Best Soft Pillows of 2025: Reviews and Buyers’ Guide

Getting an amazing mattress doesn’t mean as much if you don’t get equally amazing accessories to go with it. One of the most important accessories that can make or break a great night’s sleep is your pillow.

Getting the right pillow is almost as important as getting the right mattress. The good news is that figuring out which pillow is perfect for you doesn’t have to be all that difficult. You just need to know a few things about your sleep style and preferences to find the best pillow for your needs.

Best Soft Pillows of 2025

If you want a memory foam pillow that can offer more cooling and loft than a traditional memory foam pillow, check out the Amerisleep Comfort Classic. This pillow features Amerisleep’s proprietary plant-based memory foam for extra breathability, contouring, and responsiveness.

Materials

The Comfort Classic pillow features naturally hypoallergenic plant-based Bio-Pur® memory foam. This memory foam swaps certain petroleum-based ingredients in favor of plant oils. This creates a pillow that can breathe much more easily than traditional memory foam and bounces back underneath your head when you move.

The Comfort Classic maintains the contouring of memory foam despite its faster response time and greater breathability. This makes it perfect for those suffering from neck pain and shoulder pain because it can mold itself to your shape no matter how you sleep.

The cover is made of soft, breathable fabric that can be removed for easy washing. This means you don’t have to deal with trying to spot-clean your pillow cover. You can just toss the whole thing in the washing machine. This is better for bacteria and allergen removal.

Cleaning the pillow itself is just as easy, though you can’t wash the foam itself. You can remove the cover, sprinkle the pillow with baking soda, and then vacuum it away after an hour or so. The low maintenance of the pillow, combined with its unbeatable cooling and responsiveness, makes it one of the best on this list for those who want a practical and comfortable pillow.

SEE ALSO: Amerisleep Mattress Review

Athletes, physical workers, and gym lovers who want a performance pillow to go with their sports mattress should check out the Zoma Pillow. This pillow is designed to boost recovery and offer the most restorative and recuperative sleep on the market.

Materials

The Zoma Pillow features an airy and breathable performance cover made of 97 percent polyester and three percent spandex for extra stretchiness and moisture-wicking properties. This ventilated fabric keeps your head cool and sweat-free.

Inside the performance cover, shredded memory foam MicroCushions™ offer customizable comfort that contours to your shape and can be rearranged to fit your preferences all at once. The shredded memory foam is blended with polyester fiber for extra loft and flexibility.

The filling in the Zoma Pillow is also made without ozone depleters, chemical flame retardants, and other potentially hazardous materials. So you won’t have to deal with unpleasant VOC smells or unhealthy ingredients.

The six-inch loft of this memory foam pillow also makes it perfect for back sleepers and side sleepers who need a little extra support. And the MicroCushions™ make it easy for you to arrange the support in exactly the way you want.

Another great thing about this pillow is its easy maintenance. You can remove the zippable cover and wash it in the washing machine. And the pillow itself is machine washable as well. Just use the delicate cycle and the low heat setting in the dryer.

SEE ALSO: Zoma Mattress Review

If you want a soft pillow that features the contouring of memory foam and the adjustability of plush fill, plus it won’t break your budget, check out the Vaya Pillow. This shredded memory foam pillow provides contouring support for your head and neck that won’t go flat or overheat.

Materials

The Vaya cover features plush and breathable fabric that offers a soft and smooth feel under your pillowcase. The cover also keeps cool air flowing underneath your head and neck to prevent overheating and wick away sweat.

The fill of the Vaya Pillow is a combination of shredded open-cell Vaya Comfort Foam and plush microfiber that can breathe throughout the whole pillow to ensure it stays cool. The shredded foam and fibers contour to your head and neck just like memory foam. They can also be fluffed and adjusted to your preferences without losing loft.

The adjustable height of this pillow means it’s a good choice for all sleep styles because it can be fluffed and flattened to your liking.

