Before You Buy A Pillow For Back Sleepers
Before you continue reading, we must emphasize that there is no such a product that will be comfortable for every back sleeper in UK. We have singled out pillows that we think most back sleeper are going to like, but there are always exceptions. That is one of the main reasons why sleep companies usually offer trial.
Also, attention should be paid to medical conditions. If someone suffers from arthritis, fibromyalgia or has had neck and spine surgery, for example, he or she should consult a doctor before buying a mattress and pillow. Otherwise there is a possibility something will bother you and make your health problem worse.
Who Should Use A Body Pillow
Anyone looking to adjust their sleep surface and enjoy support for more potential sleep positions may benefit from a body pillow. However, body pillows might appeal most to pregnant women, side sleepers, back pain sufferers, stomach sleepers, people recovering from surgery, and those with chronic pain.
Pregnant Women: A pregnant womans belly adds weight around her midsection, which can create back discomfort. Doctors usually advise pregnant women to sleep on their sides, and a body pillow can make this more comfortable by providing extra support. C-shaped and U-shaped body pillows are especially popular for their distinct cradling sensation.
Side Sleepers: Side sleepers often experience discomfort in their hips, shoulders, and knees as a result of their sleep position. Sleeping with a body pillow can help prevent the upper shoulder from slouching, separate the knees to limit pressure, and help keep the pelvis better aligned with the spine.
Those with Back Pain: Body pillows can help support the neck and spine, which may relieve back discomfort. This extra support may also enable the muscles to relax more fully, thereby preventing some of the aches and pains that typically occur when a sleeper unknowingly tenses their muscles to keep their spine aligned.
What Is The Best Pillow For Neck Pain
The best pillow for neck pain is one that supports your neck and spinal alignment, ensuring your neck isn’t in an unnatural position at night. We think that Original Casper Pillow is one of the best pillows for neck support.
Remember that using the wrong pillow — one that is too lofty or firm — can contribute to neck pain. Always make sure you use the best pillow for your sleeping position.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
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How Do I Clean A Body Pillow
Care instructions vary between body pillow models. Customers should follow these instructions carefully to preserve the longevity of their body pillow. Many body pillows have removable, machine washable covers for easy cleaning. Some pillows can also be laundered, but you should not attempt this unless the care instructions provide specific instructions because some fill materials will sustain damage if washed.
Best Pillow On A Budget
At about $22 per pillow, the Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillows are an inexpensive option that still offers a comfortable, supportive night’s sleep.
- Fill: Gel fiber down alternative
- Firmness: Moderate
- Sizes available: Queen and king
- Care instructions: Wash on a delicate cycle using cold water. Lay flat to dry.
- Who it’s best for: Side and back sleepers
Pros: Inexpensive, soft and stackable, sleeps relatively cool, machine washable, good for stomach and side sleepers, 30-day return window, hypoallergenic
Cons: Side sleepers will likely need two or more of these pillows, pillows are not adjustable
If you’re the type of person that can fall asleep just about anywhere or you’re primarily concerned about price, the Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow is the best bang for your buck.
These pillows are on the thinner side but have a gentle, down-like plushness that sets them apart from other inexpensive pillows I’ve tried. While they’re more squishy than supportive, they’re a good choice for stomach sleepers back sleepers and anyone who likes to hug, fold, or stack their pillows at night.
I’ve spent several months sleeping with these pillows on and off, and they haven’t gone flat or gotten lumpy. They are a little less lofty and bouncy than when I first got them, but I like that since it gives them a more lived-in feel.
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Factors To Consider When Choosing A Pillow
The market is flooded with dozens of pillows that have expert marketing and appealing advertising. It’s easy to jump at the chance to “sleep on a cloud,” but the reality is that not every pillow will work for you. Which pillow is right for you will depend on your preferences, price range and sleeping position. However, that are several other factors you should consider when shopping for the best pillows. Let’s go through each.
Check The Return Policy
Since one pillow will not work for everyone, make sure to check the brands return policy. Many brands offer a trial period or returns, but some brands do not allow you to return the pillow. Youll want to choose a pillow with a good return policy so you can return it if it doesnt work for you unless youre willing to risk not being able to return it.
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How Do You Wash A Pillow
Thanks to the various pillow materials, you can’t just throw your pillow in the washing machine and hope for the best anymore. Yes, some pillows are entirely machine washable with cool water, but many have removable covers that you can wash. It’s important to check the label for cleaning recommendations. Some of the best pillows, like memory foam, are hand wash only.
