Nordic Sleep Life Cycle Analysis

Which pillow is the right choice for her future?

If you care about the planet and about future generations, which pillow should you choose?

Natural is always best – isn’t it?

Imagine standing in front of a shelf filled with pillows. Like most people, you may instinctively see down as the most environmentally friendly option – simply because it’s a natural material. At the same time, you might view synthetic fillings, such as Fossflakes’ fibre flakes, as a compromise.
But gut feelings can be misleading – and even with good intentions, they can lead to choices that are far from sustainable.

Fossflakes is the better choice for the environment

A scientific life cycle analysis reveals that Nordic Sleep pillows perform better than down pillows on 16 out of 18 environmental indicators. By choosing Nordic Sleep, you help reduce CO₂ emissions, save water and minimise the use of agricultural land.

Down isn’t as green as we once believed

Producing down and feathers requires far more resources than most of us realise. Ducks and geese must be bred and fed, which involves farming, land use and water consumption. Before feathers can be used as filling in pillows and duvets, they must also be washed and disinfected. The entire process demands significant amounts of energy, water and land – placing a substantial strain on the environment.

We thought natural was best, too

To be honest, for a long time we believed that nature’s own materials must be the most environmentally responsible choice. We expected down and feathers to score highest in our Life Cycle Assessment.
But after a year‑long study, verified by an independent third party, the results were clear – and surprising: Nordic Sleep has a significantly smaller environmental footprint than pillows filled with down and feathers.

Choose facts over gut feeling

You can now choose Nordic Sleep pillows with confidence, knowing they are better for you, for the environment and for future generations.

When comparing our pillow with a similar down‑and‑feather pillow, Nordic Sleep delivers:

• 33% lower CO2 emissions
  
• 131 litres of water saved
  

• 90% less land use

Your choice makes a difference

It’s easy to think that the choice of a single pillow doesn’t matter. But when you bring a Nordic Sleep pillow into your home, you help reduce the pressure on the planet’s natural resources.
If we all make choices based on verified knowledge rather than assumptions, we have the potential to create meaningful and necessary change.

Together, we can inspire others and work towards a cleaner, more sustainable future.

A world first: learn more about the analysis

Nordic Sleep’s ambition is to offer high‑quality pillows with the lowest possible 2₂1 footprint. That’s why, in 2023, we initiated the world’s first comprehensive life cycle assessment of pillows.
The goal was to calculate the complete environmental impact of our best‑selling pillow and compare it with both other fibre pillows and pillows filled with down and feathers

To ensure accuracy, the assessment follows a full “cradle‑to‑grave” approach – including raw material production, manufacturing, use and end‑of‑life disposal.

Independent and precise analysis

Precision and impartiality were essential throughout the process. The life cycle assessment was conducted according to international standards (ISO 14040 and ISO 14044) and reviewed by independent LCA experts from the Danish Technological Institute and Rambøll Group, with input from leading down pillow manufacturer DYKON.

The analysis was completed at the end of 2024 and is based on a full year of in‑depth research. The result is a report of over 140 pages, representing the most detailed environmental study of pillows ever conducted.

Download the report here