The Best Pillows on Amazon to Optimize Your REM Cycle

We know firsthand that shopping for the best pillows on Amazon can be a headache—over 100,000 results come up in this category when you browse the mega e-tailer for options. But as picky shopping editors, we know a thing or two about the worthiest brands popping up on the page, and have tested some of their top contenders. Below are options for every kind of sleeper, so you can determine if you like the lightweight squish of down pillows or the density of memory foam pillows. We’ll walk you through all the features you can shop for in your new pillows: cooling gel, cotton cover, hypoallergenic, shredded memory foam, and more.

That’s all to say, whether you’re a hot sleeper, a fitful sleeper, a stomach sleeper, or a total insomniac, we’re on the case to get you a good night’s sleep. And if you’d like to overhaul your entire slumber setup all in one place, check out our recommendations for everything from the best mattresses and bed frames to sheets and comforters on Amazon.

Featured in this article

Best Overall Pillow on Amazon

Coop Sleep Goods Original Loft Pillow

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$89

Amazon

Best Mid-Plush Pillow

Beckham Hotel Collection Bed Pillows (Set of 2)

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$80 $42 (48% off)

Amazon

Best Down Alternative Pillow

Boll & Branch Down Alternative Pillow

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$89

Amazon

Side sleepers, this pillow from Coop Home Goods has your name on it. The adjustable design makes it ideal for any type of sleeper, but it won’t lose shape over time. Simply add or remove the memory foam and microfiber filling to your liking, so you can have the best feel for your most restful sleep yet. Two of our staffers love this pillow—associate commerce director Lori Keong is on her second one of these Coop pillows, which she says she “loves for just how adjustable and plushy they are to snooze on in all sleep positions.” And our commerce producer Lauren Arzbaecher called this pillow “life-changing,” as she alternates between sleeping on her side and stomach. “The memory foam and microfiber combo has helped with movement isolation so I don’t wake up with a stiff neck anymore, plus it just feels luxurious,” she adds.

These cooling pillows have long been best-sellers on Amazon for checking the boxes: machine washable, hypoallergenic, fit for all kinds of sleepers. While Amazon describes these down alternative pillows as plush, commerce writer Julia Harrison, who has these in queen size, disagrees slightly: “These are a bit firmer than advertised, and I’d warn those who are looking for a hypoallergenic down experience to keep looking, but if you love a good mid-plush option, and a luxury choice at a completely reasonable price, add to cart.”

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Boll & Branch Down Alternative Pillow

$89

Amazon

$89

Boll & Branch

With densities ranging from firm to soft, this down alternative pillow from Boll & Branch slowly took over Harrison’s entire pillow arsenal. “Usually I prefer down, but it’s genuinely impossible for me to tell the difference here,” she confirms. She’s also partial to the brand for their production ethos, which prioritizes fair-trade practices and organic materials. These are machine washable in the event a spill or two occurs during evening tea and reading time, and Harrison says they offer “considerable neck support” to help prevent aches and pains around her head.

AD contributor Kelsey Borovinsky loves this pillow for its cooling and sturdy qualities, and she recommends it as a great option for Tempur-Pedic fans. She’s not alone—scroll through the five-star reviews of the Purple pillow and you’ll find tons of reviewers writing multiple paragraph love letters to this latex-filled cushion. The pillow features Purple’s own Hex Grid—a cooling-gel-infused lattice structure—that encases the ventilated Talalay Latex center. Borovinsky confesses this may not be the best pillow for stomach sleepers, as its thickness might make stomach or side sleepers a bit uncomfortable. As for back sleepers, we’re confident that you’re going to love this one.

Our best overall choice has a worthy companion. Garnering over 14,000 positive reviews, customers (and Baker) can’t help but love the shredded memory foam pillow, cooling gel, and side cut-out designed to give side sleepers extra neck support. “I have it in the crescent design, so it slightly hugs my neck when I lay in really any position,” Baker says. “I immediately noticed in my first few nights with it that it was like having an ice pack around my shoulders from the cooling sensation.” The pillow is well-suited for back sleepers, too, as the divot helps keep Baker’s head and neck aligned (a bit like a cervical neck pillow).

