In-depth Comparison (2024): Chamberlain Down Dual-Chamber Pillow vs. Purple Harmony Pillow

Down and Feather

Have you ever been surprised by how nice the pillows were in a luxury hotel or resort? As a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite member for a few years in a row, I've stayed at many hotels, and the Chamberlain Down Dual-Chamber Pillow reminds me of some of the best hotel pillows I've experienced. It's made with the same type of design as the hotel pillows, featuring a down chamber on the outside wrapped around a feather chamber on the inside. I enjoy the satisfying puff of air from the down layer that allows me to "sink" into the pillow, and the feather chamber on the inside gives the pillow more structure than a typical down pillow. I tested three down and feather pillows for this review, and the Chamberlain Down pillow is by far the highest quality in my opinion.

Down pillows in general have been prized as luxury items for centuries. Down pillows function by trapping air inside the pillow. The air provides loft for the pillow, and the escaping air provides the buoyant sensation as the sleeper lies down. This makes down pillows different from pillows made with other materials, which provide loft through the material itself rather than trapped air. Feathers don't trap air as well as down, but they do provide loft through their structure thanks to the hard quill. Most pillows use a combination of down and feather since down can be very expensive, and having some structure can be an advantage to prevent the pillow from going flat over time.

The Chamberlain construction quality shows in two ways. First, the seams of the pillow are double-stitched, which prevents feathers and down from escaping the pillow. In contrast, the Puredown pillow is single-stitched along the seams. The Pacific Coast Double DownAround pillow has double-stitching, but the one I purchased has feathers sticking out of the stitching, as shown in the picture below. This is important because escaping down clusters might allow the pillow to go flat over time, and clusters in the air may cause unwanted sneezing.

Second, the Chamberlain Down pillow uses the aforementioned dual-chamber construction that wraps a layer of down on the outside, keeping the sleeper insulated from the feathers. This is the same build used in luxury hotel pillows. In fact, while multiple pillows that I tested for this review claim to be "hotel-style" pillows, the Chamberlain Dual-Chamber Pillow is the only one that reminds me of the pillows I've used at high-end hotels. Many years ago, I traveled for work, staying at hotels such as the Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, and Intercontinental, so I've become all too familiar with hotel pillows. The down layer on the outside prevents the sleeper from feeling any of the quills from feathers in the inner chamber, which results in the feeling of sleeping on air. The Chamberlain Down pillow has a substantial layer of down to achieve this effect. While I have felt quills in other down pillows, I do not feel any quills in the Chamberlain Down Dual-Chamber Pillow.

By comparison, the Puredown pillow, which is only a single chamber, mixes down and feathers together, and I can feel the quills in the pillow when I lie down. The Pacific Coast Double DownAround pillow is also a dual-chamber pillow, but when I lie down, I can still feel the quills. Even though the stated proportion of down is the same as the Chamberlain Down pillow, the Pacific Coast Double DownAround pillow uses 550 fill power down according to the Pacific Coast website at my time of purchase, while the Chamberlain Down Dual-Chamber Pillow uses 600+ fill power. In down terminology, a higher fill power indicates larger down clusters, which are better at trapping air. As a result, when I lie down on the Chamberlain Down pillow, the layer of down holds my head buoyant, but I sink straight into the feathers with the Pacific Coast pillow.

Like all down and feather pillows, the Chamberlain Down pillow will require fluffing in the morning. Fluffing just pumps the air back into the down clusters. At nicer hotels, fluffing typically happens during evening turn-down service. I find that my Chamberlain Down pillow is comparatively better at maintaining its air compared to the other down and feather pillows I have, so I don't mind fluffing when I sleep on it.

I classify the firmness as soft, but it's important to note that while the pillow feels soft, there is a substantial amount of material inside. When I lay my head down, I sink slowly but considerably into the pillow. Because the pillow has so much material, I still get that buoyant support. It's still not enough support for me to side-sleep comfortably, but the pillow is very comfortable for sleeping on my back or stomach. If you want a pillow that disappears underneath, this pillow has too much material for that to happen, but if you want a soft pillow that gives a slow-motion sinking sensation without completely disappearing, then this is the pillow to get.

For anyone searching for a luxury pillow similar to the ones found in high-end hotels, I highly recommend this pillow. The Chamberlain Down Dual-Chamber Pillow provides that signature sensation of sleeping on air, and it's great for back-sleepers and stomach-sleepers. I put this pillow in my guest bedroom, and at least half my guests comment on the Chamberlain pillow or ask where they can get their own.

Finally, this pillow is only available on chamberlaindown.com, which can sometimes run out of stock. I reached out to see if they sell on other marketplaces, but they told me that they tightly control their distribution. Sites like Amazon tried taking me to different pillows that did not have the same quality. If you're looking for a hotel-style pillow, I would recommend being patient and buying when you see Chamberlain Down in stock.

Solid Latex Foam

The Purple Harmony Pillow has a very unique feel since it is made of latex foam on the inside and a rubber-like grid built into its cover. The material is fun to squeeze because it is bouncy and squishy, but what makes a good stress ball doesn't necessarily make a good pillow. For back sleepers particularly worried about sweating, the Purple Harmony Pillow is worth trying, but I wouldn't recommend the pillow due to the bounciness.

When I lie down on the pillow, I am distinctly reminded of a water balloon. It is soft enough to squish down and compress, but the elasticity of the latex foam means that my head bounces back. I'll also feel a small trembling vibration make its way through the pillow, not unlike the feeling of water swashing back and forth. Every time I shift my weight on the pillow, the pillow will jiggle. Because I shift my weight occasionally as I fall asleep, the wobbling of the pillow will snap me back awake. I've had several instances where I was close to falling asleep only to be brought back to attention from the wobble. Nevertheless, I do eventually fall asleep, so the pillow doesn't completely prevent me from sleeping.

The signature Purple Grid can be found in the cover of the pillow. The substance of the grid feels like a gel-grip pen. It is fun to squeeze, but when I lay my head on it, I mostly just feel the latex foam underneath. The latex foam is what gives the bounce. The grid serves mainly to provide aeration since solid foam pillows tend to trap heat and sweat against the sleeper. In my experience, I find the grid to be pretty effective in preventing sweat build-up, but if heat and sweat is a concern, down and down alternative pillows tend to be better for breathability than solid foam pillows in general.

The Purple Harmony Pillow comes in three different loft levels, but the options are separated by one inch each, according to the Purple website at my time of purchase. Though I appreciate the different options, a one inch difference is the difference between a size 6 and a size 9 shoe (for both men and women), and I'd prefer a fully adjustable pillow that can accommodate sizes in between. Because the Purple Harmony Pillow is not adjustable, I wouldn't recommend it for side-sleepers.

Overall, I consider the Purple Harmony Pillow a novelty experience akin to a water bed. It's fun to try once, but I don't want to sleep on it regularly. I would not consider it worth purchasing again at the price point that I paid.