The 7 Best Pillows On Amazon That Deliver On Comfort And Quality
The best pillows on Amazon reign from top-rated brands and contain quality materials like down, ... More memory foam and latex. See our picks from Coop, Saatva and more.
'Mattress type and pillow choices play a crucial role in your overall comfort and quality of sleep,' says Michael Gerling, American board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon at The Gerling Institute. Aside from being plush or fluffy, your pillow should be at the right loft (pillow talk for height) to properly support your head and neck, and each sleeping position requires a different loft. See our editors' top choices below for different sleeping positions and preferences, all of which are backed by our own experience or rave customer reviews.
Coop Sleep Goods
Fill material: Memory foam | Loft: Customizable | Adjustable: Yes | Certifications: Greenguard Gold, CertiPUR-US
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Coop Sleep Goods pillows regularly appear in our roundups because they're comfortable, accommodating and reasonably priced. As a bestseller on Amazon with more than 10,000 5-star reviews, this adjustable pillow is filled with a cushy blend of shredded gel-infused memory foam and soft microfiber, which can be added or removed as needed to accommodate many types of sleepers. It comes with an extra half bag of fill if you're a side sleeper or heavier body type who wants more loft and support.
With a removable cover that's made from the brand's Lulltra fabric and a blend of bamboo-derived viscose rayon and polyester, the pillow has a cool, soft surface for sleeping and plenty of breathability. The brand says using a pillowcase isn't necessary since it's machine washable, but Coop Sleep Goods does make a cooling pillowcase to up the temperature regulation if you sleep extra hot. Not satisfied with the pillow during the first 100 nights? You can return it for a full refund. It's also backed by a five-year warranty.
Amazon
Fill material: Down alternative | Loft: N/A | Adjustable: No | Certifications: Oeko-Tex Standard
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The Beckham Hotel Collection pillows channel the luxurious vibe of a five-star hotel without the triple digit price tag. They have a plush, down-like gel fill encased in a silky sateen cover with a no-shift design that aims to minimize bunching. The fill is designed to mold to your head, which can make these pillows comfortable for most sleep positions. Reviewers compliment their soft, squishy and cloud-like feel. Many also recommend giving the pillows a few hours to fully fluff up after taking them out of their packaging.
At less than $30 per pillow, they're a great deal. And you can throw the entire pillow in the washer and dryer for easy cleaning. Just note that while the company claims they're cooling, a handful of reviewers say the pillows didn't make a difference when it came to temperature (but they also didn't make them overheat).
Amazon
Fill material: Canadian down | Loft: Soft, medium or firm | Adjustable: No | Certifications: Oeko-Tex and Downmark
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This pillow from Lincove is filled with Downmark-certified, 625-fill-power Canadian down, which is ultra light, temperature balancing and moisture wicking. These pillows are cruelty-free and the hypoallergenic, 100% sateen cotton shell is treated with an antimicrobial to help keep it clean and odor-free. The antimicrobial additives are Oeko-Tex certified, which shows they've been tested for (and found free of) harmful substances.
The Lincove pillow has an overall rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon—with thousands of individual 5-star ratings—but Amazon notes it's frequently returned. Some customers recommend being patient before returning it, saying the pillow takes a few days to settle and soften, and it has a short off-gassing period. Lincove recommends only spot cleaning or dry cleaning the pillow in order to protect the down. The brand says you can also leave it outside on a dry day or put it in the dryer on no heat and then shake it out after to help keep it clean.
Amazon
Fill material: Latex and polyester fiber | Loft: Customizable | Adjustable: Yes | Certifications: Oeko-Tex
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Side sleepers require more lift and bolster than the other sleeping positions because a pillow has to be tall enough to fill the space between the head and mattress without falling flat or making the shoulder uncomfortable. This ergonomically designed Eli & Elm pillow aims to offer the necessary loft and support for these sleepers.
'I was skeptical at first—I figured the shape was just a marketing ploy,' says a Forbes Vetted tester who slept with the Eli & Elm for seven months. 'But I ended up really enjoying the shape, which does, in fact, conform perfectly to my head and neck with a comforting feeling, adding a gentle incline from my spine all the way up to the base of my head.' It's filled with small, noodle-shaped latex foam pieces and clumps of polyester fiber fluff that you can remove or add as you please. Side sleepers should keep theirs tall and firm, while side-combination sleepers should remove some filling to accommodate other sleeping positions. See more in our full Eli & Elm Side Sleeper Pillow review.