Another cooling option, the Tuft & Needle Original pillow is made with infused graphite and cooling gel that left digital features editor Katherine McLaughlin majorly impressed. Many Amazon reviewers also noted the chill quality of the pillow and gushed about how it’s “hands down the best” or “the most comfortable pillow” they’ve ever used. After checking in with McLaughlin on her pick a year later, she says “it’s held up great—hasn’t gotten thinner or lost any of its plushness.”

Best Adjustable Pillow

The Brooklinen Marlow Pillow combines adjustable design with cooling comfort, making it one of the brand’s most versatile sleep staples. However, if you ask Fletcher, she would “for sure recommend this adjustable pillow to friends who appreciate more neck support.” Filled with cooling-infused memory foam and down alternative fibers, it features a unique dual-zipper system that allows you to customize the loft—unzipped for a softer feel, zipped for a firmer one—so it accommodates a wide range of sleeping positions. Finished with a breathable cotton shell and mesh panels that promote airflow, it’s designed to stay comfortable night after night.

Best Latex Pillow

Saatva’s long been an Instagram darling, which was exactly what made contributor Sydney Gore want to test it out for herself. The latex pillow comes recommended by chiropractors and orthopedists for its head and neck support, which came in handy for Gore and her longtime back issues. She woke up every morning feeling more rested than ever, which was exactly what made the Saatva our “best overall” pick in our best pillow testing. Other reviewers on Amazon attest to its quality, with one saying it was “worth every penny.” So if you’re asking yourself if you should make the jump despite the $165 price tag, the answer is yes.

Best Down Pillow

While Harrison loves her down alternative pillow (so good it got our best-of ranking for its category), her real love lies here, with this down pillow. A contentious rating on Amazon got her searching the comment section for its apparent downfalls and she discovered most of these complaints have to do with the pillows off-gassing, which she experienced none of (“it literally smells normal. As in: it doesn’t smell at all”). A few contenders complained that the fill isn’t firm enough, and after putting this pillow through the washer (you’re not supposed to do that) several times, it lost its shape. Harrison calls her medium firm choice “my most comfortable pillow—my guests steal them from my bed when I’m not looking.” Justice for the Boll & Branch Down Pillow. Do we have a “Most Misunderstood” superlative?

Best Deal

Two quality pillows for $30? We didn’t believe it until Baker gave this set two thumbs up. For the cost, she was concerned initially about how they’d hold up, but after several months “the pillows haven’t gotten slouchy or clumped up. The structure is nice too. The pillows sit upright and have a pretty crisp border that hasn’t looked deformed or saggy over time.” While the “soft” firmness is an option, Baker has this set in medium and says the down alternative fill is even and comfy.

A knockout from Brooklinen comes as no surprise to us, ardent fans of their whole catalog. Baker says this pick “feels fluffy without falling flat,” and notes its strong bounceback game. “It’s the airiest option I have on my bed. Its hypoallergenic fill is a standout feature since it’s so fluffy like down. The cotton sateen shell feels gentle against my skin without a pillowcase and breathable overall,” she says. Side sleepers might find this to be too soft for their liking, Baker folds her pillow in half to get a little extra support and keep neck pain away.

There are four (!) inserts inside this quilted shell. It does the work of our Coop top contender without messy mini pieces. It has adjustable memory foam layers so you can adjust the loft and firmness of your sleeping pillow as your preferences change (if they ever do). Or, as Alpert points out, “it’s actually the perfect pillow for a guest room because I have no idea about everyone’s sleeping preference, and with Layr, I don’t have to.” She also reassures us that the extra fill layers come with designated pillow covers for storage so you’re never haphazardly storing loose microfibers in your linen closet. The cooling insert is ideal for hot sleepers, and the removable cover makes for an easy wash.

“I sleep on this pillow almost every night, and if it wasn’t for the unique grid cloud texture, I would definitely mistake this for down because of its superior softness,” says Baker. This GelFlex pillow landed on our softest pillows roundup for its plushness. The silicone creates a silky softness even inside the pillow. Purple’s GelFlex Grid softly suspends Baker’s head to keep her from experiencing neck or shoulder pain, and its contouring shape affords a comfortable night to any type of sleeper, she says.

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Sijo Cooling Latex Pillow

$110

Amazon

Sijo’s Cooling Latex Pillow takes the brand’s modern, minimalist sleep ethos and pairs it with naturally breathable materials. “Not that anyone’s really shopping for aesthetics when it comes to pillows, but if there were a prize, Sijo would win for its beautiful, intricately stitched cover,” says Keong. “This pillow is for anyone who gets frustrated with the sag of down feathers since it has a genuine balloon-like buoyancy, combined with a perforated Talalay latex fill for ultimate breathability.” The TL;DR is this pillow that feels light, springy, and refreshingly cool and is ideal for hot sleepers who still want solid support.

