Having the best pillow for your sleeping style can make all the difference in getting a good night's rest. Even if you sleep on the best mattress money can buy, it won't matter if you use a pillow that's not right for you.
Neck and back pain, breathing problems, and restlessness are common indicators that your current pillow may be failing you. But how do you find the right pillow?
We've put together a guide of the best pillows for all sleeping styles and budgets. This list features various types of fills, lofts, and fabrics at multiple price points so there's something for everyone. Whether you're a side, back, or stomach sleeper, this list will help point you towards a pillow that will give you your best sleep yet.
- Check out how to wash a pillow
- Here's how to clean a mattress
How to choose the best pillow
Your sleep style will largely determine which type of pillow you'll want to buy. Do you sleep on your side, back, or stomach? Maybe you're a combination sleeper - someone who switches positions throughout the night. With that in mind, there are three key criteria to be aware of when choosing a new pillow:
- Loft refers to the height thickness of the pillow. Side sleepers receive the most support from a high loft; while back and stomach sleepers are fine with a low loft.
- Firmness describes a pillow's give when weight is placed on it. Stomach sleepers are best suited for a soft pillow. Side sleepers should go for a firm pillow to align their back and neck. Back and combo sleepers will do well with a medium-firm pillow.
- Fill dictates loft and firmness, but there's more at stake here. For instance, if you regularly suffer from allergies, avoid down or feather pillows and opt instead for down alternatives created with synthetic materials.
We've done the hard work for you and pulled out each of these specs for all our top picks below, so that you can quickly and easily find the best pillows for your sleeping style.
The best pillows in 2021
The best-selling Coop Home Goods Original adjustable pillow is the answer for anyone who wants to create their ideal pillow without spending a premium. This medium-firm pillow is packed with cross-cut memory foam and microfiber that you can add or remove to achieve the perfect loft and density. (An extra half-pound bag of fill is included.) It also features a removable cover made from bamboo-derived viscose-rayon to help keep you cool at night.
For peace of mind, Coop Home Goods throws in a five-year warranty, plus a 100-night trial so you can decide whether or not it's right for you. Those are very nice perks to include with a mid-priced pillow.
It's rated 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 27,000 Amazon customers, while the score on Coop Home Goods' site shows 4.6 out of 5 stars from 13,000 user reviews. The company recommends its Original adjustable pillow for side sleepers, but it's received a lot of praise for being easy to adjust to support any sleep style.
Purple's top-of-the-line Harmony Pillow may not fit the conventional description of the best luxury pillow, but we say it's deserving of the distinction. Like the company's well-reviewed Purple mattress, the Purple Harmony pillow features the company's signature Purple Grid to provide tailored support for your head and neck. At the core of the pillow is Talalay latex, which is ventilated to enhance the airflow of the Purple Grid. All of that is enveloped by a moisture-wicking breeze mesh cover.
You can choose between a standard loft (6.5 inches) and a tall loft (7.5 inches). The standard loft is suited for back, stomach, and side sleepers with smaller frames. The tall loft is designed for average to large-framed side sleepers.
Purple shoppers rate the Harmony pillow 4.4 stars overall, with more than 5,000 of the 7,600 total reviews boasting 5 stars. Customers say it’s cooling and offers an equal amount of plushness and support. If that doesn't sound luxurious, we don't know what does.
The Utopia Bedding gusseted pillows prove you don't have to sacrifice quality when buying pillows on a budget. For less than $30, you can bring home a pair of these well-rated pillows. These plush down alternative pillows are stuffed with 950 to 1,250 grams of poly fiber fill. They feature a poly-cotton outer fabric and a two-inch quilted gusset edge in your choice of six colors if you opt to skip the pillow covers.
The Utopia Bedding gusseted pillows come vacuum-sealed and take up to 72 hours to fully expand. Once they fully puff up, they're a far cry from the flattened shape they arrive in.
These pillows are among Amazon's best sellers with 4.5 out of 5 stars from 41,000 customers. Sleepers of all styles praise the support, comfort, and longevity they offer. Between the stellar reviews and affordable price tag, you might as well give these Utopia Bedding pillows a try.
Copper bedding purportedly wicks away body heat and stops the growth of bacteria on your skin, among other benefits. If you're keen to try a copper-infused pillow to help keep you comfortable and fresh, look no further than Layla's best-selling Kapok pillow.
The outer cover of the pillow features a polyester/viscose blend with copper fibers woven in for cooling and antimicrobial properties. The inner fill is a blend of reactive memory foam and lightweight Kapok fibers. It yields a high loft ideal for most side sleepers but you can remove and adjust the fill to your liking.
The Layla Kapok pillow comes with a five-year warranty, but that's not all. Layla also includes a longer-than-average 120-night trial with a 100% money-back guarantee. However, with 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 2,000 reviews at Layla, you may not need to worry about making returns. Customers say the Layla Kapok pillow provides excellent neck support. Plus, its copper-woven outer cover is soft, cool, and adept at keeping allergens away.
If you suffer from sleep-related neck pain, you could benefit from an orthopedic pillow. The EPABO contoured memory foam pillow is an Amazon best-seller among neck and cervical pillows.