Another fantastic thing about this pillow is how easy it is to clean. The cover is not removable. Rather, you toss the cover and the pillow in the wash at once. Then, you can either air dry your pillow or tumble dry it without heat to re-fluff it. Just make sure your dryer’s heating element is completely off.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses for Athletes

If you want a pillow that you can stuff or un-stuff according to your sleep needs, check out the Nolah Squishy Pillow. This pillow has an inner chamber that can be easily unzipped to remove or add foam stuffing until you get the loft just right.

Materials

The Squishy features a breathable and moisture-wicking bamboo blend cover. This cover is naturally cooling and hypoallergenic. Bamboo fabric is also a highly sustainable textile, as bamboo requires far less water than cotton and does not need as many pesticides, fertilizers, or resowings.

The inner chamber of the pillow is stuffed with cube-cut shredded foam filling. The cube shapes in the foam offer better airflow than standard shredded memory foam. The cube shapes are also much easier to remove and replace in the pillow until you get the height right.

To adjust the Squishy to your liking, all you have to do is unzip the cover and open the inner chamber. Then, you can remove foam cubes until you find a loft that works for you. This pillow comes intentionally overstuffed to ensure there’s enough foam for everyone – including side sleepers!

The inner chamber of the Squishy is not machine washable. It must be spot-cleaned. However, the cover can be easily removed and tossed in the washing machine and dryer.

SEE ALSO: Nolah Mattress Review

If you want a pillow with the feel of down without the expense or potential for animal cruelty that comes with natural down, consider the Saatva Down Alternative Pillow. The Saatva pillow offers the squishy, cloudlike comfort of down without its downsides.

Materials

The Saatva pillow’s cover is made of hypoallergenic organic cotton. Organic cotton is potentially the best pillow cover material because its long fibers are ultra-durable, low-maintenance, and breathable. Organic cotton is also one of the best materials for fighting allergy symptoms, as its breathability and moisture-wicking properties create a hostile environment for microbes.

The dual-layered fill of the Saatva pillow is the reason this particular down alternative pillow feels more like the real thing than most faux-down. The first interior layer is made of a lofty and hypoallergenic down alternative fiber that creates micro-air pockets that imitate the plush and squishy feel of down clusters.

Meanwhile, the core of the pillow features memory fiber clusters that offer greater support than traditional fiberfill. These interior memory fiber clusters help the pillow maintain its down-like loft and adjustability.

The microfiber combination offers more cooling breathability than traditional down. The moldable pillow also works for all sleep positions because it’s moldable and can be fluffed or flattened to fit your needs.

The maintenance of the Saatva Down Alternative Pillow is a bit of a drawback. You cannot wash this pillow or remove its cover. This means you’ll only be able to spot-clean it. It also means you may need to consider a pillow protector to maintain its hypoallergenic properties.

SEE ALSO: Best Hypoallergenic Mattress for Allergies

Those who enjoy the bounce, buoyancy, and breathability of a latex mattress should take a look at the Talalay Latex Pillow by Brooklyn Bedding. This pillow features all the amazing benefits of natural latex foam, and it offers two loft options to boot!

Materials

The cover of this pillow is made of organic cotton fabric. Organic cotton offers lots of durability, breathability, and crispness. Organic cotton is also naturally hypoallergenic, and it gets softer over time. The more you wash it, the softer it gets.

Next, you’ll find the natural Talalay latex pillow core. Talalay latex is the less dense of the two latex varieties (Dunlop being the denser one). This makes Talalay the lighter and more contouring of the two. Talalay latex provides similar contouring to memory foam. It’s just much more responsive and naturally breathable.

The Talalay Latex Pillow is potentially the best pillow on this list for active sleepers. If you like to toss and turn but don’t like waiting for your pillow to regain its shape, Talalay latex is your ideal foam. Its ultra-responsiveness means it will spring back into shape the second you move.

The Talalay Latex Pillow’s loft options also mean it’s a great choice for more than one sleep style. The high-loft option is perfect for side sleepers because they need lots of support. The low-loft option is great for stomach sleepers because it offers a little support – but not too much.

SEE ALSO: What is a Talalay Latex Mattress?

If you want an adjustable pillow that can also keep you cool as a cucumber, consider the Helix Adjustable Pillow. This pillow features breathable materials and gel infusions to ensure it can keep cool air flowing underneath your head and neck as well as draw your body heat away from you at the same time.

