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Pillows are just as important as mattresses when it comes to your sleep quality. But just as with a mattress, there is no one-size-fits-all pillow, and so much depends on personal preference (do you want to sink into a pile of down feathers, or would you rather be propped up on a slab of latex?) as well as sleeping style, which sleep experts and chiropractors say should inform your pick.
If you’re a side sleeper, for example, you’ll need a more supportive pillow with a higher loft, to account for the width of your shoulders and to keep your head from sinking down too far (which can cause neck pain). If you run warm, you’ll also need a pillow that won’t make you overheat; according to Dr. Janet Kennedy, clinical psychologist and founder of NYC Sleep Doctor, the temperature of your head regulates your core body temperature, and your body needs to be cool to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Because there’s no single “best” pillow out there, we spoke with Kennedy and four more sleep experts about the pillows they recommend and how to shop for one that meets your needs. I’ve also asked Strategist writers and editors to test pillows designed to suit their individual preferences and sleeping styles, and to describe in detail what it’s like to actually sleep on them. As the editor who oversees our sleep coverage, I’ve included myself in that group, too, even if the stack of extra pillows in the corner of my bedroom isn’t the most aesthetic décor choice.
If you already know what kind of pillow you’re looking for, you can use the table of contents to jump ahead, or read through each one of our picks — pillows, it turns out, are actually interesting! You can also find more specific advice — like a pillow to help with neck pain or a pregnancy pillow to support every trimester and beyond — in our numerous pillow guides.
What we’re looking for
Fill type
What’s inside your pillow directly translates to how soft or firm it is and how supportive it is. Polyester fiberfill, memory foam, latex, and down are among the most common fill types. Less common fill types include buckwheat hull and kapok (a silky, bouncy fiber that comes from the seed pods of the kapok tree).
You can narrow your options based on factors like your sleeping position, health concerns, and personal choice. If you are navigating pain management, responsive memory foam or latex that can provide consistent support may be a better choice than softer down or down-alternative pillows. If you want a pillow that is eco-friendly or vegan, you’ll want to look beyond memory-foam and feather-filled pillows to seek out plant-based fill types.
No matter your preferred fill, the experts we spoke to agree that you should never skimp on quality materials. “There is nothing worse than your head hanging off at a weird angle because the pillow is too thin! Also, for something you place your head on for hours, it is important that there are no toxic chemicals emitted from it, as you’d be breathing that in,” says Sofia Axelrod, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and author of How Babies Sleep: The Gentle, Science-Based Method to Help Your Baby Sleep. Dr. Dennis Colonello, a Beverly Hills–based chiropractor who works with the Los Angeles Clippers, echoes those thoughts: “I am not a fan of petroleum-based pillows like memory-foam fill for individuals who have autoimmune disorders or sensitive immune systems, as these materials can out-gas.”
The fill material also plays a role in the overall maintenance of your pillow. Memory foam, for example, typically can’t be tossed in the wash, but often comes with a removable and machine-washable cover. In contrast, some fiberfill pillows can be fully washed and dried like the rest of your laundry. Alanna McGinn, founder and CEO of Good Night Sleep Site, shares the gross fact that pillows can double in weight after about two years thanks to the buildup of allergens and dust mites, so thinking about how often you’re willing to replace your pillows and how you might be able to clean them is important.
Loft
“The loft of a pillow refers to its height when laying flat — a pillow with a low loft is a thinner pillow, while a pillow with a high loft will be thicker,” explains Colonello. The basic rule of thumb for pillow loft is that side sleepers should use a fluffier pillow with a higher loft that brings their head into alignment with their neck and spine. Back sleepers should opt for a medium loft pillow to “reduce the gap between the mattress and the bottom of your head where the spine starts,” explains Amanda Kruel, VP of innovation merchandising at Mattress Firm, who also says stomach sleepers should avoid full and fluffy pillows in favor of those with a thinner, lower profile.