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EIUE Hotel Collection Bed Pillows (Set of 2)

$19

Amazon

“I naturally gravitate towards plush pillows, and this set hasn’t disappointed,” Baker says. With both hollow and gel fibers, this pillow has a soft and firm side depending on your preference. A breathable cotton cover and down alternative microfiber make this skin-friendly, as well as machine-washable. This set’s plushness also boasts longevity—after months of use, Baker found she can “still feel the filling bounce back night in and night out.”

Nearly 1,000 five-star reviewers agree that this unique crescent-shaped pillow is a game-changer. Fletcher seconds these thoughts—“It’s got the perfect amount of firmness for me—I cannot stand a soft pillow.” Made with a breathable, CertiPUR-US-certified, copper-infused memory foam filling, it’s one made for side sleepers who run hot. “While a side sleeper pillow might look a little funny on your bed,” Fletcher says, “I love that it comes with its own fitted silk pillowcase, which is a) great for skin and hair and b) makes it look a little bit neater in my pillowscape.” If you’re willing to invest in a pricier pick, this could be the answer to your current pillow woes.

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Casper Sleep Original Pillow

$75

Amazon

$75

Casper

The Casper is best for hot sleepers on the hunt for a good cooling pillow, as contributor Madeleine Luckel experienced firsthand. She found that when Casper calls their pillow “medium firm,” they mean it. “Somehow the pillow stays pretty cool and it really is at some indescribable sweet spot in terms of its firmness,” Luckel says. The Casper actually belongs to her partner, and she likes it so much that she frequently tries to steal it. Luckel raves about how thick the pillow is, which plenty of reviewers on Amazon corroborate.

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Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow

$79

Amazon

$79

Wayfair

Tempur-Pedic, the brand that redefined the foam mattress category, channels its decades of sleep science into the TEMPUR-Cloud Pillow. Designed with the same pressure-relieving material found in its mattresses, the pillow adapts to the contours of your head and neck, easing tension and providing personalized support throughout the night. A breathable, washable cover adds a layer of practicality without diminishing the plushiness. For anyone who’s loved the brand’s beds, this pillow offers a more compact (but no less luxurious) way to bring Tempur-Pedic’s signature comfort into your nightly routine.

Once we sourced the pillows on Amazon from trusted brands and rave reviews, we doled them out to our staff, distributing across sleep preference. For example,side sleepers tested pillows advertised as supportive to keep the neck and spine aligned, hot sleepers tested cooling pillows, and plush-preferring sleepers tried pillows made of materials like latex or down. Over a period of weeks, we slept on these nightly to evaluate comfort, durability, and material. We also kept long-term physical effects or benefits, as those that eased back pain or offered heat relief were prioritized in our list of top picks for their effectiveness and quality.

Every selection from this list has either been tested by an AD editor for our best pillows roundup or was recommended by doctors in our best pillows for side sleepers story. When testing pillows, we considered what type of sleeping position our writers favored and what drew them to this pillow. They then slept with and lived with their pillows for a stretch of days, assessing the following criteria:

• Materials: Some of the most common pillow materials are memory foam, microfiber, and shredded latex. Our editors assessed their favorites based on the pillow cover and pillow fill materials that fit their sleep preferences, like options that offered a breathable feel for hot sleepers.
• Firmness: Our editors detailed how soft or firm the pillows felt after sleeping on them consistently for several nights. Firmness is determined by the fill material—latex and memory foam make for a firmer pillow, while down and down alternative typically make for plusher pillows. Some options above, like the Coop pillow, have adjustable fill, so you can determine how firm you’d like to make your pillow by removing or adding fill.
• Styles available: Our team kept an eye out for products available in a variety of sizes to suit their beds. For twin to full beds, standard is a great pick, and for queen, king, and California king beds, we’d recommend considering a queen or king-size pillow to fill out the space.
• Sleep preferences: In our testing, we evaluate our typical sleep preferences to test for pillows marketed to our sleep type. Side sleepers, back sleepers, and stomach sleepers are likely to all prefer different sizes, shapes, and fills in their pillows.