The 14 Best Pillows to Sleep Better Tonight and Every Night

No feeling is more satisfying than laying your head on your pillow for a good night’s rest. The problem with rounding up a bunch of the “best pillows” is that not everyone will love the same kind of pillow. Your pillow preference will depend on more factors than we can count. Whether you’re a side sleeper, back sleeper or stomach sleeper or something in between will dictate the best pillow for you so you don’t wake up with a sore neck. Softness and firmness levels also play an important part in choosing the right pillow for you. Some would prefer their heads sink in like quicksand, while others would prefer to sleep on something more brick-like.

From crowd-pleasing adjustable pillows to ones that are just really comfortable to sleep on no matter your sleep habits, these are our picks for the best pillows.

What Makes a Good Pillow

Materials

Like a mattress, a pillow can be crafted of any combination of materials. And depending on how you sleep will dictate which pillow material is best for you. Here are some common pillow materials to know:

Polyfoam: A cheaper and often lower quality material compared to memory foam. The material almost always comes shredded, which means you might find yourself having to constantly fluff and reposition your pillow.

Memory foam: Offered either whole or shredded, memory foam is soft, conforming to the head and neck of the person sleeping on it. Memory foam is notorious for trapping heat, so manufacturers may add a cooling agent to it to help hot sleepers.

Down: Down is constructed of the feathers from the undercoat of geese and ducks. They’re soft but don’t provide as much support as other pillow materials, and it can be bad for those who suffer from allergies or asthma.

Down alternative: Down alternative offers the same pros and cons of down, but it’s hypoallergenic and vegan. Down alternatives are also cheaper than down, but they’re not as fluffy or durable.

Latex: Latex is a conforming fabric that offers excellent head and neck support while being naturally breathable. On the downside, latex pillows trend on the pricier side, and some people may have a latex allergy.

Firmness

Everyone has a preference for pillow firmness, whether they want something super firm, like sleeping on a brick, or extra soft, like lying on a cloud. The firmer the pillow, the better the support, which makes firm pillows good for side sleepers. Softer pillows offer less support and sink in under pressure, making these pillows good for stomach sleepers. Back sleepers might like something between firm and soft.

Sleep Position

Arguably the most important factor in choosing a pillow is figuring out what your sleep position is: whether it’s the position you just need to get into to actually drift to sleep, to the position you end up waking in most nights. Those personal choices will help you pick a pillow’s firmness and also loft, or how low or tall the pillow is.

The Best Pillows

Coop Sleep Goods

Best Overall Pillow

Coop Home Goods Eden Pillow

• $96.00 at coophomegoods.com

Adjustable pillows are the future of all pillows. They’re practically a one-size-fits-all option for someone who literally has no idea what kind of pillow they want. Coop’s Eden is one of the best on the market. The pillow is filled with shredded memory foam that you can remove or add (a pillow comes with a half-pound of the stuff) until you hit your desired firmness. Out of the box, the Eden is plush and thick, so adding more of the additional shredded memory foam feels like it could be a bit overkill (and it might make it hard to stuff the pillow into a pillowcase). Because the memory foam is shredded, it allows it to better contour to your head for a more tailored fit. The outer cover, derived from bamboo, is cool and breathable, as well as machine washable.

Purple

Best Splurge Pillow

The Purple Harmony Pillow

• $143.00 at Purple
  $179.00 (20% off)

Purple’s Harmony Pillow has the brand’s signature grid and a little more bounce than the OG Purple Pillow. Our tester says its on the softer side and may take some getting used to, but he’s been sleeping on it for over three years and the pillow has yet to lose its shape. It offers three height options, each suited for different sleeping positions. Our tester also appreciates how cooling this pillow is, saying it is lightweight, breathable and moisture-wicking. And although it’s an investment with an adjustment period, we think this pillow is worth sticking with because it will last you a long time.

