Sleeping with a sore or healing ear?
Your ear rests in the hole, not crushed against the mattress — so a sore, swollen or healing ear isn’t pressed on all night.
- Made in England
- 12+ years
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The pillow we’d point you to
- Nightly use
The Original P.W.A.H® V2
A refined, quilted PWAH for comfortable nightly use.
Price range: £65.00 through £115.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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Independent reviews, collected by Feefo — from the people who actually sleep on these pillows every night.
What is Cauliflower Ear?
Cauliflower ear is a condition that is experienced by athletes and sports-people from many disciplines, especially heavy contact sports such as rugby, wrestling, Jiu-jitsu and MMA.
People get cauliflower ear when the external part of the ear is hit and bashed around so much that it develops either a blood-clot or a collection of some other fluid under the connective tissue found around the cartilage of the ear, known as the perichondrium. When this fluid builds up, the cartilage separates from the connective tissue. This results in the cartilage being cut off from the nutrients that sustain it, causing it to die. It is at this point that a mass of fibrous tissue forms, leaving the ear looking swollen and deformed. The deformity looks a bit like a cauliflower, hence the term “cauliflower ear”.
It is unfortunately an irreversible condition once it gets to that point.
What are the symptoms of Cauliflower Ear?
The first symptoms of cauliflower ear that you will notice are swelling and the ear may be red or bruised. This is especially true if the blood is clotting as you will notice that happening under the skin, hence the bruise. Therefore, if you see bruising or swelling on your ear after participating in contact sports, you must pay heed. Quick treatment and fast action can stop cauliflower ear from developing.
What is the best treatment for cauliflower ear?
Prevention is always better than the cure, and so people should take measures to protect their ears while participating in contact sports. “scrum caps” or other kinds of headgear are recommended to protect the ear while “ear splints” can also be used. These compress the ear so that fluid is unable to build up.
The trick to treating cauliflower ear before it develops, is easing the build-up of fluid in the ear. Your doctor will do this by making a small incision and draining the accumulated blood or removing a clot before it can harm the connective tissue. Your ear may also need its tissues reconnected by using stitches and applying a compression bandage to put pressure on the area, preventing further accumulation of liquid. Antibiotics may also need to be prescribed.
How does a pillow with a hole help with cauliflower ear?
An ordinary pillow presses your ear flat against the mattress for hours — exactly the repeated pressure and friction a tender, swollen or healing ear can’t tolerate. The Original Pillow with a Hole has an open centre, so your ear sits in the hole with nothing pressing on it while your head stays fully supported. That makes it easier to sleep — including on the affected side — without grinding on the ear.
nights spent grinding a tender ear into a flat pillow.
Three steps to a comfortable night’s sleep
- 1
Your ear sits in the hole
Lie down and your ear, along with anything worn on or in it, drops into the central opening, touching nothing.
- 2
Adjust the filling
Open the YKK® zip and add or remove filling until the height & firmness suit your shoulder.
- 3
Sleep on your side or back
Settle in. The pillow supports your head while everything in the hole stays clear and free from pressure.
Which pillow for cauliflower ear?
Three that suit a sore or healing ear.
The P.W.A.H V2 is our flagship standalone pillow, the plushest in the range for nightly use. The Waterproof & Wipe Clean P.W.A.H has a fully wipeable, water-resistant surface — the practical choice while an ear is healing or if hygiene matters. The Doughnut P.W.A.H is small and portable, easy to take to training or competitions.
- Nightly use
The Original P.W.A.H® V2
A refined, quilted PWAH for comfortable nightly use.
Price range: £65.00 through £115.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page - Waterproof
The Waterproof & Wipe Clean P.W.A.H®
Waterproof and wipe-clean, ideal if you use creams.
Price range: £45.00 through £95.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page - Compact & simple
The Doughnut PWAH®
A simple, affordable way to take pressure off the ear.
Price range: £29.99 through £40.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Not sure which pillow is right for you?
Find Your Pillow →These are not cheap textiles, and you wouldn’t want them to be.
It’s expensive to make things this well. Well sourced materials with nothing hidden in them, made by people paid a proper wage, sewn from scratch here in Liverpool. Look at what else is out there: the rest of the market is made overseas, down to a price. We went the other way and chose quality over price. That’s why nobody else makes them like this.
- Made in Liverpool, England
- Premium YKK® zips
- OEKO-TEX® organic cotton
- Yorkshire coil fibre, spun since the 1950s
- Fairly paid team
See the range in action
Cauliflower ear questions, answered
Machine washable and tumble-dryable — wash at 30°C and tumble dry. Pop a tennis ball in the dryer with it to redistribute the filling and keep it plump. Full guidance is on our Care Instructions page.
Yes — that’s one of the main advantages of the pillow. Open the YKK® zip and add or remove filling until the height and firmness suit you: take some out for a lower, softer feel, or add more for firmer support. It’s worth experimenting over a few nights to find what works for your shoulder and sleeping position. There’s a short video showing how on our Care Instructions page.
The Original V1 works best placed on top of your usual pillow, so you keep the height and neck support you’re used to while gaining the ear relief. The V2 is designed as a standalone pillow, though it can also sit on top of a regular one if you prefer more loft.
Many people use it specifically because a normal pillow presses on a sore ear. It simply keeps pressure off the ear while you sleep — it isn’t a dressing or a medical device, so always follow your doctor’s or physio’s advice on caring for a healing or draining ear.
It’s designed to keep weight off the ear, which people find comfortable after a knock — but if you’ve had the ear drained, splinted or stitched, check with the clinician who treated you before relying on it, as they know your specific case.
We can’t claim it prevents or treats cauliflower ear — that comes down to protection during sport and proper medical care. What it does is remove the nightly pressure and friction of a flat pillow on the ear while you sleep.
Try it for yourself
The Original Pillow with a Hole comes with a refund guarantee. If you are not satisfied, return it to us within 14 days of receipt, in any condition, and we will refund you. (But we’re sure you’ll love it.)
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