Tom's Guide Verdict
The Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow uses a thin slab of Tempur Material foam to provide the brand's signature pressure relief for back and stomach sleepers. It's not quite the fluffy 'cloud' the name might suggest but the low loft does prevent neck strain and shoulder ache. If you're a side sleeper, however, you'll need a pillow with a taller build. The dense foams provide cozy relief but they also trap heat; while we were happy with the temperature control most of the time, during an unexpected bout of night sweats the Tempur-Cloud became uncomfortably warm. A cooling upgrade is available for an extra $20 and we think it might be worth it, as with an MSRP of $89, it's competitively priced for a luxury brand pillow.
Pros
- +
Mid-loft supports back and stomach sleeping
- +
Contoured pressure relief
- +
Can be rolled and packed
Cons
- -
Too thin for side sleepers
- -
Can trap heat
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Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow: Review in brief
Tempur-Pedic is a brand best known for its Tempur Material, a dense contouring foam that delivers the signature pressure relief of Tempur-Pedic mattresses (rated among the best mattresses we've tested.)
Type: Tempur material (foam)
Best for: Stomach sleepers, back sleepers
Sizes: Queen, king
Trial: N/A
Warranty: 5-year limited warranty
Price: From $89 MSRP at Tempur-Pedic
The Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow is made from a single rectangle of Tempur Material foam with a low loft and extra soft feel for back and stomach sleepers. Can it compare to the picks in our best pillow guide? We put it to the test, sleeping on a queen size pillow for four weeks. Below is our full review, but here are the highlights.
Back and stomach sleepers need a low-to-mid loft pillow to prevent the neck from being forced upwards. The Tempur-Cloud Pillow, which has been designed for back and front sleeping, pairs this thinner build with soft cushioning, to cradle the head without angling the neck.
Our tester is primarily a stomach sleeper and has experienced first hand how a bad pillow can cause neck strain. From the first night, this wasn't an issue with the Tempur-Cloud. Resting on the low loft kept her neck aligned with her spine, so when she woke there were no aches and pains.
The Tempur-Cloud is just as comfortable for back sleeping but when our tester attempted to lie on her side, the thin build became an issue. The lack of cushioning has the opposite effect, causing the head to angle downward, resulting in a painful strain at the neck.
The soft Tempur Material provides a cozy, cradling feel, easing around your shape as soon as your head hits the pillow. However, this slow-moving foam does have a downside, as indentations can take a while to clear (particularly if you've been lying in the same place for several hours.)
Another common disadvantage of thick foam is heat retention but for the majority of our testing period we were happy with the temperature regulation of the Tempur-Cloud. During a brief bout of fever, however, the Tempur-Cloud became uncomfortably warm so we can't recommend it for hot sleepers.
The Tempur-Cloud is one of the more affordable pillows in the Tempur-Pedic line-up. At $89 for a queen it's not exactly cheap but it is competitively priced for a specialist pillow from a premium brand. If you're a stomach sleeper who often wakes up with neck pain, this might be worth the investment.
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow: Price and deals
The Tempur-Cloud is one of the most affordable models in the Tempur-Pedic pillow line-up (only the Tempur-Cloud Adjustable Pillow is cheaper.) Available in two sizes, the queen has an MSRP of $89 and the king $109. There's also the option to add a cooling upgrade to your pillow for $20.
Tempur-Pedic mattress sales are semi-regular and typically include savings on pillows. This is often a bundle deal; buy two and save, netting you a decent discount... as long as you want two.
If you only need one pillow (the Tempur-Cloud isn't designed for stacking), consider waiting for the 10% off sale. This discount appears infrequently, but if you don't mind the wait, it's a good way to save on a single pillow.
Alternatively, check out the Tempur-Pedic Amazon store. There's isn't always an offer on, but in recent months we've spotted some of the best Tempur-Cloud prices at Amazon
Tempur-Pedic offers a five-year warranty on the Tempur-Cloud — among the best we've seen for a pillow — when you shop direct from the brand. On the flip side, there is no sleep trial. Pillows don't always come with trials, but we might expect one from a premium legacy brand like Tempur-Pedic.
