I would never normally spend £150 on a pillow, but this luxury pillow has turned me into an "architect of sleep"

Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow: from £135 at Norvegr

You'll get to pick your size, shape, and fill over on the Norgevr website, which is why prices range. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time, as they estimate a 3 week lead time (the pillows are made to order).

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When Shakespeare wrote "we are such stuff as dreams are made on", I can only imagine that he had the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow in mind. Filled with European white goose, this 60% down pillow has unlocked the kind of sleep I used to only dream about.

I know that I sound sycophantic but, having tested nearly 50 of the best pillows on the market, I think I'm entitled to bestow praise where it's warranted. And, even though this is more expensive than plenty of the best cooling pillows that I've tested, I haven't slept as well since I was a baby (I think) and Norvegr promise that their pillow will last at least 25 years. You would probably buy ten pillows in that time and only sleep with a fraction of the depth that I get with the Norvegr. It actually makes financial sense when you put it like that.

Before I get lost in my dreamy experience with the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow, it's worth you knowing a little bit more about the brand. It's the result of three generations of the Stene family. Passed down from parents to children to grandchildren, they have a charmingly traditional style of production. They'll reuse and rejuvenate your pillow, so your sleep and pillow will be as wonderful as you feel.

Specifications

Who would the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow suit?

There's no escaping that the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow is a luxury purchase - it comes in a silk bag for goodness sake. However, as I mentioned in the introduction, if you are happy to invest in just one pillow, you'll have it for at least 25 years, which is a guarantee as hard to find as fairy dust in this day and age.

The pillow itself is perfect for lots of different sleepers. You have options for different sizes and different firmnesses of fill. As a combination sleeper, I tested the thinnest one and have been able to sleep on my front, side, and back, without any discomfort. I am yet to test a pillow that is this perfect for me and my sleep set-up. You'd expect that from a luxury option, but it's not always a given.

It's also worth addressing the elephant in the room. This pillow is made from down. That sounds like it'll be both hot, expensive, and possibly a bit lavish. However, when you start to look into the details of down, you'll see that it's perfect for hot sleepers and anyone currently struggling with temperature regulation overnight. For a little bit of expert insight, I asked Nils Stene, the grandson of Norvegr's founder, to explain why down is a good choice for anyone, including menopausal sleepers.

"You won't be able to beat mother nature when making products that stay close to your body and there is no better material than down," says Nils, "the wonder of down lie in its ability to trap air, but its simultaneously breathable property. The air created around the down transports warmth and moisture away from your body while you are in bed, which is really helpful to control temperature changes and discomforts at night."

Nils stressed that feather pillows and down pillows are vastly different, so if you've tried the luxury goose feather pillow before, you're in for a treat. "Feathers are a commonly known material to most people. Down, however, is often confused for feathers," begins Nils, "feathers have the characteristic stem, that usually breaks. However, they are also flat. This means that they are not able to trap air. When using a lot of feathers inside a pillow, they end up on top of each other and create a barrier that the air cannot escape through .Down, on the other hand, is shaped like a ball and there is no stem. Instead, it has a fixed central core that is soft, where down fibres grow outwards. In between all these fibres, the material traps air." As a hot sleeper, I can testify that this wasn't just comfortable, it's really good for keeping my head cool. The science checks out.

Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow Packaging and Postage

Online, when you are choosing your pillow, you'll see that Norvegr gives you lots of options. First, you choose your country (UK, US, Norway, Europe) and then the size (boudoir, standard, square, king) and finally you get to choose your firmness (soft, medium, or firm). After you've selected what you want, you'll get a price that includes custom clearance, import duties, and or VAT. All the orders are made and shipped from Norway, so you won't have Amazon knocking on your door a few hours after you've tapped in your card details, but, as my grandma always told me, good things come to those who wait.

