Don't Buy Another Pillow Without Reading About These Types First
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Along with picking the right mattress, choosing the best pillow is just as important to wake up feeling refreshed, but it's no easy task. Knowing which type of pillow to buy can be an overwhelming experience with so many options for fill choices, pillowcase materials, sizes, shapes and even specialty pillows.
According to Dr. George Cyril, M.D., FAAPMR and physiatrist at the Hospital for Special Surgery, "The hottest topic most of my patients want to talk about is what type of pillow and filling is the best for sleep comfort." He stresses that, "the specific brand is not as important as the amount of support a pillow gives for your specific sleeping position," to avoid neck pain.
Here at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we test all types of pillows in our Textiles Lab to find the best ones on the market. Each pillow is evaluated for how well it washes and whether it keeps its shape after we place weights on it to mimic someone sleeping. We also have real consumer testers sleep on them for feedback on comfort, support, and more. In recent years we've tested over 100 pillows and analyzed over 3,400 data points before making our recommendations.
Here we explain everything you need to know about the types of pillows available so you can make the best choice for your needs and shop with confidence.
Pillow Fills
This is the most important part of the pillow since it has the biggest effect on comfort and support:
Down
Down is a fluffy cluster that comes from the undercoating of the bird, down pillows are known for their soft cloud-like feel. In our Lab evaluation of down pillows, one tester raved about the Parachute Down Medium pillow, saying it was "absolutely dreamy" and felt "like a marshmallow," no doubt due to the lofty down. But take note, down sometimes requires re-fluffing.
Feathers
While down and feathers both come from a goose or duck, they are not the same thing. Down is a fluffy undercoating cluster, whereas feathers are flatter with quills and come from the bird’s outer covering. For a less expensive yet supportive down option, you can try one mixed with feathers; just make sure it has a tightly woven cover to prevent quills from poking through.
Down Alternative
Down alternative pillows are typically filled with a synthetic fiber that's designed to mimic real down. These types of pillows are also hypoallergenic and less expensive than their down counterparts since they are often made from polyester. Even though it's not real down and won't be as lofty, the quality is often just as impressive. Our Lab experts were blown away with how well the Tuft & Needle Down Alternative Pillow Set stood up to pressure and held its shape.
Memory Foam
Memory foam pillows can come either as one solid foam piece that offers cradle-like support in varying firmness levels or as a cluster memory foam pillow that has bits of memory foam inside. With these pillow types, the height is adjustable and the shiftable pieces allow sleepers to move the fill to their comfort as they change sleep positions throughout the night. Testers who prefer firm support particularly liked Tempur-Pedic's Tempur-Neck Pillow, which is solid foam in ergonomically designed shape.
Latex
Like memory foam, latex pillows can be either solid or in clusters, with solid pillows giving more structure and cluster pillows being adjustable. Because natural latex comes from the rubber tree, it can often be a more sustainable alternative to memory foam, like Naturepedic's Organic Latex Pillow. It also has more bounce than foam and is immediately soft when you lay your head down, but may not completely mold to the shape of your head. These types of pillows are very durable and will hold their shape for years.
Gel
You’ll often see gel infused pillows rather than an entire gel pillow. The gel can be dispersed throughout memory foam or alone as an outer layer on a foam pillow. The gel is often designed to give a cooling effect and help keep the heat away from your head as you sleep. We recommend the Ice Gel Pillow from Blu Sleep, which has a cool-to-the touch feel and proved to be supportive and comfortable in our tests.
Kapok
Kapok is a natural fiber that comes from a tree and is smooth like silk with the fluffiness of cotton. It's not as common as other fills, but the Layla Kapok Pillow blends this fill with foam and was a top scorer in our tests for its surprisingly plush yet supportive feel.
Hybrid
Hybrid pillows have become very popular in recent years. These pillows can be made up of a combination of any materials above, but it’s most common to see down alternative fill mixed with memory foam clusters. These pillows tend to give the best of both worlds, providing structure and support while still feeling soft and comfy. In fact, the winner of our latest pillow test – the Coop Home Goods Original Pillow – is a hybrid of memory foam and down alternative fill.
Wool
These pillows offer great breathability, temperature-regulation and softness, but they do not provide much support. Over time pillows filled with wool may flatten out or clump.
Microbeads
These tiny styrofoam-like beads are filled inside a pillow cover and contour to the shape of the head giving firm support. While these are not commonly found in traditional sleeping pillows, they are popular for travel pillows.
Buckwheat
Buckwheat hulls can be used as pillow filling and the breathable hulls conform to your head and neck. They offer firm support which can feel hard, and tend to be noisy when shifting around.
Water
These are highly adjustable, as the support depends on how much water they're filled with, and will hold their shape. These pillows also require no fluffing, but can be high maintenance and are at risk to leak.
Pillow Casing Materials
While the fill is the main deciding factor, it's a good idea to know about your options for the outer cover since it can affect how your pillow feels.
