There are few furnishings as essential for everyday life as a set of luxury pillows, as there is a connection between luxury, comfort and excellent sleep.

The connection between the right pillows and higher quality sleep is well-established, and anyone who has nestled their head on a goose down pillow can appreciate the soft support it provides to give you a wonderful night’s sleep.

The reason why this is the case and how people figured out the benefits of goose down feathers for the most comfortable pillows is the result of thousands of years of evolution.

The World’s Oldest Invention

The use of pillows is so universal that they have been used in one form or another by animals since the dawn of time, predating humanity itself, as the natural posture of many animals also requires elevation in order to improve posture and avoid joint pain.

The earliest pillows that resemble their modern use are 9000 years old, typically made of solid materials and treated as a status symbol in ancient Mesopotamia. The more pillows someone owned, the wealthier they were perceived, which may explain why some bedrooms today are filled with more beautifully soft pillows than are strictly necessary.

This was similarly true in Ancient Egypt, but by Ancient Greece and Rome, pillows were starting to be filled with softer materials, including feathers.

There was not a lot of discernment surrounding the types of materials used for pillows, and it wasn’t until the Renaissance that down pillows, particularly duck and goose down, made for the best, softest and most luxurious results with the help of more secure pillow cases.

As with many innovations, the soft pillow was lost following the fall of the Roman Empire, becoming a rare luxury that few could afford for nearly a thousand years when it not only returned but became more widespread and even more comfortable.

Following the Industrial Revolution, everyone had access to pillows and they started to become widely used not only for beds but also chairs and sofas.

Natural Memory Foam

Part of what makes goose down so comfortable is the same reason why people rely on memory foam and other shape-moulding synthetic materials; it is malleable enough to take the shape of your head, neck and shoulders.

As long as it is fluffed up, it can maintain this support for a remarkable amount of time, and this support translates to much higher quality sleep.

A goose down pillow often takes a little bit of time to reach its optimum loft potential, so a new pillow will get better through use, rather than flatten.

Natural Insulation

Whilst most people associate insulation purely with providing warmth, the right types of natural insulation not only maintain heat when it is needed but also channel excess heat away from the body, ensuring that you are at the perfect temperature no matter what the thermometer says.

This natural breathability, moisture wicking and the ability to circulate air throughout the material ensures that it is just as perfect for summer nights as it is for the Winter Solstice.