Home & Garden Home The Best Eco-Friendly Throw Pillows to Dress Up Your Decor Add color to your living space with conscious cushions from Block Shop. By Neeti Mehra Neeti Mehra Neeti is a freelance writer for Treehugger who covers sustainability and conscious living. She has edited three magazines during her career and she is currently a columnist and is a contributor to a host of publications. Learn about our editorial process Updated July 19, 2022 Share Twitter Pinterest Email Home & Garden Pest Control Natural Cleaning DIY Family Green Living Thrift & Minimalism Sustainable Eating We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Anastasiia Krivenok / Getty Few tools are as useful for transforming a living space on a limited budget as the accent pillow. But before you start searching for your perfect pillow, a little research can spare you from mediocre synthetic materials, like non-biodegradable polyester, and poor quality fills. Several home décor brands are crafting throw pillows that not only add style to your bed or sofa but do it with eco-friendly materials, like Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified cotton. Ethical artisans are making throw pillows that aren't just comfortable and stylish, but also less environmentally destructive. Eco-friendly pillows are available for any need. Whether you’re looking for outdoor, weather-resistant pillows or an indoor lumbar pillow for back support, we have picks that can add texture and comfort to your home. Here are our selections for the best eco-friendly throw pillows. The Rundown Best Overall: Block Shop Pillows at Blockshoptextiles.com Jump to Review Best Budget: Passion Lilie Fair Trade Throw Pillow Covers at Passionlilie.com Jump to Review Best Splurge: Leah Singh Grid Reversible Throw Pillow Cover at Madetrade.com Jump to Review Best Outdoor: The Citizenry Bali Indoor/Outdoor Pillow at The-citizenry.com Jump to Review Best Round: Jungalow Round Pillow by Justina Blakeney X Loloi at Jungalow.com Jump to Review Best Lumbar: Soil to Studio Linen Pillow at Garmentory.com Jump to Review Best Organic Cotton: Coyuchi Organic Pillow Cover at Coyuchi.com Jump to Review Best Overall Block Shop Pillows Block Shop View On Blockshoptextiles.com View On Design Within Reach Block Shop Textile's Art Deco style pillows take design inspiration from nautical flags, the Grateful Dead, and the iconic Raj Mandir movie palace in Jaipur, India. Made using a variety of materials, including European linen and handwoven cotton, each Block Shop Pillow is hand block printed by artisans in Jaipur using azo-free dyes. Manufacturers working with Block Shop Pillow have a variety of eco-friendly and fair labor certifications, including from organizations like B Corporation, Craftmark, and Fair Trade. Block Shop also dedicates 5% of annual profits to twice-annual primary healthcare camps, which brings ophthalmologists, dentists, and doctors to manufacturing communities for comprehensive care. Each Block Shop pillowcase is 18 inches square and can be purchased with an optional down-fill pillow insert made in the United States. Price at time of publish: $165 Best Budget Passion Lilie Fair Trade Throw Pillow Covers Passion Lilie View On Passionlilie.com Affordable, elegant, and ethical, the Fair Trade Throw Pillow Covers from Passion Lilie are made from leftover production fabrics—a blend of GOTS-certified organic cotton and recycled cotton. A member of the Fair Trade Federation, Passion Lilie has collaborated with partners who ensure safe and healthy working conditions for employees and pay fair wages. The vibrant color palette of its Throw Pillow Covers collection comes from a variety of organic and plant-based dyes and never from azo dyes that employ carcinogenic heavy metals. Because they are handmade from upcycled fabrics, Passion Lillie's Fair Trade Throw Pillow Covers have a unique individuality, which means shades can vary slightly from what is pictured for purchase on their site. Best Splurge Leah Singh Grid Reversible Throw Pillow Cover 5 Made Trade View On Madetrade.com View On Maisonette.com Leah Singh works with the artisans in Rajasthan, India who handcraft these beautiful pillow covers from 100% cotton. We love the two-sided design, offering more options for styling your couch or bed in a single item. The covers measure 22 x 22 inches (insert not included), and have a hidden zipper. They're available in an array of different color combinations, from bright blue and pink to earthy black and tan. Price at time of publish: $140 Best Outdoor The Citizenry Bali Indoor/Outdoor Pillow The Citizenry View On The-citizenry.com Crocheted from hardy palm leaves, the Bali Indoor/Outdoor Pillow is deck-ready, but stylish enough for indoor use in colder seasons. Woven by the Artisans of Java co-op in Cirebon, Indonesia, the tight weave, available in two natural shades, imparts a natural aesthetic to your living spaces. The Bali Indoor/Outdoor Pillow is available in two sizes, and each comes with an outdoor, weather-proof insert. Over