I spent $1000+ and 6 months testing pillows to find the best one on the market. Here are my results and insights!
Final Winner: 1 out of 9 (See Below for In Depth Review and Process)
In Depth Review And Process
For decades, I had been sleeping on whatever pillow I found at the department store. When moving residences, I would pick pillows that felt good at the store, but they didn’t perform when I had to sleep on them for eight hours a night. Finally, I decided to systematically go through a process of testing different pillows. I went through this process and ranked the pillows I found via the following method:
- Effectiveness at reducing neck pain
- Comfort
- Cover
- Return policy / warranty
- Value
Overall, the best pillow I slept on by far was the Dosaze Contoured Orthopedic Pillow. We enjoyed sleeping on the Dosaze Contoured Orthopedic pillow in all three sleep positions thanks to the innovative shape and design. The contour aligns your neck and back, which reduces pain, snoring, and gives you the best night of sleep ever. We also found it significantly cooler than the other pillows that we tested. I highly recommend this pillow as my top pick, especially for side-sleepers or people who sleep in a combination of positions.
Is It Worth It To Consider Pillows Under $50?
I personally do not think it is best to consider the options under $50. You will likely save money in the long run because the manufacturers of cheaper pillows tend to cut corners – these pillows also generally do not last as long. If you get the right pillow (even if it is more expensive), you’ll likely save money in the long run.
As an example, some memory foam pillows (especially those that are not CertiPUR certified) tend to use lower quality foam, which results in worse pillows. Down and down alternative pillows under $50 tend to use more quills than down clusters, which results in a pillow that will poke you. A lot of cheaper pillows also skimp out on the filling, which causes the pillows to provide less support and feel flat.
It is worth it to invest in a higher quality pillow – especially when you consider how much impact a better pillow can have on your sleep quality. The right pillow can help your sleep as much, if not more, than a new mattress (which is way more expensive).
This pillow is the top of the top, crème de la crème. I used to think it was normal to toss and turn in the middle of the night, but the innovative shape and the quality of the materials of the Dosaze Contoured Orthopedic pillow stopped that for me. The innovative shape really works wonders to keep my neck and back aligned, and I was so surprised by how much deeper my sleep was with this pillow. When testing this pillow, I woke up so much more well-rested.
The Dosaze Contoured Orthopedic Pillow is one of three “contoured orthopedic pillows” that I tried – (I also tried Epabo and Sutera) and Dosaze was by far the best one. The Dosaze pillow distinguishes itself in three ways. First, the contour is the perfect depth (it isn’t too deep or shallow). I found that Sutera was a bit too deep (and I didn’t like the sides of the Sutera pillow, but more on that later) and that Epabo was too shallow. Second, the Dosaze pillow is larger than the others, so there is more room to sleep on it (especially if you are a combination sleeper and roll around). Finally, the Dosaze pillow is CertiPUR-US certified – it’s made of premium, certified memory foam (Sutera and Epabo are not).
This pillow is great if you are a back, side, combination back and side, or stomach sleeper. Because the center of the pillow is a different height (lower) than the sides, you can sleep in the center as a back or stomach sleeper (who usually require lower heights) or on the edges of the pillow (which are higher) as a side sleeper. If you are a combination back and side sleeper, you can sleep on the edges of the pillow when side sleeping or roll to the center of the pillow when sleeping on your back. You cannot do this on the Sutera pillow (due to the “wings”).
It also provides the perfect combination of comfort and support – the foam isn’t too firm nor is it too soft. I would describe it as firm enough to support my head (so my neck stays aligned and my head doesn’t sink too much into the pillow, but also soft enough so that my ears do not hurt when I use it.
This pillow distinguishes itself from other pillows for neck pain in four ways (1) the quality of the materials (2) the innovative shape (3) the fact that it works for all sleepers and (4) the customer experience.
- quality materials – the foam in this pillow is CertiPUR-US certified (unlike many other pillows, including Sutera). The cover is also made of bamboo, unlike other pillows which tend to use 100% polyester or other scratchy materials. This memory foam has the perfect ILD (indentation load deflection). The foam is not too firm nor is it too soft.
- innovative shape – the innovative contour of this pillow is amazing. It does wonders to align your neck and back and keeps your neck in place throughout the night. This reduces neck pain, tension headaches, and even alleviates snoring and sleep apnea (because your airways won’t get blocked). Other pillows have tried to copy this shape, but I found this one to be the best, by far.
- Actually works for all sleepers – the shape of this pillow is ideal for two reasons: (1) it aligns your head and neck and keeps it in place and (2) if you are a combination sleeper (and sleep on your back and side), you can sleep on the edge of the pillow (which is higher) when you side sleep and you can roll into the middle of the pillow (into the contour) when you sleep on your back. Stomach sleepers (who usually stay on their stomachs) can sleep in the contour.
- customer experience – I had the best experience purchasing this pillow. The Dosaze team was incredibly responsive when my pillow got lost in the mail, and sent me one free of charge. They also offer a 60 day sleep trial and 3-year-warranty.
This pillow is seriously a case of you get what you pay for – with high quality materials, an innovative shape, and incredible customer service and experience, this pillow is the best option if you want to alleviate neck pain.
