The 13 Best Pillows to Alleviate Neck Pain

Being a hybrid sleeper means you need a pillow that supports you no matter what position you're laying in. The Cushion Lab Deep Sleep pillow features elevated sides to support you when you're sleeping on your side. The contoured center keeps your spine aligned in its natural position and makes for a more comfortable sleep while laying on your back.

The cover is washable and smooth to the touch as well, so it's less likely to get your hair tangled or drag uncomfortably across your skin when switching sleeping positions.

Heat therapy is a good way to increase flexibility in your muscles and joints. Waking up with a sore and stiff neck isn't the most ideal way to start the day, and a neck pillow that offers heating capabilities may be a big help. This cervical pillow has hot compress and magnetic therapy for additional neck pain relief, and curvature assist to help support your spine.

There are three adjustable temperatures, and it has an automatic shut-off after three hours so you won't have to worry about overheating during your sleep cycle.

Rather than using a basic, flat pillow that doesn't offer much support, a cervical pillow will help keep your head in line with the natural curvature of your spine. This one, from Osteo, comes with a removable memory foam insert, which allows you to adjust the height of your head and neck and find a natural fit. It also features a hollow center that allows for added breathability, and side panels to comfortably rest your arms while you snooze.

If a standard flat pillow doesn’t provide enough support for you, consider Tempur-Pedic’s classic Tempur-Neck pillow. Its solid, firm memory foam contours around the head and neck to provide optimal support for side and back sleepers.

While it is a solid block of memory foam, and thus not adjustable, Tempur-Pedic makes the pillow in three sizes, which cater to different body types and sleeping positions. Tempur-Pedic offers some broad guidance on what size should work for every person, but you can measure the space between your neck and shoulder to find the perfect fit.

Tempur-Pedic’s pillow also comes in a hypoallergenic polyester knit cover that’s removable and washable. Plus, it comes with a five-year warranty.

Coop Home Goods’s popular shredded memory-foam and microfiber pillow can adapt to all sleeping preferences. Its filling perfectly balances the support of memory foam with the plushness of down. Most importantly, the filling can be removed or added to plump it up or pare it down to reach your preferred height to help you avoid neck pain.

Coop Home Goods also offers a 100-night sleep trial and a five-year warranty, so perhaps you can forget that ideal-but-somewhat-unrealistic goal of getting a new pillow every year.

The Core Products Tri-Core cervical pillow is an extra-firm option made to help correct poor spinal posture. It has a concave center to support the head for back sleepers. Various sections of the pillow offer varying cervical roll heights, allowing you to adjust the amount of support for your neck. Plus, the raised sides are great if you switch over to your side when sleeping.

Since it is designed to correct posture, Tri-Core warns that it may take new users a few weeks to adjust to the feel if they’re switching from a soft, down pillow.

The Zoey Sleep pillow, also called the “Curve Pillow,” is a unique, butterfly-shaped memory foam pillow made specifically for side-sleepers. The flared ends curve around the shoulders to fill the space under your head while the center of the pillow supports your body. It’s filled with a proprietary blend of shredded memory foam and “down alternative” that make it feel soft but supportive with very little deflating. It even includes a storage bag to fill up with extra foam when you adjust the pillow’s height to your liking.

As we’d expect for its price tag, it comes with a machine-washable outer cover, 100-night sleep trial, and a five-year warranty.

Sleeping on your stomach is usually a good way to ensure you wake up with a sore neck. Sleeping face down often pushes your head up and out of alignment with your spine, leading to both short- and long-term neck strain. To minimize the issue, stomach sleepers should look for a thin, but padded pillow that will let you sleep comfortably without forcing your head up. Belly Sleep’s signature pillow, the Belly Sleeper, was made with this particular issue in mind. The 2.5-inch deep gel-infused memory foam pillow lets your head rest low, but is still padded enough to provide support.

Plus, the bamboo-polyester cover is moisture-wicking and cooling for hot sleepers.

Layla’s Kapok Pillow is filled with a blend of shredded memory foam and Kapok fibers, a natural material made from the seed pods of the Amazonian Kapok tree. Kapok has a lighter, smoother feel than cotton or wool, giving the pillow a luxurious feel. It’s adjustable and comes “a bit overstuffed” so you can adjust the size and firmness by adding or removing some filling. The pillow also features a breathable cover that keeps the pillow cooler than most memory foam pillows.

Given the rare materials, which Layla claims are harvested responsibly, the Layla is a bit pricey, though no more than top brands like Tempur-Pedic.

If you travel a lot, you might want to consider packing a small pillow to help make that long airplane nap a little more comfortable. The inflatable AirComfy Travel Pillow is about as compact as a pillow can get. It blows up into a contoured comfy 14 by 8.5 inches cushion, with an adjustable thickness of up to 3.5 inches. Deflated, the bag is only 8.5 by 4.5 inches, so you can comfortably keep it in your bag and always have it as a backup when you’re on the go.

Plus, there’s a strap in the back to make it easier to attach to the back of a car or airplane seat. It may not have a dense layer of comfy foam, but the AirComfy is easy to carry anywhere, and it definitely beats leaning your head against the side of a plane.

It may not be for everyone, but it’s not designed to be. The uniquely symmetrical block of memory foam will support the gap between your shoulders and head when sleeping on your side. It also features a carbon core center the company claims will regulate the pillow’s temperature and ensure it retains its shape for years.

The Travel Cube pillow comes in a few sizes these days, but we like the Sidekick, which is far and away the most cube-like option. It’s a compact 12-by-12-inch square that you can get in either a 5-inch “regular” or 6-inch “extra thick” depth, depending on your height.

If standard foam or fiber filling isn’t working for you, the Mediflow water pillow may be your solution. Because it’s made with a fully sealed and insulated water pouch, it can adjust to cradle your head in any position—no fluffing necessary.

The polyester fiber layer on top provides the softness of a regular pillow, and instead of adjusting messy filling, you can just change the water level for varying degrees of support for your neck. If it ends up not working for you, Mediflow offers a 30-day trial period.

The Sutera Dream Deep Pillow has been designed for anyone who has a problem with a conventional pillow. It features a tapered neck “nook,” which supports the entire length and width of your neck. The butterfly shape all features cutouts on the sides for you to insert your arms, which is more for stomach and side sleepers, but may also help back sleepers who like to keep their arms raised.

This pillow is 5 inches thick at the base with a crevice for your neck and head. If you’re a back sleeper who lifts up your arms while sleeping, the design of this pillow is specifically suited for this purpose. This pillow’s memory foam has a rebound time of 3 to 5 seconds, which means it’ll keep its shape with ongoing use.