best travel pillow uk for side sleepers

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The best travel pillows for taking on a long flight

By Lauren Burvill and Charley Ward

If you travel regularly you’ve probably learnt to spot the difference between a frequent flyer and a rookie – the most obvious tell-tale sign being a bulky travel pillow, typically carried by an inexperienced flyer, hanging from a backpack or being worn around the back of their neck before they even get on the plane. Many of us are guilty of buying one of these beanbag worms from the airport duty-free shop, only to realise that they’re more trouble than they’re actually worth.

Do a little research though – as we’ve done for you here – and you might be pleasantly surprised to find that the humble travel pillow has upped its game recently. Specialised brands like  trtl  and  BCozzy  have entered the market, while neck pillows that range in shape and materials have popped up on Amazon.

So which ones are actually worth taking on a flight ? We asked our frequent flying editors to test out the most reviewed styles.

The best travel pillow to buy in 2023 at a glance

• Best overall: Cabeau Evolution S3 Travel Pillow
• Best for neck support: Trtl travel pillow
• Best for side sleepers: BCozzy neck pillow and Travelrest pillow
• Best for price: Ecosafeter portable travel pillow
• Best lie flat pillow: Mini Snoooze travel pillow

How we tested the best travel pillows

Every travel neck pillow on this list has been independently tested and reviewed in our office by our editors Charley Ward and Lauren Burvill . Each pillow is then passed on to a member of the wider team to take with them on a flight to further test when travelling. When testing, we look for quality, design features and value for money, as well as overall function and visual appeal.

What are the different types of travel pillow?

There’s a variety of shapes on offer, so think about your personal needs and preferences before making your choice. The main kinds are:

• Memory foam travel pillows. These mould to your body in a way that’s far superior to the traditional beanbag styles on offer at the airport. Cabeau Evolution and Kierain do these very well, and Ecosafeter’s version also has a slight hump at the back to help relax your spine.
• Body slings. These styles are great for side sleepers, offering full upper body support that you can lean against while you drift off. Travelrest’s inflatable travel pillow is our favourite, which can be worn cross-body or to your side to create a firmer separation between yourself and your neighbour. Dot & Dot does a similar version that can be twisted however suits, so you can use it around your neck, shoulders or even tucked below your lower back, helping to ease whichever area is most achey.
• Wraparound neck pillows. These twist around the neck like a scarf, offering double the support of U-shaped designs. They also tend to be cosier as a result. Bcozzy’s has a flat back, to help you keep a better posture, while Huzi’s infinity neck pillow is comfy, soft and scrunchy, allowing you to bunch it up where it suits best.
• Neck supports. Travel brand Trtl has been upping the ante lately. The brand's signature fleecy wraparound scarf cleverly hides an internal neck and chin support structure that keeps your neck in the optimum upright sleeping position, even in the middle seat or aisle seat. There’s now an adjustable version, as well, providing extra support for those on the taller side. They come with a carry bag that attaches to your rucksack.
• Mini classic pillows . Perfect for adding a bit more comfort when sitting in first or business class seats – and when in your hotel room too. Snoooze does our favourite, which is 100% machine washable and rolls up into a carry bag just 30 by 11cm, so it’ll tuck nicely in your hand luggage when not in use.

See below for our full take on each of the best travel neck pillows available to buy now.

Cabeau Evolution's S3 travel pillow

Best travel pillow for: overall comfort

If you're looking for a basic does-the-job travel pillow, the one below from Kierain is the ideal buy. But if you're looking for a step above in terms of design and comfort, or suffer from neck or back pain, Cabeau's pillow is the best we've tested so far. The memory foam style has considered everything, from an adjustable toggle clasp to secure the pillow comfortably around your neck, to a handy side pocket – ideal for storing headphones or earplugs. What really sets this pillow apart from the rest though are the velcro straps at the back, designed to loop around a plane seat's headrest, helping to keep your head upright and take any pressure off your neck.

Why we like it:  “I tested this pillow when I flew to Mexico City. The foam in it is extremely comfortable, but what I love most is that the back of the pillow is flat, so you can sit right up against your seat, unlike the typical travel pillow styles which tend to be round and tilt your neck down slightly. The straps are a great idea, but if you're short it might not be possible to secure to the headrest, so keep that in mind. It also comes in a sleek cylindrical bag that, when clipped onto your carry-on luggage , you’d never even know there was a travel pillow inside." Sarah Allard, digital editor

Kierain’s travel pillow

Best travel pillow for: overall value

Kierain has one of the top-rated and best selling  travel pillows on Amazon , and it’s easy to see why. A step above the standard microbead styles, this travel pillow is 100 per cent memory foam with a soft velour cover, plus has an easy-to-use snap closure, making it simple to secure and stay in place.

Why we like it:  “The bag it comes in is surprisingly small (about the size of a small wash bag), so it hardly takes up any room in your  carry on luggage , which is a real plus. The best part though is the plush and squidgy memory foam. I often find the traditional neck pillows too stiff and constricting, but this one was soft while still giving good support.” Sarah James, deputy digital editor

trtl's original pillow

Best travel pillow for: neck support

Less a pillow and more a supportive wrap for your neck, this unique design from trtl is ideal if you're short on space and weight in your carry-on luggage – it weighs only 148 grams. The pillow is designed to look like a scarf and features a clever curved u-shaped neck support stand that sits under your jaw and is then secured in place by wrapping the fabric around your neck and connecting the velcro.

Why we like it:  “I often feel like most typical travel pillows are too bulky and hard to get comfortable on, so I was keen to try this style when I flew to Vancouver. It's perfect for keeping your neck upright and avoiding any of the nodding that can happen while asleep. I'll admit, it feels a little strange at first to put it on, but the hypoallergenic fleece is soft and warm. It's a great option not just for plane travel, but also long road trips or train journeys.” Sarah James, deputy digital editor

Trtl Travel Pillow Plus

Best travel pillow for: customised support for your exact requirements

CNT Editors , CN Traveller

Adam Turner , CN Traveller

Connor Sturges , CN Traveller

Olivia Morelli

Trtl has revamped its clever wrap-style neck pillow to accommodate people of all heights more comfortably. The latest iteration is adjustable, to better suit your particular requirements, and the pillow section itself has been given a high-density foam makeover. Trtl’s offering is a lot smaller than standard U-shaped pillows, and weighs a petite 225 grams, so it won’t take up precious space in your hand luggage – or you could use the included clip to attach it to your rucksack .

Why we like it: “I tried both the original and the revamped Trtl pillows on a flight to Japan, and this one definitely proved a more comfortable fit. It does take a bit of fiddling to get it to sit properly, and the fleece wrap is certainly cosy – even a bit too warm at points. Reviews are mixed online, but I think it’s worth taking the time to adjust it correctly as, once I did, it made for a far more comfortable experience than using standard U-shaped neck pillows. For long haul flights in coach, it’s certainly worth a try; I had no neck pain at all when I finally disembarked from the plane.” Charley Ward, commerce writer

Travelrest pillow

Best travel pillow for: upper body support

This clever across-body-sling pillow offers neck and head support while allowing you to truly relax and lean to one side to fall asleep. The pillow comes with a cord at the top that can be secured in place by looping over your seat’s headrest. You can wear the pillow on either side across your body, or down one side, creating more of a barrier between you and the person next to you. The pillow is inflatable too, so it takes up hardly any room in your luggage

Our verdict:  “This pillow came in handy on a flight to Australia. I really love the shape of this style, as it cradles not just your neck, but your whole upper body. Although I usually don’t like inflatable pillows, the rigidity of this style works to make you feel secure while sitting upright.” Lauren Burvill, commerce editor

Dot&Dot’s twist travel pillow

Best travel pillow for: flexibility

Made of memory foam, this twist style pillow can be bent and contoured to almost any shape. Its flexibility means it can be worn in several ways, from around the neck to under your head, shoulders or even lower back.

Why we like it:  “I often toss and turn a lot when trying to get to sleep, so I find I’m particularly wriggly when trying to get comfortable on a flight. This kind of flexible twist style of the pillow was perfect for me, as I was able to shape it to exactly where I needed it to be. I ended up settling with it half behind my neck and half under my chin, so I could lie on my side and get a couple of hours of precious sleep.” Lauren Burvill, commerce editor

Ostrichpillow Go Neck Pillow

Best travel pillow for: ergonomic design with a luxurious feel

Ostrichpillow has a number of interesting travel pillows (are you brave enough to try this napping aid ?), including a genius padded headband -come-eye mask that makes quickly grabbing some shut-eye while leaning against the window actually comfortable. The Go pillow, however, is the brand’s most traditional offering. It has a memory foam core with a velcro closure to ensure a snug fit, no matter the shape or size of your neck. It compresses down impressively small when stored in the included drawstring travel bag, making it easy to bring along in even the smallest cases. It has a removable and washable cover as well.

Why we like it: “It’s really, really soft, and satisfyingly squishy at the same time; the memory foam filling is clearly high-quality. In fact, out of all the travel pillows I’ve tried, this one feels the most luxurious when in use. It kept my neck at a good angle to avoid aches and pains – it was surprisingly supportive, in fact. It’s easy to adjust and I like that the cover can be slung straight in the washing machine, so it’s ready to go for your next trip.” Charley Ward, commerce writer

Ecosafeter’s portable travel pillow

Best travel pillow for: price

The Ecosafeter travel pillow is a memory foam style with a slight “hump” shape that’s designed to help relax the Cervical spine. The design is particularly great for sleeping upright, especially if you suffer from back or neck pain, with added neck support as well as a soft and flexible feel.

Why we like it:  “I find it super difficult to sleep upright, which is why I loved the high back and firm cushioned support on this pillow. I took it with me on an overbooked flight with a 2am takeoff and did manage to get some sleep, admittedly in and out, but that’s better than my usual long haul wide-eyed experience.” Sophie Knight, visuals editor

BCozzy's neck pillow

Best travel pillow for: side sleepers

Similar to the trtl pillow but padded with soft microfleece and covered with microsuede, BCozzy's wrap-around design offers plenty of flexibility in terms of how you wear it. The pillow comes in two sizes and when wrapped around the neck offers double the support for your head, neck and chin. The real standout of this design is the flat back, which is not only great for maintaining a healthy posture but also means you can fold the pillow in half and wear it on one side.

Why we like it:  “Even on a plane, I'm a side sleeper. My go-to way to snooze is angling the side headrest as far as it can go so I can rest my head in the corner. Headrests can be very hit-and-miss on planes though, so being able to fold the BCozzy pillow in half is ideal as it can prop my neck and chin up on one side without feeling too suffocating." Lauren Burvill, commerce editor

Huzi infinity pillow

Best for: warmth

This squishy infinity-style pillow is all about the soft and breathable bamboo fabric it’s made from. Coming in one large loop, the pillow is worn by wrapping around the neck twice and adjusting and scrunching accordingly depending on the level of comfort you’re looking for.

Our verdict:  “I’d say this pillow is less about neck support and more about soft and cosy scarf–meets–pillow hybrid. It feels like a sleeping bag for your neck, ideal if you get cold easily and are looking for something that’s more snuggly rather than stiff.” Lauren Burvill, commerce editor

Snoooze travel pillow

Best travel pillow for:  lying flat

One for not just the plane but also the hotel, this flat pillow from Snoooze is particularly suited to business or first class passengers flying in a flatbed. Danish designer Ann Sjogreen Sanger worked with scientists, sleep experts and leading UK manufacturers to create the two travel pillows – a full size and mini option. Both are machine washable, come with a soft 100 per cent cotton pillow case and roll up into compact travel bags – the mini fits into a cylindrical bag that’s 30cm by 11cm.

Why we like it:  “This pillow feels surprisingly full and thick compared to how compact it can be stored. I always struggle with hotel pillows (they’re often too big and fluffy), but the Snoooze feels firm yet squidgy and helped me get proper deep sleep during a hotel stay in Greece recently. I tested the full size, but think the mini can do the same job if you’re short on carry-on space or would prefer to use a flat pillow to get some sleep in economy.”

Lifeventure inflatable travel pillow

Best travel pillow for: space-saving

You won’t find any bells and whistles with Lifeventure’s inflatable travel pillow, but at £12.99, the price is hard to beat for your standard u-shaped travel pillow. It packs down into a remarkably bijou carrying case and weighs in at just 54 grams. A dual valve makes it easy to blow up very quickly – I inflated it by mouth in two minutes.

Why we like it: “I wasn’t convinced by the idea of an inflatable polyester travel pillow, especially not in comparison to some of the super-soft memory foam numbers I’ve tried (Ostrichpillow cinches it for me in the cosiness stakes). However, I was pleasantly surprised on test. The material is clearly good quality and it provides decent enough neck support when fully inflated. But really, the main plus point of this pillow is how compact and lightweight it is when deflated. It folds down smaller than your average purse. If you have back or neck issues, avoid this one. But if you’re off backpacking, or space in your bag is an especially hot commodity, then this pillow is the one to buy.” Charley Ward, commerce writer

Slip travel pillow

Best travel pillow for: fashionistas

Beauty aficionados will know that silk pillowcases are superior to cotton offerings for those seeking smoother, sleeker hair – studies have shown that its slippery, friction-free surface helps to both tackle frizz and reduce stress on delicate facial skin while you slumber. So why compromise when you’re on a plane? Luxury silk pillowcase brand Slip has used the same 22 momme long fibre mulberry silk for its travel pillow as it does its regular cases, along with a super-dense foam inner that secures around the neck with an adjustable strap for 360-degree support. It’s available to purchase separately or as a set with a matching silk eye mask for an extra cost (currently on sale ).

Why we like it:  “This is another unusual option – its vivacious appearance generated some comments in the office upon unboxing. It’s not one for wallflowers; it’s very colourful and one of the largest pillows (if not the largest) we’ve ever seen. Nobody’s going to miss you while you’re wearing it – and if you’re especially petite, it likely won’t suit. Nonetheless, the silky finish feels both luxurious and cooling when around the neck, which doesn’t go amiss on a stuffy aeroplane. The traditional U shape doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but for those seeking a little luxury on long haul flights, this is a welcome treat. Be warned: this pillow isn’t going to squeeze into your suitcase, so bear that in mind, but it gives a high level of support and keeps your neck upright, so a good choice if this is the most comfortable position for you on a plane.” Charley Ward, commerce writer

Snugl travel pillow

Best travel pillow for: versatility

Snugl’s well-designed and thoughtful memory foam travel pillow is available in three sizes to ensure you get the best fit (taking a different approach to Trtl, with its adjustable number above). It’s made from quality, hypoallergenic memory foam with a removable washable cover. There are a selection of colours to choose from, and there’s a carabiner clip to attach the travel bag to your suitcase.

Why we like it: “Don’t be fooled by the chunky appearance – this Snugl pillow packs down into an impressively small bag. It toes the line well between portability and being robust enough to ensure a lack of neck ache when you disembark the plane; this really impressed. But what we like the most is how adjustable it is. There are two straps to secure it around your neck to your preferred tightness, and it’s been created to comfortably sit around your neck in either a conventional, reversed, forward facing or shoulder-facing arrangement to accommodate your sleeping style – a real plus for me as a side-sleeper.” Charley Ward, commerce writer

The Best Travel Pillows for Long-Haul Flights

By Lauren Burvill

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

If you travel regularly you’ve probably learnt to spot the difference between a frequent flier and a rookie—the most obvious tell-tale sign being a bulky travel pillow, typically carried by an inexperienced flier, hanging from a backpack or being worn (wrongly) around the back of their neck before they even get on the plane. Many of us are guilty of buying one of these beanbag worms from the airport duty-free shop, only to realize that they’re more trouble than they’re actually worth.

Do a little research though—as we’ve done for you here— and you might be pleasantly surprised to find that the humble travel pillow has upped its game recently. Specialized brands like  Trtl  and  BCozzy  have entered the market, while pillows that range in shape and materials have popped up on Amazon.

So which ones are actually worth taking on a flight ? We asked our frequent flying editors to test out the most reviewed styles.

How we choose the best travel pillows

Every pillow on this list has been independently tested and reviewed by our editors. When testing, we consider quality, price, unique design features, as well as overall function and visual appeal.

Our top picks:

• Best overall travel pillow: Cabeau Evolution S3 travel pillow
• Best for neck support: Trtl travel pillow
• Best for side sleepers: BCozzy neck pillow
• Best budget buy: Dot & Dot Twist memory foam travel pillow

Best travel pillow for: overall comfort

If you're looking for an upgrade to a basic does-the-job travel pillow or suffer from neck or back pain, Cabeau's Evolution S3 travel pillow is the best we've tested so far. The memory foam style has considered everything, from an adjustable toggle clasp to secure the pillow comfortably around your neck, to a handy side pocket—ideal for storing headphones or earplugs. What really sets this pillow apart from the rest are the velcro straps on the back, designed to loop around a plane seat's headrest, helping to keep your head upright and take any pressure off your neck.

Why we love it:  “The foam in this pillow is extremely comfortable, but what I love most is that the back of the pillow is flat, so you can sit right up against your seat, unlike the typical travel pillow styles which tend to be round and tilt your neck down slightly. The straps are a great idea, but if you're short it might not be possible to secure to the headrest, so keep that in mind. It also comes in a sleek cylindrical bag that, when clipped onto your carry-on , you’d never even know there was a travel pillow inside." — Sarah Allard , digital editor, Condè Nast Traveller UK

Best travel pillow for: neck support

Less a pillow and more a supportive wrap for your neck, this unique design from Trtl is ideal if you're short on space and weight in your carry-on luggage—it weighs only 4.5 ounces. The pillow is designed to look like a scarf and features a clever curved U-shaped neck support stand that sits under your jaw and is then secured in place by wrapping the fabric around your neck and connecting the velcro.

Why we love it:  “I often feel like most typical travel pillows are too bulky and hard to get comfortably on, so I was keen to try this style. It's perfect for keeping your neck upright and avoiding any of the nodding that can happen while asleep. I'll admit, it feels a little strange at first to put it on, but the hypoallergenic fleece is soft and warm. It's a great option not just for plane travel, but also long road trips or train journeys.” — Sarah James , deputy digital editor, Condè Nast Traveller UK

Best travel pillow for: upper body support

This clever crossbody-sling pillow offers neck and head support while allowing you to truly relax and lean to one side to fall asleep. The pillow comes with a cord at the top that can be secured in place by looping over your seat’s headrest. You can wear the pillow on either side across your body, or down one side, creating more of a barrier between you and the person next to you. The pillow is inflatable, too, so it takes up hardly any room in your luggage.

Why we love it:  “I really love the shape of this pillow, as it cradles not just your neck, but your whole upper body. Although I usually don’t like inflatable pillows, the rigidity of this style works to make you feel secure while sitting upright.” — Lauren Burvill , senior commerce editor, Condè Nast Traveller UK

Best travel pillow for: red-eye flights

More than just a neck pillow, the Pluto Pod boasts a lightly structured and padded hood, as well as a pull-down eye mask. Do you resemble a bobble-headed, 1950s-style alien when you wear it? Yes, you do. Is it, by far, one of the best travel pillows we've tested? Absolutely.

Why we love it : “The pillow has helped me cut down on my sleeping tools. With the Pod, I can eschew ear plugs and an eye mask because the padded hood dampens noise and the flip-down eye mask blocks almost all light. Sleeping with one is like being inside a mini sensory deprivation tank, except you don’t have to worry about getting wet.” — Juliet Izon , contributor

Read a full review here .

Best travel pillow for: flexibility

Made of memory foam, this twist style pillow can be bent and contoured to almost any shape. Its flexibility means it can be worn in several ways, from around the neck to under your head, shoulders, or even lower back.

Why we love it:  “I often toss and turn a lot when trying to get to sleep, so I find I’m particularly wriggly when trying to get comfortable on a flight. This kind of flexible twist style of the pillow was perfect for me, as I was able to shape it to exactly where I needed it to be. I ended up settling with it half behind my neck and half under my chin, so I could lie on my side and get a couple of hours of precious sleep.” —L.B.

Best travel pillow for: side sleepers

Similar to the Trtl pillow but padded with soft microfleece and covered with microsuede, BCozzy's wrap-around design offers plenty of flexibility in terms of how you wear it. The pillow comes in two sizes and when wrapped around the neck offers double the support for your head, neck, and chin. The real standout of this design is the flat back, which is not only great for maintaining a healthy posture, but also means you can fold the pillow in half and wear it on one side.

Why we love it:  “Even on a plane, I'm a side sleeper. My go-to way to snooze is angling the side headrest as far as it can go so I can rest my head in the corner. Headrests can be very hit-and-miss on planes though, so being able to fold the BCozzy pillow in half is ideal as it can prop my neck and chin up on one side without it feeling too suffocating.” —L.B.

Best for: warmth

This squishy infinity-style pillow is all about the soft and breathable bamboo fabric it’s made from. Coming in one large loop, the pillow is worn by wrapping around the neck twice and adjusting and scrunching accordingly depending on the level of comfort you’re looking for.

Why we love it:  “I’d say this pillow is less about neck support and more about soft and cozy scarf–meets–pillow hybrid. It feels like a sleeping bag for your neck—ideal if you get cold easily and are looking for something that’s more snuggly rather than stiff.” —L.B.

Best travel pillow for : Versatility

Slip this microbead-filled cap over your head and you’ll completely redefine the experience of sleeping on the go. From the outside, the wacky-shaped headpiece may feel a tad like a Teletubbies costume, but once you pull your head through the 27.5-inch opening, any place you find yourself in—no matter how bright or how loud—can turn into a sleep zone.

Why we love it: “And there’s no right or wrong way to use it: On a plane, use it to lean against the wall of the window seat, lie head down on the tray table of the middle seat, or tilt backward on the headrest of the seat.” — Rachel Chang , contributor

This article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller UK .

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Our Favorite Pillows for a Restful Night’s Sleep

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more . Please also consider subscribing to WIRED

Our Overall Favorite Casper Hybrid Snow Pillow (Standard) Read more

Best for Side Sleepers Honeydew Sleep The Scrumptious Side Pillow Read more

Best for Chaotic Sleepers Bedgear Flow Cuddle Curve Pullow Read more

Best Under $100 Snuggle-Pedic Adjustable Cooling Pillow Read more

Finding the best pillow for your needs can be an agonizing ordeal. Get something that's too firm, too soft, or just not quite right for your head and you can wake up with a lot of pain the next day. Never fear, WIRED is here. We've tested nearly a dozen pillows, using each one for several weeks if not longer to get a sense of how comfortable they are, how well they hold up to repeated use, and what sleeping style they’re best suited for. These are our top picks, but there are an innumerable number of pillows out there. We'll update this guide as we test more. All of the prices below are for the queen-size version unless otherwise specified.

If you want to get even better sleep, check out our Best Mattresses , Best Organic Mattresses , Best Sheets , Best Bed Frames , and Best Weighted Blankets guides.

Update March 2024: We've added the Purple Freeform Pillow, Purple DreamLayer Pillow, Snuggle-Pedic Adjustable Cooling Pillow, and Parallel High Profile Pillow. We've also added more detail about what to look for in a pillow, and a section about pillowcases.

Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off) . This includes unlimited access to WIRED. com , full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.

You might think a pillow is a pillow. It just has to be soft and fit under your head, right? Your head, neck, and back disagree. Getting a good night’s sleep can depend heavily on your pillow, so when choosing one, here are a few key questions to ask.

What kind of sleeper are you? Do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? Do you stay relatively still, or do you toss and turn a lot? Do you usually have one pillow under your head, or do you cocoon yourself into a pillow chrysalis? This is probably the most important thing to keep in mind when deciding what type of pillow works best for you.

What is the pillow made of? Pillows can be filled with a variety of materials. Down and synthetic down are fluffy clusters of fiber that can feel soft and comfortable, whereas memory foam is designed to compress with the weight of your head but still return to its previous shape. There are also hybrid pillows that use multiple layers of different materials for a more structured feel.

How firm is it? However you sleep, you'll want a pillow that keeps your spine straight and your head aligned with your back. That means you want something firm enough to support your head yet soft enough that it doesn't dig into your face or skull.

How lofty is it? “Loft” is a term often used to describe how high off the bed the pillow keeps your head. If a pillow is too tall, for example, you might end up with your neck tilted upward, straining it throughout the night. Most pillows typically fall into one of three categories: Low Loft, which is relatively short and ideal for back sleepers; high loft, which is better for side sleepers (since your head will be further off the bed than when you're on your back); and medium loft, which is somewhere in the middle and best if you're a combination sleeper who doesn't stick to one particular sleep style.

What is the pillow’s warranty and return policy? You might not think the pillow you sleep (and sweat and drool) on would have a robust warranty, but many pillow manufacturers offer generous policies. For example, Purple offers a 1-year warranty and even a 100-night trial period. Casper has a similar warranty and a 30-day trial. If you're unsure whether your new pillow is right for you, check out the company's policies to see what leeway you have to try before you commit—and make sure you’re protected if something goes wrong.

Our Overall Favorite

Unless you’re looking for specialty support, it’s hard to do better than Casper’s hybrid pillow. Like hybrid mattresses , it has a multilayered design with a foam core, which provides solid neck support, sandwiched between layers of soft memory fiber. When I first held it, the pillow felt flimsy and folded easily—I was worried it would be too soft and squishy to provide any real support. But I was surprised at how supportive it was. After a couple of nights, it became my go-to pillow.

Casper claims this pillow can “stay cooler” for up to 12 hours. That’s vague enough to be difficult to quantify, but it was one of the cooler pillows I tried in my testing process. Even in Texas summers, I didn’t find myself flipping the pillow much at all during the night. This one is often discounted to $113 at Amazon, so try to catch it on sale.

Best for Side Sleepers

This pillow from Honeydew is one of the best side-sleeper pillows I've tried. WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu and his wife have also been sleeping on it for more than a year and have nothing but great things to say as well. The queen-size version is 27 inches wide and 15 inches long at the tips, but with an upward curve toward the middle. The copper-infused foam fill is firm and stays cool throughout the night. You'll want to grab a few pillowcases since it's hard to find third-party cases that fit perfectly.

I’ve used a smaller side pillow for many years, and this one is a little wider and firmer than the one I’m used to. It’s got plenty of space for two people to cuddle together and have both of their heads supported. Alternatively, you can hug it similar to a body pillow, and one of the curved tips fits neatly underneath your head. It’s a versatile option for people who can’t decide on just one way to sleep on their side. Julian, who is also a stomach sleeper, says he likes it for that sleeping position too as he tucks the tips around his neck for a swaddling effect.

Best for Chaotic Sleepers

I like the idea of a side-sleeper pillow that has a curve in it so it can fit around my shoulder. The problem is, I don't just sleep on my side. I roll over on my back and flip onto my stomach, occasionally half my body goes in one direction, while the other half goes in another. For people like me, the Flow Cuddle Curve pillow from Bedgear is one of the more versatile options out there.

Like other side-sleeper pillows, it has a small curve on one side to accommodate a shoulder, but it's otherwise similar in shape to most standard pillows. Flip it around and you might not even notice it's not a typical rectangle. It has a washable cover, and air vents covered with breathable mesh help it stay cool throughout the night. Rather than typical standard/queen/king pillow sizes, Bedgear uses a sizing system tailored to your gender, shirt size, and typical sleeping position. Check the size chart before choosing a size. Thankfully all sizes of the Flow Cuddle Curve cost the same.

Best Under $100

Sticking to a budget with a pillow can be a trade-off between back pain, neck pain, and wallet pain. But WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe swears by this adjustable cooling pillow from Snuggle-Pedic. It comes in two variations—one has adjustable shredded memory foam for $57, and the other is the same pillow without the extra memory foam fill for $37. The former lets you add (or remove) the fill to optimize the pillow's firmness to your taste.

The outer pillow protector is machine-washable, and the pillow fill is easy to fluff to get that perfect cushy feeling. Louryn has slept on this pillow for four years—which also speaks to its long-term durability—and likes it so much that when she accidentally left it in a hotel, she immediately overnighted another so she wouldn't have to go a single night without it.

Juliane Bergmann

Kathy Gilsinan

Julian Chokkattu

Best Organic Pillow (and Customizable)

One of the biggest challenges with finding the perfect pillow is getting the firmness level right. Too much filling and it feels like resting on a rock. Too little, and you may as well not have a pillow at all. The Avocado Green Pillow is a great middle ground, because it comes with an extra bag of filling so you can get the firmness of your pillow just right (and have the option to change it later). Avocado makes our favorite organic mattress and this pillow's fill is made from GOLS-certified organic latex and GOTS-certified organic kapok. The quilted organic cotton cover is satisfyingly soft and stays cool for long enough to fall asleep without having to flip the pillow.