Coop Home Goods Original Loft Pillow
- Price point: $$
- Fill: memory foam
Key features: Its affordable, adjustable, and has an abundance of positive reviews from customers just a few reasons why we consider Coop Home Goods to be the best-rated pillow for back sleepers.
This pillow seems to work well for anyone whos looking for a balance of soft and firm, with enough support to encourage proper posture. Plus, since its fully adjustable, youre in control of the loft and height. Simply add or remove the foam to determine what works best for you.
This top pick is hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant. And it comes with a 100-night guarantee. If youre not satisfied, contact customer service for a full refund, no questions asked.
Considerations: Some customers report that the pillow sleeps hot. Also, you may want to let it sit out for a while before tossing it on your bed. This pillow can have an odor when it first comes out of the package. Plus, its only available in queen and king sizes, so you may need to keep looking if you want a standard size.
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Best Firmness And Loft For Back Sleepers
If youre a back sleeper, finding the right pillow should be fairly straight forward. You want to ensure your spine is in alignment while you sleep, which usually means a pillow with a loft and firmness at a medium level should suit you. However, not everyone is created equal, so more petite sleepers or heavier people may need to adjust that standard. Typically a loft of 3-4 inches should lift your head enough to take pressure off your neck, and a medium-firm pillow will provide proper support.
Can Those Who Are Pregnant Sleep On Their Backs
The United Kingdoms National Health Service states that people who are 28 weeks pregnant and sleep on their back double the risk of stillbirth.
However, the NHS also says that people should not worry if they wake up on their backs. People tend to stay in the position they fall asleep in most of the time they are sleeping. People who are pregnant should move position to their side if they wake up on their back.
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Tips For Buying And Using A Pillow For Back Sleepers
The first tip we can give you when buying a pillow for back sleepers is to pay attention to each part of the pillow. If you like the shape, for example, that’s not enough. You need to check the firmness and loft as well. Breathability and hypoallergenic features are a must too. If your pillow is comfortable, but you have an allergic reaction, then it is useless.
Maintenance is also very important. Polyester pillows are usually fully machine washable, while others have washable covers. You have to check whether the cover is removable or not. If it is not removable, you will need additional pillowcase since there is no other way to maintain it.
- Loft, firmness and shape are equally important, and back sleepers should aim for a golden mean.
- Choose pillow that has a warranty because in most cases this indicates that its service life is on average longer.
- Removable cover or fully machine washable one of the two is a big plus.
Fill Types And Firmness
There are many different types of fill available for pillows the most common are shredded foam or latex, down, down alternative and molded foam. Its also becoming popular to mix different types of fills to reap the benefits of each fill type. Tal says that just about any type of fill would work for back sleepers, but the key is to make sure the fill is supportive enough so it doesnt fall flat but also not so bulky that it makes the pillow too high.
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How To Choose A Pillow
The best pillow for sleeping varies from person to person, and there is no single perfect pillow for everyone. To find your ideal pillow, you must consider your sleep position, firmness preferences, and different design aspects of pillows youre considering.
This section guides you through the various pillow qualities to evaluate while pillow shopping. Once you know what to look for, you can feel confident that youre truly buying the pillow that best fits your needs.
Our Pillow Testing Methodology
To learn more about what to look for in a pillow, we spoke with Rebecca Robbins, sleep researcher, author, and instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and associate scientist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. However, there is no one-size-fits-all, best pillow for everyone.
Individual anatomy, sleep habits, and preferences profoundly impact how comfortable a pillow will be from person to person. For that reason, our rating criteria for this guide relied heavily on the following considerations:
Return policy and trial period: It’s impossible to know how comfortable a pillow is going to be for you until you sleep on it, despite how comprehensive our guide aims to be. “The most important thing is trying the pillows out to see what works for you,” said Robbins, which includes being able to touch, lay on, and sleep with a pillow before deciding if it’s right for you. For this guide, we only considered pillows that accept returns of used merchandise for a full refund with at least a 30-day trial window, which gives you ample time to decide if a pillow is right for you.
Adjustability: We prioritized adjustable pillows with removable inserts or shredded fill for dialing in your perfect loft. This creates a more custom pillow that would better suit your needs.
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Find The Right Mattress
Back sleepers dont just need the right pillow they also need a mattress that supports their sleeping position.
In general, avoid a mattress that is too soft or firm, especially if you are prone to low back pain. The ideal mattress will provide a medium level of firmness to keep your body in a supported position.
