Best Pillow for Every Sleeper in 2024

The Sleep Number Comfortfit Pillow Ultimate is an ultra-comfy pillow suitable for all sleeping positions. That’s why it’s our pick for the best overall pillow. With your choice of classic, curved or ultimate shape, it’s the type of pillow everyone will love. 

It’s also one of the best hypoallergenic pillows, with memory foam and premium down-alternative fibers on the inside. The cover is noticeably soft and breathable when you lay down on the Sleep Number Comfortfit Pillow. 

What’s unique about the Sleep Number Comfortfit Ultimate pillow model is the three removable inserts that allow you to tailor it to your needs. Side sleepers should use two inserts, while back sleepers are best suited for two or three inserts and stomach sleepers should try one or two.

It is a more expensive pillow, at around $100, but with the quality and personalization, it may be the only pillow you need on your bed. 

• Firmness: Adjustable
• Materials: Memory foam
• Machine-washable?: Cover only
• Hypoallergenic?: Not specified 
• Loft: Customizable

Pros:

• Contains three removable inserts
• Suitable for all sleeper types
• Made of quality materials, including memory foam

Cons:

• Expensive pillow
• Not cooling

If you’re a hot sleeper or someone who cherishes the “cold side of the pillow,” consider our pick for the best cooling pillow: the Casper Hybrid. From the popular mattress brand Casper, this pillow is made with perforated poly foam, polyester fibers and gel. It utilizes what Casper calls Snow Technology which includes phase change material that remains temperature-neutral around your head and neck and allows for airflow. This pillow has the best qualities of a solid memory foam pillow while adding comfortable cooling.

Unlike other best cooling pillows, the Casper Hybrid is actually cool to the touch. When you put your head on it, it immediately feels cool. Keep in mind that a pillowcase will dull it a little, but not too significantly. If you want the full effect, you can rest easy knowing the cover is removable and machine-washable. We recommend using a light and breathable pillowcase, such as silk, bamboo or Tencel. 

• Firmness: Medium
• Materials: Polyfoam 
• Machine-washable?: Cover only
• Hypoallergenic?: Not specified
• Loft: Low

Pros:

• Truly cool to the touch
• Soft, machine-washable cover 
• Four layers of foam, fiber and gel with Snow Technology 

Cons:

• On the expensive side
• Not for stomach sleepers or those who don’t like foam 

With two layers of supportive foam and an antibacterial, cooling bamboo case, Cosy House’s shredded foam pillows are made to relieve some sleeping woes: overheating and uncomfortable pressure points. The relatively firm construction helps the pillow maintain its shape while sleeping, but the shredded memory foam pillow fill in its bottommost layer is removable, which allows you to customize its density, which isn’t the case with most solid foam pillows. Its affordable price makes it one of the best budget pillows you can buy. 

“This is one heavy pillow, and I kept removing the filling until getting it just right,” one reviewer wrote, adding that, when filled to capacity with the shredded memory foam, the pillow may be a little too big and firm for some people’s sleeping position. That was my experience: like with most of the adjustable pillows I tested, I ended up adjusting down for something with a little more give. Once I did, the pillow’s spongy foam felt both soft and supportive.

I only noticed a slight cooling effect when I slept on the Cosy House Bamboo Pillow, but I still appreciated the ultrasoft, machine-washable quilted bamboo cover, which naturally resists allergens and dust mite issues. Between that and the cozy, adjustable fill, this pillow feels like a good value to me at less than $55.

• Firmness: Adjustable
• Materials: Shredded memory foam
• Machine-washable?: Cover only
• Hypoallergenic?: Yes
• Loft: Customizable

Pros:

• Cooling bamboo cover 
• Antibacterial and hypoallergenic 
• Supportive and spongy shredded memory foam

Cons:

• Stomach sleepers might find the pillow too lumpy
• Heavy pillow 

You may have heard of Coop Sleep Good’s Eden Pillow, which often tops lists of the best pillows. If you thought that version was cool, it got even better. The Coop Eden Cool Plus Pillow is the new version of the Eden Pillow. It still has a similar cool-to-the-touch cover but now has a heat-wicking inner liner, a gel layer and shredded gel-infused memory foam, which is great for hot sleepers. The filling is Greenguard Gold and CertiPur-US certified.

This pillow is also adjustable. It comes with extra filling, as well as an option to pull the filling out. Make it as firm or soft as you desire, as long as it isn’t too high. I like that the memory foam contours and lets you sink a little into the pillow, regardless of how much you fill it. Back sleepers will feel fully supported with this pillow. 

• Firmness: Adjustable
• Materials: Shredded memory foam
• Machine-washable?: Cover only
• Hypoallergenic?: Yes
• Loft: Customizable

Pros:

• Greenguard Gold and CertiPur-US certified
• Cool to the touch and doesn’t absorb heat
• Can adjust the firmness to your liking

Cons:

• Stomach sleepers will need to take out almost all the filling
• Not for those who don’t like to sink a little into pillows

Like the Purple Mattress, the Purple Pillow uses a unique, one-piece polymer grid to cradle your head and neck as you sleep. The grid distributes weight well and doesn’t absorb heat like foam can, so fans say it stays extra cool and cozy at night. Due to its construction and loft, the Purple Harmony Pillow is the best pillow for side sleepers. 

The Purple Harmony pillow sells for a princely $199, although it can often be found on sale. Instead of making up the entirety of the interior, the cushy polymer grid is now much thinner, filling just the microfiber outer case and surrounding a thick, spongy latex core. The mostly hollow grid and moisture-wicking microfiber case significantly improve airflow and keep things cool by creating some separation between your head and the latex.