Materials

The Helix Adjustable Pillow features an outer shell made of breathable natural cotton. This outer shell offers a cool-touch feel, as cotton circulates air and wicks away sweat to keep you cool and dry.

Inside, the pillow boasts gel microfiber fill. Gel infusions are thermally conductive, so they help draw heat away from your head to ensure maximum coolness.

The Helix Adjustable Pillow also features a removable support insert to give you loft options. All you have to do to reduce the loft of the pillow is remove the insert. It’s that easy! Side sleepers and back sleepers should keep the support system inside the pillow. Stomach sleepers can remove the support insert to get the cooling benefits of the pillow and the correct loft.

The outer cover of the Helix Adjustable Pillow is machine washable. Just use the gentle cycle and a mild detergent, and tumble dry it on low. You’ll need to spot-clean the pillow itself.

SEE ALSO: Best Cooling Sheets for Hot Sleepers

Back and side sleepers looking for a pillow with a shape to fit their sleep styles should consider the Bear Contour Pillow. This pillow was ergonomically designed to fit the shape of your body, following the natural curves of your head and neck to offer you ideal comfort.

Materials

This isn’t just a contouring pillow. The Bear Contour also works to keep you cool as a cucumber while you sleep. It does this by featuring an ICE Fabric cover. This fabric is breathable to keep cool air flowing, and it also works to draw body heat away from the head and neck to prevent overheating and sweating.

The inside of the pillow features siliconized fiber fill. This fill is hypoallergenic, breathable, and moisture-resistant to help keep your pillow clean and free of allergens. The moldable fill is also ideal for back and side sleepers.

The shape of this pillow is the main attraction here. The ergonomic curve in the middle of the Bear Contour helps reduce stress on the neck and shoulders when you sleep on your back or side. This can, in turn, reduce upper back and neck pain.

Another great thing about this pillow is it was designed to help reduce snoring. The ergonomic shape aligns the head better with the rest of your body, which can help open up the airways and alleviate normal snoring. You’ll still need to seek medical treatment for issues like sleep apneaVerified Source National Library of Medicine (NIH)World’s largest medical library, making biomedical data and information more accessible.View source.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses for Sleep Apnea

Those who want a pillow that focuses just as much on sustainability and eco-friendliness as it does on comfort should consider the Eco-Rest Pillow by Birch. This pillow features materials that are every bit as plush and supportive as they are sustainable.

Materials

The cover of the Eco-Rest is made using a 300-thread count organic cotton outer shell. Not only is organic cotton breathable and crisp. It also is much more sustainable than synthetic materials or even non-organic cotton, as certified-organic cotton products must adhere to strict rules on pesticide use and environmental impact.

Next, you’ll find a fill made of 100 percent recycled materials that were sustainably sourced and produced in the United States. The fill is recycled polyester, which eliminates the need for creating new materials and also helps reduce waste by reconstituting used synthetic fibers instead of tossing these nonbiodegradable materials in a landfill.

The Eco-Rest pillow boasts GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and Fair Trade certifications. So you can not only rest assured that it’s better for the environment. You can also rest assured it’s made using Fair Trade standards, including avoiding the use of exploited labor.

This pillow might be sustainable and ethical, but it doesn’t skimp on comfort. It offers superior ventilation and airflow to keep you cool. And organic cotton only gets softer and more supple with time. Just be aware you’ll need to spot-clean it, as it is not machine washable. The cover is not removable, and the fill should not be soaked through.

SEE ALSO: Best Eco-Friendly Mattresses

Those who want a different feel from the standard plush or foam pillow should check out the Layla Kapok Pillow. Kapok fibers offer a unique blend of springiness and plushness that feels very different from other fiber or foam pillow fills. If you’re tired of boring pillow fills, this could be the one for you.

Materials

The Layla Kapok Pillow features the same hexagonally woven cover that you’ll find on their mattress lineup. The hexagonal weave creates air channels that keep the pillow’s surface cool. And the blend of polyester and viscose allows for maximum moisture and heat wicking for an all-night cool-touch feel.

