen; packaging made from FSC certified recycled materials
Price: $49-$99
Buffy is another awesome BIPOC owned company that has all of your sustainable bedding needs. They produce extensive pillow offerings including travel pillows and body pillows.
Buffy is working toward closed loop and zero waste production and offsets their CO2 emissions.
9. Cozy Earth
Based in: USA | Made In: China
Sustainable Materials: Bamboo viscose, AAA grade 100% long-strand mulberry silk, natural dye; toxic chemical free
Price: $279-$329
Cozy Earth is an ethically produced bedding company founded by a husband and wife. Their popular, luxurious sustainable silk pillows come with a 100 night trial.
They are FSC, Eco-cert, OEKO-TEX, SGS, and IAF certified. Pair it with their bamboo pillow cases for a complete set.
10. White Lotus Home
Based In: USA | Made In: USA
Sustainable Materials: Sustainably grown Buckwheat, kapok fiber, organic cotton, natural and GOTS certified organic wool, upcycled materials, natural latex
Price: $27-$186
White Lotus Home is a BIPOC owned company that has been hand making sustainable bedding in the US since 1981. They are GOTS Certified and a member of Green America & the Organic Trade Association.
White Lotus has all your pillow needs covered. They make sleep, contour, travel, and toddler pillows, as well as decorative pillow inserts.
11. Organic Textiles
Based In: USA
Sustainable Materials: 100% natural & organic latex, natural Australian wool, kapok fiber, natural down, GOTS and GOLS certified cotton
Price: $60-$117
Organic Textiles is a great company for finding sustainable pillows from a variety of materials. They even offer extra pillow fillings for a customisable feel.
All of their products are pesticide & toxic chemical free as well as hypoallergenic. Organic Textiles is Green America Approved Certified and uses Fair-Trade manufacturers.
12. Boll & Branch
Based In: USA | Made In: USA, India
Sustainable Materials: OEKO-TEX standard locally and responsibly sourced Down, 100% organic cotton, hypoallergenic synthetic down alternative; recycled packaging
Price: $58-$168
Another great husband and wife owned company is Boll & Branch. They offer harmful chemical free, non-toxic Down and Down alternative pillows.
They are passionate about ethical manufacturing, so they only work with child-labor-free, Fair-trade manufacturers.
You May Also Want to Check Out:
30+ Sustainable & Organic Bedding Brands — Sorted by Material
Eco-Friendly Bed Frames for a Sweet Sustainable Slumber
Non-Toxic Mattresses for a Sound & Sustainable Sleep
About The Author:
Alicia Briggs is a writer & editor specializing in slow travel & sustainable living. She’s worked in journalism since 2016 and currently writes for a variety of publications such as Sustainably Chic and Hidden Lemur. She has been a full-time traveler since 2018 and runs her own blog, Learning the Local Way, where she covers responsible travel & living tips.
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