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The Insider Pick:
A good pillow means a good night's sleep. We reviewed dozens of pillows to narrow down the choices to the ones you’ll love best. The Premium Adjustable Shredded Memory Foam Pillow from Coop Home Goods is our top pick. You’ll enjoy sweet dreams on this supremely comfortable pillow.
Back in the days of Ancient Egypt, a carved stone was considered a very comfortable and supportive pillow, but in today’s world, you’re probably looking for something a bit softer. Luckily, you’ve got a lot more to choose from than the people of ancient times.
There’s a nearly dizzying array of pillows on display in any bed ‘n bath shop, or on the virtual shelves of your favorite online home store. That can make it a bit difficult to choose the best pillow for your needs. Is memory foam best? How about down? Or maybe you’re confused about all the different shapes: standard, contour, bolster. Well, have no fear, because we’ve done the research for you.
While ultimately, there is no “best for everyone” pillow — personal preference plays a huge part in determining the pillow you’ll like the most — we checked out all the top recommendations from consumer buying websites, listened to what pillow buyers had to say, and even tried out some of the pillows ourselves to bring you the five picks most likely to send you off to the land of Nod comfortably. Here's what you need to know before we jump into the pillow fight.
Sorting out the different pillow fills
The main difference between types of pillows is their filling. While there are many specialty fills, the most common are the following six.
- Memory foam: Originally created by NASA to cushion astronauts during reentry to Earth’s atmosphere, today, memory foam is one of the most popular types of pillow. It’s very supportive, conforms to your head and neck, is naturally hypoallergenic, and is especially good for those suffering from neck, shoulder, or upper body pain and stiffness. On the downside, it tends to be hot and is heavy.
- Shredded memory foam: Take memory foam, shred it into small chunks, and you have a supportive, firm, and comfortable pillow filling without the heat and sweat of a traditional memory foam. Shredded memory foam molds and conforms to your body, but if you want it even more customized to your liking, it’s easy to push or pull into just the right loft and shape for your sleeping pleasure.
- Down: Real down has a luxurious, “sleeping on a cloud” fluffiness that some people love, and others hate. Down is very soft and lightweight, so it easily molds to the perfect loft and shape for your needs. It’s not very supportive, however, and tends to be expensive.
- Polyester: Polyester is the typical fill in budget pillows. It’s soft, lightweight, and machine-washable, but not exceptionally supportive or firm. Still, it’s a good middle ground between the softness of down and the firmness of memory foam.
- Buckwheat hulls: Buckwheat hull pillows are not nearly as popular in the United States as they are in Asia, but they definitely have their fan club. A buckwheat hull pillow feels a lot like a beanbag; the hulls move freely inside the pillow, allowing you to adjust the shape, loft, and firmness to your liking. This is one of the best pillow fills for those who “sleep hot,” as well. However, these pillows are heavy, and the hulls can make a rustling sound as you move.
- Latex: There are two kinds of people in this world: those who love latex pillows, and those who hate them. For those who love them, the firm support with a slightly bouncy feel provides superior sleep comfort. For those who hate them, the usual complaint is that the pillow is just too firm. Latex pillows are heavy and usually expensive, but also very durable, naturally antimicrobial, and not too hot.
Pillow shapes and sizes
Along with different pillow fills, there are also different pillow shapes. Some, such as shams and throw pillows, are purely decorative. Others, such as body pillows, neck bolsters, and various chiropractic designs are specialty pillows. For basic sleep, the following four are the most popular pillow shapes.
- Traditional: This is the basic, rectangular shape most people prefer. You’ll find three sizes: standard, queen, and king.
- Contour: These pillows have raised rounded edges to snugly support your neck and a “valley” for your head. Most are made of memory foam and are quite firm.
- Cervical: These pillows are shaped something like a cat bed: There’s a hollow in the center for your head, which is surrounded on all sides by higher neck rolls. Most are filled with polyester. Cervical pillows are a good choice for people with neck or spine pain and are often recommended by chiropractors.
- Bolster: Bolsters are cylindrical pillows mostly used for comfortable support of arms and legs during sleep, but some people use them as regular bed pillows. They gently support the neck without placing any pressure on the shoulders or back.
What’s your favorite sleeping position?
While just about everyone shifts position periodically during the night, generally, you’ll favor one sleep position over the rest. And when it comes to choosing the right pillow, your favorite sleep position plays a big role.
- Side sleepers: This is the most common sleep position and the most neutral one for your spine and neck. The right pillow for a side sleeper is lofty enough to fill the gap between neck and mattress and provides medium-firm to firm support. Any fill is suitable, as long as it’s the right loft for your body type.
- Stomach sleepers: This undeniably comfy sleep position is hard on your spine, forcing your neck to turn sharply to the side. If this is your favorite way to sleep, make it easier on your back with a pillow that is soft or has little loft. Buckwheat hulls or down pillows are the best choices for those who spend most of the night on their stomach.
- Back sleepers: If you like to sleep on your back, your perfect pillow has just enough loft to hold your head in alignment with your spine without craning your head forward or allowing it to drop back. A medium-firm density is best for this sleep position. Shredded memory foam, buckwheat hulls, or polyester are good fills for back sleepers.
To outfit your bedroom with the best of everything, check out our guides for the best sheets and the best mattresses.
SEE ALSO: The best sheets you can buy for your bed
DON'T MISS: The best mattresses you can buy
The best pillow overall
“Ahhh.” That’s the sigh of contentment you’ll utter as your weary head meets the Coop Home Goods Premium Adjustable Memory Foam Pillow. It's the number-one best-selling pillow on Amazon, and it's filled with shredded memory foam. You’ll get the support and comfortable “sinking in” sensation of a traditional memory foam pillow, but none of the excessive heat or firmness that can be a problem with solid foam.