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow: Design & materials
With a name like the Tempur-Cloud, we were expecting the classic cumulus: fluffy, puffy and with plenty of height. Turns out, we should have been picturing a stratus — flat and low lying.
The Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow has an incredibly simple build: underneath the polyester cover you'll find a single slab of Tempur Material foam.
Tempur Material is known for its squishy pressure relieving feel and slow-moving response. In other words, when you press into the foam it moves slowly to adapt to your shape. When you release, it gradually eases back into place.
The Tempur Material found in the Tempur-Cloud pillow is described as extra soft, so it should yield easily under the weight of your head. This is similar to the pillow's namesake, the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud mattress
Measuring five inches tall, this is a low to mid loft pillow. Gusseted sides ensure the pillow has an even height across the surface, with no lift at the middle or tapering at the ends.
The foam is wrapped in a removable and washable cover made entirely from polyester. A quilted design adds a cozy touch to the surface.
Sold in two sizes (queen or king), a cooling upgrade is available for hot sleepers. This upgrade adds heat wicking yarns to the cover for improved temperature regulation.
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow: Performance
We slept on the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow in a queen size for four weeks. We conducted a series of tests to measure the subjective and objective overall performance of the Tempur-Cloud.
Set-up
The Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow arrives wrapped in plastic (but not vacuum packed or rolled.) Shipped in a large rectangular box, it maintains its form throughout the delivery process.
This makes set-up easy. All our tester had to do was take the pillow from its box, remove the packaging and lay her head down.
The lack of vacuum packing ensures no off-gassing. While this strong odor isn't dangerous, it can be off-putting — particularly as pillows are so close to your nose.
The Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Amazon listing describes various ways to break in the pillow. We didn't find this necessary (and the same information isn't available direct from Tempur-Pedic.) However, if your pillow feels too firm, consider kneading and rolling it to soften up the materials.
Score: 5 out of 5
Comfort and support
The slim, even build of the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow is designed for back and stomach sleeping, as a lower loft prevents the head from tilting upwards. Pairing this thinner build with soft cushioning means the Tempur-Cloud can deliver both support and relief.
Our tester is primarily a stomach sleeper and has often experienced neck pain after a night on a too-tall pillow. This was never an issue with the Tempur-Cloud, whether back or stomach sleeping. Without padding to push the head upwards, the neck remains aligned with the spine to reduce strain.
In contrast, this pillow is far too thin for side sleepers. Side sleepers need cushioning to fill the gap between the neck and mattress. On the Tempur-Cloud, our tester found her head slipped forward when side sleeping, causing the neck to twist.
Tempur-Pedic describes the Tempur-Cloud as 'Extra Soft'; the deep compression and contouring certainly live up to that label. Our tester felt no pressure build up at the ear or jaw.
As a subjective test of comfort and support, we placed a 10lb weight on the center of the pillow (a weight roughly equivalent to an adult head.) We waited five minutes, then removed the weight and measured how long it took for the material to spring back into place.
The weight sunk deeply into the pillow, matching the compression we noticed during our subjective tests. Once removed, it took seven seconds for the material to return to form. This is relatively slow, which aligns with our experience.
Score: 4 out of 5 (for back and stomach sleeping)
Temperature control
Tempur Material has a reputation for sleeping hot, as the dense foam 'hug' can trap warmth. But although the Tempur-Cloud does cradle the head and shoulders, overall the temperature remained neutral during our testing period.
However, our reviewer did experience a bout of fever during Tempur-Cloud testing. During this time she often woke up uncomfortably warm. Even flipping the pillow didn't provide the cool relief she was hoping for, as after a few moments of chilled bliss, it would quickly warm up.
Since the fever broke, temperature control hasn't been an issue.
In our experience, the Tempur-Cloud can sleep hot. If you often have night sweats or hot flashes, we recommend opting for the cooling cover upgrade or a dedicated cooling pillow, such as the Coop Home Goods EdenCool+ Pillow. But if overheating is rarely an issue, the Tempur-Cloud has a neutral feel.
