I've been suffering with perennial allergies for years now. Every morning I'd wake up and just have sneezing fits for the first hour of my day. It took me a loooong time to realize this may be a dust mite allergy. Once I did, I bought these and I don't sneeze in the morning anymore. It's amazing! They may be somewhat costly, but to me they're totally worth it.

I can't judge how effective this is at allergy protection, but it is a much nicer cover than the cheaper one I'd used for years. That one completely felt like plastic and was a bit slippery inside pillow cases. This one feels a lot nicer and is not at all slippery. I also don't experience the crunchiness or crinkling that other reviewers have noted.

That said, I did use a cheaper one for many years and it was fine. It didn't cause any functional problems (the pillows didn't actually slide out of the cases even though the covers were slippery). So I can't say this one is really necessary with respect to the feel of the fabric.

I am allergic to dust mites but I honestly can't tell if anti-allergen pillow covers make a difference for me. I suspect that any help they provide is offset by the lack of an anti-allergen cover on my comforter, and maybe also my mattress. Alas, covers for those are much more expensive and I haven't wanted to take the plunge.

I used to wake up most nights having a sneezing fit even after taking anti-histamines or nasal steroid sprays preemptively. I made this purchase being skeptical but desperate for any solution. My husband and I have noticed improvement in the quality of my sleep. Don't know if it's a direct correlation, but the timing is definitely right.

It keeps our pillows fresh and clean.

Soft fits like a silk sheet