Keep in mind that body size can be another factor in your pillow choice: If you’re a side sleeper with very broad shoulders, you’ll need a higher-loft pillow than side sleepers with narrower shoulders, to raise your head enough that it stays in line with your neck.
Firmness and support
Aside from actual comfort, the firmness of your pillow should match your sleeping position to ensure the right amount of support for your head and neck. According to Colonello, back sleepers and side sleepers should use a firmer pillow to ensure enough support for their head, and stomach sleepers should go for a softer pillow. “By using a softer pillow, your head will be closer to the mattress, keeping the integrity of your neck’s natural alignment,” Colonello says.
Best pillow overall
Fill type: Cross-cut memory-foam and microfiber blend | Loft: Adjustable | Firmness: Adjustable | Care instructions: Machine-washable cover
The Coop Original is our pick for the best pillow overall because you can adjust the amount of fill to suit your exact sleeping style, making it a flexible option for any type of sleeper — even those who aren’t quite sure what they want. Side sleepers can use the bonus bag of filling included to create a higher loft, while back and stomach sleepers can remove some to lower their head into the ideal alignment. The hypoallergenic fill is a blend of 80 percent memory foam and 20 percent microfiber, and it’s contained by two zippered covers: an inner one that actually holds the filling and a quilted outer one that you can easily remove and throw in the wash. If you open up the inner cover to look at the fill, you’ll find the shards of foam almost connected by clingy wisps of microfiber; it kind of reminds me of the stretchy, melty cheese on a hot slice of pizza. These foam clusters are simultaneously squishy and somewhat dense, and they’re cross-cut rather than shredded, which is supposed to prevent clumping and improve circulation inside your pillow.
I purchased two of the Coop Original pillows in the summer of 2018, before I ever worked at the Strategist, while experiencing some intense neck pain and feeling desperate for relief. They were a huge upgrade from a pair of too-flat pillows that my husband and I were sleeping on at the time, and helped to ease my aches after a few weeks. We still have them, and my husband, a side sleeper, still uses his nightly; I’ve come to realize while testing pillows for the Strategist that as a combination back and side sleeper, I generally prefer a softer, airier pillow, and even after removing some filling from the Coop, it’s a bit too dense for me. With that said, I stand by it as a versatile pillow that will work for a variety of sleepers. It has a “classic memory foam” feel, squishy and supportive. And though the foam inside has yellowed a bit over the last five years, as foam tends to do, it’s kept its springiness.
I personally run cold, but Strategist junior writer Brenley Goertzen tested this pillow for over six months and says it doesn’t hold onto much heat — an important feature for sweaty sleepers like herself. The pillow is available in queen and king sizes and touts CertiPUR-US and Greenguard Gold certifications for its foam fill, which you can buy more of in medium-firm or firm densities for further customization.
Best (less expensive) pillow overall
Fill type: Down-alternative gel | Loft: Medium | Firmness: Medium | Care instructions: Machine-washable cover
If $75 is more than you’d like to spend on a pillow — or if you’re looking for an airier, non-memory-foam fill — these Beckham Hotel Collection pillows are a good and more affordable alternative. They are sold in a two-pack for $60, though you can often find them on sale for even less, and they are plush and pleasantly bouncy thanks to their cushy down-alternative fill. I actually prefer the feel of these pillows over our top-pick Coop pillows because they are on the softer, fluffier side, which is my personal preference for pillows as a combination back and side sleeper. I even like them enough that after initially buying a pair for myself, I purchased a second pair for my kids’ room. Though the fill level and loft are not adjustable, so you can’t customize them like the Coop pillows, I find they are still lofty and supportive enough that they don’t get too sinky or flat. And the price is pretty unbeatable for what you get.
Strategist writer Arielle Avila also owns these pillows. Typically a stomach and side sleeper, she says their plushness is comfortable while offering enough support in either position. Avila also runs warm, and says the Beckham Hotel pillows “feel nice and cool when I first get in bed, and I don’t wake up as sweaty as before.” The pillows come in two sizes, queen and king, and they can be conveniently machine-washed and tumble-dried. They also have a growing fan club of Strategist readers and have been one of our top-selling pillows for years.