The kapok fiber fill feels very different from other plant or synthetic fiber fills. Kapok feels like lying down on a plush and lofty cloud. It’s softer and airier than cotton or wool, so it circulates cooling air better than these pillow fills. Kapok fibers are also more buoyant than many other fill options because they contain cellulose.

Another great thing about this pillow is that it comes overstuffed. So if it’s too lofty for your sleep position, simply unzip the cover and remove the fill according to your preferences. You can adjust the pillow from ultra-lofty to almost flat. So anyone of any sleep style can enjoy it.

SEE ALSO: How to Fluff Pillows

Back sleepers who suffer from neck pain should check out the Zamat Butterfly Cervical Pillow. The Zamat features a unique ergonomic shape specifically designed for back sleepers. It dips under your head, rises to meet your neck, and cradles you in a way that traditionally shaped pillows just can’t.

Materials

The Zamat features a highly breathable quilted pillow cover to keep you cool while you sleep. This is especially important because its specialized ergonomic shape cradles the neck. Without the added breathability provided by the cover, the pillow could overheat.

The Zamat is a memory foam pillow, meaning it’s highly adaptable and able to mold itself to your unique shape. However, the Zamat also boasts its own unique shape that can help promote better spinal alignment than a plain old square pillow.

The specialized butterfly shape of the pillow cradles the neck on either side, preventing the head from tilting when you lie on your back. The dip in the back of the pillow allows the base of the skull to fall below the neck, keeping the cervical spine supported and aligned while you sleep. And the wings on either side of the pillow provide pressure relief for your shoulders.

The premium memory foam in this pillow is CertiPUR-US certified. So you can rest assured it has a low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) content and is free of potentially dangerous or harsh ingredients.

Just be aware this pillow is not machine washable. The pillowcase can be removed and washed, but the pillow itself must be spot-cleaned.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses for Snoring

Another unique pillow, the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow doesn’t have a silk cover – it’s stuffed with premium silk fibers. This offers a very different feel from most other natural fiber fills. The mulberry silk stuffing provides lots of loft and breathability, as well as plush and pressure-relieving loft.

Materials

The cover of this silk pillow is made from 100 percent bamboo viscose. This fabric offers an ultra-crisp and cooling feel. Bamboo is also a highly sustainable material because it does not require many resources or pesticides to care for, and it is self-regenerating.

The interior of the pillow is made from 100 percent mulberry silk. This silk offers a highly luxurious feel. It’s ultra-plush, ultra-breathable, and extremely lofty. If you want a pillow that offers the softest of all soft feels, this silk offering could be for you.

The care instructions for the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow can seem a little complicated at first. For best results, it’s better to spot or dry clean the pillow. However, if you want to wash it, use only the rinse cycle and use two to three dryer balls when tumble drying to avoid clumping the fill.

SEE ALSO: Best Cooling Pillows

Those who want the best natural down pillow on the market should consider the Sateen White Goose Down Pillow by PlushBeds. This down pillow features high fill power and ethically harvested down to provide lots of comfort without the specter of animal cruelty.

Materials

The PlushBeds pillow features a cover made of 100 percent natural cotton in a dense sateen weave. The sateen weave offers a silky smooth feel, while the high thread count and reinforced stitching ensure the down feathers do not poke through the pillow cover.

Inside the pillow, you’ll find 100 percent European white goose down. This is the fluffiest and lightest down on the market, so you’ll get all the squishiness and loft you want from your natural down pillow.

These down clusters also have ultra-high fill power, which creates an airy and lofty pillow that can contour to your head and neck no matter how you sleep.

You can get all the luxury of this down without having to worry about whether the birds that gave it had to suffer, as the down in this pillow is certified under the Responsible Down Standard.

Another great thing about this pillow is that it is – surprisingly – machine washable. Many down pillows are dry clean only. But if you use the gentle cycle and specialized down soap, you can wash, tumble dry, and re-fluff this European white goose down pillow without issue!

SEE ALSO: How Often to Replace Every Type of Pillow

How to Choose the Best Soft Pillow for Your Needs

Choosing the best pillow isn’t as easy as running out to the store and buying the first thing you see. That might seem like the most common sense thing to do when looking for a pillow, but finding the right pillow can be more complicated than it seems.