Best Cooling Pillow

Purple's distinctive cooling gel grid has made the company's mattresses popular , and the Freeform Pillow brings those benefits to your pillow. It has adjustable fill and includes a spare bag to store the excess fill material in case you want to add more later. I found the pillow a bit overstuffed when I first got it, but after removing a few handfuls (and a bit of fluffing to get the fill distributed evenly), I got it to a point where it had just enough support without exacerbating my already perpetual neck pain.

The real stand-out feature though is the honeycomb grid embedded in the outer cover. It keeps the surface of the pillow cool, so you don't have to flip it over quite as often throughout the night. If you, like me, are a bit of a hot sleeper, this can be the godsend you need to finally get a good night's sleep.

A More Affordable Pillow

Pillows are one of those things that can get weirdly expensive. But you don't have to shell out $100 or more for a solid place to rest your head. WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano has been using the memory foam GhostBed pillow since 2020—she slept on it while visiting with a friend and immediately bought one after returning home. It's medium-firm and works for her side-, back-, and stomach-sleeping rotation. GhostBed's claim of it being the "Coolest Pillow in the World” is exaggerated, but Medea sleeps hot and says the gel foam does stay cool all night.

Best Orthopedic Neck Pillow

If the shape of this pillow doesn’t throw you off, the price will. But let me explain! If you frequently wake up with a stiff neck because you sleep on it wrong, Kanuda’s unique pillow might be helpful. It has firm contours designed to support your neck while you're lying on your back, holding your head in position. What makes this pillow unique is that it also accommodates side sleepers, with extra contours designed to cradle the side of your face, while still nudging your head into proper alignment. I was surprised how much I could roll over without moving the pillow and still feel supported.

However, if you don't think you can stick to sleeping on either your side or back, this might not be a great option for you. Unlike other pillows, this one doesn't accommodate atypical sleeping positions—you won't want to clutch it in your arms or use it to support your legs, for example.

Best Travel Pillow

There’s no good place to rest your head on a plane or train, but when you need to sleep anyway, the Travelrest Nest pillow ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ) is our top recommendation. It uses sturdy memory foam so it doesn’t need to be inflated like many travel pillows, and it holds its shape remarkably well. WIRED reviewer Matt Jancer was able to use it to get a full seven hours of sleep on a long-haul flight, which is an achievement by any standard. The microfiber cloth is particularly soft, and it’s removable, so you can wash it without damaging the pillow itself.

Best for Combination Sleepers

The best pillow for side sleepers can be very different from the best pillow for back sleepers. But a lot of people (myself included) don't exclusively stick to one type of sleeping position or another. Fortunately, the Purple DreamLayer pillow provides an excellent middle ground. Rather than using adjustable fill to customize its height, this pillow comes with two foam inserts so you can get exactly the level of support you need.

The outer cover has a stretchy pocket that makes it easy to slide the inserts in and out, so adjusting the height isn't as complicated as pillows with adjustable fill. The pillow feels just the right amount of firm yet squishy thanks to the trademark Purple grid technology. The outer cover is machine-washable.

For Big and Tall Side Sleepers

Pillows made for side sleeping can fall short if you're over six feet tall or have broad shoulders. Finding a supportive pillow can be a challenge even when you're looking at the exact type of pillow made for your sleep style. That's where the Parallel High Profile Pillow comes in. This one has a generous 2.5 inches of extra loft, making it tall enough to keep even the highest heads propped up.

Internally, it's packed hypoallergenic fiber and gel fill that I found held its shape remarkably well. If you want a firm pillow, but don't want it to press too hard into your head, this is an excellent middle ground.

Other Good Pillows

This section is a mix of pillows we've deemed as good but not great, and there are a few we haven't tested long enough for a final verdict (but we like them so far). Take a look if the above picks aren't to your tastes.

• No More Aches Neck Pillow for $40: There's no shortage of novelty pillows, but as someone who experiences a lot of neck pain, I'm intrigued by this odd little pillow. It has a concave center for back, side, and stomach sleeping, plus an indented edge that perfectly fits your arm. I've only just gotten this one in and haven't slept a full night on it yet, but after trying it out for a quick nap and while using it to watch TV on the couch, I'm optimistic about it.
• Bedgear Storm Pillow for $189: This pillow from Bedgear is similar to the Bedgear Flow above but without the curve for side sleepers. If you 100 percent of the time sleep on your back, this might be a better fit, but I prefer the versatility of having one curved side and one straight side.

Pick a Good Pillowcase

Finding the right pillowcase is just as important as finding the right pillow. A good pillowcase is necessary to keep your pillow from absorbing all the sweat and oils from your face. It's the part of your pillow your face touches, so it should be as soft and comfortable as possible. Here are a few things to look for:

Material: You can get pillowcases in several materials including cotton, polyester, linen, and silk. As you'll see in our Best Sheets guide , silk is smooth, stays cool, and absorbs less moisture from your hair and skin, making it one of the best materials for a pillowcase, but it can be pricey. Cotton and polyester are usually cheaper, but they can feel rougher against the face.

Thread count: Like with sheets, the thread count —namely, how many threads are in one square inch of fabric—can impact how a pillowcase feels against your skin. Higher thread counts will feel smoother but also retain more heat. A typical thread count for pillowcases is between 100 and 200, with higher-end options pushing as high as 400. But don't feel like you have to overdo it. A higher thread count doesn't necessarily mean better, so you don't have to splurge on a 1,000-thread count pillowcase.

Size (and shape): A pillowcase that's too small will slide off in the middle of the night, and a case that's too big will leave you with a bunch of excess fabric flailing around loosely. Make sure to get a pillowcase that's the right size for your pillow. We also feature a few pillows with non-standard shapes, which sometimes require their own special pillowcases to fit comfortably, so if you're buying anything other than a rectangle, be sure to consider the shape too.

Lisa Wood Shapiro

Scott Gilbertson

Matt Jancer

Adrienne So

Nena Farrell

Louryn Strampe

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The 12 Best Travel Pillows of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Sleep and relax comfortably on the go with these top travel pillows

In This Article

Jump to a Section

• Our top picks
• Other Pillows We Liked

Our Testing Process

• Tips for Buying
• Why Trust T+L

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Travel + Leisure / Emily Johnson

Sitting upright for hours on end or sleeping on unfamiliar pillows can be incredibly uncomfortable, but a reliable travel pillow can make your trip a lot more tolerable. Whether embarking on a red-eye flight, going camping, or looking to get a good night's sleep in your hotel room, the best travel pillows will be comfy, supportive, and portable. 

We tested more than 40 travel pillows, looking at traits like comfort, durability, portability, and quality. We narrowed down the best options while using the accessory for road trips, long-haul flights, train rides, and even sleeping at home, making sure each option was comfortable for extended use. After catching some of the best Z's, we rounded up pillow choices for different types of travelers who are looking to get more rest on their future trips.

Best Overall

Infinity pillow travel pillow.

Infinity Pillow

The modular design of the pillow makes it easy to use to support the neck, chin, or back while sitting.

The cushioning is fairly soft, so the support isn't as stiff as memory foam.

Most travel pillows come in one shape and size, so we love that this one can contort in various ways to fit your needs. At nearly 40 inches long, the infinity design (yes, like the scarves worn in the early 2000s) can be wrapped once for less support or twice for the type of neck support found in traditional C-shaped pillows. We used the pillow during an all-day road trip and loved that we could wear it around the neck with a looser or tighter fit depending on how much neck support we wanted.

We also found that it's much easier to travel with the pillow since the closed ring shape makes it easy to wear around the neck instead of having to pack it away or risk it falling off. The bamboo fabric is extremely soft and breathable, so we never felt overheated or constricted, and the pillow is machine washable for easy upkeep after a trip. Our only note is that it's not a firm neck pillow like memory foam options, so it's not the most supportive if that's what you're looking for, but it still offers sufficient cushioning for keeping the neck upright. It also comes in a whopping 10 colors.

The Details: Bamboo, nylon | 39.3 x 6.6 inches | Machine washable

Travel + Leisure / Paige VandeWiele

Best With Seat Strap

Cabeau tne s3 travel pillow.

The seat strap system keeps the pillow in place to prevent it from slipping around or falling off.

It can feel stiff at first and takes some getting used to.

This soft and supportive travel pillow is the perfect accessory for long trips, whether you're in the car or in the air. The pillow itself can attach to any headrest with adjustable straps to prevent your head from sagging or falling into uncomfortable positions while sleeping. There's also an adjustable chin strap for added comfort and security. The pillow's exterior fabric is soft and cozy yet breathable so you don't feel too hot or constricted — though it can take some time to find your perfect position.

We also love that the pillow case is machine washable. We tested this pillow on a long international trip where it really got tossed around on planes, trains, and buses, so it felt great to wash the cover at the end of the trip, making it feel as good as new. Despite its fairly large size, the pillow is also quite portable as it rolls up into a compact carrying case that you can attach to a bag's exterior or slip into larger backpacks and totes.

The Details:  Polyester, microsuede, foam   | Machine washable | Carrying case included

Most Supportive

Ostrichpillow go neck pillow.

The pillow has an asymmetrical design that can accommodate neck, chin, and head support preferences.

It might warm your neck if you run hot while sleeping.

The Ostrich Pillow Go Neck Pillow feels like sleeping on a cloud. This travel pillow provided the perfect amount of neck support and comfort when we took it on a flight, allowing us to get more rest than usual. The plush memory foam filling and asymmetric design can be easily adjusted to support the neck, chin, or head with the taller or shorter sides. The materials appear high-quality and luxurious, and it is easy to roll the pillow up to fit inside its compact drawstring sack. The pillow held its shape after being in the bag for long periods of time, which leads us to believe that it will hold up well with prolonged use. The pillow cover is removable and machine washable, but we air dried it to ensure it didn’t shrink (and had no issues putting it back on the pillow). A must-have for those with higher budgets, this pillow allows for better sleep and more comfort on flights.

The Details: Viscosa, memory foam | 10.5 x 9.5 inches | Machine washable | Carrying case included

Travel + Leisure / Susan Brickell

Aeris Memory Foam Travel Pillow

It’s supportive and firm without feeling too stiff. 

This would be best for travelers who know they prefer a firm travel pillow.

We love the comfortable and supportive Aeris Memory Foam Travel Pillow for travelers that like a firmer neck pillow. The buckle strap adjusts accordingly to fit around your neck and offers 360-degree support on the chin, jaw, and back. We loved how you can lean back in the car or plane, and the back of the neck doesn't fall backward. In addition to having exceptional support, the Aeris travel pillow folds into a small ball and easily fits into the included circular carrying case that you can clip onto a backpack or suitcase without being a noticeable nuisance. The travel pillow also comes with earplugs and an eye mask, and features a frontal slip pocket that you can store them in. After a trip, you can unzip and remove the carrying case to machine wash it, although we recommend air drying it to prevent any possibility of shrinkage.

The Details: Velour, polyester, memory foam | 11.81 x 11.42 x 3.54 inches | Machine washable | Carrying case included

Travel + Leisure / Anna Popp

Pluto Pillow Pod

Pluto Pillow

It boasts a cozy hood and built-in eye mask for total darkness even on bright flights.

It's one of the pricer options on this list.

Like the black-out curtains of travel pillows, this option comes with a hood and an eye mask that shields your eyes from any light, which is incredibly useful when you're trying to get some shut-eye on a busy flight. It has a soft neck brace that wraps around the neck with light support, and the hood goes on like a regular hoodie with a drop-down eye mask. Once our head was fully cocooned in the hooded pillow, we found that it was a game changer for travelers who have a hard time falling asleep with light or ambient noise around since it muffles sounds and blocks rays. While the space-helmet-like shape looks quite different from other travel pillows on the market, it's still easy to put on and offers excellent portability. Plus, this newer model features an easy way to clip the pillow to a backpack or luggage handle. One thing to note is that the price point is quite high compared to other pillows on the market, but the unique design and high-quality fabric and construction make it worth it for those with higher budgets.

The Details: Alcantara fabric, WPS mesh | 12 x 6 x 4 inches (folded) | Machine washable

Travel + Leisure / Dera Burreson

Gingerlily Silk Travel Pillow

A silk pillow is the way to go to protect your hair and skin throughout your travels.

This pillow is 12 by 16 inches, so make sure you have plenty of room to pack it.

For those who love sleeping on silk pillowcases at home, this mini version for travel is an absolute must. Yes, it can be pricey to buy silk travel accessories, but it's also expensive to ruin a blowout and have to find a salon on vacation (and there's no price to be put on fresh, clean skin). This silk pillow is smaller than a standard pillow at 12 inches wide and 16 inches long, but you can still use it in a hotel bed, and it's perfect for trains, planes, and cars — just make sure you have the space in your personal item bag . After using this pillow for multiple long trips, it still shows no signs of loose stitches, fraying, or pilling. Rather, the pillow feels like it will last without ever going limp or flat.

The Details: Mulberry silk, cotton sateen, polyester | 12 x 6 inches

Travel + Leisure / Morgan Ashley Parker

TripSavvy / Morgan Ashley Parker

Best Cooling

Cabeau evolution cool pillow.

The mesh air vents make the pillow breathable to prevent overheating. 

It’s made of firm memory foam.

The Cabeau Evolution Cool Pillow is a great pick for travelers who get warm quickly. The pillow is designed to prevent heat from building up when you wear it as mesh vents in between two layers of cushiony memory foam filter in the air. We liked the breathability feature and moisture-wicking fabric and noticed that we didn’t feel overheated while using it on an airplane or road trip. While it took a moment to get situated, once the pillow was in the most comfortable position, it was extremely supportive and firm without feeling too hard. We especially liked the portability of the already lightweight pillow (thanks to its durable carrying case), as well as the mesh pocket for storing small accessories. Even after being rolled up and stuffed into its carrying case, this pillow quickly unfolds back to its original shape.

The Details: Memory foam | 9 x 7 inches | Machine washable | Carrying case included

Best Adjustability

Buyue travel neck pillow.

One side of the pillow has extra cushioning, and you can swivel it around to support any part of your head.

It comes with a drawstring bag to stuff it in, but the pillow still takes up a good chunk of space in a backpack.

With thick cushioning on one side of the pillow, the unique design of this travel pillow makes it easy to get comfortable in a small space where there isn't much wiggle room. No matter which way your head tilts when you sleep, you can adjust this pillow with the largest part of cushioning rotated to support the side or back of your head, or you can turn it to the front to prevent your chin from tipping forward or bobbing around. After testing the pillow on both road trips and long flights, we found that the fabric is breathable and soft for resting your head on, and we love that the cover comes off to toss it in the wash. Because of the thicker side of the pillow, it does take up a bit more space in a backpack, but it does come with a drawstring bag if you prefer to carry it outside of your luggage.

The Details: Polyester, spandex | 8 x 8 x 8 inches | Machine washable | Carrying case included

Travel + Leisure / Ava Wegner

Samsonite 2-in-1 Magic Travel Pillow

It has a modular design to shift from a U-shape to a rectangular pillow, offering versatility at an affordable price.

The neck pillow might not offer enough support for some since it's on the softer side.

This microbead pillow from Samsonite can be used as a neck pillow if you're sitting upright or you can shift it into a rectangular pillow for leaning against a window or laying on a tray table. The handy two-in-one design already gets bonus points for versatility, but the budget-friendly price makes it all the more better. In testing, it was an effortless process to switch from the U-shape to the rectangle shape by flipping the pillow inside out. Made with polyester and microfiber beads, this pillow is shockingly lightweight and feels nearly weightless to carry around an airport. Because the pillow is on the softer side with the microfiber beads, we discovered it's not as supportive as a memory foam pillow, but it still offered enough support to prevent the neck from uncomfortably craning too far to one side.

The Details: Polyester | 12.25 x 11.75 x 4 inches | Hand wash

Travel + Leisure / Anita Rutz

Best Splurge

Purple harmony anywhere pillow.

This supportive pillow is comfortable enough to sleep on at night and would make any hotel stay feel more luxurious.

At over three pounds, it's quite heavy but feels weightless if you attach the strap to a backpack.

If you're looking for a travel pillow that is just as comfortable — if not more so — than your pillows at home, then this luxurious one from Purple is the one for you. It's a miniature version of the brand's best-selling Harmony pillow, and it boasts the same cooling gel and bouncy, neck-supporting feel as the larger version. During testing, we found this pillow to be noticeably cooling, breathable, and moisture-wicking, which can come in handy for camping. We wouldn't use this pillow during flights because of the plush, rectangular shape that wouldn't work well when sitting upright, but it would be ideal when you're laying flat, like in a hotel room.

It comes with a machine-washable pillow cover, and there is a travel case sold separately . Because this is one of the priciest pillows on this list, we do wish the travel case was included, but we do think it's worth adding on for its carrying straps and compression features. The pillow feels quite heavy on its own, but when you attach the strap to a backpack, it feels weightless to carry. You can also compress the pillow in half if you have the travel case, making it much more portable. Although this is a splurge for a travel pillow, we think it's worth the investment for travelers in search of a comfortable pillow with luxe features like a breathable honeycomb design, a moisure-wicking cover, and strong neck support.

The Details: Talalay latex, knit | 16 x 13 x 6 inches | Machine washable

Travel + Leisure / Jackie Cucco

Best Breathable

Sleep number travel pillow.

Sleep Number

The memory foam filling and synthetic fiber exterior let air pass through for superior breathability.

The pillow is large and was cumbersome to carry, especially for light packers.

It can get hot and stuffy on an airplane, so we love that the synthetic materials used to create this Sleep Number travel pillow are light and airy. The memory foam filling is bouncy and lightweight, and the soft fabric pillowcase is cooling enough to prevent overheating while sleeping in a plane, car, or train. We used the pillow on a long-haul flight to Ireland and found it was ideal for leaning your head against the window or on the tray table since the pillow is on the larger side. While the size offers extra cushioning and support like a regular pillow, it did make it slightly annoying to carry through crowded airports since it doesn't come with a compact carrying case. However, it does come with a drawstring bag to carry it separately or you can use the clasp to attach it to backpacks, suitcases, or other luggage.

The Details: Lyocell blend, memory foam | 17 x 12 inches | Machine-washable cover | Carrying case included

Travel + Leisure / Emily Johnson

Best for Camping

Therm-a-rest compressible pillow.

This mini pillow is ultra-durable and fit for rustic adventuring.

It doesn’t offer neck support like a regular travel pillow.

If you’re not a fan of the typical U-shaped travel pillow, the Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow is a great alternative. It resembles the rectangular style of a traditional pillow, and you can compress it down to easily transport it to the great outdoors, making sleeping in a tent more comfortable than ever. The recycled polyester fabric is light and breathable, and the foam filling — made from extra polyurethane foam left over after producing REI’s sleeping pads — provides a soft cushion for your head. We also loved how durable it is, especially for various uses like camping, flying, or taking a nap at home. While the pillow doesn’t come with a carrying bag, it has a toggle strap that you can use to compress it into a smaller size and a built-in cover that you fold the pillow into for protection while traveling.

The Details: Recycled polyester, polyurethane foam fill | 15 x 11 x 5 inches | Machine washable

Other Travel Pillows We Liked

Some travel pillows we tested almost made the cut but didn’t due to a few weaknesses, though they still might make suitable options for some travelers.

Hest Pillow : This standard pillow is on the softer side yet still provides support and comfort while laying on it, but the fabric is slightly itchy, and it’s bulky to carry around, even when compressed.

Cabeau Evolution Classic Travel Neck Pillow : While the memory foam is the perfect balance of firm and soft, we found this pillow to be just a bit too bulky for frequent travel.

Travel + Leisure / Daniela Galvez

Slip Jet Setter Travel Pillow : The silk material is luxurious soft and cooling, but the pillow itself is extremely bulky to wear and difficult to travel with.

Snugl Neck Travel Pillow : Made with soft and supportive memory foam, the pillow is ultra-comfy to use in-flight, but we had a lot of trouble getting it back into the carrying case.

Cushion Lab Travel Deep Sleep Pillow : The comfort level with this pillow is so high that we started using it to sleep on nightly at home. However, it's not very portable, and we had a hard time rolling it up into the case.

Our Travel + Leisure team tested more than 40 travel pillows to find the very best ones for every type of comfort-seekers. To thoughtfully curate this list, we researched and tested popular options, including pillows with the classic U-shape and rectangular ones, too.

Paying close attention to traits like comfort, quality, durability, and portability, we noted various features that stood out to us for both good and bad reasons. We looked for special features such as cooling designs, firmness, softness, or other claims by the manufacturer to check if they rang true. Our favorite pillows also kept their shape after being tucked away into a case and always sprang back into their original form with no signs of damage. 

After testing the pillows on journeys like cross-country road trips and long-haul flights, we continue to capture testing notes every few months to update our articles accordingly.

Tips for Buying a Travel Pillow

Prioritize neck support.

When it comes to sleeping in planes, trains, or cars, you should focus on your neck and head support. When your head drops during sleep, it can leave you with a sore neck or even a headache. Your travel pillow should be supportive enough that your neck stays securely upright without feeling as though you're being squeezed.

Portability is key 

Whether you pack light or stuff your suitcase full, a compact travel pillow that fits into a small carrying case is ideal for bringing along on trips. Of course, some travel pillows don’t compress, but they should still be easy to clip onto a suitcase or backpack and not bump into too many things if you’re traversing an airport or train station. It's always more convenient when a carrying case is included, especially if it has a luggage trolley sleeve or straps.

Consider the filling material 

Travelers who like a firmer pillow should opt for a memory foam filling that can offer more support than an inflatable alternative. Microbead pillows can be just as supportive as memory foam ones, but they tend to be on the softer side and are more suited to travelers that like a little less structure while sleeping. 

Think about how you plan to use it

Travel pillows are a relatively broad category, so you'll want to narrow down your intended use and travel habits before purchasing since they come in all different shapes, styles, and sizes. For example, if you often find yourself in the middle seat while flying, you'll want a pillow with lots of head support like a memory foam, U-shape pillow or an infinity style that you can adjust. However, window-seaters might opt for a rectangular pillow for leaning against the plane wall.

Travel pillows aren't just for flights, either. There are also rectangular options that can help make you more comfortable while camping or staying in hotel rooms, rental properties, or even friend's houses that might not have great pillows. They are also a road trip essential for every adventure.

You can generally find washing instructions on the tag of the travel pillow when you buy it. Removable covers can usually go through a machine wash, but many of our team members opted to air dry the cover to prevent any shrinkage that could happen in a hot dryer. If a pillow doesn’t have a removable cover, you can spot clean the pillow by using a wet cloth dipped in soapy water.

Most standard travel pillows have a semicircular shape that you wrap around the neck to support your neck, head, and chin. These U-shaped pillows often have memory foam or microbead filling, but there are also inflatable neck pillows. There are unique J-shaped travel pillows that are perfect for supporting the neck and head of someone sitting in the middle or aisle seat. In addition, standard pillows make great travel pillows for certain situations, and plenty of rectangular-styled pillows compress down for better portability.

Most travel pillows will come with carrying cases to compress the pillow, making it more portable. If the carrying case doesn't have a handle, it should still pack down small enough to fit in a personal item such as a backpack or a tote bag. Some pillows have a luggage trolley pass-through sleeve, which you can slip over the handle of your suitcase, while others may have a strap or a clip that you can attach to a backpack to carry it hands-free.

Some pillows are specifically designed to be worn in multiple different ways, but in general, it depends on your comfort preferences. You can wear a travel pillow backward , forward, or you can lean on it in the window seat — the most important thing is finding the most comfortable position for you.

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

Anna Popp  is a New York-based commerce writer at T+L, where she writes most of the team's tested content. Anna participated in testing travel pillows and worked with travel editors to determine the results for the best ones on the market based on a series of tests completed during trips taken by plane, car, and train. We will continue to update this article as we test even more travel pillows.

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Advertisement

The Best Travel Pillow

By Sabrina Imbler

Short of scoring a row of empty seats—dream on!—your best bet for getting at least a little sleep while flying is a travel pillow.

After asking 10 panelists to try on eight travel pillows and after taking four cross-country red-eyes in window, aisle, and middle seats, we think the comfortable and easy-to-pack  Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow is the best travel pillow for most people.

Everything we recommend

Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow

The best travel pillow.

Its tall memory-foam walls let it offer more support than any other pillow we tested. It’s also shaped to sit flush against a headrest, and it compresses to a manageable size.

Buying Options

Cabeau Evolution Classic Pillow

A travel pillow available at airports.

This memory-foam neck-support pillow is highly adjustable, but without a contoured back, it can’t quite sit flush with the headrest. It’s available at many airport stores, though.

Trtl Pillow

A pillow for one-sided neck support only.

It’s a fleece scarf with a built-in plastic brace—like a one-sided neck brace, but softer and cozier. However, it’s not so great if you tend to shift position while you sleep, and it costs more than the other pillows we recommend.

Bcozzy Pillow

Great with large headphones.

Featuring an adjustable design that accommodates over-the-ear headphones, the Bcozzy is an excellent chin-support pillow for people who nod forward as they sleep.

The uniquely angled back on the Travelrest Ultimate sets it apart from other travel pillows because it can lay flat against the seat back. Most other pillows have a rounded back, which pushes your head away from the headrest. The Travelrest also has rubber grip dots to prevent slipping while sleeping. This pillow’s spongy memory foam cushions the entire circumference of your neck, preventing your head from leaning far in any direction, and its adjustable Velcro strap ensures it can fit most necks. The pillow’s cozy velour exterior is removable and machine-washable. Although it doesn’t pack flat, the Travelrest weighs less than a pound and compresses to a quarter of its size when rolled into its Velcro-strapped carrying case.

Our only complaint is that the Travelrest’s high walls, while supportive, can push over-ear headphones off of the ears of people with shorter necks. While the memory foam feels plush, it’s also quite firm; this offers excellent support, but not much give. It also doesn’t let you adjust the fit, like our two wrappable picks: the Turtl and the BCozzy . If the Travelrest fits your neck, it’s an excellent pillow. If your neck is much longer or shorter than this pillow’s 5-inch wall, though, you might prefer the fit of one of our other pillow picks.

If our top pick sells out, or if you find yourself pillowless past security, the Cabeau Evolution Classic Pillow is almost as good a pillow. It lacks the Travelrest’s angled, lay-flat back, but its U-shape, contoured memory-foam core and machine-washable velour cover still provide comparable levels of comfort. Its adjustable string closure also means that you can fit the pillow much tighter around your neck than you can with the Travelrest, making it a good choice for people with smaller necks or people who prefer a more constricted fit. Additionally, it’s the only one of our picks that we’ve regularly seen in stores located behind the security checkpoint at many airports.

If you typically lean to the same side while sleeping, the Trtl Pillow’s fleece-covered plastic frame provides unshakeable support to one side of your neck while remaining comfortable to wear. It’s basically a one-sided neck brace. The pillow’s cozy wraparound fleece will also keep your neck warm, making it a good choice for anyone who gets cold while flying (and a poor choice for those who sleep hot). But the Trtl’s winning quality is its tiny, packable size. Unlike any of our other picks, the Trtl does not need to be compressed or stuffed into a carrying case. It will always take up about as much space as a PB&J sandwich. (It costs a lot more than one, though.)

The Bcozzy , a variation on the hemi-doughnut theme, is our pick for anyone who wears large over-the-ear headphones on a flight or tends to nod forward while they sleep. The pillow’s overlapping ends form a snug cushion that holds your chin in place far better than do the Trtl’s plastic frame or the Travelrest and Cabeau’s chin-facing gap. While the pillow does not provide great support to either side of your neck, if paired with a large pair of headphones, the Bcozzy holds a head in place perfectly. While not as compressible as our other picks, the pillow has a small loop that can be clipped to the outside of most bags so it doesn’t have to take up space inside your bag.

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, how we picked our best travel pillow finalists, how we tested travel pillows, our pick for the best travel pillow: travelrest nest ultimate memory foam travel pillow, runner-up for the best travel pillow: cabeau evolution classic pillow, also great for portability: trtl pillow, also-great chin-support pillow for forward-nodders: bcozzy pillow, other good travel pillows, the competition.

I am a frequent flyer who often takes red-eyes from coast to coast—I now live in Brooklyn but fly home to San Francisco to visit my parents. I’m also an insomniac, so falling asleep on planes has never been easy for me. While writing this article, I tested eight travel pillows on two five-hour flights and slept with our four picks on two more cross-country flights. I also spoke with Rebecca Robbins, a postdoctoral fellow at the NYU Center for Healthful Behavior Change at the time of the interview, to see what she looks for in a travel pillow.

