Finding the best pillow for your needs could radically improve your quality of sleep, and it could also mean saying goodbye to waking up with a stiff neck. If your current pillow is more than a couple of years old it's probably past its best, and if it's the wrong height and firmness for your sleep needs it could be causing aches and pains, so it pays to choose carefully when buying a new one; however we're with nine top options to make things easier for you.
We've picked out some of the best pillows available now, some of them from the brands behind the best mattress and best duvet options on the market. You'll find a variety of fillings to choose from, including traditional feather fill (and microfibre alternatives), as well as responsive foam pillows and even a latex pillow, so whatever your sleep preferences you'll be well catered-for. Some pillows come with a variety of depths and firmness options, and we've even included hypoallergenic and cooling pillows to maximise your comfort at bedtime.
We've found options for every budget, and because we've reviewed many of the pillows listed here you can be sure that you're buying something that's been thoroughly tested by our own sleep experts, and you can click through to our in-depth reviews to get all the details you need before you buy.
Got all that? Then let's take a look at the best pillows for sleeping available now.
The best pillows in 2024 – as chosen by experts
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Fill: Memory foam with gel insert
Cover: Lyocell from Tencel and polyester
Feel: Firm
Warranty: 5 years
Care: Machine washable at 40°C
The REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow is a memory foam pillow with a cooling gel insert to help prevent overheating. In our review, our tester found it to be a firm pillow with just enough 'sink' to cradle her head, and while she usually sleeps on a pair of soft pillows, she found this one comfortable enough to use on its own. It was just the right height and firmness for side sleeping, however it was a little too firm for comfortable back and stomach sleeping. The gel insert and moisture-wicking cover help keep things fresh, and while the cover's washable you'll probably want to add your own pillowcase anyway.
Read more: REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow review
Fill: Polyurethane, polyester, titanium coil
Cover: Cotton
Feel: Firm
Warranty: 1 year
Care: Machine washable at 40°C (cover and filled pads only)
Simba’s Hybrid Firm pillow is its most expensive pillow, and it enables you to adapt the firmness to provide proper comfort and support for your sleeping style. It does this with three removable layers that you canswitch around as you see fit. Side sleepers can use all three layers, placing the firmer layer at the bottom, middle or top, while back sleepers may find it comfier to sleep on two layers – one firm, one soft. In our review, we found it breathable and airy yet cosy. It's a high quality pillow, and while front sleepers might find it too firm, combination sleepers and back sleepers will love its support and versatility.
Read more: Simba Hybrid Firm Pillow review
Fill: Polyester
Cover: Polyester
Feel: Soft
Warranty: 2 years
Care: machine washable at up to 60°C
The Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow offers plush support with two layers – a flat layer and a bulky layer. The flat layer is ideal for stomach sleepers, while the bulky layer is comfortable for back sleepers, and both together can give side sleepers and sleepers who are taller or heavier the support and spine alignment they need. In our review we were impressed by its luxurious feel and adjustable height, as well as by its cooling properties. It's soft but supportive, but side sleeper might need a second pillow extra support. For another Emma option, see our Emma Original Pillow review.
Read more: Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow review
Fill: Levitex foam
Cover: Nyon
Feel: Medium-firm
Warranty: 3 years
Care: machine washable cover
Made using Levitex's own clinically researched foam, the Levitex Sleep Posture Pillow is designed to respond to pressure and give you support where you need it. It comes in four height options, which means that you can choose a pillow that's best suited to your body shape and sleep style; in our review we tested the 10cm version and found that it delivered a bouncy feel that took a little while to get used to, but it contoured comfortably to provide an excellent night's sleep in most positions. This one's a fine choice if you struggle to find a pillow that feels right to you.
Read more: Levitex Sleep Posture Pillow review
Fill: Memory foam
Cover: Bamboo and polyester
Feel: Medium-firm
Warranty: 10 years
Care: Machine washable cover
The first thing you’ll notice with the Panda Pillow is the not-so-cosy-looking shape – but don’t let that put you off. This pillow is designed to give your head and neck proper support with the latest memory foam technology, which doesn’t lose its shape or density, and remains comfortable for all sleepers. It's wrapped in a soft, breathable and sustainable bamboo cover, which is naturally antibacterial and hypoallergenic, keeping away dust mites and bed bugs. Our reviewer found that it felt luxurious and did a great job of cradling her head and neck, but noted that not everyone would appreciate its sink-in feel.
