What to look for when choosing pillows
The experts we spoke to recommend prioritizing three main criteria when shopping for a new pillow: sleep position, material, and trial period. Below, find our recommendations for each consideration.
Sleep position
Robbins told us the most significant consideration when picking a pillow is your preferred sleep position: side, back, or stomach. The goal of your pillow is to support your neck in a neutral position aligned with the rest of your spine. That alignment shifts depending on the position you're sleeping in. While we all move around during sleep, most of us spend the majority of our sleeping time in one position.
Not sure what your sleep position is? Consider what position you typically fall asleep or wake up in. Robbins also has an exercise she performs with her clients: Imagine you've been up for 24 hours and are presented with a big, luxurious hotel bed; how would you lie down on it to go to sleep? The position you envision is likely your preferred sleep position and plays a significant role in what type of pillow will work best for you.
Ideal pillow by sleep position
Side sleepers: Around 65% of the US population are side sleepers, according to Robbins, and this position requires the most loft and support to bridge the wide gap between the side of your head and where your shoulder rests on the mattress. If you're a side sleeper, choose a lofty pillow — ideally with an adjustable fill since there can be a lot of variability in the size of that shoulder gap from person to person. Robbins said hotels and sleep clinics outfit rooms with side sleepers in mind, so if you're buying pillows for a guest bedroom, a side-sleeper-friendly pillow is usually a good bet.
Back sleepers: Back sleepers are the Goldilocks of pillow hunters — they need a pillow with just enough support to lift the back of the head to be in line with their shoulders. Back sleepers tend to benefit from a medium pillow made from down or down alternative, though an adjustable pillow with at least one-third of the fill removed may work as well.
Stomach sleepers: In the minority are stomach sleepers, who need the least amount of support from their pillow. Typically, a thin, very soft pillow works best for stomach sleepers — just enough fill to cushion their face from the flat surface of the mattress.
Fill
The material a pillow is filled with has a big impact on the feel of your pillow. Here's an overview of the major fill types:
Down: Down consists of feathers taken from the underbelly of a goose or duck. It's an incredibly soft and comfortable material for pillows. While most modern down is triple washed to remove dander, some allergy sufferers may want to avoid this material, as animal fibers are more prone to dust mites (which can exacerbate allergies) than synthetic fibers. You can read about our favorite down options in our best down pillows guide.
Microfiber/ Down Alternative: Microfiber is an incredibly popular down alternative. The majority of the pillows in this guide are made from microfiber. It's generally hypoallergenic and, when shredded finely, has a feel to mimic down.
Memory foam: Another popular fill is memory foam. We prefer pillows with shredded memory foam, which offer a more traditional and malleable pillow feeling. A solid block of memory foam may be preferred if you suffer from back and neck pain and need to keep your head immobilized during sleep. Read more about the best pillows for neck pain.
Trial period
The only way to know if a pillow is right for you is to sleep on it. We recommend looking for pillows that offer at least a 30-day trial with a money-back guarantee. This will allow you several weeks to decide if the pillow is right for you.
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