In addition, my Wirecutter colleagues as a whole are an exceptionally mobile group. We’ve worked remotely from every continent except Antarctica, so I asked some folks on staff which pillows they like and use regularly. (They’ve also since contributed some additional testing.)

Boarding a red-eye without a travel pillow in your bag is like choosing to sleep on the floor when there’s a perfectly good futon nearby. Sure, it’s no bed, but it’s a hell of a lot better than hardwood. In an interview she did in 2017 with The Atlantic reporter Kelly Conaboy, Dr. Mary O’Connor, then the director of Yale’s Center for Musculoskeletal Care, said that despite a lack of clinical studies that support the efficacy of travel pillows, “Many of us who travel have experienced falling asleep with our neck in a weird position and it bothering us thereafter. So, I think they can be helpful, but that depends on how they’re used and whether they support the neck.” In other words, using a supportive pillow may decrease the chances you wake up with an unwanted crick. It certainly has in our experience.

However, not all travel pillows are the same, and if you also happen to have a zealous hatred of your travel pillow, you probably have a bad one. So even if you have a generic pillow you picked up at some airport a few years ago, consider upgrading to one of our picks. And of course, these pillows work well on buses and trains, too.

So how can you tell if a pillow is likely to actually support your head? Rebecca Robbins, a postdoctoral fellow studying sleep at the time of our interview, says the best travel pillows will keep your head elevated and in alignment with your spine: “Look for something that would really be supportive. My one gripe with most travel pillows is that they’re too soft and not too full—you want something that will be supportive as you try to get comfortable in your limited space.” Robbins also recommends finding a pillow that can keep you cozy but not too hot, as she says it’s easier to sleep with a lower body temperature.

Robbins does her best to avoid one common travel situation. “My number one sleep tip is to not take a red-eye if you can avoid it,” she said. “If the flight is five hours, you’re going to only have three hours of true rest, because all the announcements—‘lower your window,’ ‘raise your window.’ Those can be significant distractions.”

We also looked at existing editorial reviews for guidance. Ethan Green , founder of the sleep resource blog No Sleepless Nights, compiled an extensive comparative review of popular travel pillows that we found helpful when deciding what models to test.

For people who want a travel pillow that will ease some of the discomfort of sleeping upright on a bumpy plane ride, we’ve identified the following key features:

• Comfort and support: The pillow should offer ample support for the weight of your neck and head but not restrict your movements or feel too tight.
• Portable (but not inflatable): You don’t want your travel pillow to take up so much space in your carry-on that you can’t bring other things you need, so it should compress to a smaller size. Barring that, there should at least be a way to clip it to the outside of your bag or luggage. Inflatable pillows are easy to pack but should be avoided. They inevitably spring a leak, often sooner rather than later.
• Soft: The material should feel plush against your skin but not trap so much heat that it’s uncomfortable to wear.
• Universal fit (or as close as possible): The pillow should allow space for people to sleep with a ponytail or accommodate bigger hair, as well as a whole variety of head shapes and sizes and neck lengths.
• Sleeping styles: It should also accommodate people who move their head in any direction while they sleep. It should also work in a window, a middle, or an aisle seat.
• Speed of compression/decompression: In case you need to quickly stow your pillow before exiting the plane, or if you want to catch some shut-eye in a moment’s notice, it shouldn’t take too long to stuff the pillow into its carrying case or unfold it to full size.
• Weight: Ideally, the pillow shouldn’t add undue burden to your carry-on. While inflatable pillows will always be the lightest option, memory-foam pillows don’t weigh much more and can offer significantly more comfort.
• Grip/traction: Your head will likely move around a bit while sleeping on a plane, especially if there’s turbulence. So any kind of grip or traction around the bottom of the pillow will help it stay in place and keep you snoozing.
• Machine washable: As you might expect from a vessel that ferries hundreds of people back and forth across the sky on a daily basis, planes can be filthy. So you’ll want to be able to wash the whole pillow—or at least its cover—before you take it on your next trip.

We researched more than 40 travel pillows—which ranged from variations on a hemi-doughnut to inscrutable crowdfunded designs—and after comparing hundreds of glowing and enraged Amazon reviews, we decided to test eight. We asked a panel of 10 people to try each of the pillows in a chair pushed against the wall of a conference room (the closest we could come to airline conditions in our office) and surveyed them on the fit, comfort, and support of each pillow. The panelists all had a variety of neck lengths and jaw sizes, and one even had a substantial beard. We also ran all of the pillows or their detachable pillowcases through a washing machine as instructed to see how well each stood up to a spin cycle and tumble dry.

And because simulations are rarely enough, I brought eight travel pillows on two cross-country flights to see how the pillows felt in the specific back design of an airplane seat. As I was lucky enough to have unnecessarily kind and understanding neighbors (thank you, Mike and Deborah!), I wore each of these pillows in a window, a middle, and an aisle seat to see if they felt comfortable in each configuration. I also tried on Deborah’s Muji travel pillow (as she offered), but determined it had much less support than our picks. I also carried all of our picks on two more cross-country flights on a different airline to ensure the pillows did just as well in different seat designs.

The Travelrest Ultimate remains our top pick after several years because its plush but firm memory-foam core offers more support to your neck than that of any other pillow. It’s also one of the few pillows we tested that felt specifically designed for an airline seat, with an angled, grippy back that aligns perfectly to both upright and reclined positions and ensures the pillow won’t slide down as you nod off. The velvety-soft pillow supports heads and necks of all sizes and can be fitted with an adjustable cord and clasp. In the tried-but-true shape of a hemi-doughnut—imagine a doughnut with a bite taken out—the Travelrest Ultimate may look like other pillows, but a number of thoughtful details make it a softer, more supportive pillow than all the rest.

The Travelrest offers better all-around support than any other pillow we tested. Its broad, marshmallowy walls hug the whole circumference of your neck. It feels supportive but not stifling. The easy-to-fasten Velcro strap means it can be adjusted to a snug fit for necks of many sizes. There’s even a small crevice for curlier hair or a ponytail.

In addition to fitting your neck, the Travelrest’s back tapers up to a point to fit flat against an airline seat back. Most neck pillows lack this tapering on the back and the excess padding can push your neck away from the headrest, causing your neck to droop forward. Additionally, the Travelrest has grippy dots on the back that prevent it from slipping.

In addition to its excellent support, the Travelrest is very comfortable and cozy to wear. Its memory-foam core is wrapped in velour, which kept my neck warm without overheating it. The Travelrest’s velour also felt softer and smoother against my skin than similar coverings on other pillows, such as the Cabeau Evolution. It’s also easy to clean: The Travelrest’s cover is easily unzipped and machine-washable. The velour retained its softness after going through a wash and dry cycle.

While the Travelrest isn’t inflatable, it packs down to the size of a roll of toilet paper in its carrying case. Once you fold it cinnamon-roll style and it’s small enough to fit inside the bag, a Velcro strap on the pouch helps you compress it even further. If there’s still not enough space for it in your bag, you can always clip its drawstring to any exterior loop.

All of these thoughtful details were not lost on our testing panel. They gave the Travelrest the highest marks of any pillow in comfort and neck support, and two-thirds of our testers picked it as their favorite pillow.

How the Travelrest has held up

After over a year of use, this pillow had lost none of its supportiveness. The memory foam was just as firm and springy as it was when we bought it. Its velcro strap was still easy to secure. If it fits you, this is a pillow that stays secure and comfortable on your neck for the duration of a long flight. However, we’ve also heard from multiple travelers that this pillow doesn’t fit them. The memory foam is quite firm, which offers excellent support, but not much give. If a pillow of up to 5 inches doesn’t fit comfortably on your neck, we think you’ll be happier trying one of our other picks.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Travelrest Ultimate will never compress to the thin, flat size of a tiny pillow like the Trtl. But its unparalleled, cushiony support can still pack down to a reasonable size, and its 13 ounces won’t make your carry-on noticeably heavier. And if saving space is your highest concern, we think the Trtl provides space-conscious support without the spit-filled fuss of an inflatable pillow.

While the Travelrest’s voluminous plush can support all heads that lean left, back, or right, the pillow may not hold up the chins of people with smaller faces. When my head bobbed forward, my small face sank into the gap between the pillow closure and my neck. You can adjust the Velcro strap for a tighter fit, but the short strap cannot be pulled as tight as the Cabeau’s adjustable strings.

The Travelrest Ultimate’s unbeatable support is in part due to the height of its sides, designed to come up to the jaw of the wearer. This means the pillow may be incompatible with larger over-the-ear headphones for people with shorter necks. For instance, when I tried to wear the Travelrest Ultimate with my noise-cancelling Bose headphones , the pillow pushed the headset uncomfortably far up on my head, taking my earlobes with it. However, my editor, who has a longer neck, didn’t have this problem.

If you want a tighter, more adjustable fit, the Cabeau Evolution Classic  (which used to be called just the Evolution) is the way to go. Its contoured memory-foam design offers almost as much neck support as our main pick does, albeit without some of the Travelrest’s luxurious height. But the Cabeau’s adjustable clasp allows a far greater range of cinching than the Travelrest. In other words, the pillow can fit as tightly as you like.

Like the Travelrest, the Cabeau’s hemi-doughnut shape offers 360 degrees of support for anyone wearing it. It also boasts a cushioned memory-foam core and a contoured top that will keep your neck upright and head in place. But unlike the Travelrest’s gently arched bottom, the Cabeau’s flat bottom won’t sit as securely on your shoulders and may move around during your sleep. The Cabeau also lacks the Travelrest’s smartly tapered, grippy back that helps keep the pillow in place during flight. The Cabeau’s velour cover is also machine-washable, but it feels less soft than the Travelrest’s.

Although the Cabeau’s fit and shape aren’t quite as good as the Travelrest’s, this pillow is more adjustable. It can be tightened or loosened with two adjustable strings that clip together, which results in a far more adjustable range than the Travelrest’s short strip of Velcro. If you have a smaller neck and know you find a tighter grip on your neck comforting, the Cabeau may be the way to go.

Like the Travelrest, the Cabeau also packs down to a quarter of its size, thanks to an adjustable strap bisecting its carrying case. But at 15.2 ounces, it’s a bit heavier than the Travelrest.

Unlike any of our other picks, the Cabeau Evolution is sold in many of those ubiquitous news stores inside airports. So if you find yourself lacing up your shoes after security and wishing you had bought one of our picks before your flight, look for the Cabeau’s contoured shape among the novelty hemi-doughnuts dangling off the travel pillow racks. It’s the best pillow you can buy at an airport. But if you have the chance to order online, the Travelrest offers more support.

There is a newer model of the Evolution Classic, the S3 , which has straps to hook onto a seat’s headrest. We think it’s a good choice if the Classic version is out of stock or otherwise unavailable. It’s still supportive and comfortable, but not as thick or soft as the Classic.

The Trtl Pillow , though odd-looking and unconventional, won a contingent of ardent fans with its firm support and slim, packable size. But it’s not our top pick because it works on only one side, and its warmth-trapping fleece can cause your neck to overheat. It’s also the most expensive of our picks. The Trtl consists of an arched plastic skeleton inside of a soft, fleece scarf that wraps once around your neck and then closes with Velcro to hold the pillow in place. You just lean your head against the convex end of the bendy frame, wrap the pillow around your neck, and your head has a soft but firm pedestal on which to rest while you sleep. It sounds weird, but it’s not that different from a neck brace—only it’s one-sided and softer.

Because the Trtl Pillow is little more than a scarf with a plastic plate in it, it packs down to the size of a sandwich and can lay flat against the back of your bag. This is the smallest travel pillow we tested and also requires none of the squashing or awkward cinching it takes to stuff the Travelrest or Cabeau into their holding bags, which are also easy to lose. Unlike any of the other pillows we’ve seen, the Trtl is small enough to fit inside a briefcase or handbag, making it the best option for people who don’t normally travel with backpacks. And at a featherweight 5 ounces, the Trtl is the lightest pillow we tested.

Though the Trtl can support your head from only one side, the tall, bendy plastic frame inside offered more support on that one side than either the Travelrest or Cabeau. Yet even with its soft, wraparound design, it lacks the all-around support provided by our top and runner-up picks. If you are an asymmetrical sleeper (if you prefer sleeping with your head leaning to one side), the Trtl may be a good choice. However, it’s not a good choice for people who nod forward—the plastic insert is too stiff. If that’s you, we prefer the Bcozzy, which we talk more about below .

Some testers found the Trtl’s quasi-corseted-turtleneck design off-putting. But then again, no one looks cool wearing any travel pillow. And on that note, the Trtl’s cozy fleece will keep your neck toasty. So if you know you run hot, the Trtl may not be the pillow for you.

Wirecutter’s Ganda Suthivarakom swears by the Trtl: “It packs almost flat, weighs next to nothing, and can be helpful for sleeping even when you are stuck in a middle seat. As someone who is always cold on the plane, I don't mind the whole fleece scarf design, either.”

Trtl has a more padded version of the pillow that claims to be more adjustable; one of our longer-necked staffers tried it and reported that it is indeed more comfortable for him than the original Trtl was. However, the same limitations of the original apply to the new version.

The Bcozzy is a snakelike spin on the traditional hemi-doughnut that’s perfect for anyone traveling with large headphones or people who tend to nod forward while sleeping and wake themselves up. It lacks the tall, supportive sides of our other picks, but the overlapping front is the perfect height to keep your chin from nodding forward as you doze off. It’s not as supportive on the sides, but this leaves ample room for big headphones.

The Bcozzy’s best advantage is its overlapping circular design, which allows you to adjust the pillow to degrees of personal preference. You can place the overlapping ends of the pillow around any point of your neck (though it only really makes sense in the front or on the sides), and wear the pillow as loose or as tight as you’d like. We think it’s most comfortable when the ends meet right under your neck—and in that position, it cushions your chin better than any other pillow we tested.

The longer, leaner Bcozzy lacks the plush, ensconcing neck support of the Travelrest Ultimate or Cabeau Evolution. It lays so low on your shoulders that it might not even touch your jaw. But this makes the pillow perfect for anyone who likes to wear over-the-ear headphones along with a travel pillow while they sleep on the flight. I personally like to fall asleep to music and drown out the dull roar of an airplane, so the Bcozzy works perfectly for me.

We still think the Travelrest Ultimate is a superior overall hemi-doughnut pillow, but the Bcozzy is an excellent choice if you plan to wear big headphones or know the feeling of that sharp, waking drop when your head falls forward on a plane.

The Bcozzy is also one of the least packable pillows, as it doesn’t come with a carrying case and does not compress particularly well. But its 7.4 ounces is around half the weight of the Travelrest or Cabeau, and it does comes with a little loop that clips onto the outside of a backpack or duffel. And even when squished down at the bottom of a bag, it doesn’t take up that much more space than the Travelrest Ultimate or Cabeau.

If you’re a back sleeper who can fall sleep sitting upright in your seat, facing forward, and not need to curl up or lean your head on the airplane window: You may want to try the Posture+ Travel Pillow, which is a U-shaped neck cushion, padded with memory foam, that looks like the back half of a cervical collar. When testing it, we slept surprisingly well, but it won’t suit all (or even most) sleep styles. It’s also not machine-washable, and it is pricy.

If you have a shorter neck and tend to run hot on planes and would prefer a pillow designed to keep you cool: Consider the ventilated Cabeau Evolution Cool —the combination of a silky polyester cover (similar to spandex) and vented design did feel mildly cooler against our necks. And we liked the pillow’s silky feel, packable size, zippered carrying case. But it was significantly smaller than the standard Cabeau Evolution and the Travelrest Ultimate, and it left the chins of long-necked testers totally unsupported. It’s also more expensive—now about $20 more than the Travelrest.

If you always lean to the same side when sleeping: Consider Travelrest’s All-in-One , which has a novel across-the-shoulder design that could be comfortable in such a situation. It has a similar fabric to the company’s winning Ultimate Memory Foam Neck Pillow, but in our tests its bulky inflated tube offered no structured head support, which could pose a problem in bumpy conditions.

If you tend to be a forward-falling head bobber: Consider the Caldera Releaf , which is less travel pillow and more neck brace. It does offer superior neck support, but it constricted the throat too much for our comfort.

The Trtl Pillow Plus , a later addition to the Trtl lineup, is more height-adjustable and has more padding than its older sibling . Our self-described “giraffe-necked” tester said that it did indeed fit him better than the original Trtl had. However, it still supports your head from only one side, making it not a great choice for sleepers who nod forward. It’s also bulkier than the original and costs nearly twice as much.

The Cabeau Evolution S3 is a newer version of our runner-up pick , the Evolution Classic. We liked it, and we think it’s a solid choice if the original Evolution isn’t available. It has added straps that you can hook onto a headrest to keep your head from falling forward while you sleep, but our runner-up pick is softer and slightly thicker, which offers a bit more support. We did find the S3 to be easier to roll up into its carrying case, however.

Intrigued by one of the stranger innovations that we’ve seen in travel pillow design, we tested the Huzi Design Infinity , but we can’t recommend it. Instead of cinching or clasping at the front, it is designed to be looped several times around the wearer’s neck like an infinity scarf. But the pillow failed to support our testers’ necks. Regardless of who tried it, testers found that looping it twice was too loose and thrice was too tight. It was also the largest and least compressible pillow we tested.

The J-Pillow offered a singular, three-pronged design that proved impossible for anyone to figure out without instructions. After some explanation, our testers could wear the pillow correctly, but they still felt that its squishy stuffing offered insufficient support, and only to one side of the head. It’s also impossible to pack away efficiently due to its pyramidal shape. If you want a one-sided pillow, skip this and go for the Trtl instead.

We tested the inexpensive Travelrest Curl because we loved its plush and contoured big cousin, the Travelrest Ultimate. But while the Curl contains the same luxurious memory-foam filling as the Ultimate, the pillow is so small that many testers found that it didn’t even come up to their jaws when worn. It does have an attractive price, but its skimpy size and unsupportive design could support only the shortest of necks.

We found the air-filled Sea to Summit Aeros Traveller Pillow to be similarly lacking. We liked how easy it was to fill—its dual-valve inflation mechanism means it won’t let air out between breaths—and we appreciated that it weighed only about a fifth as much as the Travelrest, but the Travelrest’s 360-degree support made it too hard to go back to an open-ring design that offers no support in the front. Also, one of our former freelance writers recently reported that when she pulled her pillow out of storage, after a few years of not using it, its internal bladder disintegrated in her hands.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Rebecca Robbins, postdoctoral fellow at the NYU Center for Healthful Behavior Change , phone interview , October 20, 2017

Meet your guide

Sabrina Imbler

Sabrina Imbler is a former staff writer for Wirecutter, where they covered kitchen tools and HVAC.

Further reading

Pluto Pod Travel Pillow: A First-Class Sleep Experience in Economy

by Dorie Chevlen

This travel pillow is so great you won’t even care if you look silly wearing it.

The Silly-Looking Trtl Travel Pillow Is the Only Way I Can Sleep on Flights

by Elissa Sanci

You might look funny while wearing the one-sided Trtl travel pillow in flight, but you won’t care when you land at your destination bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Air Travel Is Chaos. This Gear Will Help Get You Through the Exasperating Delays.

These things don’t make your flight take off any faster, but they can make the wait a little more tolerable.

The 31 Best Gifts for Frequent Travelers

by Samantha Schoech and Dorie Chevlen

Here we present practical and whimsical finds to delight any intrepid traveler.

To help us provide you with free impartial advice, we may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site. Learn more

Best pillow for side sleepers 2024: Sleep in comfort with our favourite memory foam and hollowfibre pillows

• Jane Hoskyn
• Gareth Thomas

Discover the best ergonomic pillows for sleeping on your side and waking up in comfort

The best pillows for side sleepers tend to offer more support and “loft” (pillow jargon for height) than pillows for people who sleep on their back or front. Why? Because when you sleep on your side, there’s a whole shoulder to support too. Without enough height, your poor shoulder will crunch while you slumber – and neither it nor your neck or back will thank you for it. And considering just how many of us prefer to sleep on our sides, there’s a good chance we’re all crunching our necks at night by sleeping on flatter pillows than we need.

With that in mind, our buying guide will tell you how to choose a pillow that offers the correct support for sleeping on your side and snugly filling that gap between your ear and shoulder. We will also reveal our pick of the best side-sleeper pillows currently available.

Best pillow for side sleepers: At a glance

How to choose the best pillow for you, what type of pillow is best for side-sleepers.

“We would normally recommend a higher pillow or even two pillows for side sleepers rather than one, for more support,” explains Gary Jones, physiotherapist at Physio 206 . Don’t just dig out an extra old pillow from the loft and chuck it on top, though. A healthy pillow is a new pillow. “Think about how many hours you sleep each week,” said Jones. “Your car has an annual MOT, but how often do you do an MOT of your pillow? It’s literally: let’s wait until it’s gone threadbare!”

Sleeping on your side is popular for good reason: it’s comfortable. It naturally maintains healthy spinal alignment and reduces pressure points all over your body. However, if you don’t choose a pillow with enough depth to fill the space beneath your head and neck, that comfy foetal position could still leave you waking up with a crick in your neck. Here are a few pointers to remember…

Moulded support pillows are ideal for side sleepers because their high raised section provides support for your neck and room for your shoulder without pushing your head up high too. “A moulded pillow with a high bit for your neck lets your body rest in a more natural and healthy position,” said Jones. “This is especially important if you’re on the phone a lot during the day because you will need to counteract that compression to your neck and open up your spine.”

Memory foam pillows might feel unfamiliar to those who are used to pillows with microfibre or down fillings. But once you get used to the sensation, they can be a very supportive option. This is because memory foam moulds to the contours of the body, cradling your head and neck to help keep your spine aligned. It’s worth bearing in mind, however, that memory foam retains heat, so it might not be the best choice for those who get uncomfortably hot at night.

Natural latex also feels buoyant and supportive, and is a more sustainable option than memory foam. However, its eco credentials can push the price up – especially if you go for organic and other certifications. However, given how many hours you spend sleeping on your pillow, a good one is worth investing in. Feather and down pillows are soft and naturally cooling, but they quickly lose their “loft” and fail to give consistent support. Wool is another great natural material that maintains its shape better than down, and we’ve included a wool pillow in our roundup below. Bear in mind, however, that neither down feather or wool is vegan-friendly.

Two pillows may be better than one if you sleep on your side. A pillow that’s too flat on its own can lead to the dreaded “shoulder crunch”, stressing and straining the muscles in your neck as you sleep. So you could go for a firm contoured pillow as a base and a relatively squishy pillow on top for softness.

How often should you replace your pillow?

A good memory foam or latex pillow will last a few years before it loses its firmness. Some sleep experts reckon you should replace soft fluffy pillows as often as once a year, but that’s excessive (not to mention wasteful). Instead, we would recommend investing in a well-made pillow that you can put in the washing machine on at least 40˚C. Wash your pillow every month or two to remove dust mites, dead skin cells and other allergens you would probably rather not know about, let alone sleep on!

How we test pillows

While the hallmark of a good pillow might be a good night’s sleep, there are a number of other factors we take into account in our testing, such as firmness, loft (another word for height), value for money and temperature control.

How lofty a pillow is becomes particularly important when recommending a mattress for side sleepers. As we’ve mentioned above, side sleepers might want a pillow with a bit more loft to support their head and shoulder. How hot a pillow can feel during the night will vary depending on what it’s made from. Some pillows, all-foam ones for instance, will feel warmer than others, making them less suitable for those prone to overheating at night.

We also pay close attention to other details including removable covers, trial periods and extra features such as adjustable and ergonomic designs – all of which help to build a clear overview of the product.

READ NEXT: Best mattresses for side sleepers

The best pillows for side sleepers you can buy in 2024

1. kally sleep the ultimate side sleeper pillow: best soft pillow for side sleepers.

The Kally Side Sleeper pillow has that wonderful hotel-quality softness, but its walled shape is more supportive for your shoulder and neck than a standard soft pillow, making it comfy to fall asleep on and great for preventing joint pain. It has a really luxurious feel thanks to its bouncy hollowfibre filling, which is treated to protect against allergens and bacteria, and it doesn’t get clammy.

Despite being an unusual shape the pillow is a standard size, so you can adorn it with your favourite pillowcase. It comes with a removable cover made from breathable poly-cotton. Like the cover, the pillow itself can be machine washed at 40˚C, so you can potentially use it for years longer than a cheap standard pillow and the structured design helps ensure it doesn’t lose its supportive shape. Kally also offers a 14-night “sleep trial” on selected products, to customers ordering direct from its online store. During this time, you can return your pillow if you’re not happy with it.

Key features – Filling: Hollowfibre; Cover: Cotton (machine washable 40˚C); Size: 70 x 40cm (15cm height)

Check price at Kally Sleep

2. Silentnight Side Sleeper: Best value soft pillow for side sleepers

Key features – Filling: Hollowfibre; Cover: Microfibre (machine washable); Size: 69 x 46cm

Check price at Habitat

3. Silentnight Eco Comfort Pillow: Best eco-friendly alternative to memory foam

It’s available in two firmness options, soft and medium/firm (featured), so you can choose whichever you find most comfortable – although we would recommend side sleepers opt for the firm variant. It’s also got a breathable, hypo-allergenic cover that can be machine washed at 40°C.

Key features – Filling: Recycled polyester Eco Comfort Fibres; Cover: 98% Polyester, 2% Elastine (machine washable); Size: 74 x 45cm

Silentnight Eco Comfort Soft Pillow - Super Soft Luxury Quality Cosy Sustainable Eco Friendly Recycled Pillows For Front Sleeper - Machine Washable Eco Conscious Gifts

4. tempur original x large pillow: best memory foam pillow for side sleepers.

At £109, it’s the most expensive pillow on our roundup, but the huge number of cheap imitators is testament to the effectiveness of its design.

Key features – Filling: Memory foam; Cover: 100% cotton cover (machine washable 60˚C); Sizes: 61 x 31cm (13cm max height); also available in Medium (10cm max height) and Large (11.5cm max height)

Check price at Tempur

5. Woolroom Natural British Wool Pillow: Best eco-friendly cooling pillow for side sleepers

This pillow is quite lofty (15cm) and it’s packed tightly enough with wool to give medium/firm support, so despite its cosy feel it will keep your head, neck and shoulders well-supported. It’s also extremely breathable, thanks to its 100% natural materials and quilted cotton percale cover, which helps to wick moisture away from your body and stop you getting clammy. The main downside is it needs to be dry cleaned, although the cover is machine-washable.

Key features – Filling: Wool (dry-clean only); Cover: Cotton (machine washable); Size: 74 x 48cm (15cm max height)

Woolroom Natural British Wool filled Bed Pillow I Medium Firm I Classic I White I Hypoallergenic I Suitable for Side Back Stomach Sleepers I Feather and Down Alternative (48 x 74 cm)

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Written By Connie

CPD Sleep Consultant

How We Test

Our testing process

9 April 2024 17 min read

But, it's just the way it is – you fall asleep the way your body wants to. Luckily, we know some ways you can improve your quality of sleep – and it all begins with getting the best pillow for side sleepers.

And it all comes down to proper spinal alignment and neck support! Think about it, when you're on your side, the pillow needs to perfectly cover the distance from your shoulder to your cheek, otherwise your head will be tilted to one side. And this puts a lot of strain on your neck and makes the top of your spine crooked as well!

So, if you're a side sleeper and are looking for sleep improvement techniques, trust us when we say – getting the right pillow should be step number one! Therefore, we've selected the best pillows you can buy in the UK and displayed them all here.

And if you're curious about side sleeping advantages, as well as how to ensure proper neck support and spinal alignment, stick around until the end.

10 Best Pillows for Side Sleepers

Best Overall: Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow

Introducing the Panda Bamboo Pillow, our top pick for side sleepers in the UK. This memory foam pillow is not only highly breathable but also exceptionally durable, making it an ideal choice for those seeking relief from neck and shoulder pain. Its innovative design caters to all sleeping positions, with a special focus on side sleepers, ensuring optimal support and comfort.

The memory foam is infused with bamboo, enhancing its adaptability to your body shape and temperature. Meanwhile, the bamboo cover not only adds a touch of luxury but also prevents moisture retention and bacteria buildup, keeping the pillow fresh and hygienic.

In a quick look, the Panda Bamboo Pillow ( check its review here ) stands out as one of the best memory foam pillow options, especially for those suffering from neck and shoulder pain. Its high-quality support and adaptability to various shoulder widths make it a top-notch choice for side sleepers . Plus, with the added benefit of the bamboo-infused cover acting as a pillow protector, you can enjoy a peaceful and refreshing slumber every night.

