Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow review: customisable height for a cloud-like sleep

The Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow is a high-end offering from the well known mattress brand. It aims to tackle one issue head-on: different people like to have different heights of pillow. While high-priced hotels might have started to offer 'pillow menus', you probably don't want to be that accommodating to any guests you have to stay. Emma's practical solution is to enable you to customise the height of the Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow by removing one or other of its inner layers. 

This pillow isn't especially cheap, but there are regular Emma Mattress discount codes that can help bring the price down, and if it really is one of the best pillows around, it's probably worth the extra investment. Emma also promises premium quality, a cloud-like sleeping experience, and an easy-clean regime.

We've been impressed with this brand's other products (head to our Emma Cloud Duvet review if you fancy completing your bedding set, or check out or Emma Premium mattress review and Emma Original mattress review if you're in need of a full bed-based upgrade), so how does this pillow hold up in practice? We got hold of one to put it to the test. Read on for our full Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow review.

Note: currently this pillow is only available via the Emma UK store. In the US, there's a different Emma pillow for you.

Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow review: design

The Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow is delivered to your door in a tall, thin cardboard box. The pillow is tightly wrapped inside in plastic. It measures 50 x 70cm, weighs 990g, and made up of a zipped pillow case, with two cushions inside. One of these cushions is flat and the other is more bulky. 

Technically, then, this is a two-layer pillow. However, in reality the case itself – which is made of 100g/m3 microfibre woven from polyester – is so plush, it makes more sense to think of it as an extra layer, or perhaps an extra two layers. 

Both the case and the cushions are filled with siliconised micro elastic fibre (100% polyester). In plain terms, that means it's a synthetic down substitute that's very light and fluffy. We should note that unfortunately in our review model, a small amount of this filling has leaked out, due to a defect in the pillow stitching. On the whole, though, this pillow is very nicely designed. It looks stylish, feels high-end and luxurious, and it's easy to remove and replace the cushions. 

Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow review: comfort

Emma claims that sleeping on this pillow is like sleeping on a cloud, and we'd have to agree. This soft pillow feels light, airy and supportive, in a way that's comparative to a down pillow. 

Yes, you could say the same about other, more affordable pillows, such as the Soak&Sleep Supremely Soft As Down. But here you also get the ability to adjust the height of your pillow. You can do so by removing either the flat or bulky cushion accordingly. 

In all honesty, we're not convinced either that's something consumers are crying out for. But we could well be wrong. And if you are looking for customisation, the Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow does provide a simple and elegant solution. It basically formalises and standardises what a lot of people do in practice: piling up random pillows on top of each other until you get comfy.

It's certainly simpler than using the Simba Hybrid Pillow or the Otty Adjustable Pillow, both of which use removable foam cubes to let you adjust the height. That solution admittedly offers a finer degree of control over your pillow loft, but is also a lot more fiddly and runs the risk of cubes getting lost under the bed. So which you prefer will really come down to personal taste.

Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow review: cleaning

One of the big advantage synethic pillows have over ones with natural fillings is that they're generally easy to clean. And that's definitely the case with the Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow. 

Both the pillow case and inner cushions are machine washable at up to 60°C; unlike cotton, the microfibre filling can hold up in the washing machine You can then tumble dry them on a low setting. Emma warns, though, not to bleach or iron them.

Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow review: the small print

It's normally to see generous trial periods for mattresses, but less so for pillows. So it's great that Emma offers a 200-night trial period to test its Premium Microfibre Pillow and make sure you like it.

Pillows come with free delivery to your home via DPD, UPS and Rhenus, and can be returned for free. Emma aims to make returning any unsuitable items "super easy" via its dedicated returns portal.

Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow review: verdict

The standard price of the Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow is £119, but at time of writing that had been discounted to £59.50. That still makes it pretty expensive for a single pillow, but we'd say you are getting quality to match. The pillow looks stylish and elegant, the material feels soft and luxurious, and in practice we've found it very comfortable and cloud-like to sleep on. 

That said, the main reason for buying this pillow is the ability to adjust its height by removing cushions. If you're not that interested in that, you may prefer to look for a more affordable pillow elsewhere. However, if you constantly chop and change in your sleeping habits, or want a pillow your guests can adjust to give them a better night's sleep, it's a great option.

Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow review: Alternatives to consider

The best alternative to the Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow is the Simba Hybrid Pillow. Both pillows have similar prices and are made of quality materials. While the Emma can be adjusted by height, the Simba does one better as it's completely customisable.

If you prefer a down pillow which is still pretty premium, the Scooms Hungarian Goose Down Pillow is another option to consider. This pillow is guaranteed to last a while and full, soft and breathable.