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The Best Cooling Pillows to Avoid the Dreaded Night Sweats

Being hot headed has never been a good thing.

three white pillows Courtesy

By Tyler Chin

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Second to the mattress, a pillow is probably the most important thing to buy when it comes to your bedroom situation. Your precious head needs somewhere to lie every night, so yeah, we’ll put pillows above comforters or even bed sheets. But what about the folks who sleep hot? A non-cooling pillow can trap heat, and that leads to waking up in a pool of your own sweat. Not great. We found seven pillows that are actually good at keeping you cool at night, so you can have the chillest night of your life.

What to Look For in a Cooling Pillow

Material

Material matters when it comes to a pillow’s ability to keep you cool. Look for a pillow that has an outer cover that’s made of something like cotton or Tencel, which is derived from eucalyptus. Some pillows will have some sort of gel infusion, which further aids in its cooling abilities by drawing heat away from the body. Next, you have to look at fill. Solid memory foam is notorious for the way it traps heat, a downside to its supremely comfortable feel. Shredded memory foam is a better option, since it allows for better breathability, and down or down alternatives also combine comfort with natural coolness.

Cooling Abilities

Unless your pillow has a built-in air conditioner in it, your pillow isn’t actually “cooling.” At most, a cooling pillow will help pull heat away from your body while you sleep so you don’t have to be trapped with your own body heat. Some brands will incorporate gels, moisture-wicking materials or other gimmicks, all of which are designed to make your pillow feel cooler throughout the night.

The Best Cooling Pillows

Pros

  • Machine-washable outer cover
  • As soft or firm as you choose

Cons

  • Adjusting the memory foam can get messy
  • Only available in queen or king sizes

Our pick for the best overall pillow also happens to be our pick for the best overall cooling pillow. The adjustable Eden is filled with shredded memory foam, which gets an added boost of gel infusion to direct heat away from your head. The outer cover, which is machine washable, is made of breathable Lulltra, a trademarked breathable fabric that’s a blend of viscose and polyester. It’s easy to tailor the pillow to fit your sleeping preferences, and because Coop throws in an extra half-pound bag of fill, you can make this pillow as firm — or soft — as you’d like.

Casper Foam Pillow with Snow TechnologyCasper

Best Upgrade Cooling Pillow

Casper Foam Pillow with Snow Technology

Pros

  • Has a pleasant squishy feel that's soft and cushiony
  • Helps you stay cooler for longer

Cons

  • Expensive
  • The pillow is heavy

While memory foam is notorious for trapping heat, Casper’s foam pillow does the exact opposite. The bedding brand took its Snow Technology, once reserved for its mattresses, and applied it to its foam pillow. The Snow Technology pulls heat away from the body through HeatDelete bands housed inside the pillow. According to the brand, you’ll get 12 hours of cooler sleep thanks to its cooling pillow, and we found it did help us stay cooler in our sleep. However, we did not get to sleep for more than 12 hours to test the brand’s claim.

Pros

  • Easy to adjust
  • Breathable construction

Cons

  • Not machine washable

Marlow’s take on the adjustable pillow doesn’t utilize removable fill or adjustable layers — instead, it opts for a zipper. Its ingenious design allows you to adjust its firmness level by either zipping or unzipping it. Besides its comfort levels, the Marlow pillow is designed for cooler sleeping. The fill is made up of shredded gel-infused memory foam, and a mesh layer further helps with circulation to prevent overheating.

Sleep Number True Temp PillowSleep Number

Best Moisture-Wicking Cooling Pillow

Sleep Number True Temp Pillow

Pros

  • Unique technology keeps you comfortable throughout the night
  • Comfortable to sleep on

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Doesn't come in queen size

Sleep Number’s True Temp pillow uses a unique 37.5 Technology to help you stay cool at night. The technology uses a natural volcanic material, which in theory, should get you to your ideal body temperature: 37.5 degrees Celsius. The volcanic materials capture moisture as your body releases it and dispels it before heat and humidity can build up. The pillow is filled with fiberfill and foam for supreme comfort while being hypoallergenic for those who are sensitive to down. The True Temp pillow is available in three shapes: classic; contour, for side and back sleepers; and ultimate, which includes removable layers for custom comfort.

Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Breeze Dual Cooling PillowWayfair

Best Gel-Infused Cooling Pillow

Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Breeze Dual Cooling Pillow

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Backed by a five-year warranty

Cons

  • Not available in standard size
  • Expensive

When you get hot in the middle of the night, you might turn the pillow over to enjoy the “cool side” of the pillow. With Tempur-Pedic’s Tempur-Cloud Breeze Dual Cooling Pillow, both sides of the pillow are the “cool side.” The pillow features gel layers on either side, which will keep you cool while you sleep. The outer cover is machine washable for hygiene, and it’s backed by a five-year warranty. Plus, its adaptive material means the pillow will never lose its shape for constant comfort all the time.

Pros

  • Made of a cooling fabric
  • Comfortable
  • Fully machine washable

Cons

  • The blue color can come through if your pillowcase is sheer

SlumberCloud utilized a NASA-designed fabric and turned it into cooling bedding. We love the brand’s lightweight comforter, our top pick for the best cooling comforter, and its UltraCool pillow is also a winner. The temperature-regulating pillow staves off heat while being filled with fiberfill, a down alternative that’s both supportive and breathable. You can even throw the whole pillow into the washing machine.

A product called the “Cool Zzz” better be good at keeping you cool while you sleep. The Company Store’s pillow combines numerous cooling technologies to ensure you sleep comfortably. The cotton sateen outer is prime at wicking away moisture, and a liner in the pillow helps to absorb excess body heat. The polyfill is breathable and offers the comfort of down or down alternatives. All of these factors help to contribute to the pillow’s overall temperature-regulating abilities.

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