• Size : 60 x 12 x 40 cm
• Weight : 1.5 kg
• Material : Cover: 60% polyester, 40% bamboo fibre Filling: 3rd generation memory foam
• Warranty : N/A
• Delivery : 5-7 days
• Care : Dry clean
• Good for : Back & side sleepers

Disadvantages

Best Down: Snuggledown Goose Feather & Down White Pillow

The Snuggledown Goose Feather & Down White Pillow is a fantastic option for side sleepers as it offers the perfect blend of comfort and support, keeping your head in the right position to align with your spine during sleep.

Made with a combination of 85% Goose Feather and 15% Goose Down, this pillow ensures not only a cosy feel but also excellent breathability, making it suitable even for those who tend to get hot during the night. The 230 thread count cotton cover adds an extra layer of softness, meeting the criteria that sleepers often seek in their top pillow.

Convenience is a key feature of this pillow, as i t can be easily machine-washed and tumble-dried , making maintenance a breeze.

So, if you frequently change positions during the night and want the best pillow for side sleepers that offers both comfort and support, the Snuggledown Goose Feather & Down White Pillow is an excellent choice.

Read our detailed review of the Snuggledown Goose Feather & Down pillow to find out more on this product.

• Size : 74 x 48 x 10 cm
• Weight : 2.1 kg
• Material : Cover: cotton Filling: goose feather & down
• Delivery : 3 days
• Cary : Dry clean

Best for Neck Pain: Temperature Reactive Memory Foam Firm-Support Pillow

The standout feature of this Dunelm pillow, perfect for those who prefer sleeping on their sides, is its exceptional loft. In contrast to many other pillows filled with down or synthetic materials, this one boasts an impressively high loft that plays a crucial role in maintaining proper spinal alignment during side sleeping .

What sets it apart even further is its remarkable firmness , which prevents your head from sinking and tilting during the night. This attribute is particularly beneficial for individuals who frequently wake up with neck discomfort, especially if they have broader shoulders. Additionally, the memory foam filling of this pillow ensures not only support but also a high level of comfort.

Moreover, the pillow's back is crafted from 100% cotton , promoting breathability and effective dissipation of excess heat. This feature ensures that you stay comfortably cool throughout the night, avoiding the discomfort of waking up drenched in sweat. In summary, this Dunelm pillow is a must-have for side sleepers seeking both the right loft and firmness to enhance their sleep quality and overall comfort.

• Size : 64 x 40 cm
• Weight : N/A
• Material : Cover: Front: 100% polyester, Back: 100% cotton Filling: memory foam
• Delivery : 1-5 days
• Care : Machine washable
• Good for : Side sleepers

Best Adjustable: Silentnight Geltex Pillow

If you're on the hunt for a pillow that goes above and beyond in delivering outstanding support, exceptional breathability, and a firm yet comfortable feel, your quest should lead you straight to the Silentnight Geltex Pillow. This pillow stands as the ultimate choice for individuals who prefer sleeping on their sides. What sets it apart is its remarkable extra firmness, and it proudly bears the reputable name of one of the most well-established and respected brands in the pillow industry.

The Silentnight Geltex Pillow is meticulously designed to address the unique requirements of side sleepers, who often contend with discomfort in their neck region due to the significant gap that exists between their necks and the sleeping surface . Recognising this common issue, this pillow has been crafted with precision to provide the ideal solution.

As a result, the Silentnight Geltex Pillow emerges as a premier option for side sleepers seeking not just any solution, but the perfect one to meet their specific needs. Its combination of firmness, quality, and thoughtful design makes it a standout choice for individuals who prioritize their comfort and overall sleep experience.

Here is our thorough review of Silentnight Geltex pillow so take a look.

• Size : 74 × 48 cm
• Weight : 1 kg
• Material : 100% Polyester with 4cm geltex foam insert
• Delivery : 4 days
• Good for : Back & stomach sleepers

Best Two-Pillows Pack: BedStory 2Pack Pillow

What distinguishes the BedStory 2Pack Pillow, apart from its affordability and the fact that you receive two shredded memory foam pillows, is its innovative ergonomic design, specifically tailored to address neck pain in the UK. This makes it an excellent choice for anyone who experiences discomfort in the neck and head area upon waking.

These pillows feature a filling composed of a down alternative, ensuring that you enjoy the plush comfort reminiscent of traditional down pillows . However, what sets them apart is the use of polyfiber instead of natural down, making these two pillows hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites. Furthermore, their machine-washable feature adds to their convenience and ease of maintenance.

Despite being a pair, the BedStory 2Pack Pillow proves to be among the finest pillow options available in the UK market. Its exceptional quality shines through, particularly in its capacity to provide enhanced support for the neck and head, ultimately contributing to a more comfortable and pain-free sleep experience.

Here is our BedStory 2Pack pillow review .

• Size : 70 x 42 x 11 cm
• Weight : 1.30 kg
• Material : Cover: No cover Filling: 100% polyester; down alternative
• Care : Fully machine washable

Best Classic Design: Emma Original Pillow

One of the standout memory foam pillows that offers an impressive degree of loft customization is the Emma Original pillow. It has a unique design featuring two sloped layers that provide firm support, enveloping a softer memory foam layer that delivers exceptional comfort. For those seeking to adjust the loft to their preference, this pillow allows you to easily remove the layers, granting you the flexibility to achieve your desired loft height.

The Emma Original pillow, designed with side sleepers in mind, boasts a durable and thick case crafted from a blend of polyester and 2% elastane. The added convenience of being able to remove and wash this cover ensures hygiene and longevity. Importantly, this pillow is hypoallergenic, making it an ideal choice for side sleepers who contend with allergies.

In terms of quality and safety, the pillow holds an OEKO-TEX certification, providing assurance of its adherence to high standards. Additionally, it comes with an enticing 200-night trial period, allowing you to truly test its suitability for your needs, and a generous 2-year guarantee. As a bonus, the Emma Original pillow offers free delivery, making it a compelling option for those seeking a customizable, comfortable, and allergy-friendly pillow for their side-sleeping needs.

Check out our full Emma Original Pillow review .

• Size : 40 x 70 x 11 cm
• Material : Cover: polyester (98%) & elastane (2%) Filling: Polycotton
• Warranty : 2 years
• Delivery : 1-3 working days

Best Hybrid: Simba Hybrid

The Simba hybrid pillow is a remarkable fusion of traditional memory foam and cutting-edge Stratos technology, inspired by space science, to ensure an optimal airflow system and enhance cooling effects. This innovative design allows you to easily customize your pillow height by removing the “ nanocubes ,” thereby enabling you to alleviate any neck pain you may experience.

This tech-savvy pillow offers a dual-sided feature catering to various preferences. On one side, it boasts a softer surface crafted from 300 thread count cotton, providing a cozy and comfortable option. On the flip side, the Stratos technology is harnessed to deliver a cooling effect, making it particularly suitable for hot summer nights.

One of the standout qualities of the Simba hybrid pillow is its durability; it maintains its shape and support even after prolonged use. Should you notice any slight sagging, the solution is as simple as unzipping the case and adjusting the nanocubes to attain your desired pillow shape and height.

In summary, the Simba hybrid pillow offers a blend of traditional and cutting-edge technologies , making it a versatile and adaptable choice for those seeking a comfortable and customizable pillow that stays cool and supportive, no matter the season or level of use.

Here is our detailed Simba Hybrid pillow review .

• Size : 70 ×45 cm
• Weight : 450-640 g
• Material : Open-cell memory foam cubes
• Warranty : 1 year
• Delivery : Free, carbon neutral delivery.
• Care : Non-machine washable
• Good for : All types of sleepers

Best Firmness: OTTY Deluxe Pure pillow

The OTTY Deluxe Pure pillow immediately stands out to us as the perfect pillow for side sleepers. That's because, even at a glance, you can notice that the loft is quite high and that the pillow doesn't compress all that much.

And that means that your head and neck are getting all of the support they need all night long! Plus, if you are a hot sleeper or have allergies, this pillow will be perfect for you.

Not only is it completely hypoallergenic but OTTY have gone the extra distance to make it antibacterial by infusing the foam with charcoal . There's even bamboo in the pillow so that you can stay nice and cool even during the colder months.

So, while this pillow would give any stomach sleeper quite a neck-ache, it's perfect for supporting side sleepers and keeping them comfortable.

Here is our OTTY Deluxe pillow VS OTTY Adjustable pillow comparison so take a look.

• Size : 60 x 40 x 10 cm
• Material : Open-cell memory foam
• Delivery : N/A

Best Temperature Regulating: Panda Hybrid Bamboo

The Panda Hybrid pillow offers a distinctive and natural infusion that not only enhances your sleep quality but also works to neutralize unwanted odours, creating an exceptionally fresh and clean sleep environment. However, its advantages don't stop there! This innovative pillow also incorporates Active O2 Micro-pods, strategically designed to optimize airflow, resulting in a cooling effect that eliminates the need to flip the pillow during the night. The added side mesh further contributes to improved breathability.

To add the cherry on top, the bamboo cover of the Panda Hybrid pillow offers temperature regulation, ensuring that you stay comfortably cool during the hot summer months and warm during the chillier winter nights. This all-encompassing approach to comfort and functionality makes it an exceptional choice for those seeking a pillow that goes the extra mile to enhance their sleeping experience.

Do check our review of Panda Hybrid pillow for more information.

• Size : 70 x 40 x 13 cm
• Weight : 2.2 kg
• Material : Semi-synthetic fiber rayon & bamboo
• Warranty : 10 years
• Care : Machine washable cover

Best Memory Foam: Nectar Premium pillow

If you happen to suffer from neck pain, another top recommendation is the Nectar Premium pillow due to its remarkable support and pressure-relieving properties. Many side sleepers who have made the switch to this pillow have reported a significant reduction in neck discomfort.

Furthermore, the Nectar Premium pillow not only provides excellent support but also offers exceptional comfort, with a loft height of 12 cm that suits the preferences of a vast majority of customers. While it doesn't have adjustable loft options, it has proven to be well-suited for around 90% of users.

The pillow's cover, made from durable polyester, stands up to wear and tear impressively well. It's robust enough that some individuals have even used the pillow without an additional pillowcase without experiencing any signs of deterioration. However, it's worth noting that the cover isn't removable, and the pillow isn't fully machine-washable, which may be a minor inconvenience for some users. Nevertheless, the Nectar Premium pillow's support, comfort, and durability make it a compelling choice for those seeking relief from neck pain during their sleep.

Check our review of the Nectar Premium pillow .

• Size : 60 x 4 0 x 12 cm
• Material : Tencel fabric
• Warranty : Forever
• Delivery : Free
• Care : Not machine washable
• Good for : All sleepers

What are the benefits of side sleeping on the correct pillow?

For many years, side sleeping was a sleeping position that was considered less healthy than back sleeping. However, various studies have shown that with the right choice of pillow and an adjustable mattress, side sleeping is an equally healthy sleeping position, even healthier for specific health problems .

So, let's discuss a few ways in which having the right pillow can help you stay comfortable and heatlhy!

Opening up your airways

The first and most noticeable benefit of side sleeping is the  reduction of snoring  problems and sleep apnea, which can be alleviated using adjustable pillows or thicker pillows.

When you sleep on the side , your airways will always be open and this will allow undisturbed sleep for both you and the person sleeping in bed with you . However, if you don't have the appropriate pillow, you might automatically flip over to your back while asleep.

Plus, if your pillow is too soft, the end of the pillow could end up in front of your mouth and nose, making it more difficult to breathe properly! So, some forethought should be put in.

Better digestion

Digestive tract problems and heartburn symptoms can be significantly alleviated if you sleep on your side , and sleeping on your left side is especially beneficial. Our bowels are not symmetrical and that is why doctors recommend sleeping on the left side.

With that being said, sleeping on your back can possibly get you the same results. However, this usually involves propping your head up with multiple pillows, which can be uncomfortable and put strain on your neck.

Spinal alignment and health

The most important benefit you can get by having an appropriate pillow for side sleeping is taking care of your neck and back. Unlike sleeping on your back or stomach, keeping your spine completely straight and supported during the night is a bit more difficult.

In fact, you have to get the right mattress and the right pillow to accomplish it! Not to mention your shoulder, which is under a lot of pressure if your hips don't sink into the mattress properly.

And it's especially easy to get the wrong pillow, as you might not notice that your head is slightly tilted to the side. However, even a small tilt can produce neck pain over the long run. So, for both neck and shoulder pain relief, getting the right pillow and the right mattress are essential!

Better overall health

Did you know that sleeping on your side is the healthiest position for pregnant women? That's because it provides the best circulation for the mother and the baby! Just make sure to have a good body pillow to ensure proper joint support.

But you don't need to be pregnant to enjoy side sleeping. And if you have the appropriate pillow, you might notice your overall sleep quality go up . After all, you'll be able to get more comfortable more quickly and won't have annoying neck aches to deal with.

And enhancing sleep quality then makes all other aspects of health better! So, if you like what you read, and if you want to try sleeping on your side more, consider trying some of these side sleeping tricks.

How to find the best pillow for side sleepers?

When buying the top pillows for side sleepers, you need to consider many factors before you are able to make the right decision about which one is ideal for you.

Some of the most important factors to consider are the filling, a machine washable cover/pillowcase, loft, support, shape and firmness . But there are also other nice-to-have features. For example, if you have allergies, look for a hypoallergenic pillow. And if you want to ensure a completely safe and clean sleeping environment, look for pillows with the OEKO-Tex certification .

Each of these factors will have a significant impact on whether you will be able to sleep comfortably during the night.

Remember that not all side sleepers have the same personal preferences, so consider what you need. Also if you have pain in a particular place, then that is the first thing to address. And don't forget, your mattress and topper also play a big part. So, if you're dealing with neck and back pain, know that you might need a new mattress along with a new pillow!

But let's now look at these features a bit more closely and see what differentiates a good pillow from a bad one!

The thickness or loft of the pillow

We place the thickness of the pillow, also commonly referred to as loft, as the first factor to consider when buying the top pillow for side sleeper in the UK. The loft is even more important for side sleepers than it is, for example, for back sleepers.

Side sleepers need high loft pillows , to have the necessary support for the neck and keep it in line with your spine. How thick the pillow needs to be depends on your build. Those with very broad shoulders should try to find the thickest pillows they can while those with a smaller build can get away with some lower-loft pillows.

If you are shopping online, look for high-loft pillows and check the measurements. While it's not an exact science, as pillows compress, the pillow should be thick enough to cover the distance between your cheek and shoulder. And if you're getting a pillow in person, see how the size compares to your build while taking into account possible compression.

The firmness of the pillow

Pillow firmness levels are important as they dictates how much the pillow will compress . Thus, it will factor in when deciding on the perfect loft.

In other words, a soft down pillow is going to compress quite a bit. Therefore, just because it looks like it's the perfect size while on the shelf, doesn't mean it will actually suit you when sleeping on your side. On top of that, if you sleep in the middle of the pillow, the sides of the pillow can end up in front of your mouth if the pillow is too soft. And this can make it more difficult to breathe properly.

With that being said, firm pillows aren't going to always be perfect either. While a firm pillow does have a “static” loft, it also might be less comfortable. After all, most people like the feeling of having your head sink into the pillow when sleeping on your side.

So, for most people, a medium-firm pillow is going to be the best option . However, if you need extra support or are on the smaller side, something firmer or softer can work as well. But we'll discuss that in more detail when talking about the types of pillows for side sleepers.

Thickness, along with the firmness level, affects the support that the pillow will provide you. And as we've mentioned, getting a supportive pillow to keep your spinal and neck allignment healthy is a must. Besides just getting the right size and firmness of the pillow, you should also consider additional features.

For example, a memory foam pillow is going to contour to your neck, thus offering pressure relief. And an ergonomic pillow is going to ensure that your head stays straight during the night.

With that being said, support can be a bit tricky to gauge. We recommend simply lying on your side next to a mirror or using your phone to record yourself. Then check whether your head is alligned with your spine. And, of course, note if you have any neck aches the following morning.

You will find different shapes of pillows on the UK market. People who sleep on their sides can certainly sleep comfortably on a standard-shaped pillow, but there are also pillows that have a shape specifically designed for side sleepers.

In case the standard shape is not comfortable for you, then it is definitely advisable to consider an ergonomically designed pillow. Such pillows reduce the pressure on the neck, spine and shoulders , so they are ideal for all those who experience pain in that area.

However, if you're a combination sleeper, an ergonomic pillow might feel weird when sleeping on your stomach or even your back. For example, when reviewing the Tempur Original Pillow on our YouTube channel, we got the following comment “ Was told by physiotherapist that for side sleepers you use the high side and back sleepers should use the lower side of the pillow .”

This just goes to show that a) ergonomic pillows are tailored to your sleeping position and b) combination sleepers might have more issues staying comfortable.

Easy maintenance

Pillow cleaning and care is another important factor to take note of. After all, the easier it is to take care of your pillow, the longer it can stay in tip-top condition. And while pillow durability and lifespan don't vary too much across different materials, maintenance does.

For example, a contouring memory foam pillow will usually have to be hand-washed while a synthetic pillow could potentially be dry-cleaned. If you want a down pillow, you need to take into account that it has to be refluffed every few days.

And most importantly, you need to take note of the pillowcase. If the pillowcase is removable and machine-washable, it's fairly simple to keep the pillow clean. However, if the pillow has a non-removable cover and a memory foam filling, you will have to take extra care to clean it by hand gently.

What material makes for the best pillow?

Different pillow materials have different characteristics and that is why all of them are more or less used for making pillows. An important note not to forget – even if you have the best-rated pillow for side sleepers, the same pillow might not be that comfortable for other people – even if they sleep in the same sleep position. So, we have to consider personal preferences. However, the material of the pillow is a crucial factor when shopping for a pillow.

There are natural and synthetic materials, with each having a number of different options. And the material of the pillow is going to dictate important factors such as: breathability, whether the pillow is hypoallergenic, bounce, controuring, and comfort.

Memory foam is the most commonly used synthetic material, while of the natural materials feathers , down, buckwheat and latex are used the most.

For side sleepers, all the mentioned materials can be suitable, so the choice will depend more on whether you want a cooling pillow, what kind of bounce rate you want and the like. Also, we need to take the pillowcase into account, as it's the one in direct contact with your skin. But more on that later. For now, let's go through the different pillow materials and see what they have to offer.

Memory foam

Initially made by NASA , memory foam is among the most popular and beloved pillow materials. That's because memory foam contours to your body, providing excellent pressure relief and keeping you comfortable!

In fact, most ergonomic pillows use memory foam for this reason. And when it comes to dealing with neck pain in general, it's a very common solution . That being said, they're not perfect.

For one, memory foam pillows tend to trap heat, especially at lower price points. So, if you're a hot sleeper, you might find your cheek covered in sweat the following morning. Plus, memory foam pillows aren't always that thick, so people of a larger build can find it difficult to find the perfect size for sleeping on their side.

And while this is a very negligible factor, do keep in mind that memory foam tends to smell for the first night or two. So, you might not want to use it right away.

Feather and down

Feather and down pillows are a bit tricky when it comes to side sleepers. On the one hand, they are incredibly soft and comfortable. Plus, unlike memory foam, feather and down pillows don't hold on to heat. So, you won't have to worry about overheating!

However, getting the correct loft can be a challenge. This is because feather and down pillows tend to compress a lot – especially if they use majority down. Of course, if you take this into account, it shouldn't be an issue.

But if you have broad shoulders, we would recommend looking for either an adjustable feather and down pillow or a pillow that's 90/10 in favour of feathers. This is because you will likely need a bit of added support and firmenss to stop your head from sinking to deep into the pillow. You can also look into goose feather and down pillows specifically, as they tend to be a tad firmer.

In a lot of ways, latex pillows are like memory foam pillows. They contour to your body, offer excellent pressure relief, and have a similar spungy feeling when you lie down . However, there are also a few key differences.

For one, latex doesn't suffer from heat retention nearly as much as memory foam. That's because latex pillows usually have tiny holes throughout the upper layer that allow for air to move freely.

Secondly, latex has more bounce than memory foam. So, it will adjust to your movement more quickly and usually be a bit firmer. 

However, latex pillows are also more difficult to find. And if you opt for natural latex, they can be more expensive than memory foam pillows as well. Lastly, while it isn't too common, you could be allergic to latex.

Buckwheat pillows are filled with buckwheat hulls and can be a dream come true for all side sleepers because of the support they provide and because they provide the same support as on the first day and after a long time of use, even up to 10 years.

These have helped many to cure neck pain and are also very breathable. However, unlike memory foam, many users will find buckwheat pillow way too hard, so we recommend that you try it before buying. Plus, they're not nearly as popular. So, finding a buckwheat pillow can prove to be a real challenge.

Synthetic pillows

When it comes to synthetic pillows, they cover a very wide range. On the one hand, synthetic pillows are often the cheapest pillows you can find. However, these models usually offer very little bounce and tend to overheat.

However, there are also higher-end synthetic pillows that can give natural fillings a run for their money. For example, a down alternative pillow can be just as fluffy and comfortable as the real thing.

Plus, synthetic pillows come in all shapes and sizes. So, if you're looking for an extra large firm pillow, for example, you'll have more luck looking at microfibre pillows than memory foam models. And for side sleepers, this can be a very big plus.

Good additional features for side sleepers

The features we've discussed so far will ensure that your new pillow is at least decent. However, we didn't set out to find the “most decent pillow for side sleepers”, now did we?

So, to truly find the best pillow for side sleepers, we're going to look at a few additional features that can move the needle from good to great! But do note that these features are all preference-based. So, you might not care about any of them or you might want all of them!

Cooling pillows

While we've talked about breathability when looking at the pillow fillings, cooling is a slightly different beast. For example, we've established that memory foam can trap heat. Well, if that memory foam is mixed with graphite or bamboo, that problem goes away ! The same applies to cooling gel.

A pillow could also have side vents to boost breathability. Or, as we'll discuss later on, a pillow cover that's cold to the touch and breathable. So, if you tend to feel like a furnace at night, look into temperature-regulating pillows that also check off all the other boxes a side sleeper would want.

Adjustable pillows

If you're worried about getting the wrong loft for your pillow, or just want the option to sleep in other positions from time to time, an adjustable loft pillow is for you! Like the name implies, these are pillows that can be adjusted to an extent.

Adjustable pillows can be a multi-layer pillow, where you take out any layers you don't need, or fully adjustable, where you can take out some filling by hand. Generally, multi-layer pillows might be a better deal, since you're basically getting two or three pillows for the price of one. However, fully adjustable pillows are a much safer pick.

Ergonomic pillows

While we've mentioned these pillows already, we wanted to give them a proper spot. Basically, any pillow that's the right loft and firmness can help with neck pain. However, ergonomic, contouring pillows are going to make the process a lot smoother.

This is especially true for side sleepers, since your neck is a lot more likely to be under pressure.

So, getting a pillow that's curved at the end so that it reaches your neck is going to feel amazing. And since it's also a contouring pillow, this doesn't come at the cost of comfort. Do note that these pillows sometimes also go under orthopaedic pillows but they're the same thing.

What makes for a good pillowcase?

Regardless of whether you sleep on your side, back, or stomach, your pillowcase is going to be on the front lines. And that means that even if you have a great cooling pillow, a bad pillowcase will make it feel stuffy. If your pillow is hypoallergenic but your pillowcase isn't, you can still have a reaction. If your pillow is comfortable but your pillowcase is coarse and aggitating, falling asleep will still be difficult.

So, we generally advise to approach the pillowcase with the same standard as the pillow . You want to look for good materials, like bamboo or silk. You want breathable pillow materials, so, avoid cheap polyester. And you want it to be easy to clean, so, look for removable, machine-washable pillowcases.

If you sweat a lot, moisture-wicking fabrics are also a good investment. And if you want to be extra careful, you could even look into pillow protectors.

What is the ideal size of pillows for side sleepers?

You must avoid falling into the trap of underestimating the importance of choosing a proper pillow and its size. Your head and neck should have enough space. Of course, it is necessary to check the loft, firmness level, fill material and more. However, if you do not choose the right size, all these other features will be less important for your neck support pillows.

The standard size, as its name suggests, is the most common pillow size you will find on the market. The dimensions are 20W ”x 26L” and because such models are very common, they are usually the cheapest. It will suit most side sleepers of a standard build.

However, people with broad shoulders might need a slightly larger model, as standard pillows might have a lower loft. Also, if you use a pillow that's going to compress a lot, like a down pillow, it might be smart to get a larger size as well.

Super standard

The Super Standard differs only slightly in dimensions from the standard size. It's a bit longer as the exact dimensions are 20W “x 28L” and it's rare on the market, so you'll probably have a hard time finding one. It is ideal for people who toss and turn a lot and/or sleep with their head in the middle of the pillow.

Queen is another size that you will easily find and it is the best-selling size after the standard. The queen-size pillow is 4 inches longer than the standard, which brings us to the dimensions of 20W ”x 30L” and this gives you a significantly larger surface. We recommend it even more than the Super Standard for all those who toss and turn and are on the hunt for their new top pillow.

King size is the third regular size and you won't have a problem finding pillows of that size. It is significantly larger than the standard, measuring 20W ”x 36L” and gives you a lot of space. If you toss and turn at night and like to watch TV while you drift away, a King-size pillow could be what you're looking for. And besides getting a body pillow, this is usually the largest size you're going to find.

Body pillows are very long and are usually used by pregnant women. It is also the first choice for all those who like to have the feeling that someone is hugging them while they sleep. It is completely different in size and shape from other pillows as its not a strictly rectangular shape and is usually 48W ”x 20L” but can be even wider, up to 55W.

And the main benefit of body pillows is that you can put your knees on top for added comfort and joint support.

So – there you have it! The ultimate top 10 best pillows for side sleepers in the UK! We made sure to include various types of pillows as we know that not everyone has the same taste when it comes to comfort. Whether you like an adjustable pillow, soft, medium or extra firm pillows – you can definitely find one in this list.

And we strongly suggest that you invest in a proper pillow. Not only will this ward off any potential neck and upper back pain but it will also enhance your overall sleep quality. And, as we've said, when your sleep quality goes up, all other aspects of good health go up with it!

But if you have any questions about pillows, side sleeping, or anything else related to snoozing, feel free to ask us in the comment section!

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Faqs about pillows for side sleepers.

Before we wrap everything up, let's go over some of the most frequently asked questions we've found about pillows for side sleepers. And if there are any we've missed, let us know in the comments!

The type of pillow doesn't matter too much. As long as you get the appropriate pillow loft for your build, you should be happily sleeping on your side.

The height of the pillow needs to cover the distance from the end of your shoulder to your cheek when fully compressed.

Chiropractors recommend ergonomic pillows that can support your neck as well as your head as you sleep.

If you suffer from neck pain, you can get an ergonomic pillow that can support your neck and head as you sleep. These pillows usually have an valley in the middle for your head and a raised portion at the bottom for your neck.

The best pillow varries from one side sleeper to another. Just make sure it has the appropriate loft, a good cover, and a high-quality filling.

Medium to medium-firm pillows are usually a safe pick. However, larger individuals might need a firmer pillow while smaller individuals might need a softer pillow.

Yes, as long as they are made of high-density foam. HD foam ensures good pressure relief as well as support.

Yes, it certainly can. However, it usually won't occur right away.

Most experts agree that all sleepers, not only side sleepers, should replace their pillows every 1 – 2 years to ensure the pillow is supportive, clean and free of any allergens.

Soft to medium – a rating anywhere between 3 – 7 showed positive results accross the board.

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I have the Simba hybrid pillow and i think it's the best pillow for side sleepers

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Best pillows – tried and tested for side, front and back sleepers

We've tried and tested the best pillows from all the leading brand names to curate our top recommendations for side sleepers, back sleepers, front sleepers, neck pain, and much much more

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• 1. Best overall
• 2. Side sleepers
• 3. Back sleepers
• 4. Front sleepers
• 5. Memory foam
• 6. Feather and down
• 7. Neck pain
• 8. Budget buys
• Where to buy
• How to choose

1. Best overall 2. Best for side sleepers 3. Best for back sleepers 4. Best for front sleepers 5. Best memory foam 6. Best feather and down 7. Best for neck pain 8. Budget buys Where to buy How to choose FAQs

Finding the best pillows for a good night’s sleep should be easy. After all, there’s not that much science to finding a good pillow, right? 