Returns

Best Budget Pillow

Marlow Pillow

• $0.00 at marlowpillow.com

Adjustable pillows will either opt for removable shredded fill or adjustable layers. For Marlow, adjustability comes in the form of a zipper. Marlow, which is actually a separate Brooklinen brand, makes an adjustable pillow, which is adjustable through a zipper: Want it firmer? Keep it fully zipped. Like it a bit plush? Unzip the zipper. The outer layer of the pillow is made of sateen cotton, and the pillow’s fill is designed to increase breathability, while a mesh layer further prevents overheating.

Pluto Pillow

Best Custom Pillow

Pluto Pillow

• $125.00 at plutopillow.com

Pluto is literally made for you. No, really — you fill out a quiz on the website, and Pluto will run your answers through an algorithm to build a pillow with your specifications in mind. Depending on what you answer, the pillow will vary in height, density and cooling properties. While most pillows will let you choose from maybe one or two options from your pillow, Pluto offers over 35 variations, surely to meet your fickle sleeping needs. And if Pluto doesn’t nail the pillow on the first try, you have 100 days to let them remake it.

Sleep Number

Best Adjustable Pillow

Sleep Number Ultimate Comfortfit Pillow

• $100.00 at Sleep Number

A $140 pillow is something to balk at until you realize it offers some of the best sleep you’ve ever had. Many adjustable-fill pillows give you the option to remove shredded memory foam straight out of the pillow. The Sleep Number Ultimate Comfortfit pillow instead uses three layers of sealed fill, which takes away the mess associated with other adjustable pillows. Our tester notes that “with the addition of down alternative complementing the shredded foam, the pillow is softer than [his] previous pillow, which used shredded foam exclusively.” He found it to be soft and supportive, and recommended it for those who don’t know what kind of pillow they want. As Sleep Number recommends, use one to two inserts if you’re a stomach sleeper, and two to three inserts if you’re a back or slide sleeper.

Slumber Cloud

Best Affordable Cooling Pillow

SlumberCloud UltraCool Pillow

• $69.00 at Slumber Cloud

It’s no coincidence that SlumberCloud makes one of the best cooling comforters and cooling pillows out there. Although the pillow itself has a simple design with down-alternative fiber fill, the outer shell made with NASA-approved fabric is what gives it its ultra-cooling qualities. I’ve owned this pillow for about a year and a half now, and I’d say its cooling capabilities live up to the hype. Even with a pillowcase on, the pillow is so cool it’s almost cold — on chillier nights I’ve had to switch to another pillow to stay warm. The only downside is the fill seems to clump up and deflate over time, at least in the soft/medium firmness I have, making it better suited for those who don’t mind a flatter, softer pillow.

Casper

Best Splurge Cooling Pillow

Casper Foam Pillow with Snow Technology – Low Loft

• $125.00 at Casper
  $139.00 (10% off)

Our tester says this cooling pillow from Casper has the plushness and support of the brand’s foam pillow with the added bonus of a cooling outer layer. The pillow features HeatDelete Bands, which help to temperature-regulate by directing heat away from your body. She notes that the pillow is great for stomach and side sleepers, and it’s also easy to shop for in-person or online. The extra cooling tech will cost you $50 more than the normal pillow, but if you’re a hot sleeper it’s definitely worth a try.

Authenticity50

Best Made-in-the-US Pillow

Authenticity50 Custom Comfort Pillow

• $99.00 at authenticity50.com

Authenticity50 is one of our favorite sleep brands, and not just because its products are made in the US. The Custom Comfort pillows, named because they’re adjustable with shredded memory foam and microfiber, are comfortable to sleep on and offer great head and neck support. We like that the outer cover is washable, and there’s an inner liner to contain all of the fill so you can wash your pillow often, something you really should be doing more often. These pillows are always coming in and out of stock because of their popularity, so be sure to scoop some up before they’re sold out again.

