The world of synthetic pillows has changed over the years, as the technology of making synthetic fibers has become more sophisticated. In the past, most synthetic pillows were made from long continuous fibers (think spaghetti) that made a synthetic pillow quite "rubbery." Today most high quality synthetic pillows use small fiber balls, or clusters, to give a more "squishable" pillow.

A word of caution: often synthetic pillows will be labeled "down like," or similar claims. Down is down and polyester is polyester, and they will never be the same. There are some fine synthetic pillows in the marketplace, perfect for people looking for a hypoallergenic pillow, but they are not "like down."

The other advantages to a synthetic pillow are price and launderability. Synthetic pillows can be laundered quite successfully at home, just follow the manufacturer's instructions.