Well, as you may have come to realise if you’re tossing and turning at night squishing your current pillow into all kinds of shapes to try and get comfy, when it comes to pillows, one size does not fit all. 

Just like when it comes to finding the best mattress , finding the best pillow for your best night’s sleep depends on several different factors. That includes your regular sleep position – i.e. whether you’re a front, back or side sleeper – if you suffer from any aches and pains, like neck pain, and what your pillow filling preferences are. 

The good news is that we’ve done the hard work for you, and tried and tested multiple pillows from a wide range of brands to find the cream of the crop. Our top recommendations are listed directly below, and we’ve broken down the basics of pillow shopping at the bottom of this guide. Happy snoozing!

Best pillows – tried and tested

Why you can trust Ideal Home Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

Best pillows overall

The Simba Hybrid pillow is a great all-rounder thanks to its adjustable fill which means each sleeper can alter the pillow's loft to best suit their sleep style. That means it works if you're a front, back, or side sleeper, and can mean it's a great option for offering to overnight guests (if you can bear to part with it).

If you like a firmer place to rest your head then we think this is the crème de la crème of memory foam pillows. Its cooler-than-most sleep surface even converted our most memory foam-averse reviewers, with many saying they now won't sleep without it.

If you prefer to opt for natural materials over synthetics, then this wool-filled pillow with a quilted cotton case is a great buy. Plus wool's naturally breathable qualities make it perfect for hot sleepers. Similar to the Simba pillow, it can also be unzipped to add or remove filling to adjust the height. 

Best pillow for side sleepers

Thanks to its adjustable fill (a genius concept) multiple testers found the Simba Hybrid pillow to be one of the best pillows for side sleeping support. Just add or remove the foam 'nanocubes' to make the pillow the correct height for you. That means this pillow can work just as well for back and front sleepers too, making it a great all-rounder. And whilst synthetic pillow fill can sometimes lead to overheating, Simba has addressed this with its 'astronaut-inspired temperature regulation' (that's coating the cotton pillow outer in a formula that absorbs, stores, and releases heat when you need it).

Memory foam pillows often divide opinion, with some loving the adaptive sleep surface and others less keen on the firmer feel. However, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo pillow converted even our most memory foam-averse reviewers, with this pillow scoring highly amongst all testers, especially our side sleepers. The cool and silky bamboo rayon top layer gives the pillow a luxurious feel, and our side sleeping testers found the malleable memory foam inner brilliant for spinal alignment. In fact, several of our reviewers said they wouldn't sleep without it.

If you're looking for a classic feather and down pillow that's suitable for side sleepers, then this is the best we've come across. It has a higher loft than most, making it a great height for side sleeping, and its tightly woven sateen cotton case not only makes it dust-mite and down-proof (so no escaping feathers) but keeps it super plump so you don't sink too low in the night. Inside is a combination of a supportive goose feather inner core surrounded by a softer, squashier layer of goose down that delivers that luxury boutique-hotel quality at home.

Side sleeping is by far the most popular sleep position, which is why we've done extensive testing to find the very best pillow for this sleeping style. You'll find more options, plus in-depth buying advice in our guide to the best pillow for side sleepers .

Best pillow for back sleepers

Similar to the Simba Hybrid Pillow with its adjustable foam 'nanocubes', Woolroom's Deluxe Washable Wool Pillow has a quilted cover that you can unzip to adjust the amount of wool filling inside. You can buy more wool fill to increase the height, (which side sleepers might find a necessity) but we found the default medium loft a great height for back sleepers. Better yet, the pillow is made from sustainable and naturally biodegradable materials. And, if you regularly wake up with a hot head, this pillow will help. It's perfect for hot sleepers thanks to wool's naturally breathable thermoregulating qualities.

If you're a back sleeper who enjoys a firm sleep surface then we think this high-density memory foam option, the Kally Sleep Neck Pain pillow could be one of the best pillows for you. It's designed to help side and back sleepers with neck pain, but once they adjusted to its firmness, our testers with no existing neck problems were just as impressed by its ergonomic shape that cradles the neck to offer optimum support during the night. It's also a great buy if you tend to switch positions during the night, with slightly higher headrests on either side of the pillow to cater for comfortable side sleeping too.

This plump feather and down pillow looks great on the bed, and once we rested our heads down we found it offers the perfect mix of squish and support. We tested the 'soft' version of the pillow which felt as dreamy as a cloud to lay our heads on, and turned out to be the perfect feather and down pillow for back sleepers, as once the weight of your head has expelled some air from the pillow, it becomes just the right height to keep the neck and spine aligned nicely. It won't be suitable for vegans, but both feather and down are sourced from cruelty-free suppliers.

Best pillow for front sleepers

Front sleepers need a super soft, low loft pillow that won't raise the head too far from the bed and put unnecessary strain on the neck. A lightly filled feather and down pillow is ideal, and whilst you'll only want one of the two-pack Duck Feather & Down Medium pillows under your head at any one time, the airy duck feather and down fill is super squashy and ideal for getting comfortable on your front.

If you're a front sleeper who would prefer to avoid animal by-products then Simba's Hybrid pillow comes to the rescue. This versatile all-rounder is height-adjustable so you can remove as many of the foam 'nanocubes' inside the pillow as necessary to create the perfect height pillow for your front-sleeping needs. There's also a handy bag included for storing the excess foam fill.

Another great option, and similar to the Simba Hybrid Pillow with its adjustable foam 'nanocubes', Woolroom's Deluxe Washable Wool Pillow has a quilted cover that you can unzip to adjust the amount of wool filling inside. It sleeps firmer than our other two front sleeping options, but that naturally breathable wool fill is ideal for hot sleepers, plus its sustainable and naturally biodegradable materials make it a winner for us.

Best memory foam pillow

This one-of-kind pillow again converted even our memory foam cynics thanks to its dreamy sink-in sleep surface. Unlike most memory foam pillows that tend to be quite firm and 'block-like' in design, the Tempur Comfort Cloud pillow has a much more 'traditional' pillow shape and loft, which means it looks great in a pillowcase. It also suits a wide variety of sleepers, with our back and side sleepers all rating it highly. Just bear in mind that this memory foam pillow is far heavier than its name suggests – you'd have an unfair advantage in a pillow fight.

Another entry from Panda, the brand's original memory foam pillow is a design that's amassed many positive reviews online. The pillow is higher than the Panda Hybrid Bamboo pillow, so whilst our back sleeping testers preferred the Panda Hybrid, it was very popular with our side sleeping testers who appreciated the extra loft. Without the quilted bamboo rayon upper layer, it doesn't feel as luxurious as Panda's Hybrid pillow, but it is nearly half the price, which makes it a great value memory foam option. Plus, its unzippable, washable cover is a bonus.

Best feather and down pillow

Generally considered to be the highest quality feather and down-filling money can buy, this Hungarian goose down pillow from The White Company delivers everything you expect from a high-quality feather and down pillow, with a plump shape that looks great styled on the bed, and a soft and squishy feel that delivers a real sense of luxury at night. We tested the 'soft' version of the pillow which felt as dreamy as a cloud to lay our heads on, but there's also a 'medium' firm pillow if you prefer more support. 

The best feather and down pillow for side sleepers thanks to its high loft, this Scooms pillow has a plumptious fill that will deliver hotel pillow quality at home. It delivers that 'just right' mix of comfort and support thanks to a combination of a goose feather inner core surrounded by a softer, squashier layer of goose down, encased in a dust-mite proof high thread-count cotton cover that stops any filling from escaping. The result is a super plumptious pillow that our (non-vegan) testers loved sinking into.

Offering the luxe 'flumph' of down at a far more affordable price point, this two-pack of duck feather and down pillows from M&S is the best budget buy we've found. Other feather pillows at this price point have tended to clump or have uncomfortable feathers that stick through the casing, but not this option. Whilst the pillows are lower loft and not the same quality as The White Company or Scooms pillows, this is a great value set that still delivers a great squish factor for the price.

Best pillow for neck pain

In our opinion, the Kally Sleep neck pain pillow is by far the best pillow for neck pain of all the options we've tested. The ergonomic butterfly shape is specifically designed to support the cervical spine (the upper section that connects the head and back), to keep the head in alignment with the spine when back sleeping, and to support the natural curve of the neck and head whilst side sleeping. Our testers initially found the slow-rebound memory foam quite firm, but soon realised that was its winning formula. As one tester said, 'I recently pulled a muscle in my neck and this is the only pillow that could make me comfortable at night'.

Whilst Kally Sleep's butterfly pillow scored highly with most of our reviewers, a couple found it too low for their comfort, which is when this Zamat Butterfly pillow came into its own. Offering ergonomic support that cradles the head and allows the cervical spine to rest in alignment, this is a slightly higher loft pillow. It also comes with a removable pillow insert that gives you greater control over the pillow's height. The downside is it's not the most attractive, and you're unlikely to find a pillowcase to fit, although the outer cover is washable. Still, if it helps relieve neck pain, that's a small price to pay.

If your neck pain is caused by the wrong height pillow and you're struggling to find just the right depth to keep your neck and spine in alignment, then Simba's Hybrid adjustable fill pillow could be the solution. This boxwall pillow unzips so you can add or remove the foam 'nanocubes' that form the pillow's fill, enabling you to make it just the right height for you, whether you're a front, back, or side sleeper. And whilst synthetic pillow fill can sometimes lead to overheating, Simba has addressed this with its 'astronaut-inspired temperature regulation' (that's coating the cotton pillow outer in a formula that absorbs, stores, and releases heat when you need it).

Budget buys

Sadly we're yet to find a good pillow that isn't upwards of £20-30. However, sometimes you need a budget option, and this Slumberdown two-pack offers two higher loft pillows specifically designed for side sleeping, at a very low price. Machine washable, they feature a supportive core block centre that's wrapped in softer synthetic fibres. They have over 30,000 reviews on Amazon, with an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars, although the verdict is mixed on how well they hold up over time, with some reviewers finding they flattened sooner than expected.

Similarly, Silentnight's two-pack of Ultrabounce pillows is an affordable option for back sleepers. Like the Slumberdown Super Support pillows, the Silentnight Ultrabounce get over 30,000 reviews on Amazon with an average 4.5 out of 5 star rating, and with a softer mid-loft design that's a better height for back sleeping. However, as another synthetic option, they will reflect more heat towards the sleeper than a natural fill, and again some reviewers have noted this affordable option can flatten over time.

As we've already mentioned, this two-pack of duck feather and down pillows from Marks & Spencer is the best set of budget feather and down pillows we've come across whilst testing. Whereas cheap feather and down pillows can tend to be lumpy or allow feathers to escape after just a little use, this option has kept going strong years after we first popped it onto the bed. Our front sleepers can confirm it's still one of their favourite pillows for stomach sleeping with the low loft design not raising the head and neck too far from the mattress.

Where to buy the best pillows

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How to choose the best pillow for your needs

It's easy to think that there isn't much to choosing a pillow, which is probably why most of us grab the cheapest two-pack of pillows we can find on the shelves. However, once neck pain, overheating, or general discomfort enter the equation it soon becomes clear there's more to finding a good pillow than meets the eye.

Finding the best pillows – or best pillow, as most experts advise against sleeping with two – for your best night’s sleep depends on a variety of different factors. That includes your regular sleep position – i.e. whether you’re a front, back or side sleeper – whether you suffer from any aches and pains, like neck pain, and whether you’re someone who tends to overheat at night.

There’s also your preference for natural materials – like cotton, down, feather, or wool – or synthetic materials – like memory foam or polyester – to factor in. Plus there’s sustainability to consider, and of course, the necessity to find the best pillows for your budget. You might also be desperately searching for an effective anti-snore pillow to silence a noisy bed partner. So what should you consider before splashing your cash in search of a better night's sleep?

Are you a front, back or side sleeper?

Your preferred sleep position is probably one of the biggest factors to consider when choosing the best pillows for you. As James Leinhardt, sleep & posture expert and founder at pillow and mattress brand Levitex explains 'Choosing the right pillow for you is about ensuring the best possible sleeping surface for an optimised sleep posture', and that means considering your neck and spine alignment. 

Whatever position you sleep in, if you imagine a thin pipe or tube (I like to think of a hosepipe!) running from the base of your spine to the top of your head, you want that tube to be straight with no kinks around the neck area. This means you don't want a pillow that's too flat – which will mean your head dips down forming a kink in the tube – or too high – which will force your neck to arch upwards adding a different kink to the spinal pipe.

The position you sleep in will largely determine the type of pillow you need to keep your spine aligned nicely straight.

Side sleepers – if you sleep on your side then you'll want a thicker pillow – or two thinner pillows – that lift your head enough to keep your spine and neck in alignment. Finding the best pillows if you're a side sleeper can be a challenge as everyone’s shoulders are different widths – wider shoulders mean you'll need more pillow height to keep your neck straight once you're laid on your side – so sometimes it can take a little trial and error to get the correct height. A boxwall or memory foam pillow can be a good bet here as they both provide a more structured pillow that offers height but prevents your head from sinking too much.

Front sleepers – this sleep position is generally the one most frowned upon by osteopaths as unless you faceplant your pillow you're likely twisting your head to either side which isn't great for your spinal alignment and puts pressure on the neck. However, as a front sleeper myself I know it can be a hard habit to break! Front sleepers will want a softer, thinner pillow that doesn’t lift the head too far from the bed.

Back sleepers – if you sleep on your back you’ll want a mid-height pillow that sits somewhere between a thinner front-sleepers pillow and a higher-side sleepers pillow. Again it’s all about spinal alignment, you don’t want a pillow that forces the neck to arch too far upward or sink too deeply down. A memory foam pillow can offer good support, moulding to the neck to support this area, whilst allowing the head to sink slightly deeper.

Which filling is best for pillows?

Spend some time looking for a new pillow and you'll soon realise there are a whole host of pillow fillings available. From hollowfibre to goose down, synthetic to natural, the array of terms and materials can fast become a little overwhelming. 

To help you get to grips with the basics, we've broken down the pros and cons of most common pillow fillings below.

First up, it's synthetic fillings . These pillows are filled with manmade fibres, like polyester and polymide that are made from petroleum-based plastics. 

Confusingly many manufacturers 'invent' their own terminology to dress things up to sound a bit more fancy, but the basic synthetic options are hollowfibre, microfibre, and memory foam.

Hollowfibre – the cheapest pillows you can buy tend to be made of hollow fibre. Made of polyester wadding, a hollow fibre pillow is dense but lightweight. A hollow fibre pillow is affordable, easy to care for as it can generally be washed at high temperatures, and anti-allergenic, which makes it a popular choice for kid's bedding. However, over time this pillow is most likely to flatten and become lumpy. Synthetics can also cause overheating and night sweats as the plastic polymer fibres aren't breathable and reflect body heat towards the sleeper, and neither production or disposal at the end of the pillow's life span (plastic is non-biodegradable) is good news from an environmental point of view.

Microfibre – the 'luxury' version of hollow fibre, a microfibre fill is made of much finer strands of polyester resulting in a very lightweight pillow with a, yes, more luxurious feel. Some compare microfibre to the feel of down, but it has the upside of not running the risk of animal cruelty. However, again, being made of synthetics, the environmental impact of production and disposal is a concern. Like hollow fibre, microfibre can also cause overheating.

Memory foam – synthetic, yet a very different beast to hollow fibre or microfibre, memory foam is a dense material that offers a much firmer sleep surface. Activated by body heat, memory foam has elastic qualities that help it to mould to your contours as you sleep. This can make it a good choice for back sleepers and those who suffer from neck pain as it ensures good support of the head and neck. However it tends to be expensive, and some can find it too hot. Like with all synthetics, there are also environmental concerns.

Then there are the more traditional, natural fillings to consider. These range from all types of feathers and down to wool filling. 

Down – long thought of as the Holy Grail filling of all the best pillows, down creates the plump, squishy and super soft feel that we perhaps all associate with the classic pillow. This natural fill is also far more breathable than a synthetic option, making for a cooler sleep. However, sourced from either duck or goose on an industrial scale, the fill can raise concerns about animal cruelty. Down pillows also can't be washed, will need more plumping, and that luxury feel comes with a luxury price tag to match.

Feather and down – a more affordable alternative to pure down, a feather and down fill bulks out down's fine softness by adding some larger feathers into the mix. Goose feather and down tends to be the most luxurious mix, with duck feather and down the more affordable (yet often a little lumpier) alternative. Generally speaking, the more you spend on a feather and down pillow the better the quality, with some cheaper options resulting in escaped down and feathers that stick through the casing. 

Wool – in our opinion, wool is a bit of a wonder fibre in terms of bedding fill. Insulating, breathable, temperature regulating, hypoallergenic, durable, a sustainable and renewable resource, and bio-degradable at the end of the product's lifespan, it ticks a whole lot of boxes when it comes to the best pillow fill choice. However, it is currently quite hard to come by except from at specialist retailers, and not all wool pillows can be washed, so it pays to double-check the manufacturer's care instructions.

Temperature regulation

Overheating is one of the most common reasons for disrupted sleep or night-time waking. If you regularly flip your pillow over at night looking for the cooler side, it’s likely you need a ‘cooler’ more breathable option. 

Synthetic pillow casing and fill is usually the biggest culprit if you find your pillow gets too hot in the night. Made of plastic polymers, synthetics aren’t breathable – although manufacturers try to combat this by adding in ‘spaces’ between fibres to enable airflow – so the natural heat of your head is reflected back to you, leading to overheating or a sweaty head. 

Opting for natural materials for the pillow casing and fill is the best bet for staying cool at night. Look for cotton, wool, feather, or down which are all far more breathable and so make the best pillows for those prone to overheating at night, delivering a far cooler sleep. 

What pillows do hotels use?

With down lauded as the ultimate luxury, many top-rated hotels will use down, or a feather-filled blend in their pillows. Down pillows are often also the best all-rounders when it comes to catering to a wide array of sleep positions. So while memory foam options are really good for the individual buyer, they aren't quite as versatile for multiple users.

For the full boutique feel, teaming one of the best pillows with one of the best duvets will ensure that what you're sleeping under feels just as luxurious as what you're sleeping on. 

How often should you replace your pillows? 

To ensure continued support and hygiene, experts recommend replacing your pillows every one to two years. But since you will get up close and personal with your pillow every night, a regular wash can also be necessary to ensure longevity. Our how to wash a pillow guide will make sure you don't damage it in the process.

Experts say you should wash your pillows every three to six months, so consider this when you buy. For more information on how often you should wash your pillows , read our handy guide. We love pillows with removable covers that can be tossed in the machine and even tumble-dried as is common with many foam pillows. This means you can usually wash it, dry it and sleep on it by the evening. Great if you only have one set of pillows, or you have a favourite that you struggle to sleep without.

How we test pillows

You'll find the general principles of how we review products at  Ideal Home on our how we test page, however, what better way to test out a pillow than to lay your head down for a nap?

To thoroughly test all the options in this round-up, the Ideal Home team of experts has tried and tested each of these pillows to find the very best night's sleep. Each pillow has been tested over multiple nights, and by a variety of reviewers; from hot sleepers looking for breathability to those with neck pain or snoring issues, and a range of front, back, and side sleepers.

To earn a place on our shortlist, each pillow has to have impressed our reviewers, proved itself good value for money, and delivered a great night's sleep.

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After studying Print Design at Winchester School of Art, Amy spent multiple years working in the interior industry, including styling and visual merchandising for many well-known brands. She’s now Ecommerce Editor at Ideal Home , offering expert advice on the best products for decorating your home and ensuring it functions smoothly. That includes sourcing stylish yet affordable furniture – from the best sofa beds for combining style, comfort, and function, to the best artificial Christmas trees for a stress-free festive season – helping our readers to find the best mattress for their sleep style, and testing top-rated dehumidifiers and air purifiers to narrow down the best-in-class.

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The Best Pillows for Side Sleepers, According to Bedding Experts

We tested over 150 pillows so you can have your best sleep ever.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

Side sleeping is one of the most common sleep positions. But why does it feel so difficult to find the right pillow? If you've ever woken up with a crick in your neck after sleeping with a new pillow, remember this: The right pillow will be thick enough to fill in the gap between your head and shoulders for proper spinal alignment. A pillow that's too thick, too thin, too soft or too firm can lead to a myriad of issues

What's the best pillow for most side sleepers? The Pillow Cube Side Cube Pillow is our best overall pillow for side sleepers because of its innovative shape for excellent neck support and proper alignment. Testers called this pillow game-changing and some even said it decreased neck soreness. For combination sleepers who change positions throughout the night, we recommend the Coop Home Goods Original Pillow , an adjustable shredded foam pillow that cushions your head.

Our top picks:

Best Overall Pillow for Side Sleepers

Pillow cube side cube.

Best Value Pillow for Side Sleepers

Sobel westex hotel sobella medium pillow.

Best Pillow for Side Sleepers with Neck Pain

Coop home goods premium original adjustable pillow.

Best Cooling Pillow for Side Sleepers

Purple harmony pillow.

Best Pillow for Combination Sleepers

Layla sleep kapok pillow.

Best Down Alternative Pillow for Side Sleepers

Tuft & needle down alternative pillow (set of two).

Best Memory Foam Pillow for Side Sleepers

Tempur-pedic breeze° pro + advanced cooling pillow.

Best Organic Pillow for Side Sleepers

Naturepedic organic 2-in-1 adjustable latex pillow.

We've put hundreds of pillows to the test in our Lab and with consumer testers over the years, from down pillows and down alternative options to memory foam, latex and even cooling pillows . In our Lab, we evaluate everything from ease of laundering to how well a pillow maintains its shape over time after weights are applied to mimic real-life use. Plus, we work with at-home sleep testers, including side sleepers, who sleep on each pillow to give feedback on comfort, support, temperature regulation and more. To find the best pillows for side sleepers, we analyzed over 5,400 data points from recent testing of more than 150 pillows . Read on to find the best of the best.

Best Cooling Pillows | Best Body Pillows | Best Memory Foam Pillows | Best Organic Pillows | Best Down Pillows | Best Down Alternative Pillows | Best Pillows for Back Sleepers | Best Pillows for Stomach Sleepers | Best Pillows for Neck Pain | Best Hotel Pillows | Best Anti-Snore Pillows

This innovative pillow is a total game-changer for side sleepers. It has a unique rectangular shape with 90-degree edges to fill the gap between your shoulder and neck for unparalleled support and proper alignment. It comes in one universal 5-inch height, but if you need a shorter or taller pillow, check out the brand's new Side Cube Deluxe . Just note that the shape is best suited to true side sleepers, rather than those who change sleep positions throughout the night.

Tester notes: Despite our initial skepticism, it impressed both our Lab experts and consumer testers, winning over many with its support. "I like that it has the same amount of support right to the very edge and doesn’t taper off, so my neck is totally supported," said one, "Before, I’d ball up an extra pillow under my neck or sleep with my hand there."

READ OUR FULL REVIEW: The Pillow Cube Is the Answer for Side Sleepers

Outfitting the bedrooms of many high-end resorts, Sobel Westex makes hotel pillows you'll dream of long past your stay. The lofty, down-like polyester fill also aced our tests, feeling luxurious without breaking the break . It also felt more substantial and supportive than similar down alternative styles we've tested.

Tester notes: Living up to its quality construction and high-end look, it washed well and bounced back quickly in our weighted pressure tests. Testers enjoyed the fluffy feel, giving it high scores for comfort and support. "It holds its shape throughout the night, is supportive for me as a 'side sleeper,' and is not too warm," said one tester. She also dubbed it "the first pillow I’ve used that has been supportive without causing neck strain.” Some testers did note that it's flattened out a bit over time but has held up better than their other pillows.

If you're waking up with a sore neck, it's likely due to poor spinal alignment. Luckily, this pillow offers a simple solution: Adjustable fill. You can add or remove fill until you find your perfect firmness level, and it works well for those who tend to change positions during the night. Plus, unlike similar pillows we've tested, both the cover and inner pillow can be machine-washed, and both looked great after our test washes.

Tester notes: This pillow comes with high praise from testers who gave it high marks across the board for comfort and support. "It really helps my neck pain around my C3," said one tester, who has had whiplash twice. "It's nice to wake up in the morning without pain and stiffness." Another noted, "It wraps around my head and I sink into it." One downside is the outer cover does tend to pill over time.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW: The Coop Home Goods Pillow Is the Best Pillow We've Ever Tested

The Harmony Pillow features a latex core designed with Purple’s innovative polymer grid material for plush support and excellent cooling capabilities. The open channels in the grid offer extra airflow while cradling your head and neck, and the latex core provides excellent support. It's also available in three heights.

Tester notes: It received some of the highest scores from our testers, who loved how supportive it felt. It also quickly bounced back when we applied weighted pressure in the Lab. Beyond that, the material was a hit among testers, with one commenting that “the texture of the pillow was very unique, very soft and supportive.” Hot sleepers also noted it helped maintain a comfortable body temperature at night. It is heavier than other pillows.

The Layla pillow has an innovative hybrid fill made with kapok (a fluffy, silky natural fiber that's similar to cotton) and shredded memory foam. This results in a supportive and plush feel, which garnered high praise from our testers . On top of that, the fill is adjustable, so you can tailor it to your ideal height and switch positions at night without losing support.

Tester notes: It earned a near-perfect score from each of our testers, who gave it top marks for comfort, support and overall satisfaction. One tester especially loved how it “forms to your sleeping position” for proper alignment. The downside is that the gray cover is visible through some pillowcases, and the pillow may be too thin for users with broad shoulders.

Tuft & Needle Down Alternative Pillow (Set of Two)

Down alternative pillows are a great substitute for down if you have an allergy or want a more affordable option. Among the dozens we've tested, Tuft & Needle's stands out for its firm support, keeping its shape in both in-Lab and at-home tests, night after night. Each pillow also comes with subtle side piping for a touch of elegance that won't show through your pillowcase.

Tester notes: Beyond how well the pillow maintained its shape, it fit perfectly in a Standard pillowcase and received praise from testers. All rated it highly supportive and comfortable to sleep on, although some said they wished it were softer. One tester also highlighted its attention to detail, saying it was "excellent quality with good materials and stitching."

The Tempur-Pedic Breeze° Pro + Advanced Cooling Pillow comes in two different heights, high and low, with the high style being ideal for side sleepers. In addition to the solid memory foam interior, there is also a gel layer designed to help keep you cool.

Tester notes: Testers liked that the outer cover is machine washable, and in our Lab evaluations, it did not show significant signs of wear or shrinkage after washing. Some testers noted that while the pillow quickly conforms to your head, it takes longer to return to the original shape if you move, so opt for something more responsive if you toss and turn while sleeping. It's also the priciest on our list.

This pillow from Naturepedic is certified by the Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) and the Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS). It's reversible! One side is designed with plush, quilted PLA batting (a plant-based fiber made from sugarcane) and the other side is filled with shredded latex. The entire pillow is encased in an organic cotton cover. The shredded latex fill is also plush and adjustable, so you can find your ideal height and firmness level.

Tester notes: Ideal for a more restless sleeper or someone who switches sleeping positions, the reversible design was a hit with our testers, who also liked how supportive it felt in any sleeping position. Many appreciated the adjustable nature, but one noted that "it can be messy when taking out the stuffing." This didn't deter our testers though, and one even dubbed it "the greatest pillow I have ever slept on."

Other pillows we recommend

Aside from our picks above, here are some other pillows that performed well in our tests to consider:

Best Latex Pillow for Side Sleepers: Saatva Latex Pillow

• This shredded latex style from Saatva was popular among our side sleeper testers. It's a substantial 6 to 7 inches thick and has a gusset for extra structure. One tester said it felt "very plush and soft," appreciating the organic cotton sateen cover and the responsive latex fill for excellent support and cushioning. The pillow maintained its shape after weights were applied in our Lab test, and it fit perfectly in a Standard-size pillowcase. However, this pillow isn't adjustable, so it won't work for everyone, especially those with smaller frames.

Best Down Pillow for Side Sleepers: Parachute Home Down Side Sleeper Pillow

• While down pillows offer ultimate fluffiness for that sleeping-on-a-cloud feeling, they usually don't have enough height for proper neck alignment when sleeping on your side: enter the Parachute side sleeper pillow. It features a 3.5-inch gusset on the side, and it's filled with 750 fill power European down and feathers to keep your neck properly aligned without taking away from the classic fluffy down feel. Testers described it as "absolutely dreamy" and feeling "like a marshmallow." For tall or larger individuals, this pillow may not be high enough for proper support.

