7 best pillow protectors to keep your bedding fresh and clean

Dunelm’s hotel downproof pillow protectors resemble a crisp white shirt when you first open the wrapping. Each one features just a single layer of non-allergenic fabric, made from 100 per cent cotton woven into a herringbone pattern, giving it a dense, reassuringly durable feel. The fabric can be machine washed at 30C on a synthetic setting followed by a cool tumble dry and a warm iron if desired.

After washing, the shrinkage was minimal – it came to around half an inch shorter in length and width. Unlike some of the other pillow protectors, we had zero issues with putting this on either the firm or soft pillow and it was satisfyingly easy to zip shut. The casing also retained its shape well, which made folding it away for storage a pleasure. Although you can iron the fabric for a pristine finish, we felt the wrinkling wasn’t severe enough to require this.

Slumberdown’s Teflon protection pillow protector is ideal for those who want to protect their pillow from drool, sweat or anything else that might stain. The top cover is made from 100 per cent polyester that’s been treated with Teflon to make it water resistant. We poured water from a mug to test this and were pleased to see the liquid sitting on the surface of the fabric. It will feel damp to the touch when you wipe it off but the liquid doesn’t penetrate the fabric so it doesn’t actually get wet. The interior fabric is 100 per cent polypropylene, while the large quilting is filled with 100 per cent polyester. To clean, it’s machine washable at 40C on a synthetic cycle and then line dry.

Like other synthetic casings we tried, there was zero shrinkage after washing, although the manufacturer warned that it can change size and shape over time. Thanks to how well it has maintained its shape – it looks exactly like the unwashed version and is incredibly soft to the touch – we had zero issues putting it on and taking it off our pillow, although we did experience some static.

These Tradelinens pillow protectors are made from 233 thread count white cambric cotton – a dense, plain weave fabric with a smooth surface. We tested the standard size pillow protectors but they are also available in square and superking. Fresh from the bag, the single layer of 100 per cent cotton gives a soft rustle when you move it around. On one end is a zip opening where you insert your pillow. Unlike some of the other zippable casings, the fastening on this doesn’t extend right to the edge of the casing, which means a bit more wriggling when you’re putting the pillow in.

The pillow protector is machine washable at 60C and can be tumble dried and ironed. After washing, the casing shrank by a good inch in length – there was no difference in the width – and the fabric was pretty wrinkled. No matter, it can be ironed to restore that hotel luxury feel and it’s still roomy enough for firm pillows. The soft rustling stayed, but it didn’t affect our sleep quality; if you are a particularly soft sleeper, it might be one to avoid though.

Dorma’s quilted pillow protectors come in a pair, bagged neatly into a zippable clear plastic storage bag. The exterior fabric is made from a 230 thread count crisp, white cotton that’s soft to touch but is quite stiff and gives a noisy rustle. The interior fabric is 100 per cent polyester, with 100 per cent polyester hollowfibre sandwiched into the large quilting between the two layers. Its fairly large size will happily fit most pillows and the envelope closure on this is easy to access.

To clean, it’s a machine wash at 40C on the synthetic setting followed by low temperature tumble dry. After washing, the casing shrank by just over an inch in length and around half an inch in width. This meant the casing was a much tighter fit on our firm pillow, and in turn made it even firmer. This doesn’t affect the usage too much – the envelope closure means it’s still easy to put on and slip off. Although it’s less rustley after washing, we think super-soft sleepers may still struggle.

Slumberdown’s allergy protection pillow protector has a 100 per cent cotton cover, while the interior fabric is 100 per cent polypropylene. Stuffed between the large quilting is a 100 per cent polyester filling that’s been treated with a substance called dimethyloctadecyl 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl ammonium chloride to give it its anti-allergy properties – these pillow protectors have Allergy UK’s seal of approval as well. The synthetic fabric interior means it must be machine washed on a synthetic cycle up to 40C, and it can’t be tumble dried or ironed.

After washing, the casing lost around an inch in length and half an inch in width – the manufacturer warned that it can change size and shape over time by as much as 5cm. We found the shrinkage made it a lot more snug on our pillows although the envelope closure meant that it was still easy to put on and take off.

Made from off-white fabric, Soak and Sleep’s luxury quilted pillow protector is zippable and suitable for most standard pillows. The top layer of the fabric is 100 per cent cotton, while the under layer is 100 per cent polyester. Stitched together with fine quilting, the middle is filled with 100 per cent cotton to help maintain its breathable and moisture wicking properties, which is ideal for warm weather and hot sleepers. The casings are machine washable at 40C on a gentle cycle and can be tumble dried on cool.

After washing we found there was slight shrinkage due to the way the fabrics naturally wrinkled. This made it a bit harder to put it on the pillow and the zip got caught a couple of times as a result. It’s not a major concern for softer pillows – your pillow will just fit more snugly – but you may struggle to squeeze firmer pillows into the casing without stretching it out by hand a little first.

Dunelm’s freshnights pillow protectors are made from 100 per cent white cotton, plain woven and in a single layer. The fabric has been treated with dimethyloctadecyl 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl ammonium chloride, the aforementioned biocidal chemical that’s frequently used in anti-allergy clothing. It helps to prevent the growth of bacteria and makes the pillow protectors dust mite resistant. The casing is machine washable up to 40C, can be tumble dried on cool and will be fine under a warm iron.

After washing – and we’d recommend it before use for any chemically treated fabrics – this casing shrank by about an inch on the length and width. Slipping it onto a firm pillow required a bit more negotiation. But, while it was a lot more snug, it was still a good fit and didn’t affect the use at all. The one thing to note is that the fabric for the zippable casing is very thin, so isn’t ideal for pillows that need heavier protection.