How often should you change a pillow?

There's no fixed number of years that applies to everyone. Change your pillow when it no longer suits you or no longer feels the way it used to, not according to the calendar.

How do I know my pillow no longer suits me?

The right pillow height depends on your body measurements, your sleeping position and your mattress. If any of these change, a pillow that has worked well for a long time can suddenly stop suiting you. Typical signs:

What matters isn't the age of the pillow, but whether it keeps your head and cervical spine in line and leaves room for your shoulder. You can read more at Pillow too high or too low? How to tell.

How do I care for a Pillowise pillow?

The core of the Pillowise pillow is 100% memory foam and is made in the Netherlands. The cover has a moisture-regulating top layer of Tencel and a bottom layer of polyester. It can be washed in the washing machine at 40 °C. The materials are certified to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX.

We deliberately don't give a lifespan in years, because it depends on how the pillow is used. We give a 5-year warranty on every Pillowise pillow. That is a commitment under the warranty terms, not a statement about when you should replace the pillow. You can find the terms at Warranty terms. For general information about the material, see Memory foam pillows: how they work, pros and cons, care and odour.

Should I measure again when I change?

Yes, that makes sense. Choosing a new pillow by feel is often a matter of trial and error. Pillowise determines your size using three measurements:

• Shoulder width: around the curve of your back, with the tape measure not pulled tight.
• Neck circumference: once all the way around your neck.
• Neck length: from the bottom of your ear to the tip of your shoulder.

Added to this are your sleeping position (back, side, stomach) and your mattress (soft, medium, firm). An algorithm uses these to choose one of six pillows, each in its own colour: pink, orange, green, blue, red or purple. We explain how the height is worked out at Calculating pillow height.

What about neck complaints?

A suitable pillow is not a cure. If you have ongoing pain, please have the cause assessed by a doctor.

So: do I need to replace my pillow regularly?

Not on a fixed schedule. If you're comfortable, you wake up without complaints, and neither your mattress nor your sleeping position has changed, you don't need to change anything. If one of those no longer holds true, it's worth taking a fresh look at your pillow size.

Find your size: You can get measured at a stockist or use PillowScan. Find your size now or find a stockist near you.

Thijs van der Hilst, physiotherapist (non-practising)
Inventor of Pillowise