Score: 3 out of 5
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow: Durability & care
We recommend replacing your pillow every one to two years (although considering the five year warranty of the Tempur-Cloud, you might expect this design to last a little longer.)
Easy cleaning and a good build quality can increase the lifespan of your pillow, which is why we consider them important aspects in testing the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud.
Build quality
Tempur-Pedic is a brand associated with the best luxury mattresses so we had high hopes for the Tempur-Cloud Pillow.
It looks and feels high-quality straight out of the package and after a month of testing the build is holding up well. The cover is soft to the touch and the quilted design feels luxe. It's almost a shame to hide it in a pillow case.
Some customers have complained the pillow doesn't hold its shape well and we have noticed indentations occasionally need a helping hand to clear.
This isn't a difficult process — flipping the pillow one way then the other seems to do the trick — and we suspect it's the result of the materials softening as the pillow is broken in. However, as the pillow ages, these dips might become more pronounced.
Care and maintenance
The Tempur-Cloud Pillow has a removable and machine washable cover. Tempur-Pedic recommends using a cool wash and air drying the cover, to avoid damaging the materials. The interior foam is spot clean only and you should avoid getting it wet.
We found the cover easy to remove (albeit, slightly more difficult to replace) and the cushioned design should protect the pillow interior from the majority of spills and stains.
It's also worth noting Tempur-Pedic claims the pillow is rollable and packable, in case you want to store it or take it on your travels. Our tester was skeptical of this claim (the pillow feels so dense)... and was proven completely wrong.
The Tempur-Cloud rolls with ease into a compact shape and once unpacked, it returns to form in short order. For those who hate to leave their home comforts behind, this is a good use of your luggage allowance.
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow: Should you buy it?
Our lead tester is a stomach sleeper and as this sleep position puts pressure on your back, she's learned the hard way it pays to be picky with your pillows.
The Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow lived up to her expectations, providing a pressure-relieving sleep surface that holds the neck at a neutral angle. It's equally comfortable for back sleeping, but for side sleepers it's too thin to provide support.
With an extra soft feel, the Tempur-Cloud adapts to the head for cushioned relief. We found there was no pressure build up at the ear or jaw. However, the slow moving foams can take a while to return to shape and you might find regular fluffing is needed to eliminate indentations.
There were some issues with temperature control but we think this will primarily impact very hot sleepers (our tester only woke up warm when she had a fever.) A cooling upgrade is available for $20 and with an MSRP of $89, the Tempur-Cloud is competitively priced for a luxury brand pillow — it's comparable to the Casper Foam Pillow, which has a similarly simple build, this time aimed at side sleepers.
Buy the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow if...
✅ You're a stomach sleeper: Stomach sleeping forces the neck into an unusual angle but the mid loft of the Tempur-Cloud ensures the head isn't pushed upwards.
✅ You're a back sleeper with neck pain: Back sleepers typically require a low to mid loft pillow, to prevent the neck craning upwards. The Tempur-Cloud keeps the spine straight while still offering a cozy comfort.
✅ You like sleep comfort when you travel: The Tempur-Cloud can be rolled, reducing the bulk to a travel friendly size. If you hate sacrificing home comforts on the go, now you can take your favorite pillow in your backpack.
Don't buy the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow if...
❌ You often sleep hot: The Tempur-Cloud quickly overheated when our tester experienced night sweats. Frequent hot sleepers should consider a dedicated cooling pillow such as the Coop Home Goods EdenCool+ Pillow.
❌ You sleep on your side: The flatter build of the Tempur-Cloud lacks support for side sleeping. A higher loft is better, such as the Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper Pillow.
❌ You want minimal upkeep: Occasional kneading is needed to remove indentations left in the squishy Tempur Material. If you want to avoid any fluffing, try a firmer all-foam pillow such as the Casper Foam Pillow (but be aware the loft is too high for stomach sleeping.)
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow: Alternatives
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