Green Living

The Top 10 Non-Toxic and Eco-Friendly Pillows for a Safer Slumber

Published

6 hours ago

September 15, 2026

Alice Rush

People are particular about their pillows — just like our mattress, a good pillow determines whether or not we have a great night’s sleep. Unfortunately, many pillows are made with synthetic materials and toxic finishes. Thankfully, there are a number of brands creating non-toxic and eco-friendly pillows that you can feel better about, and sleep better with.

Whether you’re looking for a travel pillow, body pillow, or sleep pillow, one of the eco-friendly pillow brands below is bound to have what you’re looking for.

What Goes Into a Sustainable & Non-Toxic Pillow?

When deciding if a pillow is sustainable, transparency is key. In general, if sourcing, materials, or production methods are unclear, the company is most likely not a sustainable one.

A sustainable pillow will be made from eco-friendly, non-toxic materials. This means no harmful chemicals or synthetic materials. The materials used will be sustainable and responsibly sourced, such as organic cotton and natural dye.

Sustainable pillows, and brands, will most likely have one or more of the certifications listed below. These certifications verify that the materials and production methods a company is using comply with trusted global standards.

Additionally, sustainable pillow companies will produce their products in a way that doesn’t involve exploitative labor. They will implement production methods that are eco-friendly and ethical – benefitting both their workers and the planet.

Non-Toxic Pillow Materials to Look for — and Materials to Avoid

These are the kinds of materials to look for for sustainable non-toxic pillows:

GOTS-certified organic cotton
Sustainably sourced organic kapok fiber
GOLS organic certified latex
Responsibly sourced or organic certified wool
TENCEL Lyocell
Hemp
Buckwheat hulls

These are the materials we’d avoid.

Synthetic polyurethane foam or memory foam
Synthetic latex
Polyester

Certifications for Eco-Friendly Pillows

Certifications add a layer of third-party accountability to a brand’s claims — though none of them are perfect on their own, so it’s worth knowing what each one actually covers.

GOTS Certified = the fabric (like an organic cotton pillowcase) meets strict organic and safety standards, with labor protections built into the entire supply chain. This is the most rigorous certification for organic textiles specifically.
GOLS Certified = verifies that latex filling is made from certified organic latex, grown and processed to strict environmental and safety standards. A latex-specific certification.
USDA Organic = confirms that a grown material (like cotton or wool) was produced without synthetic pesticides or GMOs. This is a raw-material certification, not a finished-product one and it doesn’t cover dyes, fillers, or manufacturing chemicals added afterward.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 = tests the finished textile for harmful substances. OEKO-TEX actually offers several distinct certification tiers (STANDARD 100 being the most common), so it’s worth checking which specific OEKO-TEX label a brand holds rather than assuming they’re all equivalent.
GREENGUARD Gold Certified = the finished product was tested for low chemical emissions, including VOCs. This is the stricter tier of GREENGUARD certification.
eco-INSTITUT Certified = a German certification measuring a material’s chemical emissions and verifying responsible sourcing — similar in spirit to GREENGUARD, but based in the EU.
MADE SAFE® = screens against a list of thousands of chemicals known or suspected to harm human health. One of the more comprehensive certifications available, assessed at the product level.
FSC Certified = wood or paper-based materials (like packaging or textiles like viscose) came from responsibly managed forests. Not a chemical-safety certification.
Fair Trade Certified = verifies that a factory meets standards for fair wages, safe working conditions, and ethical labor practices. This is a certification about how a product was made and by whom, not about the materials themselves.
FLOCERT = the certifying body behind Fairtrade International’s certification — a different organization from Fair Trade USA (which issues “Fair Trade Certified”). Both cover similar ground (fair wages, ethical labor, transparent supply chains), but they’re separate certifying bodies with their own standards, so don’t assume a “FLO-Cert” claim and a “Fair Trade Certified” claim mean the exact same thing.

Where to Find Eco-Friendly Pillows

Note that some of the brands below are affiliates, meaning we’ll earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you choose to purchase through these links. As always, all brands meet rigorous criteria for sustainability and are brands we love — and that we think you’ll love too!

1. Circadian

Tested by CL&S Editor, Elizabeth

Sustainable Materials: Organic cotton, organic wool, USA-grown buckwheat, Dunlop latex, Kapok fibers

Based In: USA | Made In: USA

Price: $89 – $269

Crafted in their own New Jersey workshop for over four decades, Circadian knows organic pillows. And with six distinct natural pillow options, Circadian’s range fulfills most sleeping needs, whether you’re a side sleeper or back sleeper and whether you sleep hot or wake up with neck pain.