Best pillow for side sleepers
Fill type: 75% latex, 25% polyester fiberfill | Loft: Adjustable | Firmness: Adjustable | Care instructions: Machine-washable cover
A majority of people prefer to sleep on their side, and Colonello recommends the Eli & Elm side-sleeper pillow for this position. Its defining feature is a U-shaped cutout that promotes better spinal alignment, he says, by taking making room for your shoulder and taking stress off your neck while supporting your head.
Goertzen, a stomach and side sleeper, tested this pillow and liked the way it molded around her shoulder and compressed under her head, noting that its latex-and-fiberfill blend returns to its original shape faster than memory foam. Like the Coop pillow above, you can add or remove fill to customize the loft of the pillow, making it firmer or less firm. The filling is encased in a liner protected by a machine-washable exterior cover, and the brand also sells a cotton pillowcase that will fit the cutout perfectly (and which you can bundle with the pillow at the time of purchase).
Best pillow for back sleepers
Fill type: Hyper-elastic polymer, latex, polyester knit | Loft: Low, medium, or high | Firmness: Medium | Care instructions: Machine-washable cover
Built with the same materials as Purple’s mattresses, the breathable outer mesh sleeve of the Purple Harmony pillow is lined with the brand’s proprietary gel grid and filled with a single slab of perforated latex to make the pillow supportive and bouncy without feeling overly firm or too soft. This makes it well suited for back sleepers who need strong-enough support to keep their neck and head aligned with their spine, without flattening out through the night. The Purple Harmony also comes in three different loft heights: low, medium, and high. For back sleepers, we recommend opting for the low or medium loft, depending on your body size, so you can avoid lifting your head too high.
This pillow has a light, cool-to-the-touch feel, and as a warm sleeper, former Strategist writer Latifah Miles felt when testing the Harmony pillow that she slept cooler on this one versus others she’s tried. While you can see and feel the honeycomb-patterned gel grid on the outside of the pillow, it flexes and responds to the movement of your head, so it doesn’t feel disruptive at all. The pillow comes in two sizes, standard and king, and has a machine-washable cover.
Best pillow for combination sleepers
Fill type: Single piece of memory-foam fill | Loft: Medium | Firmness: Medium | Care instructions: Machine-washable cover
If you’re a combination sleeper, Tempur-Pedic’s Tempur-Cloud pillow is a favorite of Colonello’s for its responsive, single-piece foam construction that is covered with a removable hypoallergenic cover. Made of the same foam as the brand’s well-known mattresses, the pillow conforms and adapts to your head’s shape to evenly distribute weight and avoid putting too much stress on your neck, back, or shoulders no matter what position you sleep in.
A stomach and side sleeper, Goertzen tested this one and says that, right out of the box, it offered the distinct feel of memory foam, but is much softer than others she’s owned in the category. And unlike pillows with down or down-alternative fill, the Tempur-Cloud’s interior compresses slowly and lets her head sink deeper, which almost immediately resulted in less achiness in her upper back.
Best pillow for stomach sleepers
Fill type: Gel-infused memory foam with perforation for airflow | Loft: Low- to medium-loft | Firmness: Medium-firm | Care instructions: Machine-washable cover
According to Kennedy, back and stomach sleepers need thinner pillows to support their head “without wrenching the neck,” calling out stomach sleeping in particular as “pretty hard on the neck and lower back.” Bluewave Bedding’s memory foam pillow caters to that need. It’s available in three lofts — super-slim (3.25 inches), ultra-slim (2.75 inches), and hyper-slim (2.25 inches). The gel-infused memory foam interior has a medium firmness for consistent support, and it’s perforated to promote airflow. Strategist senior editor Crystal Martin found the Bluewave after sleeping on thicker pillows that threw her neck out of whack. She’s a back sleeper who says the Bluewave’s low profile “supports my neck enough, so it’s not dipping too far back”; stomach sleepers should go for the even lower-profile hyperslim version to keep their neck in alignment while they’re asleep on their belly.
