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Whether you sleep on your front, back or side, you’ll drift off with ease with one of these
Whether it’s mattresses, pillows, duvets or fitted sheets, making sure your sleep set-up is to your taste is essential for making sure you get enough shut-eye. If it’s the best memory foam pillow you’re after, you’ve come to the right place. These hi-tech head-huggers are ergonomic, breathable and quite frankly brilliant.
If you suffer from neck, back or shoulder pain, a firmer memory foam pillow may be a good way to go. “Firm pillows tend to support the head at the correct height when sleeping on the side or back, and thus reduce strain at these regions,” says Professor Neal L Millar, professor of orthopaedic surgery and honorary consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the University of Glasgow.
He continues: “They can also absorb motion and prevent it from transferring, creating more stability in the neck region. By distributing weight, memory foam pillows provide relief for pressure points that cause pain. However, everyone’s needs are different and if the pillow is too firm then, equally, this could cause more pain and sleep disturbance. Trying different brands will give you a good idea of what works for you.”
Testing these pillows involved lots of sleeping. We used the pillows in a wide range of scenarios: on camping trips, to see how they fared on uneven surfaces; on hot, muggy nights when temperature regulation was a priority; and on cooler nights when we were simply craving something snug and soft.
We’d recently suffered a quad-biking accident that had left us with a broken rib and a strained neck and shoulders. The silver lining to this injury is it provided the perfect opportunity to give these pillows thorough testing – never have we placed more value on a pillow that offers optimal support without compromising on breathability (our injury meant we spent significantly more time in bed than we usually do, to put it bluntly).
One of the most hi-tech pillows we’ve come across, this slab of sleep-inducing perfection is seriously impressive, offering firmness paired with unbeatable air circulation. We tested it on a particularly muggy night and woke up well-rested, with none of the clammy-faced discomfort associated with other pillows.
The temperature reactive part isn’t just a gimmick, either – we could clearly see the holes that allow air to circulate, and the material had a definite coolness when we rested our head against it. One side is textured and one side is smooth, but both offer the same cooling sensation. The design also ensured the material stayed fresh-smelling, even after one week of use. Nobody likes a pongy pillow, after all.
In our humble opinion, you can’t go wrong with Slumberdown – not simply because we’re seduced by the name, but because the size and success of the brand allow it to pack its pillows with features rarely seen on ones at this price point. A firm support pillow designed with side sleepers in mind, this pillow achieves the holy grail of great support paired with freedom of movement.
We’re prone to shifting around in the night, but this pillow’s super-soft material (both the cover and the hollow fibre filling, which is surrounded by a layer of memory foam) ensured we didn’t remain outside of the land of nod for long.
This one is a brilliant option for back sleepers, and has just the right amount of support – it’s firm but still has a certain moldability (because nobody likes sleeping on a brick, after all). Our first impression was that our head was some distance from the bed (due to the pillow’s firmness), but the top-notch memory foam soon did its thing and our head sank blissfully into the optimum position. Our top tip? Even if you usually double up, you won’t need to with this one, due to its firmness.
The perfect pillow to lull side and back sleepers into their deepest sleep yet, Kally’s neck pain pillow (which we can’t help but feel could have been given a more appealing name) looks unashamedly quirky, with a butterfly-shaped design and a slightly smaller size. It certainly feels a little odd at first – the memory foam takes longer than most foams to rebound – but we were quickly converted.
The combination of its central groove and top-quality memory foam allowed this pillow to mould around our head, shoulders and neck with an accuracy that was incredibly supportive but unobtrusive. Despite testing this during a week when a minor injury had flared up a bout of shoulder pain, we enjoyed one of the most comfortable night’s sleep we can recall.
We’re aware a jaunty trim doesn’t have any reflection on the quality of a pillow, but we can’t help but wish more pillow manufacturers shunned the all-white approach and followed Duvalay’s lead, adding a splash of colour to the sea of white.
This is a full-bodied pillow that claims to use what the brand calls “airwave design” in conjunction with super-soft memory foam that keeps cool and is breathable and supportive.
It was twice as deep as our old pillow but, despite this extra depth, we awoke without the neck ache we feared. The brand also claims its design can help reduce snoring, although the jury’s out on this one, given we’re not prone to this trait.
One of the most hi-tech memory foam pillows you’ll find for less than £40, this wallet-friendly option from Octasmart relies on eight-sided foam springs to provide the perfect balance of support and comfort. It also relies on cooling technology to help regulate temperature.
Whether our sleep was 25 times cooler remains to be seen (simply because it’s almost impossible to work out) but, on a muggy night, we stayed surprisingly cool, and the pillow did a great job of moulding to our head, back and shoulders, too.
Nothing is more likely to keep us awake at night than a blocky pillow with rigid sides, and we loved the gentle contours of this pillow, designed with sloping edges and a slight curve, which did a brilliant job of supporting our neck and head. It’s a great option for side sleepers, and we loved that the cover it comes with could be washed at 60C – all too often a maximum of 40C is recommended. Bed bugs, be gone.
The Therapur pillow has an open cell structure to help regulate temperature (aided by a layer of cooling gel). Ideal for side sleepers, it offers a decent level of support – it’s officially ranked as firm – and did a great job of keeping our temperature under control.
However, the price is on the high side – there are plenty of similar quality pillows that do all of the above but come with a much more palatable price tag.
We’ve got a confession to make: we’ve never tried a neck pillow, and have always wondered how a horseshoe-shaped piece of foam can ever be comfortable. But this one had us at hello. Admittedly, it won’t deflate, so you’ll struggle to stash it into your handbag, but with this level of comfort and support, it’s a sacrifice we’ll happily make.
Memory foam pillows are good at conforming to the shape of your neck and head, which can stop you from sinking too far into the pillow. This added support helps to keep your cervical spine in line, which can help your posture in the long run.
The best type of pillow for side sleepers is either a memory foam pillow or an orthopaedic pillow. This is because those who sleep on their side can damage their spine’s natural alignment if their head is positioned either too high or too low while snoozing. Unlike feather or down pillows, memory foam ones are designed to cushion vulnerable pressure points on the head and ensure the neck remains in the optimum position.
Sadly, no. The motions of both dryers and washing machines can easily damage the memory foam. The good news? The pillows’ accompanying covers can normally be washed, although, you’ll typically need to keep to a temperature of 30C max. Always check the label to get the lowdown on laundry issues.
This one’s open for debate. In a nutshell? Not quite as long as traditional down pillows. Typically, memory foam pillows will last for two to three years, but take the time to keep an eye on the memory foam and how it feels and responds.
It’s a myth that memory foam pillows are heat magnets. Ten years ago, this was a more understandable assumption, but the memory foam used in today’s pillows is generally much more hi-tech, and typically has features such as air holes and areas of foam and down, to ensure brilliant temperature regulation.
In short, yes. They’re also good for back and shoulder pain, but, obviously, this is subjective – it’s essential you take the time to read up on the pillow’s shape, the materials used and its weight, length and firmness, because all of these things can make a difference.
Dunelm’s temperature reactive memory foam firm-support pillow is the winner here, simply because it ticks all the boxes – it’s great value, has a hi-tech design and had us drifting off to the land of nod in record time. Meanwhile, Dorma down surround memory foam medium support pillow is an absolutely brilliant option for anyone who likes their pillows on the firm side.
You’ve got the pillow, now you need the mattress – read our mattress buying guide to find the best one for you