If possible, seek recommendations from a sleep or mattress expert who can help you choose a mattress with the right firmness and pressure points.
What Are The Best Pillows For Hot Sleepers
If you tend to sleep hot, you may find pillows with down or down alternative filling such as the Casper Original Pillow, Parachute Down Alternative Pillow, Saatva Pillow, or Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillows have better airflow than memory foam pillows.
Some memory foam pillows have started advertising “gel foam” that purportedly keeps your cooler. However, we haven’t found that this type of foam produces a marked difference in comfort for hot sleepers. If you absolutely must have a foam pillow, the Leesa Hybrid Pillow is the coolest foam pillow we’ve found.
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Why Trust Good Housekeeping
Lexie Sachs is the executive director of the Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees testing to find the best bedding, including pillows. Lexie has been analyzing pillow data since she joined Good Housekeeping in 2013 and reviewed hundreds of pillow test scores before making these recommendations. She is often called upon as a pillow expert for TV and other media segments.
Our most recent pillow tests have been performed by senior textiles analyst Emma Seymour. Emma has rigorously tested more than 100 pillows in the Textiles Lab in the past two years, and she has coordinated pillow sleep testing with hundreds of at-home reviewers. Emma has a B.S. in Fiber Science from Cornell University and has been testing bedding for more than three years at Good Housekeeping.
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How We Tested The Best Pillows
Our team of experts tested these pillows the only way you can — by sleeping on them. When testing the best pillows, we kept in mind important factors like feel, firmness and performance. We tested the pillows from every sleeping style, ensuring that we can confidently recommend the best pillow for everyone. Additionally, pillows were compared by price, adjustability and trial length.
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Best Pillow For Back Sleepers Overview
Sleeping on your back is beneficial for a few reasons, cosmetically and health-wise. When you sleep facing the ceiling it can help prevent acid reflux, wrinkles and premature aging. Back sleepers should make sure their pillow accommodates their sleeping style because those additional perks dont mean nearly as much if your quality of sleep is suffering.
In this list, weve included options from well-known online brands like Tuft & Needle and Purple, and other pillows that we thought have stood out to us like the GhostPillow. We curate our Best Lists based on the opinion of our different team members, who all have different weights, sizes, and a favorite sleeping position. Below weve listed a few of our favorite pillows for back sleepers, and you can find their individual reviews in each section if you want to learn more.
The position you sleep in should have a major influence on the pillow you decide to purchase. Petite to average-sized back sleepers need one without a ton of loft , while heavier back sleepers can get away with a loftier pillow for more support. As a rule of thumb, regardless of your size, your neck should make a slight C curve. Essentially, you should be looking more towards the ceiling than the wall in front of you when youre laying on it.
Best Latex Pillow For Back Sleepers: Malouf Z
Why Youll Like It: If you want a good quality pillow that is affordable and loves the feel of natural latex, the Malouf Z latex pillow is a good match for you.
You can buy this pillow in 3 sizes, as firm or soft, and you can customize the loft, making it perfect for all types of sleepers. The pillow is made of Talalay latex which reduces the pressure placed on the head and neck, aligning the spine for a better nights sleep. You get a cradling effect from the latex, which supports the head and neck very well to ease neck and back pain. Its a very lightweight pillow, so you can take it with you wherever you go. The pillow is well ventilated and regulates body temperature so you dont wake up sweating. It comes with a 100 percent natural cotton removable cover. Its not a good option if you have a latex allergy though.
Pros: can be used by all types of sleepers, 5-year U.S. warranty, is soft while still giving ample support, comes in 3 sizes and thicknesses and can be adjusted, is lightweight, fully ventilated, and washable.
Cons: some buyers complained about the initial smell when first opening the package, however, this fades after the pillow has been aired. Its not suitable for those with a latex allergy and the firmness can take time to adjust to.
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How We Chose Our Products
Our team of sleep specialists tested many pillows currently on the market, using proprietary analysis and hands-on testing to find the best of the best for our readers. When building our roundup for the best pillows for back sleepers, we paid special attention to support, durability, loft, and quality of materials.
Pillows made for back-sleeping require different attributes than pillows made for other positions like stomach-sleeping, so we made sure to keep this in mind when it came to selecting pillows with a proper loft. Additionally, we featured pillows that should maintain their support and durability through the night to keep your spine properly aligned. Lastly, we wanted to place an emphasis on pillows featuring quality materials.
For more, we encourage you to check out our Buyers Guide at the bottom of the page. There we take a deeper dive into all of these attributes so you can make the most informed purchase possible.
