Our website is reader supported. We sometimes earn a small affiliate commission for purchases made through links in our posts, at no extra cost to you. Read more about our policy.
A good night’s sleep starts with the right pillow. But where to begin? There are many on the market. You can’t go far wrong with the Panda London range of pillows for the best balance of comfort, support and sustainability. Designed with a bamboo cover and memory foam core, these pillows promise a luxurious sleep experience and are environmentally friendly to boot.
The bedding brand is firmly committed to creating ethically produced and eco-friendly, high-quality bedding. So, does their bamboo pillow live up to the hype? In this Panda London pillow review, we’ll take a look at its sustainable and ethical credentials, comfort, support, breathability, durability, and value for money to help you decide whether you should buy one.
Panda pillows: the materials
Panda London is proud of its use of sustainable bamboo. Its pillows are made with naturally breathable and super-sustainable bamboo-mix removable covers and a non-toxic CertiPUR-certified memory foam core. They are designed to provide optimal neck support for the correct spinal alignment and come in adult, kids, toddler and baby versions.
Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. It’s grown with three times less water than cotton and without the need for pesticides and chemicals making it super sustainable.
Panda London uses only organic bamboo for its bamboo viscose, meaning it is entirely chemical-free. What’s more, their pillows are OEKO-TEX and REACH certified. This means you can rest your head worry-free as they are certified to be safe from harmful chemicals. For me, this is absolutely key, especially when choosing something that you breathe right next to all night.
To top it off, not only is bamboo sustainable and non-toxic, it is thermoregulating, anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic. This means it will keep you cool, repel dust mites, and look after you if you are prone to allergies. Win, win, win!
Panda London pillows: caring for people, planet and animals
I’ve mentioned above about Panda’s use of bamboo but I think it’s really worth dwelling on what else they do that make them a particularly conscious company. There are three parts to this, people, planet and animals:
Panda London: environment
Not only is the base material, bamboo, intrinsically eco-friendly, Panda London processes theirs in a closed-loop water-saving system. This means that toxic water is not released into local waterways, and the same is true for their dyeing process. Both processes adhere to the ZDHC (zero discharge of hazardous chemicals) framework.
Sourcing bamboo from FSC-managed forests also means the plants cut down are replenished and managed sustainably.
Panda’s bedding range is plastic-free and has 100% biodegradable plastic buttons. Their packaging is also well-considered and is either biodegradable or recyclable. Their delivery policy backs this up: no planes, carbon-neutral couriers and delivery drivers that stay in touch making sure you’ll be in – avoiding unnecessary re-visits.
Importantly, Panda takes waste seriously, too. Their Circle of Life initiative offers free collection of hard-to-recycle products like certain types of memory foam at the end of life. These are repurposed (e.g. foam for sofa fillings or playground matting) or recycled.
Panda London: people
The brand makes sure that its products are both sourced and produced responsibly. Suppliers must meet ethical guideline SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) ensuring fair wages and a safe and open working environment. Production is carried out in ethically run factories.
It also gives back to various charities, including supplying bedding to some homeless charities.
Panda London: animals
Panda products are vegan-friendly and made with no animal products. They also care about animal habitats where they source their bamboo, sourcing from only FSC-certified forests.
The pillow review: my tried and tested opinion
Panda London was kind enough to send me one of their Kids’ pillows, a Hybrid Bamboo pillow and a Memory Foam Bamboo pillow. We’ve tested them for a couple of months, and here is our Panda London pillow review:
Packaging and delivery
Firstly, wow, these arrived quickly! And secondly, I loved the sustainable packaging they used, which was mainly recyclable cardboard. Also, and for a change, the boxes didn’t leave excess space (a personal bugbear); they were just the right size, meaning no excess packaging.
The Panda Kids’ pillow
The Kids’ Memory Foam pillow arrived as part of the package, and my recently turned 4-year-old was keen to try it out.
At 53 x 38 x 10cm it is obviously smaller than the adults’ pillows but perfect for her little head. It is definitely firmer and higher than the previous fairly flat wool pillow she was using. I think this suits her well though; kids have sniffles and coughs half the time, and it’s great for her to sleep with her head more elevated and in the correct position for her body.
