Pillows come in all shapes and sizes, and are made of a variety of materials these days. And while Purple is known for its unique grid, which you can find in Purple mattresses and pillows, there’s nothing quite like a classic down alternative pillow. Enter: the Purple Cloud.
In this Purple Cloud pillow review, I’ll give you an unbiased look at this pillow and talk about its firmness, feel, how it performed, and much more.
Let’s dive in!
Purple Cloud Pillow
If you love plush down alternative pillows, the Purple Cloud is for you! This soft, plush pillow is tall and supportive and works best for back and side sleepers.
Mattress Clarity Score
4.10 / 5
Read Full Review
Purple Cloud Pillow Overview
Purple is known for its unique, hyper-elastic polymer gel grid that’s found in the comfort layer of its mattresses. You can even find that Purple grid in many Purple products such as the Original pillow and the Purple Harmony pillow.
Overall Rating
But Purple also has a more familiar pillow full of fluffy down alternative: the Purple Cloud. Here’s a quick overview of who will enjoy this pillow and who may need to look elsewhere:
Who Might Like the Purple Cloud?
- Fans of down alternative
- Shoppers on a budget
- Anyone looking for a soft pillow
Who Might Not Like the Purple Cloud?
- Anyone looking for an adjustable pillow
- Fans of slow-moving memory foam pillows
- Stomach sleepers
Purple Pillows Video Review
Get a virtual test drive with the Purple Cloud pillow in our video review!
Purple Cloud Pillow Firmness and Feel
When it comes to testing out a pillow, how firm the pillow is and how it feels are the two factors I start with. Let’s take a look at the firmness and feel for the Purple Cloud pillow.
How Firm is the Purple Cloud Pillow?
The Purple Cloud is chock full of down alternative fluff, and is a rather soft pillow. You’ll be able to compress this pillow a good amount, but you’ll still get some support because of how much fill is inside this pillow. Overall, if you’re looking for a soft pillow, this is one to look at.
Sleeping on the Purple Cloud Pillow
When I test a pillow, I make sure to test it in all three sleeping positions to get a good idea of how it will perform. I started out on my back, and I’ve got to say this pillow does a good job being soft yet supportive, so it’ll be a good choice for back sleepers.
Moving on to my side, this pillow worked very well for me. As a strict side sleeper, I loved how this pillow felt very soft, but not so soft that I felt like my head was craning too far downward. However, this pillow may need to be fluffed frequently to prevent it from going too flat for side sleeping.
Moving on to my stomach, it felt just okay. As a heavier person, I think I was able to compress the pillow enough to sleep comfortably. However, this pillow does have a tall loft, and it is not an adjustable pillow. If you’re a strict stomach sleeper, this isn’t the best choice. Be sure to check out our list of the best pillows for stomach sleepers!
What Does the Purple Cloud Pillow Feel Like?
The Purple Cloud is a soft pillow, but the gel fibers inside it have been reinforced with silicone to give the pillow some structure. It does have a soft, cushioning feel to it, and you’ll be able to move around easily. Unlike memory foam pillows, you won’t get a lot of contouring, though this pillow does offer ample support.
Average Weight Sleepers – 130 lbs – 230lbs
Average weight sleepers of all sleeping positions should be able to find the comfort and support they need with the Purple Cloud. It will work best for side sleepers, thanks to its high loft. Some average weight back and stomach sleepers may find what they’re looking for.
I will say, this pillow isn’t my top recommendation for these two sleeping positions, but it should still work for average weight sleepers.
Heavyweight Sleepers – Over 230lbs
Heavyweight sleepers of all sleeping positions will find a good match in the Purple Cloud. Back sleepers should find exactly what they need out of this pillow, as it has a great combination of comfort and neck support.
Heavier side sleepers should also get what they need thanks to the tall loft of this pillow. But if you’re concerned about support, opting for a more medium-firm or firm pillow would be the way to go.
RELATED: Best Firm Pillows
As for heavier stomach sleepers, you might be able to compress this pillow enough to get a low loft, but it still should not be a first choice for stomach sleeping.
Lightweight Sleepers – Under 130lbs
For the lightweight crowd, I would only recommend the Purple Cloud for side sleepers. It’s tall enough and soft enough to provide support to keep your head elevated. This will also keep your neck in a neutral alignment.
Back sleepers may not be able to compress this pillow enough, and will find their chin going into their chest. Lightweight stomach sleepers need lower pillows to avoid developing neck pain.
Purple Cloud Pillow Construction
Let’s take a look at the materials that make up the Purple Cloud pillow.
Cover
On the outside of the Purple Cloud, you’ll find a 100% cotton cover. Cotton is a rather standard material for an outer cover, and is very breathable.
Core
On the inside you’ll find a down alternative made up of ultra-fine gel fibers. This provides a good amount of fluff. The gel fibers are coated with silicone to provide a good amount of support to help it from falling flat, but you may need to fluff occasionally.
Weight
The standard-sized Purple Cloud weighs 2.5 lb. The king-size weighs 4 lb.
Height/Loft
The Purple Cloud pillow is 6” tall.
Purple Cloud Pillow Size Options and Price
Get up-to-date pricing information on the Purple Cloud with our chart below!
| Size | Price |
| Standard | $59 |
| King | $79 |
Purple Cloud Pillow
If you love plush down alternative pillows, the Purple Cloud is for you! This soft, plush pillow is tall and supportive and works best for back and side sleepers.
Mattress Clarity Score
4.10 / 5
Read Full Review
Purple Cloud Pillow Performance
Here are a few key considerations you need to know before using a Purple Cloud pillow.
