---
title: "What is a Pillow made of?"
description: "A fill of polyester fibre, foam or waterfowl down inside a tightly woven downproof cover. Every component, the material it uses, and the constraint that made that th"
url: https://atoneplace.net/made-of/pillow/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What is a Pillow made of?

**What is a Pillow made of?: A fill of polyester fibre, foam or waterfowl down inside a tightly woven downproof cover.**

Fill power measures loft rather than quantity: it is the volume in cubic inches that an ounce of down expands to fill, so 800-fill down gives the same warmth as 600-fill at less weight, and a light pillow can be the more expensive one. Down and feather are not the same thing — feathers have quills, which is what makes cheap "feather" pillows poke and flatten. The practical failure mode of any pillow is compression set: fibre fills mat down and foam loses its rebound, and the fold test is a fair check — a pillow that stays folded when you release it has finished. Down allergy is usually a reaction to dust mites in an old pillow rather than to the down itself.

## Component by component

*Every material is a choice, and the third column is the constraint that drove it.*

| Part | Material | Why that material |
| --- | --- | --- |
| polyester fill | hollow or spiral-crimped polyester staple fibre | Hollow fibres trap air for loft at almost no cost, and they wash and dry without clumping, unlike natural fills. |
| down fill | the fine under-plumage of ducks and geese, graded by fill power | Down clusters trap more air per gram than anything synthetic, which is why the same warmth weighs a fraction as much. |
| foam fill | viscoelastic memory foam, solid or shredded | A solid block holds a fixed neck position; shredded foam can be adjusted and breathes better, at the cost of consistency. |
| cover | densely woven cotton cambric, often calendered | Down works its way through any loose weave, so downproof ticking uses a high thread count and pressed finish rather than a coating. |

## Other around the house objects

- [Banknote](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/banknote/) — Cotton and linen rag paper, or polymer film — never wood pulp, which is why notes survive the wash.
- [Lego brick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lego-brick/) — ABS plastic moulded to a tolerance of about ten micrometres — the tightness of the fit is the whole product.
- [Soap](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soap/) — Fats reacted with lye to make fatty acid salts — and most modern "beauty bars" are not soap at all.
- [Toothpaste](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/toothpaste/) — Mostly abrasive and humectant, with a detergent for foam — the active ingredient is about 0.15% fluoride.
- [Coin](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/coin/) — Base-metal alloys chosen for wear and cost — most modern "silver" coins are copper-nickel and most "copper" ones are plated steel or zinc.
- [Sunscreen](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/sunscreen/) — UV filters — mineral, chemical or both — suspended in an emulsion whose job is to hold them in an even film.
- [Credit card](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/credit-card/) — Laminated PVC sheets 0.76 mm thick, carrying a silicon chip in epoxy and a copper antenna coil.
- [Candle](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/candle/) — Wax that is really a fuel, and a braided cotton wick that acts as a pump rather than as the thing burning.
- [Lipstick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lipstick/) — Castor oil carrying pigment, set into a stick with waxes — the oil is the workhorse, not the colour.
- [Shampoo](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/shampoo/) — Three-quarters water, a primary detergent, a milder secondary one, salt to thicken, and silicone to make hair feel smooth.
- [Balloon](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/balloon/) — Party balloons are dipped natural rubber latex; foil balloons are metallised plastic film and are not rubber at all.
- [Deodorant](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/deodorant/) — Deodorant kills the bacteria that cause the smell; antiperspirant uses aluminium salts to plug the sweat duct. Different products.

## Common questions

### What is a Pillow made of?

A fill of polyester fibre, foam or waterfowl down inside a tightly woven downproof cover.

### What is the polyester fill of a Pillow made of?

Hollow or spiral-crimped polyester staple fibre. Hollow fibres trap air for loft at almost no cost, and they wash and dry without clumping, unlike natural fills.

### What is the down fill of a Pillow made of?

The fine under-plumage of ducks and geese, graded by fill power. Down clusters trap more air per gram than anything synthetic, which is why the same warmth weighs a fraction as much.

## Related pages

- [Banknote](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/banknote/)
- [Lego brick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lego-brick/)
- [Soap](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soap/)
- [Toothpaste](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/toothpaste/)
- [Coin](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/coin/)
- [Sunscreen](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/sunscreen/)
- [Credit card](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/credit-card/)
- [Candle](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/candle/)
- [Pencil](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/pencil/)
- [Tennis ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/tennis-ball/)
- [Golf ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/golf-ball/)
- [Paper](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/paper/)
- [Glass](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/glass/)
- [Soccer ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soccer-ball/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)