It’s best to replace your pillows once they start to lose their support and plumpness. Most sleep experts recommend replacing your pillows after around two years of long-term nightly use. A quick test to check if your pillow is still supportive is to fold your pillow in half, and if it doesn’t spring back, it’s time to replace it.

Explore how often should you change your pillows, how to know when it’s time to replace them, and how to care for your pillows to help them last longer…

The answer to how often should you replace pillows will depend on their use. As a general rule, we recommend replacing your pillows every two years. However, if they’re only used occasionally, such as in a guest room, you should be able to leave it a longer amount of time before replacing pillows.

Wondering why pillows should be replaced? The three main reasons are comfort, making sure you have the right support for you and overall cleanliness. Key signs that you may be due a refresh are waking up with discomfort in your neck or upper back, or if your pillow just doesn’t feel as plump anymore. You should also look out for changes in the colour of the fabric – it may appear less bright, or may not feel as fresh as it once did.

One of the first things you may notice when pillows are reaching the end of their life is that they don’t offer the same plumpness, support, or overall softness that they once did. Providing the right support is crucial to a restful night’s sleep and the loss of shape and firmness over time can affect your sleep posture. Just like a worn-out mattress, sleeping on an old pillow could result in a lack of support for your neck, upper back, shoulders, and lower back which can lead to pain, disrupted sleep and have a negative effect on overall wellbeing.

If your pillow is unsupportive from the beginning, you may need to choose a different pillow for your sleep style to achieve a good night’s rest. Each of our pillows is designed to help you sleep better and our collection offers a variety of different support levels and fabric choices. Discover soft to medium support options for front as well as back sleepers, and medium or firm support for side sleepers. See our buying guide for more information.

One of the main reasons you should change your pillows every two years is to ensure their freshness and overall hygiene. This is especially important if you suffer from allergies. Dust mites are often attracted to pillows, which can trigger reactions and even asthma. Cleaning them, as well as changing your pillowcases regularly, can help to protect the pillows and keep them clean and dust-free. Our luxury synthetic or down and feather pillows can be machine washed on a gentle cycle, or professionally cleaned, to help them stay fresh. Memory foam pillows usually have a washable casing, and the filling will be spot-clean only. We always recommend checking the label for specific advice.

So, how often should you replace pillows? Different pillow types may need replacing more or less frequently than others, but as a general guide, most pillows start to lose their shape and become less hygienic after two years of regular use. Down and feather pillows may start to lose their plumpness more quickly than memory foam or some synthetic varieties. Other factors such as your sleeping position, climate, frequency of cleaning, allergies and how regularly the pillows are used will also impact their lifespan.

How often should you change pillows in children’s rooms? For this the guidelines are similar to those of adults. However, as children grow and develop, their needs for a different level of support or a different fabric may require more frequent changes.

There are several ways to see if your pillow needs a replacement:

1. The fold test: try folding your pillow in half. It should spring back into shape, but if it doesn’t, it’s starting to lose support.
2. The shape test: if your pillow feels lumpy, looks misshapen or won’t fluff up properly, it’s lost its structure and most likely won’t offer the same comfort or support.
3. The wake-up test: If you’re waking up with neck pain or nasal congestion, your pillow could be the cause.
4. The visual test: if your pillow is starting to look discoloured or there is damage to the casing, it may need replacing.
5. The sleep-away test: if you have a better night’s sleep when you use different pillows, such as in a hotel, it may be time to replace your one at home.

If any of these are true, it may be that your pillow is too soft, too firm or your sleeping position has changed, so you need more support. Take a look at our pillow buying guide to find your perfect match.

Caring for your pillows by keeping them clean and protected can help to increase their lifespan. It’s recommended to wash your pillows every six months, but this can vary depending on the material. Refer to the care label for specific advice. Using a pillow protector can also help to keep them fresh, and fluffing up pillows regularly can help keep them in shape.

Most pillows benefit from professional cleaning, but some can be cleaned at home. Feather and down pillows can usually be machine washed on a gentle cycle. It's important that your pillow is completely dry before putting it back on the bed to protect the filling. Some synthetic pillows can also be cared for in the same way, but be sure to read the care label first.

Most memory foam pillows cannot be washed in the machine, but the casing can often be removed and washed and the pillow spot-cleaned with a gentle bleach-free detergent.

For a more detailed look at how to care for your pillow, you can read our duvets and pillows care guide.

The answer to how often should you replace pillows will vary from person to person and depend on how often it is used and the materials it is made out of, but we generally recommend that you replace your pillows around every two years. The frequency of how often should you buy new pillows can also be reduced with the right care.

If it is time to replace your pillows, discover our collection and buying guide to find the best fit for you.

It’s recommended to wash your pillows around every six months. Most synthetic, or feather-filled pillows can be safely washed in the washing machine and dried in the tumble dryer. Care guidance can vary between pillow types, so it's important to always check the care label for specific instructions.

Pillows don’t necessarily expire, but it’s important to replace them once they have started to lose support and plumpness. If you’re wondering how often should you change your pillows, the answer is approximately every two years, depending on their use.

Many people prefer to sleep with multiple pillows, particularly if they are side sleepers. While in an ideal world, you should sleep on one perfectly suited pillow, what’s most important is that you are comfortable and getting a restful night's sleep. If you want to sleep on more than one pillow, choose a lower support than you usually would go for. So, for side sleepers, you could try a medium on the bottom with a soft one on top to achieve the same height as a single firm one. Front or back sleepers could use two very soft ones.

Although the answer to how often you should replace pillows may vary, it’s recommended to buy new pillows around every two years, or when they start to lose their plumpness, shape or support.