Best Body Pillow for Side Sleepers: Pluto Puff Body Pillow

• This body pillow from Pluto is ideal for side sleepers thanks to its full-length design, which helps keep your whole body in alignment. Compared to similar models, this one stood out for its soft and fluffy down alternative. It wasn't overstuffed, allowing users to comfortably adjust as they moved throughout the night. Testers also liked that it felt cool and was fairly heavy and substantial. Our pros appreciate that it's fully machine washable, but did note some signs of wear on the cover after multiple laundering cycles.

How we test pillows for side sleepers

Over 700 at-home testers nationwide tried pillows that matched their preferences (sleeping position and desired fill) and reported on the pillow's comfort, support and much more. In our Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab, we wash-tested each pillow multiple times, if applicable, to make sure it was durable and could withstand proper care without warping or shrinking.

We apply weights to each pillow that are a similar size and weight to the average head to ensure each pillow can keep its shape after repeated use. From tester feedback and Lab evaluations, we had over 5,400 data points to analyze. The featured styles are pillows specified for side sleepers that had excellent performance in our evaluations.

What to look for when shopping for the best pillows for side sleepers

Side sleepers should choose a thick, firm pillow that will “keep their ears in line with their shoulders” to prevent their neck from extending in either direction when sleeping on their sides, according to Dr. Jaspal R. Singh M.D. , co-director of the Center for Comprehensive Spine Care at Weill Cornell Medicine. The best pillow will keep your head and neck aligned while you are lying down.

✔️ Fill : Any fill from down to foam can work for side sleepers as long as the pillow is thick enough to support your neck. Solid foam or latex options offer the most uniform support, while hybrid, down and down alternative options offer more flexibility. Note that down or down alternative fills may require routine fluffing to maintain their height.

✔️ L oft: This refers to the pillow's height. Look for a pillow that's high enough to maintain a neutral alignment. Remember: The ideal loft can vary based on your height and body. If you're unsure what loft you need, an adjustable pillow allows you to find a height that's just right.

• A quick test you can do at home is to lie on your side and place books under your head. Keep adding or removing books until you feel you're properly aligned. Then measure the height of the book stack to get a rough idea of how thick your pillow should be. Just remember that some pillows may sink in a little more than others, so don't concentrate too much on the exact height.

✔️ S leeping style: If you are a restless sleeper, look for options with plusher fill that can easily change shape as you move. If you stay put on your side all night, a solid memory foam pillow can support your head in one position to help keep you asleep.

✔️ Care: Don't forget to check the care instructions . In our evaluations, some pillows could not be washed at all, while even more pillows only have machine-washable covers. If you are sensitive to allergens, look for an entirely machine-washable pillow, and keep in mind that memory foam is usually not machine-washable.

✔️ Return policy: With so many different pillows on the market, make sure to look at the return policy to ensure you can return or exchange the pillow if it doesn't work for you.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Emma Seymour is the senior textiles analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute. She has evaluated more than 150 pillows in the Lab and coordinated at-home consumer testing with hundreds of testers. Emma has a Bachelor of Science in Fiber Science from Cornell University and has been testing bedding for over five years at Good Housekeeping. A side sleeper herself, she's personally tried several of the pillows on our list and currently alternates between Pillow Cube and Coop.

Grace Wu most recently updated this story. She's a textiles product review analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute and oversaw recent in-Lab pillow testing of 40 pillows. Grace has previously written about the best mattresses for side sleepers and interviewed medical experts for additional insight. Prior to joining GH, she earned a Master of Engineering in Materials Science & Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Fiber Science from Cornell University.

Emma Seymour (she/her) is a senior product analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute 's Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab, where she has led testing for luggage, pillows, towels, tampons and more since 2018. She graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor of science in fiber science and apparel design and a minor in gerontology, completing research in the Body Scanner Lab on optimizing activewear for athletic performance. 

Grace Wu (she/her) is a product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute 's Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab, where she evaluates fabric-based products using specialized equipment and consumer tester data. Prior to starting at Good Housekeeping in 2022, she earned a master of engineering in materials science and engineering and a bachelor of science in fiber science from Cornell University. While earning her degrees, Grace worked in research laboratories for smart textiles and nanotechnology and held internships at Open Style Lab and Rent the Runway.

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5 Best Travel Pillows for 2024

Last Updated on February 8, 2024

Written by Julia Forbes

Written by Julia Forbes, Lead Product Tester

Our testing process.

Here at Sleep Advisor, our Sleep Certified experts use a refined mattress and product testing process to give you unbiased product suggestions… Read our full product review process .

.st0{clip-path:url(#SVGID_00000046340743257271907690000000964648354283835324_);} In This Article

To ensure an exceptional travel experience, it’s essential to have the finest travel pillow. Discover the top 5 products to enhance your journey.

Travel opens up new horizons and shows you the beauties of the world, but the process itself can be quite stressful and uncomfortable. This is especially true if you’re stuck on a plane for six to eight hours. However, sleeping can help pass the time on a long journey. 

Of course, sleeping upright on a plane isn’t ideal—but bringing along a great travel pillow could make things easier for you.

That’s where I come in. I’ll share some top travel pillow picks so you can find something to take on your next trip and sleep with ease. 

The Best Travel Pillows: My Top 5 Picks

• Editor’s Pick – Cabeau Evolution S3
• Best Travel Pillow for Long Flights – BCOZZY Neck Pillow
• Best Travel Neck Pillow – trtl Travel Pillow
• Best Inflatable Travel Pillow – TRAVELREST Ultimate Travel Pillow
• Best Memory Foam Travel Pillow – TravelMate Memory Foam Neck Pillow

My Video Review of The Best Travel Pillows

The Best Travel Pillows, Reviewed

Editor’s pick.

Cabeau Evolution S3 Travel Pillow

A fresh take on the classic wraparound travel pillow, the Cabeau Evolution S3 supports your head and neck from all sides.

Sleep Advisor Score

Why the cabeau evolution s3 earned editor’s pick.

The Cabeau Evolution S3 has an appropriate name, as this is a highly evolved neck pillow with all the right stuff for comfortable travel. At first blush, it has the same horseshoe shape that you’ve seen many times before. But it’s the subtle upgrades—like the raised side cushions, the headrest straps, and the sturdy feel of the foam—that earned it the title of best travel pillow overall. 

What I Liked

• No lolling to the side – The Cabeau’s chunky design is intentional: it gives you 360-degree head support. When I tilted my head to the side, it didn’t lean very far at all. Instead, it was supported by the raised cushions on the left and right.
• Headrest straps – The straps on the back of this pillow enable you to attach it to the headrest of your seat, so it shouldn’t slip down as you snooze. 

Potential Drawbacks

• Shrinks to half its size but no more – Because this is a memory foam travel pillow, it won’t shrink down for storage as much as an inflatable one. It compresses quite a bit to fit in a convenient carrying case, though. 

Best Travel Pillow for Long Flights

BCOZZY Neck Pillow

A flexible travel pillow that can be wrapped and bent into cozy shapes that accommodate different sleeping positions.

Why BCOZZY Neck Pillow Earned Best Travel Pillow for Long Flights

If you’re going to spend hours on a plane, you’ll want a travel pillow that can support your neck in a variety of positions. The BCOZZY is a super flexible option that looks almost like a warm scarf, but has lots of built-in support. 

You can wrap it fully around your neck if you’re going to be leaning forward, or pile it on top of itself if you’d like to lean on it to your left or right. I had a lot of fun testing all the possible variations with this one! 

• Flexible – You can modify the BCOZZY depending on where you need the most support (your chin, your neck, or the side of your head). This comes in handy if you’re a restless sleeper on planes, or if you have multiple flights with different kinds of seats on each. 
• Lots of colors and sizes – There’s a full rainbow of colors to choose from with this travel pillow, as well as both kid and adult sizes to fit a wide range of necks.
• May need lots of adjusting – If you struggle to find just the right position when you sleep, you may need to work a bit to arrange the BCOZZY around your neck. The velcro that keeps it closed and stable also limits how tight or loose it can be. 

Best Travel Neck Pillow

trtl Pillow

A scarf-like travel pillow with pleasantly bracing neck and head support.

Why the trtl Travel Pillow Earned Best Travel Neck Pillow

A sore neck can definitely put a damper on your vacation. For awesome neck support during travel, I recommend the trtl—a travel pillow with some of the best neck support I’ve encountered so far. The support comes from a specially designed “flipper” inside the pillow’s fabric, which should hold your chin up and bolster your head, keeping your airway clear and your spinal alignment ideal. 

• Really reliable neck support – Because this pillow has a more robust support system than most, it felt like it would hold my neck and head up securely for long periods of time. 
• Extremely lightweight – The trtl is easy to fold up and store once you take the support flipper out of it, and it weighs next to nothing. 
• A bit more costly – At around $60, this travel pillow is one of the more expensive options on this list. But its design is so different—and so effective—that I think it’s priced pretty fairly. 

Best Inflatable Travel Pillow

Travelrest Ultimate Travel Pillow

A long inflatable travel pillow that enables users to “side sleep” even when they don’t have a window seat or ledge to rest on.

Why the TRAVELREST Ultimate Travel Pillow Earned Best Inflatable Travel Pillow 

Compared to the other travel pillows on this list, the TRAVELREST Ultimate Travel Pillow looks quite unique. It has a long, tapering design that can go across or next to your entire upper body, allowing you to lean to one side even if you didn’t get the window seat on your flight. (You can also hug it for an extra feeling of security!) 

• Lots of coverage – This pillow almost felt like it was holding me while it was also supporting my head and neck. It’s the only pillow I tried that extended all the way across my torso. 
• Big when inflated, tiny when stored – Even though it inflates to an impressive height, when it’s deflated, this travel pillow rolls up neatly and discreetly. 
• You have to inflate it yourself – Before you can use this travel pillow, you’ll have to inflate it. But I found that it only took a few hearty breaths before it was ready to go.

Best Memory Foam Travel Pillow

TravelMate Neck Support Travel Pillow

A memory foam travel pillow with a removable insert that adjusts its thickness and feel.

Why the TravelMate Memory Foam Neck Pillow Earned Best Memory Foam Travel Pillow 

If you like the luxurious feel of memory foam, TravelMate has a portable pillow that should feel indulgent while you’re on a plane or in the car. Although it looks like a classic travel pillow, it has a bonus customization feature: a removable foam insert that changes its thickness and feel. I enjoyed the soft feel of its washable cover almost as much my neck and head appreciated the plush foam inside. 

• Budget-friendly for memory foam – This travel pillow is often on sale and costs a bit less than most of the others I tested for this roundup. That said, its foam still feels soft and luxurious. 
• Elastic strap – A small elastic strap on the side of the pillow means it’s easy to clip it to your luggage or backpack.  
• No bells and whistles – With the exception of its removable insert, this travel pillow doesn’t have any features that break the mold. If you’re looking for a more innovative model, revisit the travel pillows above. 

Who Should Consider Buying a Travel Pillow?

A travel pillow is a small pillow you can take with you on trips to help you sleep during the journey. Travel pillows help support the head and neck for those times when you have to sleep upright. Because they’re designed specifically for traveling, they often have a unique shape or design that works for this purpose.

Travel pillows are excellent for those who travel often, as well as anyone who likes to sleep while en route to their destination.

How to Choose a Travel Pillow 

An airplane pillow could make the difference between a relaxed sleep throughout your flight and an uncomfortable struggle that leaves you tired and with a strained neck.

If you’re unsure of what to look for in a travel pillow, I’ll guide you through specific features and qualities you need to know in the selection process.

Inflatable or Not?

Inflatable travel pillows tend to be far more convenient in terms of portability as they take up little to no space in your luggage or backpack. This is the main reason why a lot of people prefer them. At the same time, though, they tend to allow air to get out and flatten out quickly upon applying continuous pressure.

Noninflatable pillows, on the other hand, tend to be bulkier and more challenging to carry as they take up more space. However, the upside to these ones is that many of them are made of conforming memory foam , which is particularly comfortable and supportive.

In other words – it’s a trade-off based on your preferences. If you want to get something portable and you’re willing to sacrifice some of the stability, go for an inflated unit and vice versa.

This would depend on the neck pillow that you’d want to get. Inflatable travel pillows are usually made of polyurethane-based materials, which are easily folded and packaged. They are soft and very comfortable.

On the other hand, the wide majority of non-inflated airplane travel pillows are made out of conforming memory foam. They deliver better comfort and support to your neck, and most of them are going to capture the unintentional tilting of your head in every direction when you sleep in a sitting position.

Neck Support

This is the single, most important thing that you would have to take into account when you are purchasing an airplane pillow. Unless you have the luxury that comes with expensive first-class exclusive tickets to have a bed on board, you would have to sleep in a sitting position.

This is going to make your head tilt with the natural movements of the plane or any other type of transportation method. As such, the most pressure throughout your sleep would be forced on your neck. That’s why you should be looking for a pillow that’s going to deliver enhanced neck support.

If you also need this at home, check out our top-quality pillows for neck pain .

Airplane Sleep Position

Your sleeping position is going to be determined by the type of travel pillow you decide on. Some people prefer to rest their head on the back headrest, and they would benefit the most from a regular, u-shaped neck pillow.

Others tend to tilt their head quite a lot and could be better off with a pillow that’s capable of capturing forward tilting motions as well.

Long or Short Flight?

If you’re going on a longer flight, you might benefit more from an inflated neck travel pillow as it would take little to no space in your baggage. The assumption is that you’d have to take quite a lot of personal items, and the last thing you’d want is to get half of your suitcase filled with a pillow.

On the other hand, if the flight’s shorter and you can afford to take less luggage, you might consider a non-inflated and bulkier neck pillow.

Some people also opt to wear their noninflatable pillow around their neck to save space in their luggage.

Feel & Comfort

Comfort is always important when traveling, especially if you plan on sleeping during the ride. If you need a firm pillow for optimal comfort, then you want to make sure your pillow has this quality. 

Along with overall comfort, you should also consider the pillow’s feel. Do you usually prefer softer pillows with more sinkage or firmer models that offer more support? Think about the materials and how they might feel on the skin.

Having a set budget helps narrow down the options because there are many travel pillows out there. Some are more expensive than others, so having an idea of how much you’re willing to spend can make it easier to choose. Luckily, the market is also packed with affordable options, so you don’t have to break the bank to have a comfortable travel pillow for your traveling.

Trial, Warranty, & Return Policy

Many travel pillows come with a trial, allowing you to test how they fit your needs and preferences for a certain period. This can be anywhere between 30 and 90 days, depending on the particular pillow and brand. 

However, you should also read the fine print in case you need to return the item. Some companies allow free returns, while others require you to pay a return fee. 

Generally, travel pillows come with a warranty that usually lasts at least a year. Again, you should verify this before purchasing anything in the event of a product defect.

Cleaning & Care

How you’ll clean your new travel pillow depends on the particular pillow you buy. In other words, not all travel pillows require the same cleaning and care because they’re not made from the same materials. 

Some models have a removable, machine-washable cover, while others allow spot-cleaning only. Nonetheless, most models are easy to clean.

Types of Pillows for Travel

• Inflatable pillow – This pillow is available in various shapes, but the fact that it’s inflatable makes it extra convenient. You can inflate it within minutes, and it takes up minimal space when deflated. 
• U-shaped pillow – U-shaped pillows are the traditional, most commonly used option. This is a versatile pillow that works for leaning against the window or sleeping on the tray table.
• Foam pillow – This pillow comes in various shapes but has a foam filling that makes it firmer and gives you more support for those bumpy rides. 
• Bead pillow – A bead pillow has microbeads that give it a softer structure. It’s available in many shapes, including a U shape. 
• Ergonomic pillow – An ergonomic pillow is designed for maximum support and comfort, especially around the neck area. These are excellent for long trips.

Best Travel Pillow FAQs

Yes, travel pillows can be helpful for kids, who should get great neck support from them to prevent strain or injury. There are even some travel pillows specially designed for kids.

People who sit next to the window have the advantage of something to lean their head on, even though the window isn’t exactly the most comfortable choice. However, if you’re in the middle or aisle seat, you should definitely get a pillow to support your neck since the head has nothing else to lean on.

Yes, you could experience neck pain if you purchase an inappropriate or low-quality travel pillow for your flight. Ideally, whichever pillow you choose should at least give you adequate neck support.

My Final Thoughts

Failing to get the most appropriate travel pillow for you might result in strain and stiffness. With this in mind, if you pay attention to what’s been mentioned above, you shouldn’t have any issues.

Most importantly, your travel pillow should be able to support your head enough to prevent neck strain, but it’s also helpful to look at other qualities, such as whether or not it’s inflatable and the materials it’s made of. 

A great travel pillow can be a lifesaver for those long flights when you have nothing to rest your head against, and it gives you a better shot of actually sleeping through the trip.

Julia Forbes

Lead Product Tester

About Author

Julia is the Lead Reviewer at Sleep Advisor, specializing in testing out mattresses and sleep accessories – she’s in the right line of work, because she loves to sleep.

Stomach Sleeper

Sources & References:

• How To Travel the World Without Jet lag – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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Best anti-snore pillows to give side and back sleepers a more peaceful night’s sleep

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If you snore or share a bed with someone who does, you may have tried nasal sprays, strips and clips to try and quieten the noise. But if you really want to free up your airways, an anti-snore pillow will align your head and neck to take pressure off your airways.

Snoring happens when you can’t move air freely through your nose and throat during sleep which then makes the surrounding tissues vibrate and make the familiar snoring sound. However several studies have proved that sleeping on your side, rather than your front or back, reduces compression on the airways, leading to better, quieter breathing.

This is where anti-snore pillows come in, which can make you comfortable in this position so that you don’t roll onto your back and start snoring mid-way through the night. If you’ve always slept in one position, it may take some time to get used to, even if you have an anti-snore pillow, so allow a few nights to adjust to how the pillow feels under your neck and to relax into it.

Side-sleeping is not for everyone though and if you really can’t get comfortable, there is another option. Research has also shown that elevating your head four inches may ease breathing and encourage your tongue and jaw to move forward. There are specifically designed pillows available to help prevent snoring by making sure your neck muscles are not crimped.

The majority of the anti-snore pillows we tested were aimed at encouraging and supporting a side-sleeping position but we added a couple of pillows designed for back sleepers into the mix to see how they felt compared to the others.

Related stories

How we tested the best anti-snore pillows.

We tested a range of anti-snore pillows across different price points and measured the effect they had on noise levels in the bedroom. Each pillow was tested for three weeks so that we could get used to the feel and support. We considered how comfortable each anti-snore pillow was to rest on and how our bodies felt after sleeping on it for eight hours, to properly assess which anti-snore pillow gave us the best night’s sleep.

The best anti-snore pillows for 2024 are:

• Best anti-snore pillow overall – Levitex pillow: £75, Levitex.co.uk
• Best budget anti-snore pillow – Silentnight anti-snore pillow: £12, Amazon.co.uk
• Best for neck pain – Groove the original Groove pillow: £29.95, Groovepillows.co.uk
• Best for back sleepers – Lancashire Textiles orthopaedic anti-snore pillow: £16.97, Diy.com
• Best for draining sinuses – Putnams anti-snore bed wedge pillow, £78.48, Putnams.co.uk

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Levitex pillow

• Best : Anti-snore pillow overall
• Comfort : Soft, supportive, lightweight, different size options
• Material : Levitex foam
• Did it reduce snoring? : Yes, significantly
• Extras : Reduced hip pain and shoulder pain
• Great for overall posture
• Good range of sizes
• Luxurious feel
• Snoring and neck pain reduced

Levitex is founded by James Leinhardt, a sleep posture expert who has spent years working with NHS trusts and social care across the UK. If you have poor posture in the day, there’s a good chance you’ll have a sleeping position that will stress out your spine, cause aching joints, stiff muscles and fatigue the following day, as you never feel properly rested.

The foam technology in a Levitex pillow will gently and comfortably support you as you sleep, helping you to find a sleep posture that allows your spine to feel neutral and weightless and keeps your airways open. There are four sizes from small to extra large to choose from to ensure people of all sizes have the right level of support for the shape of their neck and shoulders.

Our tester tried a medium and said it felt really luxurious to lay on, with a softness like traditional memory foam, but firm like a sprung mattress, all in one. After a few night’s on this, you’ll wonder why you didn’t throw out your old pillow years ago. Snoring was definitely reduced, neck and tension pain relieved and it even made an old hip injury feel less painful.

Silentnight anti-snore pillow

• Best : Budget anti-snore pillow
• Comfort : Ergonomic foam core, hypoallergenic filling
• Material : Hollowfibre filling with a contoured foam core
• Did it reduce snoring? : Marginally
• Extras : Tested by the British snoring and sleep apnoea association
• Super affordable
• Expert approved
• Reduced snoring by 50 per cent
• Hypoallergenic

This may be the lowest priced pillow we tested but it comes with a high level of consumer satisfaction and is approved by experts, too. Tested by the British snoring and sleep apnoea association, they found the pillow reduced snoring frequency and volume by approximately 50 per cent. Notice that it’s not claiming to cure your snoring completely, but saying that the pillow can help to reduce your levels of snoring. This is thanks to an ergonomically shaped foam core in the centre of the pillow which has been designed to support your head and neck, keeping it at just the right position to improve your breathing.

The Silentnight anti-snore pillow is hypoallergenic which means it doesn’t contain any materials that are likely to cause allergies. The outer fabric is smooth polycotton which is soft and breathable. Another positive is that it comes with a two year manufacturer’s guarantee so you can sleep soundly knowing you’re covered if the quality declines.

Putnams anti-snore bed wedge pillow

• Best : For draining sinuses
• Comfort : Torso elevation
• Material : Choose from standard foam, memory foam or latex fillings
• Did it reduce snoring : Yes
• Extras : Comes with a free washable cover
• Versatile pillow
• Noticeable improvements after a few days
• Makes snuggling a little harder

Putnams is a family-run business with all pillows, bed supports, mattresses and other comfort products handmade in a factory in Devon. It has solutions for all kinds of sleep problems from back and neck pain, acid reflux, sleep apnoea and coccyx relief while pregnant as well as anti-snoring pillows.

For snorers, the bed wedge pillow works by elevating the torso on a slight incline, opening up the airways. It does this brilliantly and our tester said their nasal passageways felt noticeably clearer within a few days of sleeping on the Putnams wedge. They also liked how the wedge can be propped against the wall to support the back when reading in bed. The only downside was that it’s hard to snuggle with a partner when one is propped up higher than the other.

Kally Sleep neck pain pillow

• Best : For relieving pressure
• Comfort : S-shaped foam core, breathable
• Material : Hollowfibre filling with an S-shaped foam core
• Did it reduce snoring : Yes, slightly
• Extras : Hypoallergenic filling treated to protect against bacteria
• Great for those with allergies
• Decent firmness

If you suffer from allergies, you’ll appreciate that this pillow has a hollowfibre filling that has been treated to prevent bacteria and make it hypo-allergenic. After all, a pillow won’t reduce your snoring if its support allows you to breathe better, but you react badly to its filling. Buried beneath the filling is an S-shaped foam core, which supports the neck with a dip for the head to lay. As the hollowfibre stuffing is quite plump, you don’t feel much of it but it is working in the background to make you quieter. Comfort-wise, it feels firmer than an average pillow with the depth of a pillow you’d find in a top quality hotel.

Groove the original Groove pillow

• Best : For easing neck pain
• Comfort : Ergonomic dip shape, space for a side-sleeper’s shoulder
• Material : Memory foam
• Did it reduce snoring? : Yes
• Extras : 100-night sleep guarantee, Scientifically designed to align the spine
• Scientifically designed to relieve pressure and tension
• Suitable for back and side sleepers
• 100-night sleep guarantee
• Takes some getting used to

If you associate pillows with being fluffy and rectangular, the original Groove pillow is surprising to look at. Scientifically designed to improve sleep posture and alleviate stress on the neck and upper back, it features an ergonomic “dip” to provide anatomical comfort and encourages proper biomechanical positioning, which has a knock-on effect on how much you snore. The contoured shape also makes it suitable for both back and side sleepers.

Research shows that you need less lift when sleeping on the back so the Groove pillow accommodates those sleepers in the middle and side sleepers at the end where the elevated panels allow space for the shoulder. The memory foam does feel rather stiff and dense when you first start sleeping on it, but if you persevere it should help with both snoring, energy levels and overall feelings of wellness. If you really don’t get on with it, Groove offers an impressive 100-night guarantee.

Panda London memory foam bamboo pillow

• Best : Eco-friendly pillow
• Comfort : Memory foam moulds to your shape, bamboo cover encourages air flow and coolness
• Did it reduce snoring : Yes, there was some improvement
• Extras : Bamboo is a completely sustainable plant, 10 year guarantee
• Aligns spine and neck perfectly
• Great anti-bacterial properties
• Sustainable brand

This is no ordinary memory foam pillow. Panda London uses third generation memory foam that is uniquely supportive so it fits every individual. It allows the neck and spine to align perfectly as you sleep, and doesn’t lose its shape or density over time. Panda London is so confident of this that it offers a 10-year guarantee.

There’s no chance of any dust or dirt getting into the pillow as there’s a strong and breathable mesh fabric stitched around it. On top is a bamboo cover, that is sumptuously soft and naturally breathable, encouraging air flow and coolness whilst you sleep, aligned and supported. Bamboo is a completely sustainable plant, so this has strong eco-friendly credentials, too. Bamboo plants need a third of the water of cotton and grows up to three feet per day, whilst absorbing greenhouse gases and releasing good chemicals like oxygen into the atmosphere.

Lancashire Textiles orthopaedic anti-snore pillow

• Best : For back sleepers
• Comfort : Hollow in the centre opens airwaves. Polycotton cover ramps up breathability
• Material : Breathable cotton casing with bounceback hollowfibre
• Did it reduce snoring? : Yes, slightly
• Extras : Made in Britain, affordably priced
• Specific and deliberate design
• Super affordable price
• Designed for back sleepers

The Lancashire Textiles orthopaedic anti-snore pillows have been designed for people who sleep on their back and can’t get comfortable on their side. The hollow in the centre slightly tilts the head which then opens the airwaves reducing any pressure, which often is the main cause of snoring. You wouldn’t benefit from it if you’re a side sleeper, or know where to put your head, but it’s excellent value for back sleepers.

Designed by Lancashire Textiles and manufactured in their UK textiles factory using traditional methods, the quality of this feels expensive and luxurious and yet you’ll have change from £17. The bounce hollowfibre filling feels more premium than other hollowfibre pillows and everything is hypoallergenic.

The verdict: anti-snoring pillows

The Levitex anti-snore pillow was the most comfortable pillow we tested and the one that reduced snoring the most, thanks to its unique foam filling. At £75, it’s not the cheapest but this is equivalent to just one physiotherapy session that you might not need again if you sort out your sleeping alignment properly. The original Groove pillow was also effective at reducing snoring and the comfort of this improved over time.

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The 15 Very Best Pillows for Side Sleepers

From memory foam to down..

In this article

• Best overall
• Best memory foam
• Best adjustable
• Best cooling
• Best for shoulder pain
• Best body pillow

If you typically sleep on your side, the most important factor to consider when shopping for pillows is the loft. That’s the official term for the height of a pillow when it’s laid out on your bed, and the best pillows for side sleepers will have enough loft to fill the space between your head and your mattress when you’re lying on your side. Your goal should be to find a pillow that supports your head and lifts it high enough to line up with your neck and spine, but not too high, which can cause neck pain (and we’ve got a whole other roundup of pillows to help if you’re suffering from that). That means your body type will be a determining factor in any pillow you buy. If you have especially broad shoulders, for example, you’ll need a loftier pillow than someone with a narrower build — though you’ll likely end up with a loft around four or five inches, give or take.

Once you’ve dialed in the loft, so much else of what you want in a pillow will come down to personal preference: Do you like a softer pillow or a firmer one? What’s your stance on memory foam ? And how much are you willing to spend? These variables mean there’s no single “best” pillow for side sleepers — but there are a lot of great ones out there. To find them, we spoke with six sleep experts, including chiropractors and sleep coaches, about the pillows they recommend for side sleepers and what to look for when you shop for one. I’ve also asked side-sleeping Strategist writers and editors to test pillows and nagged them for every last detail about the ones they like best. And as the editor who oversees our sleep coverage and a combination side-and-back sleeper myself, I’ve tested a few as well and shared my experiences below.

If you already have an idea of what type of side-sleeper pillow you’re looking for, you can use the table of contents to jump ahead, or read through each one of our picks below. You can also find more of our favorite products for getting a good night’s rest — like nifty sleep headphones or our favorite weighted blanket — in the Strategist Sleep 100 .

