A pillow menu is only useful when every option is repeatable. Instead of ordering a generic “soft” and “firm” pillow, define the construction behind each feel and confirm it through physical samples.
1. Define the guest and room use
Start with property tier, climate, bed size, number of pillows per bed and whether the program supports a pillow menu. Confirm whether pillows are guest-room stock, housekeeping replacements or retail extensions.
Review suitable starting points in the wholesale pillow collection, including the standard hotel pillow program and specialty-fill directions.
2. Build firmness from measurable variables
| Variable | Soft direction | Firm direction |
|---|---|---|
| Fill weight | Lower within the approved size | Higher within the approved size |
| Fill structure | More compressible profile | More supportive profile |
| Construction | Knife edge or lower gusset | Gusset or chambered option |
| Target check | Compression and recovery sample | Loft retention and support sample |
These directions are not universal performance claims. The final feel depends on the complete construction and must be approved on an actual sample.
3. Specify fill and shell as a system
Record the fill composition, blend percentage if any, fill weight, shell composition, fabric construction, closure and piping or gusset. If developing a PLA-based option, review the Ingeo PLA material program and make sure the final formula has product-relevant evidence.
For down or down-alternative programs, define chamber construction, migration controls and labeling requirements rather than relying on a marketing name.
4. Plan care, protection and replacement
Confirm whether the pillow itself is washable, spot-clean only or protected by a separate cover. Agree drying limitations, care-label content and any facility protocol. Track expected replacement quantities separately from opening stock so the same approved construction can be replenished.
5. Approve a coded sample set
Ask for clearly coded soft, medium and firm samples with construction records. Evaluate loft after unpacking, compression, recovery, appearance inside the selected pillowcase and compatibility with housekeeping presentation.
Once selected, retain an approved reference using the golden-sample workflow.
The words soft, medium and firm are not specifications. Attach each feel to a coded sample and a recorded fill weight, fill composition, shell and construction.
