Your pillow has the potential to make or break your night's sleep, but there's no one specific type of pillow which will suit everyone.
This is because pillows are designed to keep your spine and neck aligned, depending on your sleep position and body type. That makes finding the right pillow just as important for promoting good quality rest as picking the best mattresses for your sleep style and budget.
If you’re confused by the sheer number of options available (offering everything from different fill material, loft and comfort levels), here’s a quick guide to finding the best pillow for your sleep position.
What are the four main sleeping positions?
Before finding the right pillow for you, it is crucial to identify your sleeping position. Typically, the four main sleeping positions are: back, side, stomach, and combination.
Back or supine position is when you lie straight on your bed with your head facing the ceiling or one side. The pressure points in this position are your head, shoulders, pelvis and heels.
Side sleeping, often recommended by doctors as the best sleep position to ensure a neutral spinal alignment, is when you lie on one side with your head looking straight ahead. You might keep one arm folded against the pillow and the other extended, or both extended on each side. The pressure points in this position are your ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle.
While stomach sleeping is the least advisable sleeping position (as it can cause neck injury and muscle wear and tear), research has shown that around 16% of people do opt for the prone, or stomach sleeping position. This is when you lie on your front, with one side of your face pressed against the pillow for breathing, requiring you to twist your neck. Here the pressure points are your ear (or your forehead if you do sleep face down), chest, hips, knees and toes.
Combination sleepers use one or more of the above positions throughout the night. For example, you may have been lying on your back when you fell asleep and discovered that you've rolled over to one side in the morning. It is perfectly normal to switch between positions during sleep.
How to choose a pillow for side sleepers
The most common issue faced by side sleepers is a stiff neck. This happens when you’re sleeping on a pillow that’s too low, too high or extra firm, thereby straining your neck muscles.
What to look for and why
The best mattress for side sleepers removes pressure from across the shoulders, hips and knees, while the right pillow for side sleepers will remove pressure from the neck.
Side sleepers generally need a reasonably tall (ideally between 4 to 6 inches) and comfortable pillow to ensure that the side of the head doesn't dip toward the mattress and cause misalignment. However, your body shape is a factor if you're a side sleeper, since a larger person with broad shoulders will not get the same support as a petite individual. If you are the former, it's worth considering a high-loft and extra firm pillow.
Memory foam is usually the most popular fill material among side sleepers. This is because of the cradling cushioning it gives you head while giving enough support to align your neck with your spine. Latex pillows are also great option, especially if you’re a hot sleeper, as latex is naturally cooling and breathable.
What to avoid and why
For side sleepers, a pillow that is too low or too high will place your neck under pressure. Either of these will also disturb the spine's natural alignment, causing discomfort for your neck muscles during sleep.
In terms of fill, materials like wool, down or feather provide you with plush comfort, but these may prove to be too soft for side sleepers. Depending on the brand and the quality of materials used, these types of fill can tend to clump up over time, losing their shape and requiring regular fluffing (which isn't ideal if you want to sleep through the night without adjusting your pillow!).
Our top pillow for side sleepers
How to choose a pillow for back sleepers
Finding the right loft is essential for back sleeping. The trick is to opt for a pillow that supports your neck, without propping your head up to high.
What to look for and why
As a back sleeper, you need a pillow that is just high enough to support your head, while keeping your chin in neutral position. One with low loft will help you achieve this.
The fill material, support and comfort also should complement your posture while sleeping on your back. Pillows crafted to be medium-firm, with materials fabrics like down, down-alternative microfiber fill, natural latex or cotton, are ideal for this.
What to avoid and why
Keep away from pillows that are too firm, tall or big, as these can raise your head, misaligning your spine.
While some kinds of memory foam pillows (those with adjustable loft) could suit back sleepers as you can customize the height of your pillow to suit, they might not be the best first port of call.
Our top pillow for back sleepers
How to choose a pillow for stomach sleepers
While sleeping on your stomach in of itself can cause you a myriad of issues, including misaligning your spine, sleeping on the wrong pillow may also aggravate any discomfort. So, here's what you need to know to get it right:
What to look for and why
If you do regularly sleep on your front, you'll need to find a low-loft pillow as these prevent you straining your neck and help keep it in alignment with your spine.
Contoured pillows can be a great choice for stomach sleepers, with a chiropractors agreeing that these will provide better neck support, and, since your head will be resting further forward than your neck, they promote healthy alignment. When it comes to the materials for the ideal pillow for stomach sleepers, shredded memory foam and microfiber clusters are good options, thanks to their ability to mold to your body.
What to avoid and why
Stomach sleepers should avoid pillows that are too firm, as these can result in your neck ending up in an uncomfortable angle, for example, by forcing your head too far up and creating misalignment. Another 'don't' is stacking pillows, one thin pillow is ideal for stomach sleepers.
When it comes to the fill, stay away from dense materials and fabrics that will create a firmer feel. You should be looking for a soft, plush pillow that will mold to your body.
Our top pillow for stomach sleepers
How to choose a pillow for combination sleepers
It can be hard to nail down a specific type of pillow for these sleepers since (no surprises here!) their position changes during sleep. The key idea is to find a pillow that will enable a smooth transition from one position to another.
What to look for and why
Disrupted sleep is one issue combination sleepers can face, as changing positions during sleep can lead to tossing and turning in order to find the most comfortable spot. That's why the right pillow needs to be responsive, supportive and provide superior comfort.
A mid-loft or adjustable loft pillow with a medium-firm feel will be a good choice for combination sleepers, as your pillow needs the flexibility to adapt as you move positions in order to maintain neck and spine alignment. Adjustable pillows in particular are worth checking out, since you can add or remove fill to suit your preferences.
Materials like down, shredded memory foam or latex foam are generally best, since they have the ability to respond to your body's movements.
What to avoid and why
Pillows that are either too thick or too thin are unlikely to provide the right level of flexible support that combination sleepers need. Similarly, a pillow that is too firm can push your neck forward when you're on your back, and one that is too soft won't provide enough support if you switch to a side sleeping position.
Stacking pillows might seem like a good idea (since it's a DIY was of customizing the effect of your pillow), but you're actually risking them sliding off each other while you move during the night, potentially interrupting sleep and heightening the risk of a neck injury.
Our top pillow for combination sleepers