Purple

Best Pillow for Neck Pain

Purple Pillow

• $100.00 at Purple
  $134.00 (25% off)

Like its innovative mattresses, Purple’s pillow utilizes the same funky gridded interior — in fact, it’s basically a 3-inch, 10-pound slab of it. Although on the pricier end, our tester thinks the pillow is well worth the money. He’s had the pillow for three years, during which it hasn’t lost its shape. The pillow also helps alleviate his neck pain by supporting his head, relieving the pressure from his neck and adapting as he tosses and turns during the night. The grid also allows for great circulation, making the pillow cool and breathable.

Purple’s pillow also includes “boosters,” which sleepers can insert into the outer cover to get the perfect height for them, turning it into a more side sleeper-friendly option. One thing our tester made an effort to point out is the pillow is a bit heavy, making it a dangerous weapon in a pillow fight.

Pillow Cube

Best Pillow For Side Sleepers

Pillow Cube Pro

• $100.00 at pillowcube.com
  $130.00 (23% off)

The Pillow Cube Pro is super jarring: It’s literally just a brick. But the shape of the Pillow Cube Pro makes it an excellent pillow for those who sleep exclusively on their side. The pillow fills the space between the head and the shoulder when the sleeper is on their side, allowing for proper spine and neck alignment. (Also, if you sleep with a partner, their arm can easily slide underneath the gap so there’s no numb arms at night.) Our reviewer notes the pillow is hard to get used to, but if you really just can’t sleep in any other position than on your side, this might be the right pillow for you. Finding out which height pillow might be the key to unlocking your perfect pillow, and Pillow Cube offers free exchanges so you can get the right one for you.

Avocado

Best Environmentally Friendly Pillow

Avocado Green Pillow

• $109.00 at Avocado

Avocado’s whole brand ethos is about being green, so it makes sense its pillows are equally eco-friendly whether they’re organic or sustainably sourced. Another adjustable option, the Green pillow uses shredded latex ribbons and kapok fiber, a down alternative that’s softer, lighter and hypoallergenic. The interior is a bit messier than other adjustable pillows because it’s quite fibrous, but as a stuffing, it feels remarkable.

lbs

Best Body Pillow

Pluto Puff

• $110.00 at plutopillow.com
  $125.00 (12% off)

It may be stating the obvious, but body pillows aren’t just for pregnant women. Whether you want to bolster the other pillows on your bed or have an extra to hug during the night, this body pillow from Pluto, the maker of the custom pillows above, is the way to go. I’ve been sleeping on this pillow for over a year, and it is just as soft and comfortable as it was the day I got it. It conveniently comes with a cover, and the pillow itself is machine washable.

Nest Bedding

Best Pillow for Back Sleepers

Nest Bedding The Easy Breather Pillow

• $75.00 at nestbedding.com
  $107.00 (30% off)

Like the Coop Eden pillow, Nest Bedding’s The Easy Breather is filled with shredded memory foam, which makes it great in all the same reasons the Eden is great. From its CertiPUR-US-certified foam fill to its eco-friendly Tencel blended cover, the pillow wants to be as good for the earth as it is for your sleep. While most pillows come in just standard, queen, and king sizes, Nest Bedding makes its pillow available in an additional junior and side sleeper sizes, the latter of which is notched in the center to accommodate your shoulder.

Wavy

Best Fully Washable Pillow

Wavy Swell Pillow

• $79.00 at sleepwavy.com

Wavy is a new type of pillow that’s made of a gridded memory foam that’s — get this — completely machine washable. While we praise pillows that offer outer covers that are machine washable, you can throw Wavy into the washer and dryer, making it one of the cleanest pillows we could find. The memory foam is porous that lets air completely flow through — for breathability — and water — for machine washability. Wavy is a medium firmness pillow, which was our tester’s preferred firmness level. She praised the pillow’s support and lack of sinkage, as well as its ability to mold to her head. Her only qualm was the pillow’s smell out of the box, which took a couple days to dissipate. (Wavy also sells laundry detergents, which can also be used as shampoos or body washes, meant to infuse its pillows with calming aromas.)

Related Topics