Best pillow for neck support
Fill type: Polyester microfiber fill | Loft: Mid-loft or low-loft | Firmness: Medium-firm | Care instructions: Machine-washable cover
Both Colonello and Kennedy described the ideal pillow for neck support as firm and supportive yet cushioned and responsive. While that may sound contradictory, the Casper Original pillow boasts a pillow-within-a-pillow design that layers a cushioned exterior over a firm and sturdy interior. A two-inch gusset around the perimeter of the pillow adds extra support and keeps the microfiber fill evenly distributed to avoid bunching.
Goertzen is a longtime fan of this pillow and says she’s turned several family members into Casper-pillow converts. She says the core is supportive and maintains its shape, so it doesn’t need to be re-fluffed in the morning; at the same time, the outside is ultra-plush and moldable if you prefer to scrunch or hug your pillow during sleep. (Although the firmness is technically not adjustable, you could remove the interior pillow and use it on its own.) Goertzen, who originally bought the standard size but has since upgraded to the king, also likes that the zippered cover, which is 100 percent cotton, doesn’t feel lumpy after multiple washes. And if you purchase through Amazon or the brand’s website, you can buy a single pillow or save a few bucks per pillow by purchasing a two-pack.
Best pillow for people with allergies
Fill type: Hypoallergenic polyester fiberfill | Loft: Medium-to-low-loft | Firmness: Medium | Care instructions: Machine washable, tumble dry on low
For years, Strategist deals editor Sam Daly slept on these cloudlike pillows from AllerEase whenever she visited her mom’s house — but this past spring, Daly says she finally caved and purchased one for herself.
With hypoallergenic fiberfill and a 100 percent woven-cotton cover, this pillow is designed to reduce dust and other household allergens that can collect inside pillows — and Daly says it has indeed helped alleviate her nagging dust-mite-allergy symptoms, such as morning sniffles and nasal congestion. As a side (and occasionally stomach) sleeper, Daly also says she likes that the interior feels plusher compared to memory foam; however, the softness doesn’t sacrifice support, so she’s able to comfortably prop herself up while reading. Available in standard and king sizes, the entire pillow can be machine-washed in warm water and dried on low.
Best memory-foam pillow
Fill type: Single piece of foam fill | Loft: Medium | Firmness: Medium | Care instructions: Machine-washable cover
Memory foam pillows are a popular choice for both back and side sleepers. “They help you stay comfortable because they mold to your individual shape and allow your shoulder, neck, and head to rest in a natural position,” explains McGinn, who says that people who suffer from neck pain, upper-back pain, or degenerative conditions can also benefit from memory foam. Tuft & Needle’s pillow has a layered construction with a core of springy, adaptive foam covered by heat-wicking graphite and a removable machine-washable cover. It is available in two sizes, standard and king.
Best adjustable pillow
Fill type: Chopped memory-foam and microfiber fill blend | Loft: Adjustable | Firmness: Adjustable | Care instructions: Spot clean
Available in standard and king sizes, the Marlow pillow’s firmness and loft can be easily and quickly adjusted by unzipping one or both sides of the pillow: For a plusher feel, unzip both sides. For a medium-firm feel, unzip one side. And for a firmer feel, keep both sides of the pillow zipped. The pillow is at its highest loft when both sides are unzipped and at its lowest when both sides are closed up. The zipper takes the place of removing or adding filling, and when I tried it for myself, I liked that the pillow was so quick and convenient to adjust. Not only do you not have to physically handle clumps of memory foam and fiberfill, as with our top-pick Coop Original pillow, but you don’t have deal with storing any filling that you aren’t using. The trade-off is that you can’t get quite as customized of a result, but for many people, the convenience will outweigh that limitation. The Marlow is similar in feel to the Coop Original pillow thanks to its memory-foam-and-microfiber fill — I’d rank it as more dense and less fluffy, even at its plushest “setting,” with both sides unzipped. (Because I prefer softer pillows, I almost always used the pillow in that configuration.) The Marlow is very supportive, though, and it’s hard to overlook the ease of adjusting it, which is an especially useful feature for combination sleepers who frequently change sleep positions.