If you want to get the best sleep possible, you’ll need to think about a few things, like materials and maintenance. Your sleep position also impacts your pillow needs.

Sleep Position

Your pillow’s main job is to ensure that your head and neck stay in line with the rest of your spine. If your spine curves at the neck because your head is above or below the rest of your body, it can lead to neck pain and other problems. This means you need to choose a loft and density based on your sleep position.

You don’t necessarily need a firmer pillow, although some sleep positions need more support. Many need a pillow for neck pain, with materials that balance cradling with support. But if you want lots of pressure relief and a soft, squishy feel, there are some pillows you can select that will still give you the support you need without feeling overly firm.

As long as you know which pillow is best for your sleep position, you have some wiggle room to cater to your preferences. You can also pair the pillow with a mattress for pressure points to minimize the chances of any morning aches and pains.

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers need pillows with medium loft, medium density, and a lot of contouring. When you sleep on your back, the curve at the base of your skull can push your head forward and leave your neck unsupported. This pushes the jaw against the chest and stretches the back of the neck, which can not only cause neck pain but also impede breathing.

This means you need a pillow for back sleeping that can rise underneath your neck to support the cervical spine whilst also dipping underneath the curve of your skull to keep your neck and head aligned with the rest of your body.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses for Back Sleepers

Combo Sleepers

Combo sleepers need a versatile pillow that can work well in multiple positions. This is because combo sleepers don’t have a strong preference for any sleep position and may adopt a different one from one night to the next.

For this reason, combo sleepers should choose a pillow with a shape that can be adapted according to the sleeper’s current desire. Shredded memory foam and natural down are good examples of pillow fills that you can shape and fluff according to the position you adopt.

For example, you could flatten a shredded memory foam pillow out one night to sleep on your stomach and fluff it up the next to sleep on your side.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses For Combination Sleepers

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers need the loftiest and densest pillows of all. Sleeping on your side allows your head to tilt towards whatever side is on the bottom. This leaves your neck bent sideways, which can cause neck pain and spinal misalignment. To keep your head lifted and your neck in neutral alignment with the rest of your spine, you’ll want a pillow for side sleeping with lots of loft and support.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you need a firm pillow, though some side sleepers do enjoy the support of one. Still, you can still have a soft pillow as long as it has enough density and loft to ensure your head stays in a horizontal line with your spine.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers need flat pillows or no pillows at all. When you sleep on your stomach, a dense or lofty pillow can push your head above the rest of your body and misalign your spine. It also requires your neck to twist more to ensure you can breathe.

When you’re looking for a pillow for stomach sleeping, look for a lower-density, flat pillow that does not rise very far off the mattress. This is the best way to help ensure the most spinal alignment you can hope to get when sleeping on your stomach.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses for Stomach Sleepers

Fill

Much like how different types of mattresses exist, there are different types of pillows with various fills. Different pillow fill materials offer very different levels of loft, adjustability, responsiveness, and breathability. To get the best sleep, you’ll need to find the combination that works best for you.

Latex Foam

Natural latex foam comes from the sap of the rubber tree and is one of the best pillow fill materials for those who need a lot of support, responsiveness, and breathability. Natural latex is unlike memory foam because it wants to hold its shape.

This makes latex less contouring but much more responsive and buoyant. This means natural latex is a wonderful option for side sleepers and sleepers who like to toss and turn. It’s also a great option for hot sleepers because of its natural cooling breathability. There are two types of latex foam, Dunlop and Talalay latex. As the more responsive option, Talalay latex is common inside pillows.

The main problems with natural latex are its weight and its expense. Natural latex is one of the most expensive pillow fill materials on the market, which can put it out of reach for some shoppers. Latex is also a heavier foam, which may make it less convenient for people who like to flip their pillows a lot.

SEE ALSO: Best Latex Mattresses

Memory Foam

Memory foam – or flexible polyurethane foam – is an ideal material for back sleepers and those who stay still while they sleep. Memory foam is one of the most contouring materials on the bedding market. This means a memory foam pillow is perfect for those who need a material that can mold itself to their shape to offer custom support.