My pillows only took 10 days to arrive and I ordered a custom-made duvet to come with them too. Norvegr asks for you to allow three weeks lead time because their bedding is made to order. As soon as its on the way, you'll be able to track the whole journey on DHL.

Once you've patiently waited for your lovely pillows, you're in for a treat. If I could keep the packaging from you as a lovely surprise, I would, but I have to shout about it. I have never had a pillow delivered in such luxurious packaging as with the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow. I tested a couple of the pillows on offer from Norvegr and they arrived wrapped up in a large, thick, black silk bag. This was secured and tied with a beautiful, heavy silver rope, with some delicate embroidery. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that there was a designer dress inside, not a pillow. However, to my delight, I had two beautiful pillows, nestled in their pristine packaging.

What is the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow like to sleep on?

You won't be surprised to know that I love my pillow. Before using the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow, I never fully understood the people who take their pillows on holiday. Now, I'm going for the committee queen position, because this is incredible.

I mentioned that I opted for a soft, UK-size pillow. This means that I have a different proportion of feathers to other pillows. Nils told me "firmness comes from the proportion of feathers. As the feathers are small and soft they will never migrate our of the pillows, so yours should keep its loft wonderfully. If you feel that the quality is decreasing, you can ship it back to us for restoration. You don't get the really firm hotel pillow where your head barely sinks in, because ours are much softer, but it's better for you."

I was happy to have a flatter pillow, but also a little apprehensive that it would look flat on my bed. However, as you can see, it fills my standard pillow case really nicely. And when I tell you that I physically cannot keep my eyes open on that pillow, I mean it.

The first night that I slept on the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow, I fell asleep at 8:30. I thought maybe the busy day had caught up with me, but time and time again, I found myself drifting off quite literally as my head hit the pillow. So, I conducted an experiment. I tried reading in bed with a different pillow and I was staying up for another hour and a half. As soon as I removed the pillow and was lying on my Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow, I felt my eyelids get heavy. I don't know if its magic or three generations of skill, but whatever is going in to those pillows is seriously impressive.

The fill supports and cushions my head wonderfully. I like the softness of the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow and, just one month in to sleeping on it, I am yet to wake up with back or shoulder pain (a real novelty for me). I am sleeping right through the night (another novelty), and banking lots of deep sleep according to my Oura ring. In fact, my sleep set-up has been so good that my Oura ring called me an "architect of sleep". Today it said my sleep is "sublimely optimal" and I really feel it. With this pillow under my head and their duvet (more on that another day) over me, I have been banking some truly beautiful sleep.

I'm also a bit of a strange sleeper. As a person, I'm cold. Not in an ice-queen-don't-you-dare-look-at-me kind of way, but in more of a "gosh your hands feel like they're frozen" kind of way. This means that I often climb into bed and I want it hot, but then I'm a hot sleeper and I quickly overheat, especially around my head, in the night. As you may have guessed from my completely uninterrupted sleep over the last month, the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow has done a wonderful job of helping me to keep a cool head. I haven't woken up with clammy skin or a hot head at all, no matter what hormonal fluctuations I'm going though.

Speaking of which, sorry mum, I rather reluctantly handed this pillow over to my mother. She gets night sweats thanks to the menopause and really struggles to get deep sleep. She only had two weeks on the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow before I claimed it back and she experienced the same magic.

I called her up whilst I was writing this review, because, whilst we've talked ourselves senseless about how impressive the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow, I didn't have her word for word experience with it. When I mentioned "the expensive pillow" she knew exactly which one I was talking about. "Did you know I want it for my birthday, which is in two months, by the way?" She started saying. "I really really loved it you know. I think I had my deepest sleep on that expensive pillow (Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow). I think the one I have now (Woolroom's Deluxe Pillow) feels cooler when I lie down, but that one just felt so gorgeous all through the night. Make sure you tell them (that's what she calls you, sorry) that I didn't wake up once too. I'm normally up at least five times and I got a full night of sleep. My skin felt great, my hair was nice. It was a really great fortnight." We both agreed that this is a more than suitable option for hot sleepers. Mum carried on telling me about how much she loved the pillow and emphasised her birthday's closeness a few times too. I got the hint.

