How often should you replace your pillows?

You should replace your pillows every 1-2 years. Over the years, pillows start to have a build-up of bacteria, dust mites, allergens and start to lose their shape.

Replacing your pillows often ensures they will be clean and comfortable for a good night’s sleep, our Best Pillow Guide can help guide you through the process of selecting the right pillow for your needs.

Why you should replace your pillows

Hygiene

Dirt, sweat, dead skin cells are all breeding grounds for bacteria. Your pillow will have a build-up of these over time, washing your pillows can help keep this under control but eventually you will need to change them. Having bacteria on your pillow can lead to skin irritations, spots and even health problems such as respiratory issues and allergic reactions.

Support

Pillows of course are designed to support your head and neck while sleeping. But over time depending of which kind of pillow you choose, this can lose its shape. Your pillow loosing shape not only makes your sleep uncomfortable but can cause neck and shoulder pain along with headaches and sleep disruption. Ensuring you have the best pillow for neck pain sufferers is also important as now all pillows are create equal in this regard.

Allergies

This would fall under the hygiene bullet point also, but as mentioned pillows can collect dust mites and as they feed and reproduce, they leave behind droppings that contain allergenic proteins, the same as pet hair if your furry friend sleeps beside you at night, the hair sheds which can also contain allergens and this can all trigger an allergic reaction.

Comfort

Lastly comfort, which of course is the most important one. A comfortable pillow will help with a better night’s sleep. You don’t want your sleep to be disturbed as this can upset your sleeping pattern and can affect your overall health.

Looking after your pillow

You may not always need to replace your pillow within the 1-2 year mark. There are a few factors to take into consideration if you think you have looked after your pillow enough and don’t need to replace it.

Pillowcases

This is an obvious one, but use a pillowcase!! This does protect the pillow against germs and bacteria but only so much, it doesn’t protect it all... but it does help.

Pillow Quality

If you have invested in an expensive pillow, it more than likely is a high quality one. Which means in comparison to a lot of cheaper pillows, it may last longer than 1-2 years.

How often you wash it

If you do regularly wash your pillow and take care of it and follow all care instructions, of course the lifespan of it will last longer than one that hasn’t been taking care of properly.

Sleeping habits

If you are prone to sweat at night or have allergies of any sort, it may be best to replace after two years.

Always keep an eye out for signs of wear and tear on your pillow, lumps and flattened areas are a sign that your pillow needs replace.

And of course if your pillow just doesn’t support you or is causing discomfort, it is time to a new one.