Memory foam can also be a good material for hot sleepers as long as it has some structural or chemical modifications. Gel memory foam is a great pillow material for back sleepers who also sleep hot because it draws heat away from your head. Shredded memory foam also allows for better airflow than a solid memory foam pillow.

If you sleep hot, watch out for traditional memory foam, as it tends to retain heat. Also, consider an alternative to memory foam if you like to toss and turn at night. Memory foam is not all that responsive.

SEE ALSO: Best Memory Foam Mattresses

Cotton

Cotton can make a wonderful pillow fill, pillow cover, and pillow case or bed sham all at once! This breathable and moisture-wicking natural fiber offers plenty of cooling power for hot sleepers. And cotton is one of the fills that can be fluffed to your liking.

Cotton can make a great fill for stomach sleepers since it tends to be flatter and have less loft than other pillow types. This means if you sleep hot and on your stomach, cotton could be the perfect material for you.

The main issue with cotton pillows is they can be harder to find than other pillow types. So you may not have as many options.

Down

Natural down comes from the fluffy undercoating of feathers that protects geese and ducks from the cold and damp. Pillows made of down are some of the softest, squishiest pillows you can find because the tiny, fluffy feathers form moldable clusters that offer a cloudlike feel.

Down pillows can be a fantastic option for all sleep positions as long as you get a loft and density that is appropriate for your sleep style.

The main issue with down pillows is they are not as cooling as other materials. Down is breathable, but it evolved to keep body heat in. So if you sleep hot, you may not be a fan. Some sleepers also aren’t fans of how down is produced because most down requires birds to be either slaughtered or live-plucked.

SEE ALSO: Down vs. Down Alternative

Synthetic Fiber

Pillows containing synthetic fiber – like microfiber or polyfill – are often made to imitate the feel of down or cotton. These pillows contain fibers made of synthetic fibers, like polyester. Because they can contain multiple types of synthetic fibers, synthetic pillows can feel like a lot of different materials, but they’re typically lightweight with adjustable loft.

Synthetic fiber pillows are also typically the most affordable of all the pillow types. If you’re shopping on a budget, a pair of quality microfiber pillows is probably your best option.

The main problems with these pillows are they’re typically not all that durable, and they also can be less supportive and comfortable. However, you can combat these issues by ensuring you get good-quality pillows and not poorly constructed ones.

SEE ALSO: Cotton vs. Microfiber

Cover

The material your pillow is stuffed with is not the only material you have to think about when choosing a pillow. A pillow’s cover material also makes a huge difference in the experience you have when sleeping on it. Some materials are more cooling, some are plusher, and some are more breathable.

Cotton

Cotton makes a nearly perfect pillow cover. It’s lightweight. It’s breathable. It’s durable and machine-washable. It can wick away sweat. If your pillow has a cotton cover, you can expect to have no complaints.

SEE ALSO: Organic Cotton vs. Regular Cotton: What’s the Difference?

Linen

Linen (fabric made of flax fibers) is also a great option for pillow covers. This is another durable, breathable, and low-maintenance fabric that can encase your pillow for years without issue. Just be aware that linen is heavier than cotton, so your pillow cover will feel more sturdy but not as crisp or airy.

Polyester

Polyester typically makes a decent pillow cover, but as a synthetic fiber, it can have some problems with heat retention and low breathability. If you get a pillow with a polyester cover, make sure it’s got a loose weave to combat these problems. You’ll also want to pay special attention to polyester’s care instructions because it’s generally less durable than natural fibers.

Rayon

Rayon is a semi-synthetic material made using cellulose fibers. Most of the time, rayon’s cellulose comes from bamboo or eucalyptus. Rayon is an eco-friendly option that uses more sustainable plant sources than cotton. Just watch out for its maintenance. Rayon pillow covers may not always be machine-washable, so take extra time to read their care instructions.

Maintenance

How easy your pillow is to maintain depends on what its case is made of and what’s inside it. Some pillows are a lot easier to deal with than others. Regardless of what’s in your pillow or what’s covering it, always be sure to follow the care instructions that come with it. The attached tag should have laundry care symbols explaining how to care for your pillow.