Read more: Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow review
Fill: Recycled polyester fibres
Cover: Cotton
Feel: Soft
Warranty: 1 year
Care: Machine washable at 40°C
The Stratos is the cheapest pillow in Simba's lineup, and it's the brand's most simple and straightforward design. It's filled with clusters of recycled polyester fibres, and its cotton cover has a cooling print on one side using Simba's Stratos technology - that is, phase change material that's genuinely cool to the touch (but less so once you put the pillow in a pillowcase). Our reviewer has been sleeping on it for a few months and they really quite like it; they're a combination sleeper and find it to be supportive and comfortable in all positions, although they do find that it needs regular plumping to keep its shape.
Read more: Simba Stratos Pillow review
Fill: Latex
Cover: Tencel
Feel: Firm
Warranty: 2 years
Care: Machine washable cover
If you can't get on with feather, fibre or even memory foam-filled pillows, try this latex pillow from Origin. The Coolmax Latex Pillow is made from a solid chunk of natural latex, infused with cooling gel and with holes running through it to improve airflow, and it definitely wins at keeping temperatures down night, although its feel is one you'll either love or hate. It's firm and really rather springy, and in our review we found it to be a little too shallow for side sleeping and a bit too high for stomach sleeping. For dedicated back sleepers it could be a winner, though, especially if you like a bit of bounce.
Read more: Origin Coolmax Latex Pillow review
Fill: Goose down and feather
Cover: Cotton
Feel: Medium
Warranty: 3 years
Care: Machine washable at 40°C
Luxury UK brand Scooms uses a blend of ethically sourced goose down and feather to create an anti-allergy medium-support pillow, which is also breathable, resilient and plump. The pillow's 85% Hungarian goose feather core sits between chambers of 90% Hungarian goose down for a super-cosy feel. The cover is just as luxurious using a high-thread-count super-soft cotton that has a tight weave to keep dust mites at bay. Eco-conscious sleepers will appreciate the plastic-free packaging, plus the pillow also comes with a reusable fabric bag for storage. The pillow is designed in the UK and made in Hungary.
Fill: Hollowfibre polyester
Cover: Microfibre
Feel: Medium
Warranty: 2 years
Care: Machine washable at 40°C
If you sleep hot but can't run to an expensive cooling pillow, this could be the option for you. The Silentnight Airmax pillow features mesh panels around the edges to increase breathability and promote airflow, although to get the best out of this you should pair this pillow with a lighter pillowcase. The pillow's filled with hollowfibre polyester and it's hypoallergenic, so you can sleep cool without triggering any allergies. It's machine washable, too, but we reckon that the real appeal of the SIlentnight Airmax pillow is its affordable price, making it an excellent choice if you need to buy multiple pillows for all the beds in your home.
How to choose the best pillow for your needs
While everyone will benefit from having a breathable pillow that's easy to keep clean and that won't make you overheat at night, finding the perfect pillow for you is a matter of thinking about how you sleep and choosing a pillow that fits with your sleep style.
Back sleepers will do best with a pillow that has a medium loft and and firmness. That way it can help you maintain a neutral spine alignment, and it'll also help relieve pressure in your shoulders and neck. If it has extra cushioning on the top, all the better, as that'll make for a more comfortable night.
Side sleepers will benefit from a pillow that can relieve pressure on their shoulders and help maintain a neutral spine position. This means looking for a pillow with a firm feel and a high loft; it's also worth seeking out a malleable or fluffable pillow that you can scrunch into shape to suit your sleeping position.
Stomach sleepers should look for a pillow with a low loft and a soft feel, or with a compressible fill that enables you to shape the pillow into a comfortable low loft. This will prevent your head from being propped up too high, and will also help keep your spine aligned.
Combination sleepers who change position a lot in the night will need a more responsive and versatile pillow. Look for one with a malleable or fluffable fill that you can mould into a shape that suits you, or find one with an adjustable fill so that you can find your own perfect loft.
To avoid getting stuck with a pillow that doesn't suit you, try to find one with a risk-free trial period. Many brands provide one; you'll generally need three weeks to decide whether a new pillow is a match for your sleep style.
Do you need a pillowcase?
Many of the high-end pillows featured here are washable with attractive designs that make them feel like they should be on show, which raises the question: do you really need to put a pillowcase on them? And the answer is a resounding yes.
In fact, we'd go further and suggest that you should put two pillowcases on every pillow to give it the protection it needs. A pair of pillowcases can help keep your pillow clean and give it a double layer of protection against sweat, drool, dust mites and bed bugs.
Of course you should wash your pillowcases regularly; at least monthly and more often if you can, and you should also keep the pillow itself clean according to the care instructions provided by the manufacturer (also see our guide to how to wash a pillow). That way you're less likely to find yourself wondering why pillows turn yellow.