Sleeping Hot or Cold
While there’s no specific cooling features to this pillow, it should sleep fairly cool. Purple mentions that the gel fiber down alternative fill won’t trap heat, and it has a breathable cotton cover on the outside. And in my experience, I didn’t feel the need to flip it over to the cool side while I slept.
Off-Gassing
The Purple Cloud is not compressed into a box when it arrives on your doorstep. There was no smell to it when I opened it, and you can use it right away.
Care Instructions
While some pillows come with removable covers that are machine-washable, that’s not the case with the Purple Cloud. The entire pillow is machine-washable!
Purple recommends washing it on a delicate cycle with warm water, and using non-chlorine bleach when needed. From there you can tumble dry on low heat. This can re-fluff your pillow, too!
Allergies
This pillow is 100% hypoallergenic. You shouldn’t have to worry about it triggering allergies. The pillow being 100% machine-washable helps out with this, too.
Company Policies
Here’s what you can expect when you make a purchase with Purple.
Warranty Info
Purple offers a 1-year warranty on the Purple Cloud pillow.
Sleep Trial
You have a 100-night trial to test out the Purple Cloud. This is plenty of time to test out your new pillow to see if it’s the right fit for you!
Return Policy
If you decide that the Purple Cloud isn’t the best match for you, you can make returns and exchanges during that 100-night period. Purple offers free shipping on all orders and you can get a full refund if you decide to return it. Return shipping costs, however, must be paid by the customer.
Common Purple Cloud Complaints
While this is certainly a high-quality down alternative pillow, it is not without its faults. After looking through some customer reviews, I’ve noticed the main complaint is that the pillow becomes flat after a while.
This is rather common for down alternative pillows, but the gel fiber inside the pillow has been reinforced with silicone to help give the pillow structure.
A few others said that they were expecting the pillow to unzip and let them adjust the pillow. Unfortunately, this is not an adjustable pillow. And finally, a few others said it didn’t do a good job contouring and providing pressure relief.
I should mention that this is not a common feature of down alternative; rather, if you’re looking for contouring and pressure relief, take a look at our list of the best memory foam pillows.
How Does the Purple Cloud Pillow Compare To Other Pillows?
Let’s see how the Purple Cloud compares to one of Purple’s other pillows, and one made of another popular pillow material: memory foam.
Purple vs Purple
One of Purple’s popular pillows is the Purple Harmony pillow. And this pillow performs much differently than the Purple Cloud. This is because it has a very different construction.
The Purple Harmony was made with a thinner version of Purple’s gel grid that has been worked into a polyester cover. This cover surrounds a core of Talalay latex foam. The Harmony pillow is very bouncy and responsive, and has been optimized for airflow, making it a better option for hot sleepers.
The Purple Harmony comes in three different loft options, while the Purple Cloud only has size options to choose from. Both pillows should work relatively well for all sleeping positions, though the low loft option of the Harmony works better for stomach sleepers over the Purple Cloud.
Finally, when looking at price, the Cloud is considerably more affordable than the Harmony.
Who Should Get the Purple Cloud?
- Fans of plush down alternative pillows
- Shoppers on a budget
Who Should Get the Purple Harmony?
- Anyone looking for loft options to match their sleeping position
- Fans of bouncy, responsive latex pillows
Read our full Purple Harmony pillow review.
Purple vs TEMPUR-Pedic
In a battle of Clouds, the TEMPUR-Cloud by TEMPUR-Pedic is a memory foam pillow, unlike the Purple Cloud which is a down alternative pillow. The TEMPUR-Cloud is a single slab of TEMPUR material, which is one of the first iterations of memory foam in a pillow.
It has that classic, slow-moving, squishy feel to it that we normally associate with memory foam. And it’s one of the perfect pillows for stomach sleepers. It has a low loft and a very soft feel to it that makes it ideal for stomach sleeping.
The Purple Cloud will work better for back and side sleepers, but only heavyweight stomach sleepers. And hot sleepers should opt for the airflow-friendly Purple Cloud, as the foam in the TEMPUR-Cloud may trap heat.
Who Should Get the Purple Cloud?
- Hot sleepers
- Back and side sleepers
Who Should Get the TEMPUR-Cloud?
- Fans of memory foam pillows
- Stomach sleepers
Read our full TEMPUR Cloud pillow review.
FAQs
Let’s answer some frequently asked questions about the Purple Cloud.
How long does it take to get used to a Purple Pillow?
Purple sells four different pillows: the Purple Original, the Purple Harmony, the Purple Cloud, and the Purple Twincloud pillows. The Cloud and Twincloud are similar to one another in that they’re down alternative pillows, which is a familiar material for most of us.
But the Original and the Harmony are made with the Purple grid. Sleeping on a new material will require an adjustment period. While you have 100 days to test out any Purple pillow, and can return them at any time during that period, I suggest sleeping on your new pillow for at least a month before deciding it’s not for you.
Should I wash my Purple Pillows?
Yes! The Purple Cloud pillow is 100% machine-washable. I’d recommend washing your pillow every 4-6 months. We also have more details on how to wash and clean your pillow, with a full guide!
Do Purple Pillows go flat?
If you’re using a pillow with the Purple grid, you shouldn’t worry about it going flat. However, one common complaint for the Cloud was that it did go flat. This pillow may require more fluffing because it is a down alternative pillow. However, I should mention that the gel fiber within the Cloud has been reinforced with silicone to give it more structure to help it from going flat.