And don’t take our word for it, other review sites have come to the same conclusion on the Dosaze pillow being the best pillow for neck pain. You can even check out the Dosaze pillow reviews on the site itself, if you don’t believe us.
You can see that this pillow is great for side and back sleepers. For back sleepers, it is perfect to sleep with your head in the contour. For side sleepers, it is great to sleep on the edges of the pillow – it will fill your shoulder gap and ensure that you sleep in perfect alignment all night long. If you are a combination sleeper, you can roll from on side to the middle and to the other side.
UPDATE (3 months later!): I’ve been sleeping on this pillow for 3 months now, and it is still the best one. I’m super satisfied with the overall quality and durability of this pillow. I usually toss this pillow in the dryer on low heat to give it a bit of a fluff. This has been the best investment for me in terms of improving my overall sleep quality!
Best known for their mattresses, the Swedish company also has a great array of foam pillow products. It is ergonomically-sound and made with memory foam in order to give you solid support when you’re on your side or back. Additionally, the pillow is contoured in order to curve naturally around your head, neck, and shoulders to prevent any unnecessary stress or pressure on pivotal joints. While the polyester outer layer can be removed and machine washed, it’s important to note that this product does have an odd time fitting into pillowcases.
This is a great pillow produced by a well-known company. You can tell by feeling the memory foam that it is high quality. This is a great pillow for side sleepers, but it isn’t as good for combination back and side sleepers. The primary reason for this is that the contour is merely a single “wave” – this wave doesn’t prevent your head from moving side to side as a back or combination sleeper, and so it doesn’t align your neck as well as other contoured memory foam pillows.
When I lay my head down on this pillow, it feels a bit too firm. While I feel supported, the foam kind of hurt my ears (especially when I slept on my side).
If you’re looking for a trusted name in the industry, this is a good option. However, we feel as though there are other, better designed pillows in the market. This company specializes in mattresses, and while their pillow offering is good, it isn’t the best available, especially for the price.
As you can see, this pillow was relatively aligned when I slept on my side, but it was too high when I slept on my back. This pillow has a “contour” which can be helpful, but because it is one consistent height throughout the pillow, it actually isn’t best for combination sleepers who require different heights when sleeping in different positions.
This charcoal infused memory memory foam pillow is a quick response memory foam pillow – you can definitely feel the quality of the fill when you sleep on it. The pillow is a good level of firmness – it isn’t too firm and it not too soft. It definitely provides enough support for your head.
The pillow also sleeps relatively cool – the charcoal infused memory foam is also ventilated which promotes air flow. It is overall a good pillow, but we had two primary issues with this pillow.
- Price / Value – this pillow is on the pricier side, there is simply no other way to put it. While the fill is good quality, we would have also expected a higher quality cover (than just cotton) for a pillow of this price. We think the quality of this pillow justifies some price increase, but definitely not this large of a price increase
- No specific neck pain reduction features – this is a great overall pillow, but it doesn’t do too much too help reduce neck pain. It is not adjustable and does not have an innovative shape or design to help reduce neck pain, and you can tell by sleeping on this pillow. It definitely does not help reduce neck pain as much as other pillows do, but it is a high quality pillow nonetheless.
The GhostBed GhostPillow is a very good pillow for general use – it is adjustable and can suit the needs of many different kinds of people. Our primary issue with this pillow is that it doesn’t specifically help with neck pain.
In my experience, neck pain is mostly due to incorrect alignment between your neck and back. Your neck and back can become misaligned vertically and horizontally. This pillow helps with the vertical misalignment – i.e., you can adjust the pillow so that it is the correct height for your neck and back. However, it does not do much to align your neck horizontally – i.e., while you sleep your neck can tilt left or right and this will cause strain to build up and you to wake up with neck pain.
I again would recommend this pillow for a general audience (or maybe for your guest room, if you really like your guests!), but not for someone who is specifically dealing with neck pain.
Some other minor complaints I had with the pillow are the following:
- Over time, it becomes harder to fluff
- The pillow isn’t 100% memory foam fill and you can tell vs. other adjustable fill pillows – this fill doesn’t provide as much support as 100% memory foam pillows.
- The adjustable fill can get messy
As you can see, this pillow doesn’t really align your neck horizontally — the difference might seem slight, but it is important and can be a cause of that “crink” in your neck when you wake up.
The NTCOCO pillow is another solid pillow for general use – it is adjustable and can suit the needs of many different kinds of people. Our primary issue with this pillow is that it doesn’t specifically help with neck pain.
I would recommend this pillow for a general audience (or maybe for your guest room, if you really like your guests!), but not for someone who is specifically dealing with neck pain.
I found that my neck was moving back and forth on this pillow, and so I would wake up with a “crink” in my neck. This was the case both when I was sleeping on my side and when I was sleeping on my back. For someone looking to alleviate neck pain, this pillow is probably not the best option.