Unlike traditional pillows, this contoured pillow features a dip in the center to cradle your head and keep your neck, shoulders, and back aligned no matter your position. It's densely-packed with memory foam and includes a removable foam insert should the loft be too high. The pillow is ensconced in a hypoallergenic rayon and polyester case.
The standard pillow measures 21 inches with a 3.9-inch loft. You can also choose from two queen-size pillows with either a 4.6 or 4.8-inch height. The EPABO contoured memory foam pillow has 4.1 stars out of 5 from over 5,600 Amazon customer reviews. Happy sleepers say after a brief adjustment period, this pillow has helped improve their sleep quality and reduce neck pain. Best of all, it won't put a massive dent in your wallet, like most orthopedic pillows.
The Brooklinen down pillow is branded as the company's softest and fluffiest. However, don't expect to rest your head on a saggy bag of clusters. Brooklinen constructed its best-selling down pillow to provide support and plush comfort.
Choose from two sizes (standard or king) and three firmness levels: plus, mid-plush, and firm. The plush pillow is completely filled with down clusters and ideal for stomach sleepers. Meanwhile, side sleepers can either opt for the mid-plush pillow with equal parts feathers and down, or the firm pillow with a higher ratio of feathers to down.
Brooklinen offers an impressive 365-day return window, with shipping fees included plus a full refund. And if that's not enough, Brooklinen tacks on an additional one-year warranty beyond that.
This down pillow rated 4.7 out of 5 stars from over 1,800 Brooklinen customers. Many sleepers find it so comfortable that they boldly declare that it's the only pillow they'll ever need. Of course, with three levels of firmness, it's easy for shoppers to find the right Brooklinen down pillow for their needs.
If you want to enjoy the plushness of a down pillow but without the allergies and animal-sourced fill, check out Casper's most-popular Original Sleep down alternative pillow. It's filled with "billions" of hypoallergenic microfibers that make it as soft as most authentic down pillows.
Much like its best-selling mattresses, Casper's down alternative pillow is designed for people who shift positions in their sleep. Its soft outer layer and adaptive inner layer work together to keep you comfortable and supported with every movement. (By the way: both layers are machine-washable and dryable.)
Meanwhile, the pillow's two-inch gusset simultaneously provides stable neck alignment and keeps the fill evenly distributed. Its 100% cotton outer cover has a breathable percale weave to help you sleep cool.
The Casper Original Sleep down alternative pillow is rated 4.5 stars out of 5 from over 4,000 Amazon reviews. (It also has a 4-out-of-5 star rating from 7,000-plus Casper customers.) Satisfied sleepers find it comfortable, and several reviewers credit the pillow for relieving their neck pain.
If its high price tag doesn't cause you to break a sweat, the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Breeze dual cooling pillow could be a worthwhile investment for perpetually warm sleepers. Both sides of this cooling pillow feature a layer of Tempur-Breeze Gel, so you're guaranteed soothing comfort no matter how you flip it. It wouldn't be a Tempur-Pedic pillow without the brand's renowned Tempur material, a memory foam that adapts to your shape and provides pressure relief.
Although it lacks a trial period, the Tempur-Cloud Breeze dual cooling pillow comes with a five-year warranty, which covers repairs or replacements. This pillow is rated 4.4 stars out of 5 from over 2,100 Tempur-Pedic customers. (It also has 4.3 stars out of 5 from 1,600 Amazon shoppers.) Positive reviews say the Tempur-Pedic pillow is worth its high cost due to the superior quality of materials and craftsmanship. Some sleepers noted that the pillow may not remain cool to the touch all night, but it still does an excellent job of wicking the heat away.
Avocado is known for its line of organic, sustainable mattresses - which come with an impressive 25-year warranty, by the way. However, like other mattress companies Avocado also makes pillows. Its best-seller is the flagship Avocado Green pillow.
Made in California, the Avocado Green pillow is crafted from certified-organic and vegan materials. It's filled with latex shreds (upcycled from its mattresses) and Kapok fibers that can be adjusted to suit your preferences. The fill is housed in a cotton jersey liner, which is enveloped by a machine-washable quilted cotton cover.
The pillow comes in three sizes: standard, queen, and king. Every Avocado Green pillow includes a 100-night trial, 1-year warranty, and spare bag of organic fill. More than 4,000 Avocado customers have come together to rate the Avocado Green pillow 4.5 stars out of 5. Sleepers who suffer from allergies sing the Avocado pillow's praises as a comfortable, sustainable solution to achieving a good night's rest.
The best-selling pillow on Amazon right now is the Beckham Hotel Collection gel pillow. It boasts over 84,000 customer reviews, and over 60,000 of those testimonials rate it 5 stars. What's so special about the Beckham Hotel Collection pillow? It features a gel fiber fill that feels as plush as genuine down. Plus, it's dust mite, mold, and mildew-resistant so there's no need to worry about waking up to a mad sneezing fit.
A minor caveat is that you can only buy this pillow in pairs, but you can always reserve the second pillow for a guest room or a replacement down the line if you only want one. Another drawback is the lack of a warranty, but a 30-day money-back guarantee applies.
Given the thick, sturdy build of the Beckham Hotel Collection gel pillow, it's no surprise that many of its 5-star Amazon reviews come from side sleepers who find it supportive and comfortable. Satisfied shoppers also claim that this pillow holds its shape well, even with regular use.