Cotton
Cotton is a natural fiber and a common choice for pillow casings because it’s soft and breathable. The one drawback to cotton is that it tends to absorb water and take longer to dry, so it may not be the best choice for sweaty sleepers.
Viscose or Lyocell
These stand out for being incredibly soft and smooth. You may see the fabric labeled as "bamboo", “rayon from bamboo”, "eucalyptus lyocell”, or some variation of those names. While the fabric uses plants like bamboo or eucalyptus trees as the raw material, it’s chemically processed until no traces of the natural origin remain, making it into a synthetic fiber.
Polyester and Blends
Polyester can be woven on its own or blended with another fiber. In pillowcases, you’ll most often see it blended with cotton. We’ve also seen an uptick in microfiber polyester pillowcases, mainly because they're inexpensive. They're also durable and can be made to feel buttery soft, but typically don't feel natural or luxurious like plant-based fabrics.
Pillow Sizes
Choosing the right size pillow for your bed is important. Standard pillows are common, but you may want to opt for larger sizes for larger mattresses. Here's a breakdown:
Standard
A standard pillow is 20 x 26 inches and is the most common pillow size. It typically fits into both standard- and queen-size pillowcases.
Super Standard
These pillows are slightly larger than a standard pillow in length, measuring 20 x 28 inches. Though these are not common to find while shopping.
Queen
Queen pillows are slightly larger than a super standard pillow, measuring 20 x 30 inches.
King
King pillows are the largest and measure 20 x 36 inches.
European
European pillows are 26 x 26 inches and are typically used as decorative pillows because they are square, making them not as comfortable to sleep on.
Pillows for Sleeping Positions
There’s no one size fits all for pillows. While the best shape and fill height will be determined by your sleeping position and body size, choosing between the materials can be a personal preference. The best pillow will be the one that keeps your spine aligned in a neutral position, is comfortable to rest on and helps keep you asleep all night. Here’s how to pick the best pillow for you:
Side Sleepers
If you sleep on your side, your pillow should be medium-firm to firm and tall enough to keep your ears aligned with your shoulders, which prevents your neck from straining in any direction.
Stomach Sleepers
These pillows can be softer and thinner to keep your spine in a neutral position when sleeping and avoid your head from arching back as you sleep.
Back Sleepers
If you sleep on your back or change positions, the pillow can fall somewhere in between: They should be thick enough to keep your head, neck and spine aligned, but not so high that your head gets pushed forward.
Body Type
Larger-framed bodies should use a taller pillow, whereas smaller frames need something flatter. Medium frames can use something in between. Also, pay particular attention to the amount of support you need if you've had any weight fluctuations recently.
Pillow Shapes
Standard
The most common shape on the market, this one is the typical rectangular pillow you'll find when shopping.
Body Pillow
Body pillows are long, rectangular-shaped pillows typically measuring 20 x 54 inches. They're designed to help you sleep on your side as you “hug” them, providing support between both arms and legs while giving pressure point relief. They can also help provide support from rolling over if placed behind the back.
Wedge
Wedge pillows vary in size and are triangular-shaped to prop up the upper body. These pillows are typically used to help alleviate symptoms of acid reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and obstructive sleep apnea.
Cervical
Cervical pillows are designed to support your head and neck and keep them in place while you sleep, which can minimize strained or stiff neck and shoulder muscles. They're typically made with memory foam to help hold their shape.
Contour
Contour pillows are raised underneath the neck with a dip below the head to keep the neck supported and align the head, neck, and spine. These pillows are designed to help reduce neck and shoulder stiffness.
Roll or Bolster
These cylindrical pillows are mostly decorative, but they can also relieve pressure if placed underneath your knees or spine.
Innovative Specialty Pillows
These picks are made with certain specifications, conditions, and body types in mind:
Adjustable Pillows
Adjustable pillows are growing in popularity because they let you customize the height or firmness level of your pillow. You’ll find ones that have several insert layers or cluster fills where you can add or remove the stuffing to find your best shape. Testers found it easy to pick their best combination using the.
Pregnancy Pillows
Pregnancy pillows come in many different shapes such as C-shaped, U-shaped, and J-shaped. These pillows are similar to body pillows, but provide extra support between your legs and under a growing bump, and can help keep users on their side.
Sleep Apnea Pillows
These pillows are specially designed for people that use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. The pillow has cutouts made to accommodate the CPAP mask and cord for those that sleep on their side or stomach.
Organic Pillows
These should be made entirely of organic materials and be certified to make sure they follow organic standards throughout production. Our experts have found that while some pillows claim to be organic, they may be mislabeled because just the pillow cover is made with organic cotton. For all the details on organic pillows and which ones are best, check out our best organic pillows.
Cooling Pillows
Even though cooling pillows won't solve all sweating problems, the right cooling pillow can prevent overheating by drawing warmth away from the head. Some cooling pillows have cooling technology infused in the fabric cover, while others have temperature-regulating materials in the fill, or a combination of both.
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