Owning one of the best pillows, believe it or not, will do wonders when it comes to getting a great night’s sleep. Since research shows at least eight hours of shut-eye is essential to our well-being, having a comfortable place to rest your head after a long day is more important than you think.
This doesn't mean you have to spend all of your savings on a pillow. In fact, we’ve found a selection of some great affordable pillows, suitable for each and every type of sleeper. Featuring memory foam options, down-filled models, and sustainable pillows as well as the best pillow for side sleepers, snorers, and allergy sufferers, if you're not sleeping soundly, this list of top pillows is for you.
Along with my fellow beauty sleep advocates, I've snoozed on the job to make sure you'll be getting your money's worth. Though if you’re in the market for even better sleep, don’t just rely on your pillow. Combine it with one of the best mattresses so you can get your best slumber yet.
The best pillows to sleep on in 2023
Why you can trust Real Homes Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Our favorite pillow
Filling: Polyester down alternative
Firmness: Medium
Cover: 100% Cotton
Care: Machine washable and dryer safe
+ Great for all kinds of sleepers
+ Stays plump
- More expensive
Built to suit all sleep styles (a tough expectation to meet), the Original Pillow is the right combination of fluff and support. It's easy to care for, doesn't seem to lose its loft or fill over time, and sleeps cool, need we say more? Our tester found this pillow to perfectly cushion their head without needing a re-fluff, and it's a hard pillow to beat for many sleepers.
Best pillow for all sleep styles
Filling: Shredded memory foam
Firmness: Medium
Cover: Bamboo-derived viscose rayon and polyester
Care: Machine washable with filling removed
+ Adjustable height for all sleepers
+ Eco credentials
- More expensive
If you want to invest in a top-notch pillow, you can't go wrong with the Coop Home Goods Original Adjustable Pillow. It has been engineered to give you your best night’s sleep with customizable filling. Adjustable height = perfect alignment. Our tester removed around three handfuls to get the desired height and level of firmness. Oh, and it held its height all night.
Best down-alternative pillow
Filling: LoftAire synthetic fill
Firmness: Soft, medium, firm, and extra firm
Cover: 100% cotton
Care: Washable cover only
+ Great value for money
+ Feels just like down
- Flattens over time
The softness of down is lovely, but it comes with its disadvantages. It's spendy, not ideal for allergy sufferers, and there's a chance feathers will poke you in the face. If you want the pros without the cons, try this The Company Store Down Alternative pillow instead. The LoftAire fill mimics the comfort and insulating properties of down, making it a great substitute you won't regret buying. And for around 50 bucks, it's a bargain all sleepers will love.
Best memory foam pillow
Filling: Memory foam
Firmness: Medium
Cover: Bamboo-derived viscose rayon and polyester
Care: Washable cover
+ Temperature regulating
+ Great price point
- Not great for front sleepers
The Weekender pillow is one of the cheapest memory foam options on this list. More interestingly, it addresses one of the usual complaints about memory foam: overheating. The gel-infused foam and ventilated design are made to keep you cool with a thick 5-inch loft. While it's great for back and side sleepers, it may be too high for stomach sleepers.
Best cheap pillow
Filling: Polyester
Firmness: Soft
Cover: None
Care: Spot clean only
+ Super cheap
+ Pack of two
- Need to reshake for plumpness
- Can't be machine washed or dried
An Amazon best-seller, this two-pack of pillows is perfect for throwing on the guest bed, to keep as spares for when friends stay on the couch, or if you're in quick need of a replacement pair. They won't do wonders in terms of comfort, but for $18, reviewers are impressed with their fullness. Great for allergy sufferers, the down alternative filling is antibacterial and actively protects the pillow from dust mites. These won't be a total flop.
Best eco-friendly pillow
Filling: Micro denier fiber, Talalay latex
Firmness: Medium-firm
Cover: 100% organic cotton
Care: Machine wash cover only
+ Great eco credentials
+ Great for all sleep styles
- Expensive
If you're willing to splurge for a good night's sleep, then the Saatva Latex Pillow could be the perfect pick. It gets rave reviews from nearly everyone who tries it out. Plus, it's always worth spending extra on something that's eco-friendly. The pillow is a squishy, sink-in cushion. Because it's made of latex, it’s naturally mildew and dust-mite-resistant, and therefore a great choice for anyone with down or dust allergies.
Best down pillow
Filling: Feather
Firmness: Soft, medium, or firm
Cover: 100% organic cotton
Care: Machine wash and tumble dry low
+ Luxurious feel
+ Entirely machine washable
- Most expensive on the list
You can get this slice of luxury in three firmness levels — soft, medium, and firm — and can pick according to your preference. It may be one of the most expensive pillows on our list, but you will get the high-quality sleep you're after. All it needs is a good shake every now and then to plump it up and improve the loft. It's completely machine washable and can be tumble-dried on low, too. We also recommend throwing in a few clean tennis balls to help fluff them up.
