Premier Inn poll settles the firm or soft pillow debate as Rylan tests 377,000 new pillows

Key Takeaways

• Premier Inn commissioned a OnePoll survey of 2,000 UK adults to find out what kind of pillow Brits really want.

• Firm pillows won comfortably, with 46% preferring them compared with 29% who would rather sink into something soft.

• The poll accompanies Premier Inn replacing more than 377,000 pillows across its hotels, with a firm and a soft option in every room.

• TV presenter Rylan Clark gathered the nation's "pillowpinions" and tested the new pillows for the campaign, which launched in October 2026.

Premier Inn has asked the question that divides bedrooms across the country, polling Brits on whether they prefer a firm or a soft pillow, and the answer is clearer than you might expect. The research arrives alongside a large and rather unglamorous job, as the hotel chain has replaced more than 377,000 pillows across its estate.

To bring the story to life, Premier Inn enlisted Rylan Clark, who spoke to members of the public about their pillow habits and got, in his words, "up close and personal" with the new pillows himself.

The survey of 2,000 adults, carried out by OnePoll on behalf of Premier Inn, found that 46% of people prefer a firm pillow while 29% favour a soft one, with the rest either undecided or wanting something in between. Firmness was only part of the picture, though. A clear 69% said they want a fuller, plumper pillow, compared with just 7% who are happy with something thin and flat, and when asked what matters most, respondents ranked comfort first (69%), followed by plumpness (44%) and firmness (39%).

While 41% like two pillows on the bed and 13% make do with one, a striking 42% want three or more, and the extras clearly have jobs to do. More than a third (35%) like a pillow between their legs, 10% keep one handy for propping themselves up to watch TV in bed, and 58% go hunting for the cool side, flipping their pillow during the night to find it.

Seven in 10 said a bad pillow can ruin an entire night's sleep, and 87% said they would notice straight away if their usual pillow was swapped. That sits slightly awkwardly beside the finding that 43% haven't replaced their pillows in two years or more, while 13% can't remember when they last bought new ones.

Sarah Simpson, head of sleep experience at Premier Inn, said that "Brits overwhelmingly prefer a firm over a soft pillow" and described the replacement of more than 377,000 pillows as "an incredible operation" that is "making a real difference to the sleep experience."

Rylan was struck by the size of the job. "From Thurso to Penzance, I cannot believe Premier Inn has put brand new pillows in every single one of their rooms, what a mammoth task in the name of a perfect night's sleep," he said, adding that it had been fun gathering the nation's "pillowpinions." His verdict on whether the pillows are as dreamy as they look was short. "Spoiler alert! They are."

SOURCES

[1] Express & Star