It goes without saying that she loves the panda imprint. What I love is that this is a completely non-toxic pillow for my little one, and I know that her growing neck and spine are in the right position while she sleeps.
She also sleeps hot and doesn’t wake up with her head soaked in sweat with this pillow. If she ever did though, I could remove the cover and wash it. At £34.95, it is not the cheapest pillow on the market, but it’s not something we have to buy often. It’s well worth it, in my opinion, to ensure the health and well-being of our children.
Panda also offer a 30-night pillow trial, so if you’re not happy you can send your pillow back. This definitely makes it an easier investment.
The Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow
We were lucky enough to be sent two adult pillows, and my partner and I enjoyed trying them both out (I had to wrestle him for the Hybrid pillow once he got used to it). I tried out the Memory Foam Bamboo pillow to begin with. This measures 60 x 40 x 12cm, so it is slightly smaller than the Hybrid pillow but perfect for a standard double bed and a standard pillowcase.
I had slept on memory foam pillows before but I was becoming more and more aware about how little I knew about what was inside them. I also sleep hot and sometimes have problems breathing at night through my nose so I was keen to see the difference.
My initial reaction was that the pillow felt slightly higher than my previous pillows. It took me a few nights to get used to it, but I soon did.
I love the shape of the pillow; the height doesn’t trail off at the edge, so you get the bulk of the pillow under your neck where you need it. What’s more, it sounds silly but it’s easy to put the pillowcase on, and I know that my neck and back are aligned when I’m sleeping on it. I’m a side sleeper as well, so it’s very comfortable for me.
I’d also say that I’m breathing better and not as hot, although we have just moved back from Spain to the UK, so there could be other factors at play there too.
Overall, my partner and I agree that the pillow is really comfortable and feels very supportive, giving a medium/firm feel. The sensation is similar to other memory foam pillows but more supportive and brings that support all the way to the edge.
And lest we forget, when you are resting your head on an OEKO-TEX, REACH and CertiPUR-certified pillow, you definitely sleep a lot easier! At £44.95, I think this is a really reasonably priced pillow for what you get.
The Hybrid Bamboo Pillow
Last but not least, we received a Hybrid Bamboo pillow. At 70 x 40 x 13cm, this is noticeably larger than the Memory Foam Bamboo pillow, including 1cm taller. It also comes in at £89.95 so is quite a bit more expensive. The big question is, is it worth it?
First things first, the quilted cover of this pillow is super-soft and luxurious to the touch. It is also noticeably fluffy and quilted to lie on with a firm, supportive under-feel. It is bigger too, so while it would fit on a small double, it may be better suited to larger beds if you want two side-by-side.
Lying on both pillows next to each other you do notice the difference. The memory foam pillow is exactly what it says on the tin, but better with the shape, bamboo cover and certifications. The Hybrid Bamboo pillow, by contrast, has a softer, fluffier feel. You sink into that extra centimetre very comfortably but still feel very supported by the layer of memory foam. I would say I sleep cooler on this pillow too.
My verdict on the extra cost? Well, it’s not the cheapest (or most expensive) pillow on the market, but if you can afford it, worth it for that feeling of luxury. As I said before, these are one-time investments—Panda London even offers a 10-year guarantee. To be toxin-free and spinally aligned is, in my opinion, worth more than a pair of shoes or a handbag!
Panda London pillow review: the crème de la crème of pillows?
If you’re searching for the perfect pillow, Panda offers the perfect selection. You can rest easy buying from a brand that cares about people, the planet, animals, and your well-being. A good quality pillow is a key investment in better sleep and a healthier life. After all, it has more contact with your precious head than almost anything else.
You might also like some of our other guides:
11 best organic, natural and non-toxic pillows for the UK
19 non-toxic and natural UK mattress brands for a sound sleep
7 top brands for a natural and organic mattress topper UK
15 sustainable beds in the UK for the best green sleep