What we’re looking for

“Side sleepers usually need thicker pillows to fill the space between their head and neck, but a pillow that is too thick may cause neck pain and put pressure on the spine,” explains Logan Foley , a sleep-science coach and the editorial director of SleepFoundation.org . Dr. Rennes Toussaint-Keshinro , a chiropractor and mental-health coach, adds that if a pillow is too flat or too high, it can create an uneven muscle tone in the neck and shoulders, leading to spasms over time. While there isn’t a formula to figure out the ideal loft of your pillow, Dr. Dennis Colonello , celebrity and professional-athlete chiropractor at Peak Wellness , suggests that it should rise about four inches off of your mattress. But don’t go breaking out your ruler just yet, as there is wiggle room with this number. For taller people with broader shoulders, a higher loft may be more comfortable, and conversely, a petite person with more narrow shoulders will likely rest comfortably with a lower loft.

All the experts we spoke to agreed that medium-firm pillows tend to be the best option for people sleeping on their side. While there is room for personal preference here, a medium-firm pillow helps your head stay in the right position without sinking while you sleep. For people who prefer a softer, plusher feel over a firmer one, gusseted-down and down-alternative pillows can be a good compromise. Foley often recommends memory foam pillows, as they sort of mimic the softness of down by contouring to your body, while still providing support.

Specialty pillows for side sleepers come in various shapes to help position your shoulders, neck, and head while you sleep. Whether these pillow shapes actually make a difference in your sleep quality is up for debate, and Dr. Thomas Schuler , chairman of the National Spine Health Foundation’s Medical and Scientific Board and founder of the Virginia Spine Institute , explains that while there isn’t much academic research examining their effectiveness, “if a person tries one and finds that it seems to give some pain relief, then that’s excellent.” For people navigating chronic pain, a specialty pillow with a unique shape may be worth a shot. For the average side sleeper who is simply looking for comfort and support, a standard pillow shape can likely get the job done.

Best pillow for side sleepers overall

Fill type: 75 percent latex, 25 percent polyester fiber fill | Loft: Adjustable | Firmness: Adjustable | Shape: Contour

The standout feature of Eli & Elm’s side-sleeping pillow is a contoured cutout that fits right up against your shoulder, so that it can fully fill the space between your head, neck, and mattress. It’s filled with a blend of soft and supportive noodled latex and polyester fiber, and you can adjust the loft and firmness by removing or adding filling to customize it to your body.

A stomach and side sleeper, Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen tested this pillow and liked the way it molded around her shoulder and compressed under the side of her head so there was no pressure buildup around her ear. Goertzen says it also’s more responsive and springy than many memory-foam pillows she’s tried, adding that the upside-down U-shape keeps its fullness throughout the night. The filling is encased in a liner protected by a machine washable exterior cover; the brand also sells a cotton pillowcase that fits the cutout perfectily, and which you can bundle with the pillow at the time of purchase.

Best (less expensive) pillow for side sleepers

Fill type: Down-alternative gel-infused fiber | Loft: Medium | Firmness: Medium | Shape: Rectangular

Sold in a two-pack for $60 — though you can often find them on sale for even less — Beckham Hotel Collection’s gel pillows are plush and pleasantly bouncy thanks to their cushy down-alternative fill. Though the fill level and loft are not adjustable, so you can’t customize them like the Eli & Elm pillow, Strategist writer (and combination stomach-and-side sleeper) Arielle Avila finds they are still supportive enough to use while sleeping on her side. The pillows come in two sizes, queen and king, and have a smooth and cooling 250 thread count cover.

Best memory-foam pillow for side sleepers

Filly type: Shredded memory foam | Loft: Adjustable | Firmness: Adjustable | Shape: Rectangular

Memory-foam pillows are ideal for side sleepers, according to Foley, thanks to their dense filling and ability to contour to a person’s body. The Nectar Sleep Resident pillow has a pillow-in-pillow construction that provides the firmer support of traditional memory foam surrounded by a cushy outer layer to add plushness. The pillow will arrive intentionally overstuffed so that you can remove some of the fill as necessary to adjust it to fit your sleeping needs. Dr. Janet Kennedy , clinical psychologist and founder of NYC Sleep Doctor , advises that memory foam can trap heat, making temperature regulation more challenging. However, thanks to the shredded foam filling of this pillow, it’s still breathable.

[Editor’s note: The Resident Pillow is out of stock, but you can sign up for restock notifications on the product page .]

Best height-specific pillow for side sleepers

Fill type: Memory foam | Loft: High | Firmness: Firm | Shape: Blocky cube

The logic behind the brick-shaped Pillow Cube is that its 90-degree angles will completely fill that essential space between your head and your mattress to keep your neck aligned. Former Strategist writer and side sleeper Latifah Miles tested this pillow and found that it delivers on its promise, nestling into the crook of her neck and up against the top of her shoulder. It’s made of solid viscoelastic polyurethane and nanofibers (read: sturdy memory foam), so it’s on the firmer side, but it still has the satisfying squish that you’d expect from a foam pillow. The design is ideal for side sleepers who hardly ever sleep in other positions, as its angles and loft aren’t really compatible with back or stomach sleeping.

You can choose from two sizes that coincide with your height — the standard size is meant for people who are six-feet-three or shorter (that’s the one Miles has, as she’s five-feet-ten), and the thick size is for people who are six-four or taller. If you run especially hot, you can also upgrade to an “ice cube” cooling cover for an extra $30.

Best shredded-latex pillow for side sleepers

Fill type: Shredded latex fill | Loft: Standard or high | Firmness: Medium-soft | Shape: Rectangular with gusset

Cushiony and responsive, the Saatva latex pillow is filled with springy, shredded natural latex that Colonello says “offers a cooler sleep by promoting superior breathability.” Miles slept on this pillow for several months and found that while the latex isn’t overtly cooling, it never made her sweat or overheat. And since the latex is shredded instead of being a solid piece like the Avocado pillow, below, it’s almost like a denser, bouncier version of a down pillow . It doesn’t feel overly sinky or too contoured, and although you can’t unzip an inner case to adjust the fill, it isn’t too flat or overly stuffed. Miles tested the standard loft, which is roughly four-and-a-half inches high and worked well for both side and back sleeping, but you can also choose the high-loft option, which is roughly six-and-a-half inches high. The pillow is also available in two sizes: standard/queen and king.

Best molded-latex pillow for side sleepers

Fill type: Molded latex | Loft: Medium | Firmness: Medium-firm | Shape: Rectangular with gusset

Organic, sustainable, and vegan, the Avocado Molded Latex pillow is made with naturally sourced latex and infused with charcoal to help with temperature regulation, moisture-wicking, and odor control. This pillow is on the firm side, and when Miles first tried it out, it took a few nights to adjust to the dense feel of the single-slab construction. The loft is approximately five inches, which she found to be just tall enough for her five-foot-ten frame. Compared to Saatva’s cushiony shredded latex fill, the Avocado pillow has a firmer feel with very little give, so she felt like her head was more on top of the pillow rather than cradled into the pillow. This pillow would work well for anyone who wants a firmer, more supportive surface that’ll maintain its shape and keep their head perfectly level all night.

Best adjustable-loft pillow for side sleepers

Fill type: Cross-cut memory-foam and microfiber fill | Loft: Adjustable | Firmness: Adjustable | Shape: Contour

Like our top-pick Eli & Elm pillow, Coop’s cutout pillow leaves space to accommodate your shoulder so that the pillow can fit more easily and snugly under your head and neck. Coop’s cutout pillow has a more pronounced curve than Eli & Elm’s, with an overall blockier shape. The effect is similar to that of the Pillow Cube, with good support in the space between your head and neck, but the Coop pillow is much fluffier and softer than the Pillow Cube.

This pillow comes in two sizes, queen and king. Miles tried the king size, and though it is technically an inch smaller in length and width than Coop’s king-size, rectangular Original pillow, which she also tested , she found it feels more substantial because the center cutout pushes filling to the sides and a gusset around the perimeter of the pillow creates a more even loft across the whole pillow, without any tapering at the edges. Like other Coop Sleep Goods pillows, this one is filled with crosscut GREENGUARD GOLD– and CertiPUR-US–certified memory foam and microfiber, and you can unzip an inner case to add or remove fill to adjust the loft and firmness. (The pillow comes with a bag of extra fill, or you can buy more in medium or firm densities.)

Best cooling pillow for side sleepers

Fill type:  Fiberfill-and-memory-foam blend with volcanic minerals |  Loft:  Medium to high |  Firmness:  Medium |  Shape:  Rectangular

Kennedy calls temperature regulation “a key factor” when choosing a pillow, regardless of your sleeping position. This one by Sleep Number is constructed with 37.5 Technology, a patented thermoregulating material that helps maintain the optimal body temperature. Filled with a blend of material-infused fiberfill and memory foam, the pillow is designed to wick away moisture for a cooler and drier rest.

When Miles tested this pillow, its “cool touch” surface was apparent right out of the packaging. Though it didn’t actually maintain a true “chilled” feeling when she slept on it, she didn’t overheat, either, and she really liked the feel of the meshy cover, which helped keep her from sweating. This pillow is medium-firm, and its medium-high loft kept her head in line with her spine while sleeping on her side. Miles slept on the rectangular Classic version of this pillow, but Sleep Number also sells a Contoured version with bolsters for neck support and an Ultimate version that comes with three removable layers to adjust the pillow’s loft and feel.

Best pillow for side sleepers with shoulder pain

Fill type: Memory foam | Loft: Medium-high | Firmness: Firm | Shape: Contour

Designed to relieve pressure, the singular piece of memory foam inside Allswell’s side-sleeper pillow has a cutout similar to the Eli & Elm and Coop pillows but offers a more structured and firm sleeping surface like the Pillow Cube. Infused with cooling gel, the memory foam has ventilation holes so that it won’t trap body heat. The pillow is encased in an activated charcoal-infused cover that keeps dust mites at bay and extends the life of your pillow.

Best neck-support pillow for side sleepers

Fill type: Water-and-fiber fill | Loft: Adjustable | Firmness: Adjustable | Shape: Rectangular

Yes, water beds went out of style a few decades ago, but Alanna McGinn , founder and CEO of Good Night Sleep Site , and Toussaint-Keshinro both told us that water pillows deserve more notice for the neck support they can provide. Water pillows are “perfect for any type of sleep position and many are chiropractor-approved, as the firmness provides the support for head, neck, and spine alignment that will help individuals with chronic pain,” explains McGinn. A favorite of Toussaint-Keshinro, Mediflow’s Water Pillow has a soft layer of fiber that sits atop a water reservoir that you fill yourself, creating a responsive pillow that can help reduce neck pain . The adjustable pillow can be made firmer by adding more water or softer by removing some.

Best cooling neck-support pillow for side sleepers

Fill type: CertiPUR-US certified copper-infused gel memory foam | Loft : Adjustable | Firmness: Adjustable | Shape: Contour

Honeydew’s side-sleeper pillow, which appears on our list of the best pillows for neck pain , has a curved design and contains cooling copper-infused gel memory foam to promote temperature regulation as you sleep, according to the product description .

Goertzen tested this Scrumptious model and says she likes that the cutout — similar to the one on our top-pick Eli & Elm pillow — creates extra room for her shoulder, while the spongy core gently cradles her head. She says it creates a spooning sensation that takes strain off her upper body and that it has eliminated her night sweats (unusual considering that memory foam tends to trap her body heat). Although she found the original height and density optimal for the side-sleeping position, the loft and firmness can be customized by removing or adding fill. Honeydew also sells a pillowcase that’s made to fit the unique shape.

Best down pillow for side sleepers

Fill type: 85-to-15 percent European white duck and goose down clusters to down and feather fibers | Loft: High | Firmness: Medium-soft | Shape: Rectangular with gusset

Down pillows are known for their luxurious comfort and cloud-like softness. Without skimping on plushness, thanks to its 750-fill-power European white down, the Parachute Side Sleeper pillow has a high loft and medium density to cradle your head and neck comfortably. However, the 3.5-inch gusset is the star of this pillow, as it helps the pillow maintain its rectangular shape across the whole surface of the pillow. When Miles tried it for herself, the extra-tall gusset stood out the most as it ensured the pillow maintained its structure and fluffiness. Even when she flipped from her left side to her right, she didn’t need to fluff or readjust the down fill. This pillow comes in two sizes, standard and king.

Best down-alternative pillow for side sleepers

Fill type: Polyester fiber fill | Loft: Medium | Firmness: Medium-firm | Shape: Rectangular with gusset

For those who want all the perks of down without the down itself, this pillow by Nestwell is filled with polyester fibers to create a similar feel. The pillow has a medium-firm feel and a narrower two-inch gusset that adds some structure to help it maintain its shape over time. The cover is made of 100 percent cotton, and you can toss the entire pillow in the wash.

Best body pillow for side sleepers

Fill type: Single piece of Melofoam | Loft: Medium | Firmness: Medium-firm | Shape: Cylindrical

Schuler tells us side sleepers should focus on having proper support not only under their head but also between their knees to encourage that all-important alignment and relieve pressure placed on the neck and back. While body pillows are often thought of as a pregnancy essential, they can also provide head-to-toe support for anyone who needs it. The Bearaby Cuddler is Miles’s favorite body pillow. The cylindrical, noodlelike Cuddler is extra long at 75 inches with a uniform eight-inch diameter that takes up far less space than many other body pillows on the market. But it’s the latex-like Melofoam material that really sets this body pillow apart. Bouncy and responsive, the Melofoam is breathable, naturally weighted, and provides continuous support without losing its shape over time. Miles reports that even with daily use and constant twisting and bending, the Cuddler’s buoyancy has kept its shape and feel. The pillow comes with a white, organic-cotton cover that can be washed with your regular laundry, or you can upgrade to a knitted cover that comes in several colors for an additional $129.

Best (less expensive) body pillow for side sleepers

Fill type: Shredded memory foam | Loft: Medium | Firmness: Medium-firm | Shape: Elongated rectangle

For a more standard body pillow, this one by Snuggle-Pedic is filled with shredded memory foam and covered in breathable bamboo fabric to support your knees, legs, and back while you sleep by helping to evenly distribute your weight. It’s shorter and wider than the Bearaby Cuddler, at 20 by 54 inches, and filled with shredded memory foam to hug and conform to your body. And perhaps best of all, the entire pillow is machine washable.

Additional reporting by Latifah Miles and Brenley Goertzen .

Some more bedding for side sleepers we’ve written about

Our experts

• Arielle Avila , Strategist writer • Dr. Dennis Colonello , celebrity and professional-athlete chiropractor at Peak Wellness • Logan Foley , sleep-science coach and the editorial director of SleepFoundation.org • Brenley Goertzen , Strategist writer • Dr. Janet Kennedy , clinical psychologist and founder of NYC Sleep Doctor • Alanna McGinn , founder and CEO of Good Night Sleep Site • Latifah Miles , former Strategist sleep writer • Dr. Thomas Schuler , chairman of the National Spine Health Foundation’s Medical and Scientific Board and founder of the Virginia Spine Institute • Dr. Rennes Toussaint-Keshinro , chiropractor and mental-health coach • Jen Trolio , Strategist senior editor

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Today’s Top Clicked

The 11 Best Pillows for Side Sleepers, All Tested by Editors (Who Swear These Help Them Wake Up Without Neck Pain)

Because science says side sleeping can cause pain.

PureWow editors select every item that appears on this page, and the company may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. All prices are accurate upon date of publish. You can learn more about the affiliate process here .

As much as we all know getting at least eight hours of sleep can have a serious impact on our metabolism , immune system and overall mental health, actually getting to sleep is easier said than done. You ditch your phone an hour before bed, you've tried the sleepy girl mocktails —but maybe the biggest thing standing between you and a great night's rest is what you're resting your head on. ( Science is with us on this one.)

Side sleepers, in particular, need a pillow that will properly sustain the upper body. In fact, according to Dr. Venkata Buddharaju, sleep specialist and author of  Better Sleep, Happier Life , side sleepers are “likely to experience misalignment and soreness” without a supportive pillow to cradle your neck and shoulders. But with a plethora of pillows from all kinds of brands out on the market, finding the perfect thickness, support and comfort is an uphill battle.

That’s why we took it upon ourselves to test out some of the most popular pillows for side sleepers. From ultra-fluffy down material to luxurious memory foam, we’ve managed to narrow down 10 of the greatest pillows to get your best shut-eye yet.

Want to know which buzzy products are *really* worth buying?  Sign up for our shopping newsletter  to uncover our favorite finds.

The Best Types of Pillows for Every Sleeper

The Best Pillows for Side Sleepers at a Glance

Best Overall

Brooklinen mid-plush down pillow.

Best Splurge Pillow for Side Sleepers

Purple harmony pillow.

Best Curved Pillow

Eli & elm side sleeper pillow.

Runner-Up: Best Curved Pillow

Sleep number comfortfit curved pillow.

Best Latex Pillow

Brooklyn bedding talalay latex pillow, meet the expert.

Dr. Venkata Buddharaju is a fellowship-trained physician at the Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine from the American Board of Internal Medicine. PureWow consulted with him previously on sleep stories regarding the best pillows to use, and we used those insights to inform our testing criteria in this feature.

How We Chose the Best Pillows for Side Sleepers

While researching doctors' and sleep experts' recommendations for the type of pillow a side sleeper should have, we came up with the following criteria, which we used as a rubric while testing pillows. We took in side sleepers' personal recommendations, and called in and tested several top-rated pillows, sleeping on them for several nights. Each pillow that made the cut had to earn rave reviews from editors while checking off these boxes:

• Firmness level : Side sleepers will want a tall, medium-firm pillow that can keep your neck, head and spine aligned all night long. Anything too soft can press up to your nose, making it hard to breathe, and pillows that were too firm left ears feeling squished and achy.
• Customization : Some of the pillows we tested allowed for users to increase or decrease the amount of stuffing inside. This allows you to amp up the support or softness, depending on your sleeping style.
• Height (AKA loft): Like Dr. Buddharaju said, side sleepers tend to prefer a loftier pillow of about 5 to 6 inches tall, so we preferred picks within that range.
• Overall comfort: While we longed how our neck and shoulders felt the next day, as well as our overall quality of sleep, we tried to appeal to a range of needs—for example, those who toss and turn may prefer a squishy down pillow, whereas those who like to a more contoured, cradling experience would appreciate memory foam, so we noted the best of each.

1. Brooklinen Mid-Plush Down Pillow

What we like:.

• medium firmness is supportive yet not too stiff

What We Don't Like:

• may be too soft for some

The true test of a great pillow is the one you reach for after testing has completed, when you're surrounded by options. This humble pillow became PureWow freelancer Melissa Lee's go-to: "At a glance, it seems pretty ordinary, but it’s the perfect mesh between support and comfort thanks to the down clusters and feather filling," adding that it's offered in three firmnesses, and she tested the mid-plush option.

It’s been dubbed by Brooklinen as their best-selling pillow, since the mid-plush is its most versatile option. It contains a dual-core structure with an extra-supportive inner layer of feathers, surrounded by an additional layer of down clusters. This gives it support without feeling too stiff, so your ear isn't aching halfway through the night.

2. Purple Harmony Pillow

• hex grid is cooling and breathable
• squishy without being too soft
• doesn't flatten out after years of use
• high-quality construction
• somewhat heavy

Purple's Harmony pillow will ruin you. As in, you thought $10 pillows from Target were fine...until you spent one night on this, and now, you're convinced you cannot sleep as well on anything else. That's what happened to our VP of editorial's husband, Nate, who promptly stole this pillow after a test nearly three years ago and has been sleeping on it ever since.

"We travel everywhere with it—even if it means checking a bag," Candace Davison, VP of editorial, says. "He's that obsessed." Why, exactly? The pillow is constructed with temperature-neutral ventilated latex and a moisture-wicking mesh cover, both of which work together to provide a super-breathable exterior. It’s available in three heights (5.5-inches, 6.5-inches and 7.5-inches), and Purple recommends the latter two for side sleepers.

The price makes it hard to justify as our overall pick, but it's a close second, especially since the hex grid provides squishy softness for your skull while the latex core keeps the pillow from flattening out overnight—or after years of use.

3. Eli & Elm Side Sleeper Pillow

• curves around shoulder
• adjustable fill
• breathable cover
• somewhat pricey

In the realm of side sleeper pillows, there's a whole category of curved ones, designed to fit around your shoulder while keeping your head and neck aligned. (Anyone who's woken up with an achy neck or realized their arm has fallen asleep from their shoulder down knows how it feels when you accidentally sleep too far up on the pillow.) But are they actually better ?

This style tends to be best for hardcore side sleepers who don't shift to their stomachs or backs often throughout the night. And, out of the four we've tested, Eli & Elm tied with Sleep Number for top marks. Eli & Elm, in particular, earned rave reviews from hot sleepers, who felt its cotton-polyester-spandex exterior helped keep them cool throughout the night.

In terms of comfort, the latex and polyester filling is removable, so you can adjust the height and firmness to your liking—another major bonus.

4. Sleep Number ComfortFit Curved Pillow

• hotel quality
• may require occasional fluffing, as filling shifts

sleep number

If you prefer the cradling feeling of a firm pillow—as opposed to the sink-into-it feeling of something very soft—check out the Sleep Number ComfortFit. Its blend of memory foam and down alternative fibers make this a hearty pillow that doesn't flatten a bit over time, and overall, it felt a bit firmer than the other curved pillows we tested (but not hard or stiff, thankfully). Our tester felt it had just the right height for her neck and head, helping her resist the urge to sleep with her arm under the pillow, as she used to.

5. Brooklyn Bedding Talalay Latex Pillow

• hypoallergenic latex foam construction
• not too high of a loft for petite frames
• some say it lacks support/isn't dense enough

Brooklyn Bedding

The awesome thing about this pillow is that you can choose which loft you’d like (low or high), making it a great option for side sleepers. The taller height allows for side sleepers to enjoy a comfortable cradling sensation around the neck and head, while the shoulders are elevated.

The Brooklyn Bedding Talalay Latex Pillow is also made from natural materials, like hypoallergenic latex foam that conforms to the shape of your head. The exterior cotton is even organic, meanwhile, that latex interior promotes greater airflow.

Best Down Pillow for Side Sleepers

6. parachute down side sleeper pillow.

• cushy but not too soft
• not too tall

While more expensive than some of the others on the list (the standard size is $160), the Parachute Down Side Sleeper Pillow is medium-density. Its 3.5-inch gusset was created to take the strain off of the neck and shoulders, making it a good option for side sleepers.

"When I tested this pillow out, I found it to be super soft. It contains 750-fill power European down, providing a cushy level of comfort," Lee says. "Side sleepers who like to prioritize plushiness over support will definitely enjoy catching zzz’s on this pillow."

Best Pillow for Side Sleepers Who Toss and Turn

7. marlow pillow.

• easily adjustable
• great for all sleeping positions
• reasonably priced
• needs to be fluffed occasionally

Several editors swear by Brooklinen's Marlow pillow—and they all confess they're semi-side sleepers. Their love of it makes sense: The pillow features two zippers along the side, allowing you to easily adjust its firmness levels to your taste. If you flip onto your back, you can unzip one side. If you switch to your stomach, unzip both, for the lowest loft and the softest feel. It's as easy as flipping your pillow to the cool side.

"I can’t do heavy memory foam or thin feathery numbers; I need a comfortable in-between. Marlow is just that, a solid middle ground between strength and comfort," says PureWow Assistant Editor Delia Curtis. "Cushiony enough to lull me to sleep and hard enough where I don’t wake up with aches in my neck. It’s also super easy to re-fluff so I’m never fully parallel to the bed."

Best Budget Buy

8. serta perfect sleeper pillow.

• allergen protector cover
• plush without sinking into it
• can flatten over time/not as durable

Priced at just $50 for a two-pack, the Serta Perfect Sleeper is, in the words of Davison, the “best value I’ve found.” After stocking more than half a dozen types of pillows—from down alternative to memory foam—at the Airbnb she manages, she finds that time and time again, her guests prefer these pillows over anything else. That's largely due to the cushy, supportive feel. They have a decent height, but they're not so plush that if you tend to sleep with your arm under your head, you won't wake up with a crick in your neck.

If you have allergies or asthma, this is the ideal pillow for you, too. It contains an allergen protector that will keep you feeling comfortable through naps and lengthy sleeps.

Best Soft Pillow for Side Sleepers

9. fluffco down alternative pillow.

• works for all sleeping positions
• pillow tends to flatten overnight

When fashion editor Abby Hepworth tested out FluffCo pillows, she was absolutely obsessed with their quality and value. She particularly loved the FluffCo Down Alternative Pillow in the soft option (you can nab it in ‘firm’ or ‘soft,’ but after trying both, she felt that the latter comfortably fit under her head). Described as containing a “little less fluff material to give the pillow more squish,” our tester also noted that it stayed cool and supportive from the moment she got into bed.

Best Memory Foam Pillow

10. ostrichpillow memory foam bed pillow.

• ergonomic design
• can easily adjust if you switch to back or stomach sleeping
• pillow features holes to maximize air flow, preventing overheating
• memory foam may be too firm for some

Ostrichpillow

Ah, Ostrichpillow: You excel at making atypically shaped pillows...that earn a cult following for their ergonomic design. Memory foam pillows can often be too stiff, but this bean-like design feels contoured to your head and neck. Plus, you can rotate it 90 degrees if you suddenly shift to your back or stomach, and boom! It's now optimized to align your neck and spine once again.

"It has enough support that I don't feel like my neck is straining at all, but is still comfy if I flop onto my back," says PureWow Assistant Editor Natalie LaBarbera, who admits that previously, she'd used much cheaper pillows that'd cause her neck to ache. "The ergonomic design is a huge plus, and I love that it comes with a cover you can wash or you can easily put another pillowcase on top of it."

Best Pillow for Travel

11. sobel westex home antithesis pillow.

• carrying case included

Oh, so you want the feel of a resort pillow, even though you're headed to your in-laws for the weekend? Or going camping? This is the pillow for you. And for Star Wars side sleepers, since it's part of the brand's Star Wars Home series (something you wouldn't notice unless you looked closely at the Imperial and Republic logos imprinted on the pillow itself).

This medium-firm pillow is plush, thanks to its 100 percent polyester fiber fill, putting it on the softer, cuddlier end of the cushy-to-cradling spectrum. As a result, you'll sink into it a bit, but not too much. It comes with a small, cylindrical bag that you can roll the pillow in, making it easy to transport (hence our pick for best to travel with). Don't leave home without it.

What to Do with Old Pillows (Other Than Toss Them Out)

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Best Pillows for Side Sleepers of 2024

Getting good quality rest begins with finding the right pillow. Your preferred sleep position plays a key role in determining the type of pillow you need. The best pillows for side sleepers strike the perfect balance of spine and neck support and work to keep both in a neutral position, ensuring you wake up each morning well-rested.

It can be challenging to find the best pillow because it can take several nights to decide if it’s the right fit for you. Fortunately, many brands offer sleep trials of up to 100 nights, giving you time to find your favorite option. Before purchasing a pillow, consider this list of the best pillows for side sleepers.

Table of Contents

• Best Pillows For Side Sleepers
• Things To Consider When Buying
• How We Chose

Avocado Molded Latex Pillow  »

Molded latex core

100-day sleep trial

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), & GreenGuard Gold certified

May be too firm for some sleepers

Only one loft

Avocado’s Molded Latex Pillow was designed with side-sleepers in mind, using charcoal-infused latex to create a molded core that delivers improved head and neck support. The molded latex core holds its shape evenly. It features a GOTS certified organic cotton cover that’s light and soft to the touch and easy to clean in the washing machine, though the latex core is not washable. The Molded Latex Pillow also holds GreenGuard Gold, FSC, Climate Neutral, Certified Vegan, and Oeko-Tex certifications, and it is verified as formaldehyde-free.

Avocado provides a one-year warranty on its pillows, as well as a 100-night sleep trial. The Molded Latex Pillow comes in three sizes, but it is only available with a 5-inch loft, which may be too low or too tall for some sleepers.

Casper Original Casper Pillow  »

Good for combination sleepers

Whole pillow is machine washable

No sleep trial

Not Oeko-Tex or GreenGuard certified

The Original Casper Pillow is an affordable option that’s well suited to side sleepers and combination sleepers who alternate between positions. It features a lightweight and breathable cotton percale cover with a soft polyester fabric lining that encases an inner pillow stuffed with a polyester microfiber filling. The result is a soft exterior and an interior supportive enough for side sleepers. Its fluffy fill adjusts with you as you sleep, even if you change positions throughout the night. The polyester filling is designed to be clump-resistant – a simple fluff restores it to its original shape.