Best body pillow
Fill type: Cross-cut memory foam and microfiber | Loft: Adjustable | Firmness: Adjustable | Care instructions: Machine-washable cover
With the same adjustability and cross-cut memory foam and microfiber fill as our best overall pick, Coop’s Maternity Body Pillow is made to bend, fold, and move to provide support wherever you need it. While it is marketed as a maternity pillow, the straight, cylindrical bolster design makes it useful through all stages of life. As a body-pillow enthusiast, Miles always sleeps with one, and highlighted the Coop in particular for its adjustability (it’s rated as medium-firm by default, but if you’d like a softer or firmer pillow, you can remove some of the filling or buy more to make it firmer) and length. Miles is five-foot-ten and says the 60-inch-long pillow is long enough to wrap her leg around or fold into whatever configuration feels comfortable. The cover is machine washable, and while the brand suggests just washing the cover, if needed you can wash the entire pillow in a commercial-size machine (like at the laundromat).
Best shredded latex pillow
Fill type: Shredded latex | Loft: Medium or high | Firmness: Soft | Care instructions: Machine-washable cover
Filled with hypoallergenic and eco-friendly natural latex, the Saatva latex pillow is Colonello’s runner-up for a lofty side-sleeper pillow. Latex is known for its bouncy responsiveness, and Miles found that the weighty shredded latex inside the Saatva pillow delivers a buoyant feel that doesn’t flatten out, even if she used it as a small body pillow behind her torso, knees, and hips. Compared to the Purple pillow that also contains latex — albeit in slab, not shredded, form — the Saatva is not as springy and falls more on the softer, cushiony end of the spectrum. (This difference in feel is also due in part to the gel grid on the Purple pillow.) The latex fill doesn’t trap heat and is naturally dust-mite- and mildew-resistant. The pillow comes in queen and king size and two loft heights, “standard” and “high.” Saatva recommends the standard loft for back and stomach sleepers and the higher loft for side and combination sleepers.
Best one-piece latex pillow
Fill type: Latex | Loft: Four loft heights | Firmness: Soft, medium, or firm | Care instructions: Spot clean only
The Oxygen Pillow is also made of ecofriendly natural latex — but unlike the shredded latex of the Saatva, it has a slab construction with a semi-hollow center that makes it uniquely springy, breathable, and buoyant. The three-layer structure is built like a sandwich, where the pieces of bread on the top and the bottom are slabs of perforated latex, and the filling in the center is a rectangle of the same latex, but with a cutout in the center like a picture frame. (You can see a photo here.)
The Oxygen Pillow comes in three firmness options and four loft heights, for a total of 12 different combinations — the brand even publishes a size guide to help you choose the best pillow for your body size and preferred sleep position. The loft height is determined by the thickness of the middle layer of latex, and because of the cutout in the center, the pillow can cradle your head while the perimeter offers extra neck support and alignment.
I’ve tried a few combinations of the Oxygen pillow. As a back and side sleeper who’s quite short, at five-foot-two, my favorite one is the soft density with a 1-loft height (the brand’s four loft heights are rated as 0, 1, 1.5, and 2; the soft density with a 2-loft height was high for me when sleeping on my back). The latex is supportive without feeling too firm, and the slabs can’t bunch up or shift. And because I often find memory-foam to be too solid and dense, I like that the springiness of the latex and the center cutout of the middle layer helps the Oxygen pillow feel like the soft and fluffy pillows I prefer while offering more structured support.
