Brook + Wilde marlowe goose down pillow: Sweet dreams, but at a lofty price

Buy now £229, Brookandwilde.com

• Dimensions: 50cm x 75cm
• Filling: Goose down
• Firmness: Medium or firm
• Cover: 10 per cent Egyptian cotton

Firmness and comfort

The pillow comes in both a medium and firm version, but we tested the medium. We tend to prefer pillows on the softer side, and found this was still a little firmer than our usual pillow, so it was ideal for us.

We had expected a down pillow to feel a lot less supportive around our head and neck, so we were pleasantly surprised at how structured this one felt.

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Yet this is no rock-hard slab of foam either. The feathers and down make it an absolute joy to sink down onto, with the soothing softness usually only found in a five-star hotel. It feels deliciously luxurious too, with a smartly stitched, 380 thread-count Egyptian cotton cover that is so smooth, you would barely miss a pillowcase if you slept without. The outer cover is down-proof too, so you won’t come across any irritating sharp feathers poking through.

Our only small gripe is that it only just squashed into our standard-sized pillowcase, so it would be better to choose a more generously-proportioned one if possible. We could also see the navy blue Brook and Wilde label through our white pillowcase so needed to put the pillow in its case the other way round to avoid this.

Sleeping position

Whether you’re inclined to end up on your front, side or back, this pillow offers fantastic levels of support making it great for anyone who shifts position through the night.

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We’re inclined to snooze on our side and found it cradled our head perfectly, offering tip-top spine alignment for sound sleeping. In fact, we found ourselves far less inclined to move around in the night while using it. Our fellow tester tends to end up on his front and felt it was a little high if there was another pillow underneath. However, dedicated front sleepers should find using the Marlowe on its own will work well.

Allergies

Though some argue common night time allergies are more likely to be caused by dust than down, those who react to feathers or are prone to respiratory allergies may want to choose a synthetic pillow instead.

Eco friendliness

All the goose down and feathers in this pillow are Downpass certified, which means the pillow was manufactured in accordance with strict animal welfare control criteria.

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This guarantees both down and feathers were sourced under independent controls and do not come from foie gras production, live plucking or live animals. But this pillow is still unsuitable for vegans.

Care

We were impressed to discover the pillow can be washed in a machine at 60 degrees and even tumble dried to keep it pristine. We also found it benefited from a thorough shake every couple of weeks, but it’s no hassle at all to do that while making the bed in the morning and it continued to look plump even without regular attention.

Price

There’s no denying this is one seriously pricey pillow. We would certainly struggle to justify blowing over £200, but if you truly value a great night’s sleep and want to give yourself a long-lasting treat, you’ll never regret the splurge.

The verdict: Brook and Wilde marlowe pillow

If you want to replicate the cloud-like feel of a bed in a top hotel, the marlowe pillow is the only one you should consider. It’s astonishingly sumptuous and feels every bit as luxurious as you’d expect, yet will guarantee you wake up refreshed and without any niggling aches and pains thanks to gobsmacking levels of support. Just one word of warning: you really won’t want to get out of bed in the morning.