Amazon
Fill material: Memory foam | Loft: 5 inches | Adjustable: No | Certifications: CertiPUR-US
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Enjoy the pressure-relieving and doughy comfort of Tempur-Pedic's signature memory foam material in a small, compact package. Unlike other pillows on our list that are made with shredded fill, the Tempur-Cloud is made from one slab of foam that's supportive, yet cushiony and soft at the same time. No fluffing needing here. And its accommodating feel helped it earn the top overall spot in our best Tempur-Pedic pillows roundup.
The Cloud model is five inches thick, which makes it an ideal choice for back sleepers and some stomach and side sleepers. It has mixed reviews on Amazon from people who say it's too thin, which may be the case because of its soft profile that easily gives under your weight. As a result, side sleepers who weigh over 150 pounds should opt for a firmer, taller choice. The Tempur-Cloud is backed by a five-year warranty, even if you purchase through Amazon. Just ensure that you save your receipt as proof of purchase in case you need to file a claim.
Purple
Fill material: Talalay latex and elastic polymer | Loft: low, medium and tall | Adjustable: No | Certifications: CertiPUR-US, CleanAir Gold
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Ready to introduce your bed to something completely different? The Purple Harmony Pillow utilizes the brand's proprietary and well-received material called hyper-elastic polymer, a stretchy and gel-like material that makes up the Purple Grid. It's almost as if your head is floating, like when you're on your back in the water. 'I wasn't sure it was going to be a sensation I liked,' says one of our testers about its buoyant feel. 'However, after a few nights of sleeping on it, I realized I was no longer waking up multiple times in the middle of the night to flip or squash my pillow into shape every time I turned over.'
It's also good at preventing heat retention. And thanks to its grid formation, there are a ton of air pockets that promote airflow. 'I never overheat with this pillow and it often has a cool-to-the-touch feel,' says senior mattress and sleep editor Bridget Chapman, who skeptically tried the Purple Harmony Pillow and now loves it. 'It's super cooling, supportive and comfortably contouring.' Since it's offered in multiple heights, it's able to accommodate most sleeping positions. See more in our detailed Purple Harmony Pillow review.
Amazon
Fill material: Polyester microfiber | Loft: 3-4 inches | Adjustable: No | Certifications: None
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The Casper Original Pillow takes a modern twist on a traditional down-alternative pillow with a pillow-in-pillow design that contains a supportive inner chamber with a fluffy outer chamber. It still requires some fluffing to keep its shape and structure, but it's much more supportive for the head and neck through the night. Rather than duck or goose feathers, this down-alternative choice is filled with soft and plush polyester fiber, which makes it more environmentally and wallet-friendly.
Mattress and sleep editor McKenzie Dillon tested the Casper Original Pillow for several months and says, 'I suggested it to my dad who asked for a good fluffy pillow recommendation. He and my mom thought it was so comfortable that he bought another pillow for my mom to enjoy. As as stomach sleeper, its low to mid-level loft makes it ideal for promoting good spinal alignment; with that said, it might be a bit too low for some strict side sleepers.'
The Forbes Vetted sleep category is spearheaded by experienced writers and editors who value the importance of a good night's sleep. We regularly test the latest and greatest in the sleep realm and stay up-to-date with industry news. Our collection of sleep and mattress stories covers everything from the best mattresses for back pain to how to feng shui your bedroom for better rest.
Amazon, like with most categories, covers a lot of ground in bedding. There are endless pillows to choose from, and we put careful consideration into selecting the very best.
Comfort is important, but it's only one factor to consider when buying a new pillow. Here's a look at some other features to keep in mind before making a purchase.
The fill of a pillow is one of the most important features to consider. Fill can determine how well a pillow holds up over time, how much support it offers and how comfortable it is for you. The most common materials like down or memory foam come with their own advantages and drawbacks.
The loft of a pillow refers to its height, which is another key feature to consider when shopping for the right pillow. The best loft heavily depends on your sleeping position. For example, stomach sleepers need pillows with low loft (four inches or less), back sleepers require an option with medium loft (four to five inches) while side sleepers sleep best on pillows with high loft (six inches or more).
The key to finding the most accommodating pillow is alignment—it needs to offer the optimal amount of support for healthy sleep posture.
Side sleepers should notice a 90-degree angle between their shoulder and head when lying down, while back sleepers should feel their neck bend slightly in a proper 'C' curve. 'Your pillows should support your back properly, and it's important to make sure they don't let your spine sag,' says Staci Hildebrandt, doctor of physical therapy and orthopedic specialist. For stomach sleepers, the tell-tale sign of an improper pillow is a kink in the neck. If it feels like you're sitting front row at the movie theater looking up at the big screen, your pillow is too tall. 'Opting for a flatter pillow under your head, or even going without one, can contribute to spinal alignment and reduce strain,' says Hildebrandt.
