In-depth Comparison (2024): Sleepgram Adjustable Pillow vs. Puredown Natural Goose Down and Feather Pillow

Polyester Fiber (Down Alternative)

The Sleepgram Adjustable Pillow is an extra soft polyester fiber pillow with a thick starting loft. Though nominally adjustable based on the pillow-in-pillow design that allows the sleeper to keep or remove two layers of inner pillows, I wouldn't consider the Sleepgram pillow fully adjustable because of the softness, which limits its appeal for those who want more support, and the inability to do micro-adjustments. The Sleepgram pillow can be a good option for stomach-sleepers, but I would not recommend it for side-sleepers and back-sleepers.

The Sleepgram pillow uses a pillow-in-pillow design similar to the Casper pillow. In fact, when I first unboxed the pillows, I thought they were the same pillow with different logos. However, on a closer look, I found three main differences. The first difference is the softness of the pillows. Both pillows have the same starting loft, but my head sinks in more when I sleep on the Sleepgram pillow compared to the Casper pillow. The Casper pillow is already so soft that my head sinks significantly, so I was surprised that the Sleepgram pillow had even less support. Even though the Sleepgram pillow starts at 10 inches of loft by my measurements, my head sinks so far into the pillow that I feel even less support than I get from pillows that start at half that loft. I would guess the difference between the Casper and Sleepgram softness comes from the friction in the polyester fibers. The Sleepgram polyester fibers glide very smoothly against each other, almost like silk strands. This means that the material appears to move to the side when I lay my head on the pillow. The Casper polyester fibers are also soft in terms of firmness, but they aren't as soft in terms of friction. Because of the softness of the Sleepgram pillow, I'm unable to get the support I need for side-sleeping, and this is one of the reasons I wouldn't consider the Sleepgram pillow fully adjustable.

The second difference is the number of inner pillows. The Sleepgram pillow has two inner pillows while the Casper pillow only has one. Nevertheless, the total starting loft is the same across the Sleepgram and Casper pillows as far as I can measure, so the Sleepgram inner pillows are individually thinner than the Casper inner pillow. I find this to be an advantage for the Sleepgram pillow because it does allow for more configuration options. Sleepgram labels one inner pillow with a blue tag and the other with a red tag. The instruction booklet that comes with the pillow says that the inner pillow with the blue tag is softer than the one with the red tag, so you can get different firmness levels by keeping different configurations of the two inner pillows. Because I can't get the support I need for side-sleeping on the Sleepgram pillow even with both inner pillows loaded inside, I tend to prefer stomach-sleeping when I use it. For stomach-sleeping, I'll remove the inner pillow with the blue tag. Though I appreciate the configuration options, I still prefer the ability to micro-adjust with the Saybrook and Coop pillows.

Finally, the zipper on the Casper pillow that I purchased feels significantly easier to operate for me compared to the zipper on the Sleepgram pillow that I purchased. This contributes to my overall perception that the Casper pillow has higher quality construction. The zipper on the Sleepgram pillow regularly stalls when I try to operate it.

For stomach-sleepers who might want to try out different loft levels on the softer end of the spectrum, the Sleepgram pillow can be a good option. For side-sleepers and back-sleepers, I'd recommend other options, especially if you want to feel your head supported by your pillow.

Down and Feather

The Puredown Natural Goose Down and Feather Pillow provides an affordable down and feather option for stomach sleepers. The softness and thin loft make it a good stomach-sleeping option, but it may not have enough support for side-sleepers and back-sleepers. Ultimately, going with the budget-friendly option comes with a few downsides.

The contrast in quality with the Chamberlain Down pillow is notable, as expected given the difference in price. Both the Chamberlain Down pillow and Puredown pillow use a mix of down and feathers. The down provides loft from trapped air, and the feathers provide structure. However, the Chamberlain Down pillow uses a dual-chamber construction that has an outside down layer around an inside feather chamber. This prevents the sleeper from feeling the quills, and instead the sleeper feels the airy down layer. In contrast, the Puredown pillow uses a single chamber that mixes the down and feathers together, and I can feel the quills when I lie down on the Puredown pillow I have.

Another difference is that the Puredown pillow uses a single stitch at the seams while the Chamberlain Down pillow is double-stitched, as shown in the picture above. The single-stitching gives me less confidence in the construction quality. Also, while all down and feather pillows require fluffing, I find that my Puredown pillow loses its air and flattens more quickly compared to my Chamberlain Down pillow. Finally, I measure the starting loft of the Puredown pillow I have at 6 inches compared to the starting loft of 7.5 inches I measure for the Chamberlain Down pillow I have, after both pillows have been fluffed. A higher starting loft is helpful since down and feather pillows are mostly composed of air.

Overall, the Puredown pillow can be a good option for stomach-sleepers if budget is a concern, but I recommend looking toward the higher quality found in the top picks since a pillow is used every night.