Both the pillow’s cover and inner pillow are machine washable, and each Casper pillow features a one-year limited warranty. Casper offers free shipping within the contiguous 48 states and returns on unused items within 30 days. Note that Casper doesn’t offer a sleep trial on its pillows.

Helix GlacioTex Cooling Memory Foam Pillow  »

Pulls heat away from the body

Hypoallergenic

100-night sleep trial

Not adjustable

Hot sleeper? Helix’s GlacioTex Cooling Memory Foam Pillow uses proprietary cooling phase-change material to wick heat away from the body, keeping the pillow cool to the touch. The pillow has a molded memory foam core that contours to your unique head and neck shape. It comes in a low loft version and high loft version, the latter of which is well-suited to side sleepers, protecting the neck from stress while providing proper support and alignment. Helix recommends that combination sleepers opt for the high loft version to ensure the necessary support in all sleep positions.

The GlacioTex Cooling Memory Foam Pillow’s cover is machine washable and the manufacturer recommends spot cleaning for the pillow insert. Helix ships all pillows for free within the United States. Each pillow comes with a 100-night sleep trial as well as a one-year limited warranty that covers all manufacturing defects.

Purple Freeform Pillow  »

Adjustable height and firmness

Targeted neck support

CertiPUR-US certified

Some sleepers may not like the feel of the GelFlex Grid

Purple’s Freeform Pillow blends Purple’s signature GelFlex Grid with its MicroFlex Moon Foam fill to deliver soft, cradling comfort with proper support for your head and neck. The Honeycomb GelFlex Grid provides pressure relief and also helps keep you cool while you sleep, and the adjustable MicroFlex Moon Foam molds and adapts to ensure personalized comfort. You can add and remove fill to customize your pillow to soft or medium firmness to best suit your sleep preferences. Purple provides a second throw pillow case for you to store excess fill. Chambes around the neck area can be filled to offer targeted, contouring neck support. The pillow is encased in a machine-washable cover that remains cool to the touch.

The Freeform Pillow is CertiPUR-US certified. Purple offers a 100-night sleep trial on all of its pillows and covers them with a one-year limited warranty. It is worth noting that some sleepers may prefer the feel of a more traditional down, alternative down, or memory foam pillow over Purple’s proprietary GelFlex Grid.

Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Neck Pillow  »

Ergonomic shape for the neck

Comes in three sizes

5-year warranty

Not eligible for returns

The Tempur-Neck Pillow was made to deliver the proper support and stability to help relieve chronic neck pain for side sleepers. The pillow is made from one piece of extra-firm Tempur foam material that’s ergonomically shaped so that it cradles the head and neck. Sleepers can choose from small, medium, and large sizes, which are based on the distance between the neck and shoulders.

The Tempur-Neck Pillow is encased in a removable knit cover that is machine-washable and dryer-safe. However, air drying is preferred to increase the pillow cover’s lifespan. The pillow comes with a 5-year limited warranty which covers manufacturing defects or workmanship. While the pillow ships for free, it cannot be returned. Some reviewers noted that the pillow, which is only available in one firmness level, felt too firm.

The Bottom Line

Every sleeper is different, so it’s important to choose a pillow that meets your individual preferences and needs. Side sleepers benefit from pillows with a higher loft, as they offer proper head and neck support and promote spinal alignment. You may want to look for a pillow with a long sleep trial to make sure it’s not too soft or firm for your needs. Though it may be costly to invest in a high-quality, supportive side-sleeper pillow, the benefit is more restful sleep.

Things To Consider When Buying Pillows For Side Sleepers

Material: Side-sleeper pillows are made from different types of materials, and determining which is best comes down to personal preference. For some, a standard pillow stuffed with polyfill might be the best option. It's budget-friendly and widely available. The downside is polyester pillows can lose their shape more easily. Traditional down is another option, but many side sleepers may need two pillows to achieve the right support. Memory foam and latex foam are other common materials. A pillow may be made with either material shredded and used as filling similar to polyfill, or you can opt for a pillow made from a single piece of solid foam for contouring support.

Temperature: Maintaining temperature regulation throughout the night is vital to getting good quality sleep, as overheating while sleeping can increase the frequency of sleep disturbances, reduce the duration of REM sleep, and cause breathing issues for people with sleep apnea. Different sleepers will require different levels of cooling and breathability depending on their body temperature and sleep environment. “Our body naturally lowers its temperature during sleep,” says Dr. Ana Krieger , a sleep medicine expert at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. “Sleeping in a warm environment may affect temperature regulation and interfere with sleep quality, leading to frequent awakenings at night.” When it comes to pillows, look for breathable materials, such as a cotton cover or perforated latex filling. You can also look for proprietary cooling fabrics that may wick away excess heat and moisture.

Loft: The loft of a pillow refers to its thickness or height. A pillow’s loft is commonly described as being low, mid, or high. Generally, low loft indicates pillows three inches in height or less, mid loft indicates pillows three to five inches in height, and high loft indicates pillows that are more than five inches in height.

For side sleepers, shoulder height plays an important role in determining the appropriate loft. A person with broad shoulders will require a higher loft than those without. Additionally, people with softer mattresses may require less height from their pillow, as they are more likely to sink deeper into the mattress while sleeping. “It’s a matter of finding the correctly sized pillow and matching it to your preferred sleeping position,” says Claire Morrow , a physical therapist at Hinge Health. For example, you will want a thicker pillow if you prefer side sleeping and have broad shoulders.

Easy Maintenance: It’s important to keep your pillow clean and properly fluffed and shaped to ensure a good night’s sleep. Some pillows are easier to clean than others, and the ease of maintenance largely depends on construction and the materials from which a pillow is made.

Most pillows have an outer cover that encases an inner pillow or, in the case of some adjustable pillows, loose filling. Outer covers are usually machine-washable with a gentle detergent and should be hung to dry, though some can be tumble-dried on low heat.

While some inner pillows, like those made from polyester, are also machine washable, pillows made from memory foam and latex are not. The shredded memory foam or latex fills found in adjustable pillows are also not machine-washable. For these types of pillows, it’s best to keep them covered at all times with a pillowcase and spot-treat stains when necessary.

How We Chose the Best Pillows For Side Sleepers

At U.S. News 360 Reviews, our contributors methodically researched and reviewed a wide assortment of pillows to create this list of the best pillows for side sleepers. We considered key factors like material, loft, price, and the ability to customize in addition to customer reviews to pare down our exhaustive list to reflect only those that met our high standards. We also spoke to an allergist, a sleep medicine expert, and a physical therapist. Ultimately, we found that side sleepers need a pillow that can accommodate the gap between the head and the mattress, and higher loft pillows are the preferred choice.

WHY SHOULD YOU TRUST US?

Our contributors and editors have years of experience researching, testing, and reviewing products. Nina Derwin , the author of the piece, has written extensively about sleep products, including mattresses and pillows, for Digital Trends and Martha Stewart.

The best time to buy a new pillow is when you find yourself waking up with neck pain or struggling to find a comfortable sleeping position at night. If you are not sure which pillow is right for you, look for manufacturers that offer a trial period so you can return or exchange it if it doesn’t meet your needs.

Oftentimes new pillows will arrive from the manufacturer vacuum sealed or rolled, so they will likely be very flat at first. All you need to do is push and pull your pillow like an accordion in all directions until it’s at the right size and loft you need. If the manufacturer specifies it won’t damage the fibers, you can also put the pillow in a dryer for a few minutes.

A pillow should be replaced about every two years, or when you suspect the materials are no longer supporting your head and neck. There’s also the issue of buildup from dust mites and bodily debris that accumulate over time. “After two years, 10% of the weight of your pillow can be from dead dust mites and their droppings,” says Melanie Carver, Chief Mission Officer of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). Some materials, like latex, may have a longer lifespan than a few years, so it’s important to judge yourself if your pillow isn’t holding its shape like it used to.

About Our Team

Nina Derwin

Contributor

Senior Editor

U.S. News 360 Reviews takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.

Protect Your Trip »

The 8 best neck pillows for travel.

Avoid a literal pain in the neck with these expert-approved travel pillows.

The Best Neck Pillows for Travel

Courtesy of Cabeau

The Cabeau Evolution S3 Travel Pillow is one of the best neck pillows for travel.

Just like the pillow you use at home , the best neck pillow for travel is the one that makes you feel most comfortable, allowing you to relax, rest and ultimately fall asleep on the go. The difference, however, is that a travel pillow is typically used when sitting up, which means it needs to provide enough support to keep your head from bobbing.

Based on recommendations from travel experts and advice from physicians, these are the best neck pillows for travel.

Best Overall: Cabeau Evolution S3

Best affordable: mvloc travel pillow, best for long flights: trtl travel pillow, best multipurpose: huzi infinity pillow, best inflatable: sunany inflatable travel pillow, best silk: slip jet setter travel pillow, best for backpacking: marchway ultralight inflatable camping pillow, best for kids: bcozzy double support neck pillow.

Frequent travelers praise the design of the Cabeau Evolution S3, which is made of a special dual-density memory foam. "My pillow at home is made with memory foam so it's like bringing a piece of home on my travels," says travel blogger Jasmine Cheng of The Wandering Girl . "The sides are also raised, which prevents my head from moving when I'm sleeping." Travelers also appreciate the patented seat strap system that attaches the pillow to a seat or chair headrest as well as the slim flattened back, both of which prevent the head from bobbing.

A handy storage pouch on the side of the pillow allows you to keep your earbuds or other small items close by, and the pillow comes with a clasp that attaches to carry-on luggage . The removable pillow cover, which comes in a variety of colors, is machine-washable. What's more, this travel pillow can be stored in an included carry bag that condenses it to half its size.

Price: $39.99 or less Shop now: Amazon | Cabeau

Travelers appreciate the support (and the price tag) of this memory foam travel pillow. An adjustable rope lock allows you to secure the pillow to your neck for maximum support and comfort. The breathable and machine-washable cloth exterior prevents overheating. This travel pillow also comes with earplugs and an eye mask for ultimate relaxation.

Price: $29.99 or less Shop now: Amazon

Courtesy of Trtl

The patented design of the Trtl Travel Pillow – with a hidden internal neck support surrounded by soft, hypoallergenic fleece – makes it a favorite among travelers, particularly for long flights. "Something about it just hits right in a travel accessory category where nothing previously worked for me," explains Meaghan Clawsie, luxury travel advisor at Elated Escapes . "I no longer have any back or neck pain when resting on long-haul flights." Simply wrap the pillow around your neck like a scarf, secure it in place with its built-in fastener and rest your head on the support.

If you tend to overheat easily, there's also the Trtl Pillow Cool , made with Tencel fibers to keep you at a comfortable temperature; a mesh panel makes the pillow particularly breathable as well. Both pillows are machine-washable.

Price: $59.99 or less Shop now: Amazon | Trtl

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Courtesy of Huzi Design

If you're not sold on the classic U-shaped neck pillows for travel, consider this snake-like option instead. Able to be twisted into a variety of positions, the versatile Huzi Infinity Pillow provides whatever support feels best – even if that means resting your head on the tray table for a bit. You can also wear it around your neck like a scarf for neck and back comfort (even when you're not snoozing), use it as an eye mask, or drape it over your head if you get cold or want to block out noise.

Travelers love the pillow's bamboo fabric, describing it as soft, smooth and cool. Since it's filled with polyester, the whole pillow can be tossed in the washing machine , unlike its memory foam counterparts. The Infinity Pillow is available in nearly a dozen different colors, including gray, navy and pink.

Price: $45 or less Shop now: Amazon | Infinity Pillow

Read:  What to Pack in Your Carry-on Bag

Courtesy of Sunany

Travelers love the H-shaped design of this inflatable pillow because it allows for use in multiple directions and supports both sides of the head and neck with a flat back. A removable hood on the pillow is a bonus: It encourages a cozy feel and prevents cold drafts from too much air conditioning. For optimal comfort, it is recommended to inflate the pillow about 80% to 90%.

A pocket for your earbud case on this travel pillow provides convenient access for listening to music, and the removable velour cover is machine-washable. The lightweight inflatable pillow can be stored in the included waterproof drawstring bag, which can also be attached to luggage. This travel neck pillow is available in black, gray and blue.

Courtesy of Slip

Travel pillows don't get softer than this luxurious new option by Slip. The Jet Setter Travel Pillow is made with the highest-grade long fiber mulberry silk, which helps to prevent skin creases and bedhead. It also comes with a carrying case with handles. The Jet Setter Travel Pillow is available in three prints and a pretty solid blush color.

Price: $99 or less Shop now: Amazon | Slip

While you can often bring your pillow from home for tent camping, backpacking requires something more lightweight, such as this inflatable option by Marchway. "An inflatable pillow is a game-changer when it comes to backpacking, and an ultralight pillow can't be beat," says Leilani Osmundson , digital producer for travel at U.S. News. "The Marchway pillow fits the bill: It's comfortable, packable and extremely lightweight." This pillow is designed for both back and side sleepers, and doubles as a lumbar support for everyday travels and needs. Once it's deflated, you can machine-wash the cover before folding the pillow into an included drawstring bag.

Price: $13.99 or less Shop now: Amazon

Courtesy of BCOZZY

The BCOZZY neck pillow is ideal for all travelers – including kids, with small sizes for youngsters between 3 and 7 years old, and medium options for ages 8 and 12. Travelers like the ergonomic design of the patented pillow, which supports the head and neck by propping the chin up. Overlapping pillow arms, which wrap around the neck and under the chin, can be tightened based on the level of support you need.

If you or your child is a side sleeper, fold the pillow in half, double up the sides and place it on your shoulder, leaning your head to the side. An elevated side option allows you to overlap the pillow arms on top of each other and rotate it 90 degrees to the side for double support for the neck and chin.

This travel pillow is available in a variety of colors and patterns, including light blue and pink hearts. A snap strap attaches the included travel bag to your child's luggage , and you can throw the pillow in the washing machine after your trip.

Price: $44.97 or less Shop now: Amazon

Frequently Asked Questions

Experts agree a supportive pillow is essential for travel. "The biggest issue many travelers experience when sleeping on a plane is that the seats don't recline enough," explains Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a sleep/wake and performance specialist who is dual board certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine. "This often results in the head being just on the brink of tipping forward – which is not a comfortable sleeping position. Because of this insufficient recline, it is important to keep padding behind the head and neck minimal to reduce the tendency for the head to tip forward."

Most travel pillows are designed to be worn around the neck, providing enough support to prevent the head from tipping forward.

When shopping for a neck pillow for travel, experts recommend considering the following factors:

Proper head support:  What's most important is ensuring your head is supported in the right places by your travel pillow – and, in particular, not being pushed forward by excessive padding. "A good pillow would provide support for side sleeping, rather than a lot of padding behind the head, which just pushes the head forward too much," says Dimitriu.

Material: Consider both the external and internal material of the pillow:

External: Chiropractic physician Eric Smith advises to make sure the material of your travel pillow is breathable and won't subject you to an overheated sleep, since one of the main reasons for moving around a lot as you sleep is getting too hot. "When your face gets too hot on one side, even if you're sleeping, you're going to move from it because it's too warm," Smith explains.

There's no real consensus on which material is best for a cool, comfy sleep – and different people will have different preferences – so Smith's advice is to try before you fly (and don't hesitate to request a refund if your chosen pillow isn't working out).

• Internal: Memory foam pillows tend to offer more firm support – something Smith recommends for anyone, but especially older travelers. "The majority of patients I have that get older, we actually need a more firm pillow, we need a more firm bed, we need more support," Smith says. Pillows filled with microbeads mold more to the neck and head, while inflatable pillows can be adjusted to your preferences based on how much air you use to blow them up.

A travel pillow for your neck isn't considered a carry-on or personal item (and the same generally goes for small, loose items like jackets and umbrellas). That said, it's always best to review your airline's carry-on luggage size restrictions before traveling.

A good neck pillow for travel isn't the only key to achieving a decent sleep while in transit. "From the standpoint of evolution, we're kind of hardwired to be a little bit more on high alert in those situations," explains Rebecca Robbins, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and scientist at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. "We're a little bit more in fight or flight mode; our brain is subconsciously scanning the environment for threats and there are new sounds and new smells."

She recommends finding elements that are relaxing to you, which might include some of the following:

• Travel blanket: Look for something lightweight, such as the EverSnug Travel Blanket on Amazon. This blanket comes with a carrying case, which can double as a pillow when the blanket is stored inside.
• Essential or aromatherapy oils: Scents like lavender and peppermint can be especially calming.
• Earplugs: Choose headphones that block some or all external noise. The Bose QuietComfort 45 Wireless Headphones are especially well rated.
• White noise app: There are a variety of free apps, or you can try a paid option like Calm (which offers a free trial).
• Eye mask: An eye mask like this cotton option on Amazon helps to block out the bright light on planes.

You might also be interested in:

• The Top Compression Socks for Travel
• The Top Walking Shoes for Travel
• The Top Carry-on Backpacks
• Can I Use My Own Airplane Seat Belt Extender?
• The Best Travel Medical Insurance Plans

Tags: Travel , Travel Gear

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• # 4 Bora Bora

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The best pillows to make neck pain a thing of the past

By Britta O'Boyle

Waking up with neck pain? GQ's guide highlights the best pillows for neck pain for all sleep styles to fight soreness and restore morning bliss

An aching neck is far from enjoyable, stealing precious sleep and leaving you feeling stiff throughout the day. Did you know the best pillows for neck pain can sort discomfort out easily, and that it might be your sleeping arrangements that are the problem, rather than just the way you sit at your work desk ? The wrong pillow can throw your spine out of alignment, straining your neck muscles and leading to all kinds of aches and pains.

Finding the right place to lay your weary head at the end of the day can make a world of difference, relieving pressure points and offering effective pain relief, so we’ve rounded up the best pillows out there for neck pain sufferers. Changing your pillow may not be the answer to all your neck pain problems, but if there's any chance it could help you wake up pain-free some mornings, then we'd say it's worth a try.

Your sleep position impacts your pillow needs so you'll need to consider that before you can decide whether memory foam , down, or microfibre is the best filling for you, as well as what the ideal firmness level is for optimal support. Our in-house sleep experts can help you out though, don't worry.

From the best cooling options to support your neck whilst also keeping you comfortably cool if you're a hot sleeper, to the best pillows for side sleepers and the fancy adjustable ones that allow for custom comfort, we've got you covered. If you're ready to ditch the morning neck ache, these are our pick for the best pillows for neck pain to help you achieve a restful – and hopefully pain-free – slumber.

Skip to: Which are the best pillows for neck pain? | What type of pillow is best for neck pain? | How firm should my pillow be for neck pain? | How we chose the best pillows for neck pain: GQ's review process | Shop GQ's edit of the best pillows for neck pain in 2024...

Which are the best pillows for neck pain?

We’ve dived into more detail about our top picks for the best pillows for neck pain a little further down, but if you're in a hurry and you need a quick fire round up of our favourites, you can find those directly below.

Emma's Original Pillow is great for neck pain sufferers with adjustable layers that allow you to tailor it to your preferences, whether you’re side sleeping or chilling on your back. Gel memory foam supports your head and neck, while other layers distribute pressure.

Dunelm Comfortzone Contour Pillow

Dunelm’s Comfortzone Contour Pillow is ideal for neck pain sufferers on a budget. It provides firm neck support for side sleepers and features a machine-washable, breathable cotton cover for comfort.

Aeyla Dual Pillow

The Aeyla Dual Pillow combines an inner pillow for support within a soft pillow for comfort. It adapts to your sleep position, is breathable, hypoallergenic, and machine washable. Tick, tick, tick.

• Best pillow for neck pain overall: Emma Original, from £79 at emma-sleep.co.uk
• Best memory foam pillow for neck pain: Kudd.ly Dream Pillow, £99 £49 at kudd.ly
• Best synthetic pillow for neck pain: Aeyla Dual Pillow, £89 £69 at aeyla.co.uk
• Best budget pillow for neck pain: Dunelm Comfortzone Contour Pillow, £ 22 at dunelm.com
• Best luxury pillow for neck pain: Tempur Comfort Pillow Original, £109 £94 at uk.tempur.com

What type of pillow is best for neck pain?

Choosing the right pillow for neck pain will depend on your sleeping style and sleep posture. Someone that sleeps on their front will need to consider different options to someone that sleeps on their back, for example. Those that sleep on their back should opt for a low-lift pillow that cradles your head and neck into a neutral position without pushing your chin up. Memory foam or latex options are good for offering good pressure relief and reducing shoulder and neck pain as they mould to your neck and head for support.

For side sleepers, a thicker, supportive pillow is ideal to fill the gap between your neck and shoulder. You could consider a cervical pillow with a curved shape that aligns your spine. Again, memory foam options are good for providing comfort and medium-firm support.

For those that sleep on their stomach, you should opt for the thinnest pillow option, or an adjustable pillow where you can remove layers to avoid straining your neck. Shredded memory foam or a down alternative will offer some support while maintaining a flat profile.

How firm should my pillow be for neck pain?

Similar to the type of pillow you should be using, the firmness level of your pillow also depends on what type of sleeper you are. Determine whether you're a stomach sleeper, back sleeper or side sleeper before you pick your pillow. Side sleepers are recommended to use firm or extra firm pillows to maintain alignment of the head and neck, so memory or latex pillows are considered best rather than down.

For back sleepers, consider firm or very firm too, or a wedge to help elevate the top half of the body. Stomach sleepers should look into a soft pillow to keep the neck within its natural curve, while combination sleepers should try a pillow that has a lower centre for when you sleep on your back and higher sides for when you sleep on your side to avoid a stiff neck when you wake up.

How we chose the best pillows for neck pain: GQ’s review process

We have reviewed a huge range of pillows at GQ , all of which have contributed to our main best pillow guide. For this guide specifically, we were focusing on the best pillows for neck pain and so if those tried and tested by our writers, editors and testers were good for neck pain in our experience, you'll also find them in this round up.

For the pillows we have recommended for neck pain that we haven't tested, we have considered various factors, including night trials, warranties, materials used and comfort based on customer reviews. We have also selected various different types of pillows from down pillows to cooling pillows and memory foam options to find the best neck pillows out there from trusted retailers that we know produce good quality products.

Shop GQ’s edit of the best pillows for neck pain in 2024…

Simba Hybrid Pillow

Reasons to buy: Several layers | Adjustable | Breathable

• Type of pillow: Adjustable
• Filling: Simba Nanocubes
• Size: W 70cm x L 45cm, W 60cm x L 60cm

Simba is a household name in the mattress world and so it's no surprise the company knows a good pillow too. The Hybrid Pillow takes notes from the Simba mattress offering with a combination of layers for the ultimate balance of comfort and support.

A 100 per cent breathable cotton cover with Simba's Stratos heat control makes sure this pillow feels cool against your body, while a cushioning outer sleeve of soft, Simba Renew Bio Fibres offer luxurious comfort. Inside is where the party is at though with an inner core of tiny Simba Nanocubes zipped up in a bag, so you can take some out to get the ultimate feeling for your personal preferences. £109. At simbasleep.com

REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow

Reasons to buy: Cooling pillow | Any sleeping position | Supportive

• Type of pillow: Unspecified
• Filling: Visco Elastic Polyurethane Foam with Gel Powders
• Size: W 64cm x L 40cm

REM-Fit doesn't just offer some of the best mattresses out there, it also has a great pillow for those suffering from neck pain in its 500 Cool Gel option. Supporting correct spinal alignment and delivering excellent pressure relief, the REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow is made from cool gel-infused memory foam technology for a natural cooling effect.

There is also a Re-Ax fibre cover made from light, stretchy and durable fabric, designed to absorb excess heat and its moisture-wicking properties swiftly remove sweat from your head and neck to regulate body temperature. Best of all, this pillow is designed for any sleeping position to support the head, neck and shoulders for a dreamy night's sleep. £99 £49.50. At rem-fit.co.uk

Kudd.ly dream pillow

Reasons to buy: All sleeping positions | Machine washable | Adjustable

• Filling : 20% microfibre, 80% foam
• Size: W 74cm x L 48cm, W89cm x L 48cm

Kudd.ly has some of our favourite bedding and cost accessories, from weighted blankets to throws, and its Dream Pillow is up there with some of the best for those suffering from neck pain. Filled with shredded CertiPUR-US Certified memory foam and wrapped with a breathable 100 per cent cotton CLOUDsoft lined protective cover, it's designed to suit all sleeping positions.

Machine washable for easy cleaning, the kudd.ly Dream Pillow has adjustable height and firmness to suit all preferences, and there's hypoallergenic layer too for the allergy sufferers out there. Two sizes are available - standard and king size - and both come with a storage bag for any extra filling you choose to remove. £99 £49. At kudd.ly

Reasons to buy: Adaptive technology | Multiple sleep positions | Machine washable

• Type of pillow: Medium
• Filling: Microfibre
• Size: W 48cm x L 21 x H21 cm

Delivering the perfect blend of support and sink in softness, the Aeyla Dual Pillow is clump-resistant and will retain its shape night after night, whilst offering adaptive technology to mould to your position. A breathable cotton cover keeps things cool and comfortable, while a supportive pillow sits inside for alignment - hence the Dual name.

Osteopath-approved and adaptable to various sleep positions, the Aeyla Dual Pillow offers a microfibre fill, making it suitable for those that suffer with allergies too. It's also Oeko Tex certified which means it's free from harmful chemicals and it’s also machine washable to keep everything fresh. Best of all, there's a satisfaction guarantee too. £89 £69. At aeyla.co.uk

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Slumberdown Memory Plus

Slumberdown

Reasons to buy: Soft knot cover | Non-allergenic | Moulds to head and neck

• Type of pillow: Firm
• Filling: Hollowfibre with layer of memory foam
• Size: W 64cm x L 38cm

Combining several materials to deliver the ultimate support, whilst retaining comfort, the Slumberdown Memory Plus pillow begins with a soft knit cover that feels gentle against your cheek or neck, depending on your sleeping position.

A unique memory foam wrap sits below the cover, surrounding the hollowfibre filling and gently moulding to your head and neck to offer support and relieve pressure. There’s a firmer fill overall to support and align the head, neck and spine, and it’s non-allergenic too, though you can't pop it in the washing machine – sponge clean only for this one. From £18. At slumberdown.co.uk / amazon.co.uk

Marks & Spencer Medium V-Shaped Pillow

Marks & Spencer

Reasons to buy: Non-allergenic | Comfortable | Supportive

• Type of pillow: Medium, V-Shape
• Filling: 100% polyester
• Size: W 33cm x L 84cm x H 84cm

Perfect for reading in bed, or enjoying a lazy Sunday morning cuppa, the Marks & Spencer V-Shaped pillow offers the perfect balance between a luxurious comfortable feeling, and support for your head and neck.

Made in Great Britain, the Marks & Spencer Medium V-Shaped Pillow with Pillowcase is filled with a plump fibre and non-allergenic filing that will shape to your body for the ultimate comfort, while a cotton fabric cover delivers a super soft and cooling feel. It's machine-washable at 40 degrees too, and it features recycled polyester so it's kinder to the environment. £22.50. At marksandspencer.com

Tempur Comfort Pillow Original

Reasons to buy: Comfortable | Supportive | Shapeable filling

• Filling: Tempur Material micro-cushions
• Size: W 74cm x L 50cm

Tempur is renowned for its excellent mattresses and its pillows are up there with some of the best too, with the Comfort Pillow Original especially great for those suffering from neck pain. Offering a traditional shape with a medium level of support, the Comfort Pillow Original combines pressure-relieving comfort and support.

A soft fabric cover can be removed for easy washing, while inside is filled with the same Tempur Material found in the company's mattresses, with Viscoelastic cells that actively mould and adapt to your body and neck. Whatever your sleeping position, the Tempur micro-cushions are huggable, shapeable and you can fluff and puff them as you like. £109 £94. At uk.tempur.com

Reasons to buy: Machine washable | Good price | Firm support

• Filling: Synthetic
• Size: W 61cm x L 38cm

Dunelm is one of our favourite retailers for bedding, furniture and accessories so it's no surprise to us that it has a pillow in its portfolio that is great for those suffering from neck pain. The Comfortzone Contour Pillow offers a firm support overall, keeping your neck and neck aligned when you're sleeping soundly on your side.

Machine washable for convenience, and manufactured in the UK, the Comfortzone Contour Pillow has a hollowfibre filling wrapped in a 100 per cent cotton cover with a 230 thread count for a cosy and luxurious feeling. £22. At dunelm.com

By Miles Ellingham

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