I’ve been having neck pain for months — even going to physical therapy for it — and the buckwheat pillow has been one of the most helpful things I’ve tried to alleviate neck pain. I tried memory foam, I tried a side sleeper pillow, but the firmness of the buckwheat has been the trick for me.

Buckwheat and organic wool pillow with organic cotton case

2. Avocado

Based In: USA | Made In: USA

Sustainable Materials: No chemical retardants; organic GOTS-certified cotton and kapok fiber, GOLS organic certified latex

Price: $25-$199

Avocado is one of the leading brands for eco-friendly pillows. They are a climate neutral B-corp that sources their materials from their own Fair-Trade farms in India and Guatemala. Each pillow is handcrafted in their local GOTS-certified factories.

Plus, Avocado has the trusted certifications you want like Gold Certified vegan, Eco-Institut certified and Made Safe certified.

3. Savvy Rest

Based In: USA | Made In: USA

Sustainable Materials: Organic wool, natural USDA and GOLS-certified Dunlop or Talalay latex, organic cotton, organic kapok fiber, natural dye

Price: $29-$239

*Use code CONSCIOUSSTYLE20 for 20% off*

Savvy Rest has a large selection of eco-friendly pillows, with eight different styles to choose from, including body and contour pillows. Savvy uses a variety of sustainable materials and even offers customizable filling options.

Savvy Rest is both a B Corp and a GOTS-certified organic company, as are their factories.

4. Coyuchi

Based In: USA | Made In: Sri Lanka

Sustainable Materials: GOLS Certified Organic Latex, GOTS certified Organic Cotton, sustainably sourced Down; reusable cloth bag packaging

Price: $68-$198

Coyuchi is a woman-owned, Made Safe Certified company. They produce four different types of organic latex pillows including a body pillow.

Coyuchi uses Fair-trade certified factories and a circular production process. They are also a 1% for the planet partner.

5. SOL Organics

Based In: US | Made In: India

Sustainable Materials: Certified 100% Organic cotton, 100% Canadian down, non-toxic dyes; pesticide & harmful chemical free, hypoallergenic

Price: $169

SOL Organics is a BIPOC-owned and family-run company. They are passionate about ethical production and only work with FLO, OEKO-TEX, GOTS, and Fair-Trade Certified manufacturers.

Responsibly made with care, you can sleep soundly on these sustainable down pillows.

6. Birch

Based In: USA | Made In: USA

Sustainable Materials: GOTS-certified organic cotton, organic birch wool, 100% natural Talalay latex, recycled polyester filling; chemical fire retardant free

Price: $75-$119

Birch offers two different non-toxic pillows. Their organic pillow comes with a 100 night trial and is Greenguard Gold and GOTS Certified.

Their eco-rest pillow is GOTS and Fair Trade certified. Both are handmade in a Fair Trade certified factory.

7. Sleep & Beyond

Based In: USA | Made In: Kyrgyzstan, India, China

Sustainable Materials: 100% natural or organic wool and latex; GOTS, Woolmark and OEKO-TEX Certified

Price: $49-$139

Sleep & Beyond is a BIPOC-owned company that offers nine different types of eco-friendly pillows, including a travel pillow. They have a handy comparison guide so you can easily find the best fit for you.

Sleep & Beyond produces everything in Fair-trade Certified and solar factories using zero waste production.

8. Buffy

Based In: USA | Made In: USA

Sustainable Materials: GRS or RCS certified BPA free Recycled PET filling, Eucalyptus Lyocell, hemp linen; packaging made from FSC certified recycled materials

Price: $49-$99

Buffy is best known for their “cloud-like” comforters but they also have an extensive pillow offering including travel pillows and body pillows.

Buffy is working toward closed loop and zero waste production and offsets their CO2 emissions.

9. Organic Textiles

Based In: USA

Sustainable Materials: 100% natural & organic latex, natural Australian wool, kapok fiber, natural down, GOTS and GOLS certified cotton

Price: $60-$117

Organic Textiles is a great company for finding sustainable pillows from a variety of materials. They even offer extra pillow fillings for a customisable feel.

All of their products are pesticide & toxic chemical free as well as hypoallergenic. Organic Textiles is Green America Approved Certified and uses Fair-Trade manufacturers.

10. Boll & Branch

Based In: USA | Made In: USA, India

Sustainable Materials: OEKO-TEX standard locally and responsibly sourced Down, 100% organic cotton, hypoallergenic synthetic down alternative; recycled packaging

Price: $58-$168

Another great husband and wife owned company is Boll & Branch. They offer harmful chemical free, non-toxic Down and Down alternative pillows.