time, exposure to the elements can cause the pillows to fade slightly, adding to their rustic charm. Price at time of publish: $145 The 7 Best Sustainable Adirondack Chairs of 2023 Best Round Jungalow Ritual Round Pillow by Justina Blakeney X Loloi Jungalow View On Jungalow.com This bright and bold round pillow is a perfect meditation prop or love seat companion. Featuring a design by "The New Bohemians" author Justina Blakeney, inspired by the Suzani embroidery of Central Asia, the Jungalow Ritual Round Pillow can work as an accent piece or floor cushion. Made in collaboration with Loloi, these round pillows are manufactured in India by artisans certified by GoodWeave, which ensures that no child, bonded or forced labor works across the supply chain. Made from 100% cotton, the Ritual Round Pillow is 20 inches around and available with either down or polyester filling. The Jungalow pillow is spot clean or dry clean only. Price at time of publish: $149 Best Lumbar Soil to Studio Handwoven & Block-Printed Linen Pillow Soil to Studio View On Garmentory.com View On Wescover.com Inspired by the colors worn by the people of the Great Indian Desert (Soil to Studio founder Swati Bansal hails from a city in the same Indian state of Rajasthan), this block-printed pillow is made from handloom linen. The block-printing, which appears on both sides of the pillow, was done by a nephew and uncle team in Jaipur, who labor under fair trade practices and set their own wages. Soil to Studio's Block-Printed Linen Pillow is 14 by 20 inches—a rectangular shape suitable for your lower back. It has a number of other thoughtful details, including brass zippers and handmade jute tassels at each corner. This linen pillow should be gently washed in cold water with mild detergent only. Best Organic Cotton Coyuchi Sonoma Organic Pillow Cover Coyuchi View On Coyuchi.com Get transported to a tony Mediterranean beach town with Coyuchi’s GOTS-certified organic cotton Sonoma pillow covers. Available in three dual-color patterns—aqua, ginger, and a shadow stripe on soft white—the 22-inch square Sonoma Organic Pillow Cover adds a simple, rustic look to any piece of furniture. Woven in an Indian factory that recycles 90% of its waste water, these Coyuchi pillows are shipped in a reusable, organic cloth bag to cut down on plastic waste. You can even return your well-worn pillowcase to Coyuchi as part of their 2nd Home Take Back Program, which offers a 15% discount off a future purchase and either recycles or resells the renewed pillow as part of their 2nd Home Renewed line. Wash gently in cold water with mild detergent. Price at time of publish: $68 The 11 Best Organic Pillows of 2023 Final Verdict Our favorite eco-friendly throw pillows are the ethically made designs from Block Shop, which brim over with breezy charm. Passion Lilie’s affordable, zero waste, Fair Trade Throw Pillow Covers are a fun option, as long as you're willing to risk a pillow that looks slightly different than the picture. What to Look for in an Eco-Friendly Throw Pillow A cheap and cheerful way to refresh your home is with an armful of throw pillows. But before you plunge completely into pillowy paradise, keep the following in mind: Assess Your Needs Do you need pillows for outdoors or indoors? Are you looking for round, lumbar, or square throw pillows? Do you have existing fillers, or would you need to purchase new ones? (Tip: Buy a filler slightly bigger than the cushion. For instance, an 18-inch square pillow is best matched with a 20-inch square filler) After you shortlist designs that complement your décor, it’s time to dig deep into the materials. Conscious Materials Consider whether the pillow is made from sustainable materials, such as organic cotton, and if there are any supporting third-party certifications. It’s good to note that several brands use locally sourced materials and fabrics that might not have organic credentials or certifications. Add bonus points if the pillows are dyed with plant-based or azo-free dyes. Transparency Assess the company’s social, environmental, and community impact. Many manufacturers include information on their product pages regarding wage and labor practices, in addition to eco-friendly bonafides. But even better than a good story is third-party certifications, which audit and assure that a label is following best practices. Certifications such as B Corp and Fair Trade are well-respected, but for more details, check out The Treehugger Guide to Sustainable Certifications. Why Trust Treehugger? Treehugger is committed to helping readers reduce the environmental impact of our day-to-day lives, with years of research, testing and real-world experience in alternative and eco-friendly modes of living. For this piece we have shortlisted pillows which have been responsibly made using ethically sourced materials by labels that give back to the community. The author, Neeti Mehra, lives a sustainable lifestyle in India and is dedicated to helping others green their homes. The 8 Best Eco-Friendly Pillows of 2023