Cleaning and Maintaining the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow

"People don't really think about washing and maintaining their pillows," says Norgevr's Nils, "and as soon as their pillow feels flat, they get rid of it and buy a new one." He told me what a shame he thought this kind of single-use style culture was, but told me that Norvegr's pillows are made to be investments. If you feel the quality of yours is decreasing, you ship it back to Norvegr. They'll unstitch it, clean it, re-stuff it, and send you back a pillow that's as good as new. In theory, yours should last at least 25 years. Nils reckons they'd last a lifetime if you looked after yours properly.

With that in mind, aside from sending yours off for restoration, it's worth thinking about how you look after your pillow. A pillow protector is a good idea, just in case you spill coffee, wine, or you dribble in the night (no shame). It's also generally good practice to let yours have air, plumpness, and for you to turn it over to get even use. Nils explained "lots of people think smothering their bed with sheets and fabrics is a good idea, but you trap a lot of moisture and bacteria when you do this. Let me sunlight and air fall on your pillow and it'll be much cleaner for much longer."

Norvegr says you can wash and tumble dry the pillow two to for times a year, but to check the website for their instructions. I'd strongly recommend looking after your pillow, especially if you have spend this kind of money on them.

How does the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow compare?

The only other pillow that has impressed me to this extent has been the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Pillow, the one that my mum mentioned when we were talking about other cooling pillows. This is also an expensive investment - although it's still one third of the price of the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow. It's crafted from traceable wool and organic unbleached cotton, both of which are great if you're suffering from night sweats. My mum and I were both struck by how cool it feels to touch and how effective it is at regulating temperature overnight.

The Woolroom Pillow has an adjustable filling, so you can choose between a soft, medium, firm, soft-medium, medium-firm, and every other option in between. It's useful to have that extra level of customisable fill, which the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow has online, but not once you have it in your hands. I found the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow more comfortable and I actually sleep better on the softer feel of it. However, the Woolroom is a brilliant option for a hot sleeper who wants a luxury, cooling pillow.

It's also worth noting that the Woolroom is traceable and made in the UK. There are lots of natural, local credentials that make it a great buy if you are shopping for the environment and if you want something natural for sensitive skin. Alternately, you've got the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow's almost lifetime guarentee, which also makes sense if you want to minimise on the waste that you produce.

The summary is, these are both brilliant pillows. The Woolroom feels cooler instantly and the Norvegr is better for a front sleeper or people who are a little more sensitive to temperature overnight.

Should you buy the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow?

There is no escaping that the Norvegr Standard Collection Pillow is an expensive pillow. However, given the longevity, quality, and guarantees on offer from Norvegr I don't think its hard to justify. Since having this pillow to sleep on, I've been getting some seriously good sleep. I'm not willing to give it up and, if you could put a price on sleep, I'd pay for this every day of the week.

How we test

At woman&home, we take great pride in how we test pillows. All of our experts sleep on the pillows that we review for at least two weeks, because that's how long physiotherapists recommend that you wait before you notice a physical change in your body. In reality, we end up sleeping on these pillows for months before you read about them.

It might sound like a lengthy process, but this means that you get a much better overview of what these pillows are like, through seasons, hormones, and lots of different emotional and physical changes.

All of our experts make notes on what the pillow is like to sleep on, from a comfort, support, and temperature regulation perspective. However, they'll also talk about packaging, cleaning, and maintenance, so that you get a good idea of exactly what the pillow is like to use.

We'll compare the pillow in question to other pillows that offer similar properties around the same price so that you get a good idea of whether it's offering value for money and then will round things off with a verdict. If you still have questions, you can always email us to talk about all things sleep, or you can take a look at our page for how we test pillows.