Pillows should be washed at least twice a year, so the care they require is something to consider. Machine-washable pillows are the easiest to take care of since you can just throw them in the laundry, case and all. Some pillows only have a cover that can be washed, while more luxurious options may be spot clean only.
Our pick for the best pillow on Amazon overall, the Coop Sleep Goods Eden Pillow, is a great fit for side sleepers since the fill is adjustable and can be customized to their liking. However, the Eli & Elm Side Sleeper Pillow is another top choice because of its ergonomic design.
Amazon shoppers are discerning when it comes to shopping for pillows, but there are a lot of pillows on Amazon with great ratings. Those include the Coop Sleep Goods Eden Pillow, Beckham Hotel Collection Cooling Gel Pillow and Amazon Basics Down Alternative Pillow—all three of which made our list.
The Coop Sleep Goods Eden Pillow has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon, which is one of the highest not only on this list but overall when compared to many other options. However, another highly rated fan favorite is the Beckham Hotel Collection Cooling Gel Pillows, which have a rating of 4.3 with over 240,000 reviews.
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'People trust the COVID vaccines less,' Nuzzo told me, which makes it easy for the administration's vaccine opponents to use attacks on those vaccines as purchase for broader assaults. For all their COVID-centric hype, mRNA vaccines have long been under development for many unrelated diseases. And experts now worry that the blockades currently in place for certain types of mRNA vaccines could soon extend to other, similar technologies, including mRNA-based therapies in development for cancer and genetic disease, which might not make it through the approval process at Kennedy's FDA. (Nixon said HHS would continue to invest in mRNA research for cancer and other complex diseases.) Casting doubt on COVID shots makes other vaccines that have been vetted in the same way—and found to be safe and effective, based on high-quality data—look dubious. 'Once you establish that it's okay to override something for COVID,' Reiss told me, 'it's much easier to say, 'Well, now we're going to unrecommend MMR.'' (Kennedy's ACIP plans to review the entire childhood-immunization schedule and assess its cumulative effects.) Plenty of other avenues remain for Kennedy to play on COVID discontent—fear of the shots' side effects, distaste for mandates, declining trust in public health and medical experts —to pull back the government's support for vaccination. He has announced, for instance, his intention to reform the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, which helps protect manufacturers from lawsuits over illegitimate claims about a vaccine's health effects, and his plans to find 'ways to enlarge that program so that COVID-vaccine-injured people can be compensated.' Some of the experts I spoke with fear that the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee—the agency's rough equivalent of ACIP—could be remade in Kennedy's vision. The administration has also been very willing to rescind federal funding from universities in order to forward its own ideas: Kennedy could, perhaps, threaten to withhold money from universities that require any vaccines for students. Kennedy has also insisted that 'we need to stop trusting the experts'—that Americans, for instance, shouldn't have been discouraged from doing their own research during the pandemic. He could use COVID as an excuse to make that maxim Americans' reality: Many public-health and infectious-disease-focused professional societies rely on at least some degree of federal funding, Nirav D. Shah, a former principal deputy director of the CDC, told me. Stripping those resources would be 'a way to cut their legs off'—or, at the very least, would further delegitimize those expert bodies in the public eye. Kennedy has already barred representatives from professional societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, from participating in ACIP subcommittees after those two societies and others collectively sued HHS over its shifts in COVID policy. The public fight between medicine and government is now accelerating the nation onto a path where advice diverges over not just COVID shots but vaccines generally. (When asked about how COVID resentment was guiding the administration's decisions, Desai said that the media had politicized science to push for pandemic-era mandates and that The Atlantic 'continues to fundamentally misunderstand how the Trump administration is reversing this COVID era politicization of HHS.') The coronavirus pandemic began during the first Trump presidency; now its legacy is being exploited by a second one. Had the pandemic never happened, Kennedy would likely still be attacking vaccines, maybe even from the same position of power he currently commands. But without the lightning rod of COVID, Kennedy's attacks would be less effective. Already, one clear consequence of the Trump administration's anti-COVID campaign is that it will leave the nation less knowledgeable about and less prepared against all infectious diseases, Gregory Poland, a vaccinologist and the president of Atria Research Institute, told me. That might be the Trump administration's ultimate act of revenge. No matter who is in charge when the U.S. meets its next crisis, those leaders may be forced into a corner carved out by Trump and Kennedy—one from which the country must fight disease without adequate vaccination, research, or public-health expertise. This current administration will have left the nation with few other options.
