Having trouble deciding between down pillow inserts and alternative (synthetic) down inserts? 

That’s what we’re here for: helping you unpack and understand all types of pillow fill "personalities" to guide you toward the type that best fits with your project and lifestyle. 

Both down and synthetic pillow inserts are a favored choice for interior designers or those looking for shapable pillow forms. Each offers a traditionally softer, fluffier pillow experience with a slightly more luxurious feel. Rather than the loftier appearance found with a polyester or eco-friendly fill, down and synthetic down are more moldable, which allows them to look great in home decor or transition into cozy, plush sleeping options.

So, what’s the difference between both a down and an alternative down pillow?

Our Down Alternative pillow inserts (synthetic down inserts) are filled with a fiber that is 1/10 of the “normal polyester” fill fibers, thus providing the staying power of a down pillow with the benefits of being hypoallergenic. Our synthetic down inserts are supple and dense, easy to care for, and durable. They’re also a very popular choice for designers and those looking to get a similar look of down without the price tag.

Our Down Filled pillow inserts are soft, resilient, scrunchable, and filled with real goose and duck down feathers. They’re also the most luxurious choice of pillow insert we make. “Down” is defined as the wispier, softer clusters found on the underside plumage of birds, located beneath their insulating feather layers.Feathers, on the other hand, come from the tail or wings of birds and are more stiff due to the center quill. At PillowCubes, we offer a 10/90, 25/70, & 50/50 down-fill option. The first (top) number represents the amount of down in the pillow and the second number represents the overall feather count. The more down, the softer (and higher quality) the pillow.

So there you have it, a brief overview of down pillow inserts versus down alternative inserts! Curious about other fill types? You can learn more here.