Best cooling pillow
Filling: Alternative down
Firmness: Soft/medium or medium/firm
Cover: Outlast cotton
Care: Machine wash and tumble dry low
+ Temperature regulating
+ Completely machine washable
- Spendier than others
If you find yourself flipping your pillow throughout the night, this UltraCool down alternative pillow will change your bedtime for the better. The cooling fabric shell is made with NASA-engineered technology that's designed to prevent overheating. The down-alternative filling will also ensure that you sleep comfortably all night. In fact, one reviewer compared it to sleeping on nice cool clouds. Great summary, in our opinion.
Best pillow for indecisive sleepers
Filling: Polyester fill/Certi-Pur US memory foam
Firmness: Firm
Cover: Polyester
Care: Machine wash cover only
+ Suitable for all sleep styles
+ Great price point
- No soft option available
Allswell introduced a unique concept last year: a reversible pillow. Contrary to most adjustable pillows that require you to take out the filling, the reversible pillow switches between your traditional down alternative and a memory foam pillow. It's all encased in a separate cover with a phase-change material (PCM) that reacts and adapts to your body heat to help maintain an optimal temperature while you sleep. This is a nice treat for your guest bed!
Real Homes pillow review process
The Real Homes review process is editorially independent and not influenced by any third parties. All our reviews are based on the real-life experience of using these products at home, many of which have been used for weeks, if not months, at a time. The products are given to us free of charge. Due to the personal nature of bedding, we have been able to keep our samples and invite friends and family members to try out various pillows to share their own feedback, according to their own sleep habits. We came to our decisions by considering factors like the quality of construction, materials, value for the money, support for its intended sleep position, and ease of care.
Picking a pillow
Follow these simple four steps to find the very best pillow for you, because finding the best match for your needs is essential to sleeping well. You can find more helpful details in our guide to choosing a pillow.
How often should you replace pillows?
Usually, most experts would recommend replacing your pillows after two years, unless they have become visibly worn before then. Buying a new pillow ensures you are sleeping on something that's supportive and clean, which is especially important if you suffer from allergies. To help with longevity, it's important to care for your pillows, too. Our how to wash pillows guide offers expert advice and tips on how to keep your pillows clean.
4 things to consider when buying a new pillow
1. Consider your sleep position
Side sleepers will need a plump, softer pillow: think cushy fill or softer memory foam. Stomach sleepers will need firmer, thinner pillows to hold their necks in perfect alignment. Back sleepers can find comfort on both sides of the spectrum with a medium-soft or medium-firm pillow or even foam pillows that align with the contours of your neck.
Think about where your pillow will sit beneath your head while you sleep. If you prefer having it fully beneath your head, you'll have the best success with a low- or medium-loft pillow. If you sleep with your pillow only partially beneath your head, you may want a pillow with a higher loft to feel supported.
2. Think about thickness
This is called pillow loft, and when you're buying new, you might see it written on the side of the packaging. Experiment at home to get your preferred thickness right. Low-loft pillows are around three inches thick; medium-loft pillows are three to five inches thick, and high-loft pillows are at least five inches thick.
3. Think about filling
Natural fillings, which include duck and goose feathers and down, feel soft and luxurious, giving you that extra-cozy sensation of sinking into your pillow. They, along with sheep’s wool, are naturally heat-retaining, which makes them ideal if you get chilly at night. These aren't great for anyone who's in constant pursuit of the cool side of the pillow, though.
If you like the softness of down but not the heat, or you suffer from allergies or respiratory conditions, you can get synthetic fiber fillings that mimic the feel. And speaking of allergies, pillow manufacturers are very much up to speed with the needs of their users these days, so you can expect to find anti-allergy fillings and coverings for a reasonable price.
Finally, for those of us who need more support in bed or just prefer the feel of a firm pillow, there is latex and memory foam to consider. Helpful for sufferers of neck or back pain, they keep the spine and muscles correctly elevated and aligned for deep sleep and a pain-free morning.
4. Remember, it's personal
These pillows have been rated based on our team's experience with them, but it's vital to remember that we all have different preferences that don't necessarily relate to our sleeping positions. For example, some of us prefer to sleep with two pillows (even though sleep experts recommend sleeping with one) and others prefer the feel of synthetic fillings over natural.
Be aware that if you sleep next to a partner, what you find comfortable might not work for your other half. Your pillow choices should be entirely independent.
