Are copper pillows a night sweat saviour? We put the miracle claims to the test

Copper pillows promise the world, especially if you have ageing skin. Naturally cooling, collagen-boosting, and anti-inflammatory, they sound like a dream come true. But do copper pillows actually work? We did the testing to find out.

Our team of experts have been sleeping on of the best cooling pillows for years, but its only recently that copper pillows have been claiming their spots in our beds and under our heads. Many of the claims make sense on paper: copper is an excellent conductor of heat, so in theory it should help draw warmth away from your head when you wake up overheating.

The skincare benefits are harder to measure from behind a desk, though, which is why I handed this one over to my most trusted tester for a proper, night-by-night trial to find out whether it's a sleep reset essential. At just £30, we wanted to know: can it really stand up to woman&home testing?

Silentnight Restore Cooling Copper Pillow review

Our testing for the Silentnight Restore Cooling Copper Pillow was carried out by Sally Mortimer. Here's a little bit about her before we get into the full review.

Sally Mortimer

Sally, who struggles badly with night sweats, is always searching for answers on how to sleep in the heat. She’s recently settled on a bamboo silk pillowcase paired with a natural-fill pillow, but jumped at the chance to see whether a cooling pillow could also promise better skin.

Who would the Silentnight Restore Cooling Copper Pillow suit?

Copper pillows promise a lot. From antibacterial properties to claims around calmer skin, fewer breakouts, and even boosted collagen, they’re positioned as both a sleep and skincare upgrade. Add in their appeal for hot sleepers, and it’s easy to see why they’ve become so popular. The question is whether one pillow can really deliver on all of that.

For hot sleepers, this one comes very close. After a month of testing, Sally was impressed. “It feels icy cold as soon as you touch it,” she told me. “That instant coolness is more noticeable than most of the pillows I’ve tried. It doesn’t stay cold all night, but it takes longer to warm up, and when you flip it over, you get that same hit of relief again.” As someone who regularly deals with night sweats, she said it’s “one of the best I’ve tested for that immediate cooling effect,” adding that the fact it’s machine washable made a real difference on hotter nights.

On the skincare side, expectations need to be realistic. Sally didn’t notice visible changes to firmness or inflammation over the course of a month. “My skin looked better, but I think that’s because I was sleeping more deeply and waking up less overheated,” she explained. “I wouldn’t say it actively changed my skin, but better sleep definitely made a difference.”

She does have sensitive skin, and importantly, experienced no irritation at all during testing. While it’s hard to prove the antibacterial claims in a home setting, the fact that it remained comfortable and non-reactive throughout a full month of use is reassuring.

Packaging on the Silentnight Restore Cooling Copper Pillow

The Silentnight Restore Cooling Copper Pillow comes in a reusable fabric storage bag rather than single-use plastic, which immediately feels like a thoughtful touch. It’s sturdy enough to repurpose, and Sally quickly claimed it for travel. “I’ve got so used to sleeping on this that I don’t really want to be without it,” she said. “I’ll definitely be packing it for holidays. Hotel pillows just don’t compare.”

There’s no off-gassing or prep needed before bedtime, so you can sleep on it straight away. I would recommend pairing it with a lightweight pillowcase, though. The cooling effect comes from the copper-infused cover, so anything too thick will dull that initial chill. The surface itself has a slightly textured, almost piped finish rather than a smooth quilt, which helps with airflow and gives it a more breathable feel in use.

What is the Silentnight Restore Cooling Copper Pillow like to sleep on?

After all the theory, this is where the pillow really had to prove itself. Even during unboxing, the cooling effect was obvious. We actually tested it blindfolded alongside other pillows, and every single person picked this one out purely by touch.

Sally’s experience backed that up once it made it to the bedroom. “I don’t go to bed overheated, but I loved that fresh, cool feeling as soon as I lay down,” she said. “It feels refreshing rather than just ‘not warm’, which is what most pillows offer.” She also found the support spot-on for her sleep style. “I’m a back sleeper and usually only use one pillow, and this had the right balance of softness and structure. It kept my head comfortably lifted without feeling too full.”

From a materials perspective, that checks out. The copper-infused cover helps with that initial heat transfer, but the polyester filling will inevitably hold onto warmth over time. So while this isn’t an “active cooling” pillow, it performs exactly as you’d hope from a passive cooling design. It's refreshing, breathable, and reliably cooler than average.

When I asked Sally outright whether she’d recommend it, she didn’t hesitate. “Without a doubt. It’s one of the most noticeably cooling pillows I’ve used, especially for that instant cold feel when you lie down.”

As expected, the real test came in the early hours. “I always wake up hot,” she told me, “and that didn’t completely change. But when I flipped the pillow, the cool side felt noticeably colder than anything else I’ve tried. It gave me instant relief.” She also noticed that it retained that coolness for longer than most. “It does warm up eventually, but it’s slower, and that makes a big difference when you’re trying to get back to sleep quickly.”

How does the Silentnight Restore Cooling Copper Pillow compare?

Sally has tested just about every type of cooling pillow going: wool, latex, buckwheat, cotton. And this stands out for one specific reason: that immediate “icy” sensation when your head hits the pillow. It’s something natural-fill pillows rarely deliver, even if they regulate temperature well over time.

She kept comparing it to the Silentnight Cool Touch Pillow which she relied on during a heatwave. “The Cool Touch feels even colder at first,” she said, “but only on one side. With this one, you get that cooling effect all over, so flipping it in the night actually works.”

That’s really the key difference. The Cool Touch is more dramatic but less consistent, whereas the Silentnight Restore Cooling Copper Pillow gives you a reliable, repeatable cooling experience across the whole surface. If you’re someone who constantly turns their pillow to chase the cool side, this design makes a noticeable difference.

Should you buy the Silentnight Restore Cooling Copper Pillow?

If you’re curious about copper pillows, this is a very convincing place to start. The Silentnight Restore Cooling Copper Pillow is genuinely cool to the touch, breathable through the night, and noticeably more refreshing than standard synthetic options.

Just go in with realistic expectations. It won’t stay cold until morning, and it won’t replace proper temperature control in your bedroom. But for that instant relief when you lie down, and again at 3am when you flip it over, it’s one of the better-performing cooling pillows we’ve tested.

How we test pillows

At woman&home, we have a standardised process for how we test pillows to make sure that we are bringing you the best recommendations for your sleep type. We do lots of research into the best pillows for every kind of sleeper and sleeping position. Once we find one that we think you'll like, we take it, test it, sleep on it, and talk about our overall experience. We look at firmness, durability, heat transfer, and comfort, so that you can get a clear idea of whether this is the right pillow for you. We'll also compare it to similar pillows, look at value for money, and cover anything else we think you should know before committing to a purchase. After all, we want you to have your perfect pillow.