The Harmony pillow wasn’t nearly as heavy as I expected it to be after reading reviews of the original, and the feel of that polymer grid was much softer than I had imagined. There’s still a springy, rubbery quality to the pillow that lifted my neck a little too much for my liking when lying on my back, but I found it to be much better suited for a stomach sleeper, which is my usual preference. I slept like a rock on it.

• Firmness: Medium
• Materials: Hyper-elastic polymer grid and Talalay latex 
• Machine-washable?: Cover only
• Hypoallergenic?: Yes
• Loft: Available in three heights

Pros:

• Bouncy feel and unique honeycombed-pattern grid 
• Cool to the touch and doesn’t absorb heat
• Soft, washable cover 

Cons:

• The hyper-elastic polymer grid isn’t for everyone
• Most expensive on this list 

Available in comfortable soft, medium and firm densities, the Parachute Down Alternative Pillow is our pick for the best pillow for stomach sleepers. This pillow is filled with superfine microfiber that emulates all the great qualities of the best down pillow, just without the allergies. It’s a pretty standard pillow that’s flat enough so stomach sleepers can sleep comfortably without waking up with a sore neck. The best pillows for stomach sleepers will have a lower loft, which keeps the spine aligned through the night. 

You can also buy Parachute’s washable cotton pillow protector for added allergy protection. Fluffy, soft and pleasantly warm (due to its downlike filling), this pillow has been praised by side, stomach and back sleepers alike for its lightweight feel and downlike “squishiness.” Like a regular down pillow, Parachute’s pillow can be fluffed into a comfortable shape for each sleeping position. 

• Firmness: Soft, medium or firm
• Materials: Microfiber
• Machine-washable?: Cover only
• Hypoallergenic?: Yes
• Loft: Multiple options

Pros:

• Three firmness options are available 
• Hypoallergenic thanks to its microfiber fill
• Suitable for all sleeper types

Cons:

• Might be too flat for those who like a lofty pillow
• Not for those who don’t like down pillows

If you’re looking for a supportive, fun pillow for lounging on the couch or bed, the Buffy Wiggle Pillow is it. The 8- by 82-inch floppy, long pillow is made of eucalyptus lyocell fabric, and the cover is soft sherpa. The filling inside the Wiggle Pillow is made of spun recycled plastic pieces, with each pillow being filled with about 55 recycled plastic water bottles. In addition to being Earth-friendly, the pillow is cruelty-free and BPA-free. 

This long pillow is great for lounging, snuggling and pregnancy. It can be tied in a knot, used for extra support at night or as a body pillow. I have my Wiggle Pillow on my couch, and I love how it elevates my simple couch as a decorative pillow and ups my overall comfort at night. Note that the softcover is sold separately. 

• Firmness: Medium
• Materials: TENCEL lyocell fiber
• Machine-washable?: Cover only
• Hypoallergenic?: Yes
• Loft: N/A

Pros:

• Can be used on a bed or a couch 
• Filling is made from 55 recycled plastic water bottles 
• Supportive and comes with a soft cover

Cons:

• The cover is a separate expense 
• On the expensive side 

Like the Nectar mattress, the Nectar pillow is one of the best memory foam pillows you can get. It has adjustable filling, but only in its outer layer — the “inner” pillow is a sturdy memory foam pillow that maintains its shape and structure. Its exterior is made of quilted foam that you can spot-clean and air-dry. In addition to its “two pillows in one” design and supportive gusset, the Nectar pillow’s main selling point is its memory foam pillow fill. This comfortable memory foam pillow conforms to your neck, shoulders and head to provide support without caving in, striking a balance that not every memory foam pillow can claim. One downside? The pillow itself isn’t machine-washable.

CNET’s Sharon Profis tested the memory foam pillow for 10 days and, after removing just a handful of pillow filling, found it to be a comfortable option for her side sleep position. The memory foam pillow, she noted, retained its structure and height, maintaining neck support throughout the night.

I tested one as well and came to the same conclusion. The memory foam in the middle makes for a dense pillow, but the fill layer keeps it from feeling too firm or springy. I was able to sleep soundly on it even before I removed any of the outer pillow fill. Once I adjusted things to my liking, the Nectar Pillow finished as my top-scoring, subjective favorite as far as comfort is concerned, making it a pillow that I’d be willing to spend a little extra for. I also appreciated the Tencel quilted exterior and the extra-long, oversized design, although you’ll want to have an oversized pillowcase to go with it.

• Firmness: Adjustable
• Materials: Memory foam
• Machine-washable?: No
• Hypoallergenic?: Not specified
• Loft: Customizable

Pros:

• Firmness is adjustable and includes a sturdy “inner” pillow
• Cooling Tencel cover 
• Can usually get this pillow on sale for $50

Cons:

• Only available in a standard size
• Not machine-washable 

If you have neck pain, sleeping on a supportive pillow that keeps your spine properly aligned is essential. Pillows that are too lofty or flat can cause further discomfort and worsen your pain. That’s where the Pluto Pillow comes in. Thanks to its hybrid construction, supportive foam and personalization options, this is our pick for the best pillow to alleviate neck pain.

The Pluto Pillow can work for every sleeping position and body type through its unique built-to-order process. All you have to do is take Pluto’s quiz about your sleeping habits and preferences, and Pluto will propose a pillow built specifically for you and your needs. CNET sleep editor Caroline tested a thinner Pluto Pillow since she switches sleeping positions between her stomach and side, and said she still woke up feeling that the pillow properly supported her neck throughout the night.

• Firmness: Personalized
• Materials: Hybrid (foam and down-alternative fibers)
• Machine-washable?: No
• Hypoallergenic?: Yes
• Loft: Customizable

Pros:

• Built-to-order customization
• Supportive hybrid design 
• Great for all sleeper types

Cons:

• Not for those who prefer down and latex materials
• On the expensive side