Some other minor complaints I had with the pillow are the following:
- The cover, while it does contain bamboo wasn’t the best. I don’t think they used the highest quality memory foam or polyester
- While the cover does feel cool at first, it tends to heat up quickly. It also isn’t the most smooth, and you can feel the textured pattern on your skin when sleeping
- The adjustable fill can get messy and there isn’t a ready place to store it
This memory foam pillow pillow provides contouring pressure relief and combines it with a cooling fabric and ventilated core. However, it is a bit on the expensive end and we also didn’t love the feeling of the cover.
I like that there are two distinct sides to this pillow – one is cooler and one is softer, but these two sides don’t do too much in terms of helping with neck pain.
The trial is also relatively short (30 days), so you have less time to decide if you like it or not and be careful — they only allow one return per household.
The main I have with this pillow (and most pillows to be honest!) is that I am a combination side and back sleeper (as most people are!) and that most pillows only have one height throughout the pillow. One consistent height might be okay if you only sleep on your back or side, but if you sleep on both, you need a pillow that has multiple heights. In my opinion, this is a great benefit of the contoured orthopedic pillows that have a dip in the middle (for back sleeping) and are higher on the edges (for side sleeping).
As you can see, this pillow (even when zipped) is clearly too high. It can work for some people, but definitely not everyone.
This pillow is a lower quality version of the Dosaze Contoured Orthopedic one. It is smaller, made of lower quality materials (fill and cover), and not as comfortable. I found that the memory foam in this pillow was not as comfortable as the memory foam in other pillows. The cover is also a bit scratchy (as it is 100% polyester).
I found that this pillow is okay for back sleeping, but less good for side sleeping. The contour of the pillow works okay if you sleep on your back (although again it was a bit too shallow for me), but when you sleep on your side the pillow is not thick enough to fill your shoulder gap, which can cause alignment issues. I also found that the foam on this pillow is noticeably firmer than that of other pillows. This does a lot for providing support, but does not do much in terms of providing comfort.
While this pillow is a bit cheaper than other alternatives, it is not the best product in terms of quality and might need to be replaced more quickly. Add to this the fact that the pillow only has a 3o day trial period (and sometimes it can take that long to really get used to a new pillow) and does not come with a warranty, and this pillow is kind of a gamble. This cheaper version might work for y0u and it might not – and you don’t have that much time to decide.
I essentially felt like 100% of my body weight was on my shoulder when I slept on my side on the epabo pillow. There was a lot of pressure on my shoulder as I kind of “sank” into my bed to meet the pillow. The memory foam wasn’t supportive (or high) enough for me.
This pillow is another spin on the ergonomic / contoured shaped pillow – I found in my testing that is has a couple of noticeable benefits/costs. The “supportive” neck nook as they call it, is comfortable, but it lacks some support. Unlike the Mkicesky pillow, this pillow is a bit too soft and lacks the necessary support to properly align your neck and back.
I also found that the “butterfly” wings were a bit unnecessary and kind of got in the way. In fact, they made it much more difficult to sleep on your side. A huge point about pillows and sleep positions is that different sleep positions require different heights – naturally, a stomach sleeper requires a lower height than a back sleeper who requires a lower height than a side sleeper. In Misiki’s own sleep diagram, they recommend sleeping in the same “nook” whether you are a back, side or stomach sleeper.
This is not the ideal position for all sleepers – in my opinion, the Misiki pillow is best for back sleepers. If you sleep on your side, the “nook” is not high enough. Unlike the Dosaze pillow, where as a side sleeper, you can comfortably sleep on the edges of the pillow (which are higher and will fill your shoulder gap), the butterfly wings on the Misiki pillow actually get in the way if you try to sleep on the edges of the pillow. And if you try to “side” sleep in the “nook” of the center of the pillow, it is not high enough.
The Misiki pillow is also one that is a bit of a risk – you can definitely try it out, but be aware that you don’t have that much time to test it.
As you can see, this pillow is a decent solution for exclusively back sleepers, but it does not work as well for side sleepers. Add to that the fact that the return policy and warranty aren’t the best, and purchasing this pillow is a bit of a risk. That being said, it isn’t the most expensive and it could work for you if you try it out – just be sure you’re willing to keep it if it doesn’t work! (or risk not being able to return it or having to pay a substantial fee to return it).
The biggest issue here is that the center of the pillow isn’t high enough for side sleepers, and the “wings” get in the way and aren’t comfortable for side sleepers if you try to sleep on them (see above).
The pureDown pillow is good for someone looking for a classic pillow feel, but not great for someone trying to reduce neck pain.
While the pillow is very soft, it doesn’t do much in terms of providing support and honestly, I found that it fell flat a bit too easily – for me personally, this was a bit too much to handle.
The pillow also does not promote alignment in any particular way, so your head, neck, and spine may get out of alignment.
Conclusions
For most sleepers (side, back, and combination) with neck pain, I highly recommend the Dosaze Contoured Orthopedic Pillow. The quality of the foam, the innovative shape, and the cover are all best in class. And if you don’t like it, you have 60 full days to return. That being said, you can try any of the pillows on this list and see for yourself, hopefully risk-free (well except for a few!).
Disclosure: HomeHacks has relationships with some of the products listed in this article. We may earn a varying commission if you purchase any of the products on this list.