Best down pillow
Fill type: 85% down, 15% down + feather fibers fill | Loft: Medium loft | Firmness: Soft, medium, or firm | Care instructions: Dry-clean only
Down pillows are known for their fluffiness. Parachute’s down pillows are filled with European white down, and you can choose from three firmness levels — just note that the pillows get more expensive as you go up in firmness because they contain more fill. The pillows are available in standard and king sizes, and the brand recommends this classic model if you are a back or stomach sleeper. It also sells a different down pillow that is designed for side sleepers (though with no choice of firmness level).
Best down-alternative pillow
Fill type: Microfiber fill | Loft: Medium loft | Firmness: Soft | Care instructions: Spot-clean or dry-clean only
If you are vegan, allergic to down, or just don’t like the idea of sleeping on a feather-stuffed pillow, down-alternative pillows can provide the same luxe comfort but with synthetic materials. Brooklinen’s down-alternative pillow is hypoallergenic and made of recycled plastic bottles. With a plush feel designed to accommodate a variety of sleep styles, the pillow comes in standard, king, and a square Euro size and can be spot-cleaned or dry-cleaned as needed.
Best over-the-head pillow
Fill type: Vegan-down fill | Loft: Adjustable | Firmness: Adjustable | Care instructions: Machine-washable cover
Beloved by actor and director Natalie Morales, comedian and podcaster Whitney Cummings, and actor Emma Roberts — all of whom have told us this specialty “over-the-head” pillow is something they can’t live without — the Sleep Crown is designed to lay over your forehead, eyes, and ears and provide gentle pressure while blocking light and muffling sound. (There’s also a travel-size version that comes with a bag and a clip for attaching it to your luggage.) Intrigued by its celebrity endorsements, I had to try it for myself, and although my first impression was that the Sleep Crown felt like an expensive adult Squishmallow, after sleeping with it for just a few weeks, I was hooked by the pillow’s vegan-down fill.
I don’t think I’ve ever tried a pillow that is so supremely flexible and moldable. I’ve now been using the Sleep Crown for over a year and I stand by the Squishmallow comparison, though the pillow is a lot floppier than those popular, tween-beloved plushies. It has come to be one of my absolute favorite pieces of bedding, and I actually use it in a variety of ways — sometimes I sleep with it as “intended” by laying it fully over my eyes, or just over my forehead. But it has such a pleasing texture that I also like using it smushed under one side of my head and around the back of my neck (especially if I’m lying in bed and doing the thing you’re not supposed to do by endlessly scrolling my phone late at night). And even though I’m an “easy” sleeper who doesn’t usually need a sleep mask or earplugs as long as I have my trusty sound machine, I love that the Sleep Crown pillow functions like a mini weighted blanket for my face and can block out light and noise without having anything strapped to my head or inside my ears.
The pillow’s fill is adjustable, making its weight customizable. And the cover (which is typically available in white, black, or pink-and-white stripes) is made of machine-washable, naturally cooling organic bamboo jersey, with extra covers available in a handful of additional colors. If it weren’t for the Sleep Crown’s price and the difficulty of actually getting your hands on one — restocks tend to sell out quick, but the company is good about posting future on-sale dates — I’d buy a whole pile of them.
[Editor’s note: The Sleep Crown Classic is currently sold out, but the next restock is scheduled for February 5.]
Some more pillows we’ve written about
Our experts
• Arielle Avila, Strategist writer
• Sofia Axelrod, neuroscientist and author of How Babies Sleep: The Gentle, Science-Based Method to Help Your Baby Sleep
• Dr. Dennis Colonello, celebrity and professional-athlete chiropractor at Peak Wellness
• Sam Daly, Strategist deals editor
• Brenley Goertzen, Strategist junior writer
• Dr. Janet Kennedy, clinical psychologist and founder of NYC Sleep Doctor
• Amanda Kruel, VP of innovation merchandising at Mattress Firm
• Crystal Martin, Strategist senior editor
• Alanna McGinn, founder and CEO of Good Night Sleep Site
• Jen Trolio, Strategist senior editor
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