Machine-Washable

Some pillows have a machine-washable cover, and some pillows can be tossed into the washing machine themselves! This usually requires you to remove the cover and wash the pillow and cover separately. You can also expect to have to use the gentle cycle and gentle detergent. Just follow the instructions that come with the pillow.

SEE ALSO: How to Wash a Memory Foam Pillow

Spot-Cleanable

Some pillows are not machine-washable. This is especially true of foam and down pillows. Washing down can cause the feathers to clump up and never go back, while washing foam can lead to mold and bacterial growth if the foam doesn’t dry well. There are some exceptions, but generally, you can expect to have to spot-clean these pillows and only wash their covers.

FAQs

How much should I pay for a soft pillow?

Pillows can range in price from around $10 to several thousand dollars. Of course, this is a huge range, and unless you’re buying a pillow with a lot of crazy bells and whistles, you won’t be paying anywhere near $1,000 for it. On the flip side, you also shouldn’t be paying $10 or $15 for a pillow because you can rest assured that a pillow this cheap will be of low quality.

If you want a quality pillow that doesn’t have a lot of expensive bells and whistles, expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $250. Some pillows, such as those made entirely of organic materials, may be a little more expensive than that. But generally speaking, this is what you can expect to pay for a quality pillow, regardless of its firmness.

What is the most cooling pillow fill?

There are several cooling fill materials that can help keep you from overheating at night. The cooling material that fits your needs might depend on your sleep position and whether or not you like to toss and turn.

Side sleepers will likely do best on a latex pillow because a pillow made of this material is very cooling but also provides a lot of loft and support to keep the head in line with the rest of the body.

Back sleepers will likely do best on a gel or shredded memory foam pillow because this type of pillow can contour well while keeping them cool. Stomach sleepers should choose materials that can flatten out well and keep them cool at the same time, such as cotton or fiberfill.

Is a soft pillow best for my sleep position?

Virtually everyone of every sleep style can enjoy a soft pillow as long as they ensure they’re getting enough density and loft.

Stomach sleepers need the flattest and lowest-density pillows because using a flat pillow or no pillow at all helps prevent you from having to turn your head as sharply, and it helps keep the neck in line with the rest of the spine. Back sleepers need a loftier and more medium-density pillow to support the neck and help prevent the head from tilting forward during sleep.

Side sleepers need the dentist and loftiest pillows of all, and side sleepers are also the sleep position that’s most likely to need to consider a firmer pillow. This is because the head is further away from the sleep surface when you sleep on your side, meaning you need much more support and thickness to ensure the head remains lined up with the spine.

Can a pillow help my neck pain?

Getting the right pillow can absolutely help with your neck pain. Most of the time, if you experience neck pain when you’re waking up in the morning, it’s because your head is tilted one way or the other. This pulls your neck out of alignment with the rest of your spine and causes neck pain.

Finding the right pillow for your sleep position can help ensure total neutral spinal alignment and alleviate pain in the cervical spine. Just remember, whichever pillow you choose, it needs to have the right loft and level of support to keep your head lined up with the rest of your body.

How do I know which pillow size I need?

Typically, pillows come in two sizes: standard and king. You might see queen, super standard, or some other bed pillow size, but the most common offerings you’ll run across from just about every manufacturer are standard and king.

Standard pillows are 20 by 26 inches wide, while king size pillows are 20 by 36 inches wide. Generally speaking, you can use one or two standard pillows on every bed size except for the standard king and California king.

You’ll need king size pillows for these beds. Some people use a single king size pillow on their twin or twin XL beds, but this is a personal preference. A single standard size pillow will still work just fine for the twin bed sizes. And two standard size pillows are best for full and queen size beds.

Bottom Line

Finding the right pillow doesn’t have to be a hassle or a shot in the dark. All you have to do is understand how your sleep position affects the type of pillow you need and know your own preferences. As long as you go pillow shopping armed with a little knowledge, you’ll be able to find exactly the pillow you want and need to get a good night’s sleep.