Video: How to Pick the Perfect Pillow

Pillow talk with Western Living and our favourite bedding expert.

We spend an awful lot of time with our pillows—eight hours a night, if we’re lucky. So spending the time to find your perfect pillow match is a worthwhile endeavour if you want your dreams to be that much sweeter.Serge Schnob, director of housekeeping at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, knows a thing or two about selecting a premium pillow. (The hotel even has its own “pillow concierge” program.) He’s in charge of making sure hundreds of guests each night are as comfortable as possible—even if that means customizing a half-sized pillow or adding an extra mattress to the bed—so we knew he was the right guy to ask: what should we be considering for the next time we’re pillow shopping?

How to Pick the Perfect Pillow

Do you like a warm or cool pillow?If you like to be cool, choose foam—it retains heat less than feather, Schnob explains. But if you like to be warm and cozy in bed, feather is for you.What’s your sleeping position?If you sleep on your back, firm and flat is the right fit. If you’re a side sleeper, choose a higher pillow (firm or soft—it’s up to you). Stomach sleepers should choose an extra-firm pillow. “With a softer pillow, you may wind up feeling a bit smothered if you sleep on your stomach,” Schnob notes.Do you have allergies?Duck down is less aggravating to allergies. And gel-fibre pillows are a hypoallergenic alternative to down. “It’s the kind of kings when it comes to foam,” says Schnob. “It reacts the same way as feather pillows, but doesn’t retain heat the same way feathers do.”How can you tell if a case is high quality?It’s as easy as looking for a price—”they’re not going to put an expensive case on a cheap fill,” laughs Schnon.WATCH: How to Pick the Perfect Pillow Videohttps://youtu.be/85J8QqzIfLM