What makes the Coop Home Goods pillow particularly wonderful is that it’s adjustable. You can unzip the inner pillow cover to add or remove foam until the pillow is just the way you like it. It’s also hypoallergenic and dust-mite resistant, so you won’t wake up sniffly or congested. When it’s time to clean the pillow, no problem — Just toss it in your washing machine and dryer. We recommend that you add another pillow or a blanket to balance the load, along with a couple of clean tennis balls to help fluff up the foam.
Coop Home Goods’ proprietary shredded memory foam is CertiPUR-US certified, meaning it’s guaranteed to be free of chemicals and toxins you really don’t want to sleep with, such as formaldehyde, lead, mercury, ozone depleters, PBDEs, phthalates, and TCEP flame retardants. Manufactured in California, the pillow has a 30-day guarantee, so if you don’t love it, you can return it with no questions asked.
Sleep Like the Dead found that 89 percent of buyers love the Coop Home Goods Premium Adjustable Shredded Memory Foam Pillow. In fact, it’s the highest-rated memory foam pillow on the site. That matches Amazon’s numbers, where out of an astounding 12,200+ reviews, 85 percent give the pillow four or more stars.
Hundreds of buyers call this the best pillow they’ve ever owned, praise its breathability and adjustability, and love the way it supports their neck and head. As one pleased reviewer wrote, “It’s like sleeping on an adjustable cloud.” The most common negative comments were in regard to the pillow’s odor, which can be strong initially, but fades away within a day or two.
The Premium Adjustable Memory Foam Pillow has a polyester/bamboo cover that is cool and comfortable for sleep, and it's easily removed for washing. Inside, there’s an interlock knit cover to contain the foam. Both covers have zippers so you can access the foam for easy adjustment.
Pros: Adjustable loft, very supportive and comfortable, not too hot
Cons: Some initial odor, you have to let it expand from vacuum-sealed packaging
The best down pillow
Why you'll love it: Down isn’t just for the birds — The Royal Hotel Goose Down Pillow is so feathery-soft, you’ll dream you’re sleeping in the clouds.
Some inferior down pillows are really stuffed mostly with feathers. That means you run the risk of being poked by a stray quill. Plus, feathers are not as soft and fluffy as down. The Royal Hotel Goose Down Pillow is filled with 100 percent goose down, which is much fluffier than less desirable duck down, so you’ll enjoy a luxuriously comfortable night of sleep.
Royal Hotel doesn’t skimp on the down, either. With a 750 fill power and 35-ounce fill weight, you’re getting lots of downy comfort in a very supportive pillow that isn’t too soft and isn’t too firm. Plus, the down is sanitized to remove allergens and bacteria, so you can enjoy the pillow even if you are usually allergic to feathers. The cover of the pillow is 100 percent cotton, with a 500-thread count, so it’s soft and smooth, but strong enough to contain the down.
Amazon buyers love this pillow, with 83 percent of the 400+ reviewers giving it four or more stars. Reviewers say, “these pillows are wonderfully full and hold their loft through the night,” “the best pillows ever,” and “very nice pillows, well-filled and they do not collapse under the weight of your head.” Many customers commented that the pillows were firmer than they expected, which might be good or bad depending on your preference.
Sleep Like the Dead also likes the Royal Hotel down pillows, reporting that 87 percent of surveyed customers were very pleased with their purchase.
For down pillows, the price is actually quite reasonable, but Royal Hotel only sells the pillows by the pair, making it a more expensive purchase overall.
Pros: High quality down, firm, comfortable support.
Cons: Only sold by the pair, may have a faint “feathery” smell at first
The best buckwheat hull pillow
Why you'll love it: No matter how you like your pillow, the Zen Chi Buckwheat Hull Pillow delivers and it keeps you cool while you sleep.
Confession: I’ve been sleeping on the twin Zen Chi Buckwheat Hull Pillow for several years now. In fact, I’ve gone through two of them. I’ve tried a lot of pillows over the years — memory foam, shredded memory foam, latex, polyester, and several specialty fills as well — but I have never stuck with any other type of pillow for as long as the buckwheat hulls.
I’m a restless sleeper and love the way I can squish the buckwheat hulls out flat to sleep comfortably on my stomach, and then bunch them up a few minutes later when I flip over to my side. Plus, as a “hot sleeper,” this is the best fill I’ve found to avoid the dreaded sweaty head wake up.
Zen Chi uses 100 percent organically grown buckwheat to fill its pillows and 100 percent cotton for the case. There’s a zipper, so you can actually adjust the fill of the pillow. Add more hulls for a firmer, loftier pillow, or remove some if you prefer a softer, flatter feel. And even if you leave the pillow as is, the beauty of a buckwheat hull pillow is its supreme adjustability. Because you can mold the pillow any way you like it, you can support your head, neck, and upper body for the most comfortable sleep.
Amazon users are very enthusiastic about the pillow. Out of the 600+ reviews for the queen size, 76 percent give it four stars or more. Many buyers commented that it took a couple of nights to get used to the pillow’s feel, but once they did, they loved the support and adjustability. Buckwheat hulls are definitely not soft, but thanks to the pillow’s beanbag feel, they don’t feel uncomfortably hard, either.
One reviewer wrote: “I thought it might be too hard on my ears, but it's not. I finally wake up without a crick in my neck, which was the case with every other pillow I've ever owned.” Many owners also praised the coolness of the pillow.
On the downside, the slight crinkly sound of the shifting hulls bothered some owners. This has never been an issue for me, however. Other customers complain about the pillow’s weight, and it is indeed very heavy. Still, the overall comfort outweighs the minor issues.
Pros: Stays cool, adjusts to any position, firm support
Cons: Heavy, noisy, some people find it too hard
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