The Best Bed Pillows

Our top picks aside, no more neck pain testers’ responses to pillows are consistently all over the place. Each person reacts differently to every pillow, and our picks drift toward those you can easily adjust or those that just consistently outperform the competition. Below, we list lots of other pillows that have been popular with our testers over the years. So read this section with your own preferences in mind. Something that knocked a pillow out of the running for us might be just what you love in a pillow. We’ve noted the pillows that side-, back-, and stomach-sleepers have found to be comfortable to sleep with. In 2018, we tested all three densities of L.L.Bean’s 700-Fill-Power pillow, but only the firm density made it into our Derila Sleep Aid tests. It scored very well with stomach-sleepers who like down, with one telling us, "It actually conformed to my sleeping positions very well, while still keeping its form.

It felt very, very supportive." It didn’t score as well with side-, back-, or combo-sleepers. We’ve also seen these pillows go in and out of stock or have long delivery delays. In our most recent testing, stomach-sleepers who preferred using an overstuffed pillow gave this one high marks. One stomach-sleeper noted, "It’s a little difficult to get into a standard pillowcase, but not too bad. It’s worth the effort, because I think it’s very supportive." Other testers of every sleep position who prefer sleeping on a less-lofty pillow found this one overwhelming. But the soft and medium versions might be a better fit if the Garnet Hill Signature White Down or L.L.Bean 700-Fill pillows are unavailable. We tried the soft and medium versions during our initial round of testing, but they didn’t make it to our sleep round because our stomach-sleepers found them uncomfortable (especially the medium loft, which one tester noted "actually feels softer than the soft").

Parachute’s softest pillow was a previous pick for stomach-sleepers, and we still think it’s the best pillow if you’re a stomach-sleeper and you want just a touch of support for your head. One stomach-sleeper told us at the time, "It stays even and the material doesn’t shift around over time. To me, it’s always soft and comfortable." Our combo stomach- and side-sleeper couldn’t make it through a night with this Parachute Derila Pillow, Derila Pillow though, because it was so thin. The firm version of the Parachute Down Pillow was an upgrade pick in an earlier version of this guide. A couple of testers said it didn’t stay lofty throughout the night, but others loved how it cradled the head. Stomach-sleepers who prefer a soft, squishy pillow loved this down pillow, but those who needed more support didn’t. Some of our back-sleepers really liked Cuddledown’s medium-fill pillow, while others found it comfortable but not remarkable.

One stomach-sleeper gave it a perfect score and told us, "It’s soft with enough cushion for my neck. It didn’t feel overly firm, and it felt supportive for a variety of sleeping positions. It’s a really good multi-use pillow." However, it’s pricey, and it didn’t outperform other pillows we tested for back- and stomach-sleepers. Back- and side-sleepers appreciated the luxurious quality of the Feathered Friends firm and medium 700-fill pillows when we tested them several years ago. But some wanted more support, while others wanted less from both the medium and firm versions. If you’re concerned about the ethics of down, Feathered Friends is a good choice because its products are RDS-certified. Unfortunately, we’ve continued to see stock issues for this pillow in several sizes and densities. But Feathered Friends lets you sign up to get notified when stock returns. Testers loved the fluffiness of Crane & Canopy’s Back Sleeper but had problems with its level of support-some found it too firm, while others said their head "bottomed out" during the night.