The Best Neck Pain Pillows to Save Your Spine

Not even the best mattress can make up for an uncomfortable pillow. Your pillow supports your neck while you sleep, allowing you to rest with your spine fully aligned. If your pillow isn’t the right size, or doesn’t properly support your head, it may contribute to chronic neck pain during the day, along with any number of other issues that arise when you aren’t getting a good night’s sleep.

Buying a new pillow is one of the quickest and easiest short-term solutions for chronic neck pain. Getting a pillow made to accommodate your specific sleeping style–on your side, back or stomach–doesn’t have to be a huge investment. That said, there’s a wide range of styles and options, so we’re here to help you find a pillow that can hopefully give you a better night’s sleep.

Best Pillows for Neck Pain

The Expert: The search for a pillow that doesn’t cause neck pain led me to test out a dozen different pillows and speak to experts on how to choose the right pillow for an individual’s specific needs. In addition to contributing to Popular Mechanics, I’ve reviewed tech and lifestyle products for Popular Science, Tom’s Guide, Mashable, First for Women and more.

How to Reduce Neck Strain at Night

The way you sleep may not be the only cause of neck pain during the day. Poor posture from sitting at a computer or a number of other injuries can exacerbate the problem. Neck pain is so common that about one in three people experience it at least once a year, according to the National Institutes of Health. The good news is you can help mitigate and prevent some strain by making sure your pillow provides you with the appropriate support. (But see your doctor if chronic neck pain persists.)

According to Michael Breus, Ph.D., known as the Sleep Doctor, and a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, your pillow thickness should keep your head, neck, and shoulders all aligned with your spine. For instance, side sleepers will need higher pillows to better fill the gap between shoulders and head, stomach sleepers need thinner pillows to not cause strain from the head tilting backwards, and back sleepers typically benefit from somewhere in between. “If you have neck pain and sleep on your back, look for a pillow that provides additional support while maintaining the softness that’s comfortable for you,” recommends Dr. Breus.

What to Consider When Buying Pillows

While any of our favorite pillows might provide enough support to keep your spine aligned, there are specialty pillows made specifically to support the neck for people who struggle with chronic neck pain. Often labeled “contour” or “cervical” pillows, neck support pillows usually have a curvature or gap that conforms to your head and supports your neck. That said, there are also plenty of conventional pillows that offer great neck support: They’re usually thicker than your average pillow, and made from a material that conforms to the shape of whatever’s resting on it—think memory foam.

Filling

Aside from a distinctive shape, people looking to reduce neck pain and strain should look for a pillow that’s firm and retains its shape a bit, so it can hold your neck, rather than simply cushion it. Memory foam, whether solid or shredded, is better than most down or down alternative pillows because foam is usually very firm and allows your head and neck to sink into it, providing more support. We also recommend looking for an adjustable pillow filled with shredded memory foam, since you can remove or add filling to achieve the perfect height.

Cover

The majority of the pillows on this list come with a removable, machine-washable cover, which will help maintain your pillow in the long run. Without a cover, a pillow will get dirty and discolored much faster, with no easy option to clean it. Many people prefer cotton since it’s soft and breathable. However, polyester is more common, particularly among low-cost options.

Care Instructions

Pillows (and the pillowcases that come with them) usually have specific care instructions, such as to wash in the laundry on low heat. A machine washable cover is the easiest solution for long-term care. Some inner pillows can be washed, but some materials, like memory foam, cannot.

How We Selected The Best Pillows For Neck Pain

We started our research to discover the best pillows for neck pain by consulting the Sleep Doctor, Dr. Michael Breus, for his recommendations on how to choose a pillow to reduce neck strain. Then, we read reviews from several expert sources, such as Good Housekeeping, Sleep Foundation, and Sleep Advisor. We also considered consumer reviews from retail sites like Amazon and Wayfair. We selected pillows with features like multiple size options, accommodating shapes, adjustable fillings, hypoallergenic and machine-washable covers, cooling materials, and trial periods and warranties to ensure you can get the right option for your sleep style.