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Best Pillows for Combination Sleepers

For combination sleepers who are struggling to find the perfect pillow that fits your personal preference, we’ve got your answer!

By Daniel Grogan

Combination sleepers are a rare breed with a unique sleep style. You don’t just settle on sleeping in one position. You spend your night switching from back, to stomach, to sides, which can make for an unusual sleep experience. While combination sleeping can make it difficult to find comfort, there are ways to help, such as finding the right pillow.

We understand the difficulties in finding the right pillow. Luckily, we’ve managed to narrow down different pillows in various categories such as best in cooling, best pillow for neck pain, best memory foam, and more. Read on to see our top choices for the best pillows for combination sleepers. Once you’ve found the right pillow for you, take a look at our best mattresses for combination sleepers article.

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Best Pillows for Combination Sleepers

Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow

Editor’s Pick

Our Editor’s Pick for the best pillow for combination sleepers goes to Tempur-Pedic’s Tempur-Cloud. This extra-soft pillow is made with Tempur-Pedic’s trademark TEMPUR material, which features an open cellular structure that adapts to your weight, shape, and body temperature, giving a truly customized experience for each individual sleeper.

Unlike traditional memory foam, TEMPUR material doesn’t create that hugging sensation that may cause you to feel trapped and unable to roll over at night, making it truly ideal for combination sleepers who need to change positions while they rest. We also want to point out how the Tempur-Cloud compresses easily, so you can pack it up and take it with you for comfortable sleeping on the go. With a $79 starting price tag, you’re getting a terrific value with this pillow option.

Birch Pillow

Best Organic Pillow for Combination Sleepers

The Birch Pillow earns its spot as the top organic pillow for a variety of reasons. Made of organic cotton, natural Talalay latex, and cruelty-free wool, this plush and breathable pillow wicks away moisture and heat from your head and neck, ensuring you stay cool at night.

The Birch Pillow is GREENGUARD Gold and GOTS certified, due to the fact that it’s free of any polyurethane-based foams and other harsh chemicals, and also produced in a safe working environment where employees are treated properly and ethically. You can sleep easily on this pillow knowing that it will benefit you, the environment, and the people who made it. Starting at $99, you’ll find that this pillow is also much more affordable than other organic options on the market, but if you’re looking for something a little more budget-friendly, there may be better choices for you out there.

Layla Memory Foam Pillow

Best Memory Foam Pillow for Combination Sleepers

The fluffy and supportive Layla Memory Foam Pillow features a special blend of open-cell memory foam and polyfiber fill, giving it a pliable structure that will mold to the unique shape of your head and neck and offer excellent cradling and contouring.

Although it’s more breathable than other memory foam pillows, and its price tag starts at only $75, combination sleepers need to remember that memory foam is known to hug you while you sleep, so you may find it a little awkward when changing positions at night. This may be a negative, but it can also be beneficial if you’re training yourself to sleep in one position. If you are primarily a back sleeper, see the best pillows for back sleepers.

WinkBeds Pillow

Best Cooling Pillow for Combination Sleepers

WinkBeds’ adjustable loft pillow (aptly named the Adjust-A-Cube) is an excellent cooling pillow for hot combination sleepers, thanks to its breathability, durability, and adjustability. The pillow features a machine-washable ultra breathable cool-knit cover that is made of luxury textured polyester that creates a smooth, cool, and super soft surface.

Inside the pillow, you’ll find cooling gel memory foam cube fill that helps promote cooling airflow, but also can be removed or added in order to adjust the loft, giving you the right amount of height to accommodate your sleep personality. The $89 starting price tag is great for this value and makes this pillow a top choice for hot combination sleepers. Just remember that it’s filled with memory foam, so if you’re not a fan of the feel of this material, then you might want to check out other alternatives.

Saatva Pillow

Best Pillow for Combination Sleepers with Neck Pain

If you’re looking to resolve constant neck pain, or you want to prevent it from happening in the first place, we recommend the Saatva Latex Pillow. This pillow features a shredded Talalay latex core, which is orthopedist-recommended to assist with head and neck support and alleviate aches and pains, no matter your sleep position.

You’ll also enjoy the 100% organic cotton sateen cover that will wick away moisture and heat and promote cooling at night, and the down-like microfiber fill that doesn’t flatten or lose its shape over time. The only downside of this pillow is that it starts at $145, which can be pretty steep for some, but we believe that a pillow that soothes neck pain is invaluable.

Finding the Perfect Pillow

Picking the perfect pillow is difficult, especially as a combination sleeper, because you need something that will accommodate a variety of sleep postures. As you shop for pillows, you’ll want to look at factors such as cooling, loft, warranty length, firmness, and materials to ensure you’re getting the right option for you. Below, we review some of these important factors and discuss how they impact your sleep experience.

Firmness

Just like with your mattress, your pillow’s firmness matters if you want a good night’s sleep. Combination sleepers present the unique challenge of finding a pillow that will keep their head supported in any sleep position. We recommend a pillow that’s on the medium-firm level to best suit your needs. While sleeping on your sides, this will keep your head and neck level with your spine, and when sleeping on your back, it can keep your tongue from falling into the back of your throat, a known trigger for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. If you sleep on your stomach, you typically want a flat pillow (or no pillow at all) to assist with neck support. A medium-firm pillow is a good compromise to give you enough comfort as you sleep in any position.

Cooling Properties

Another common issue faced by many sleepers is overheating. If you’re a hot sleeper, you’ll want a pillow that will wick away heat from your head and instead channel cool air to blow on you. Some pillows are constructed with open-cell designs and breathable cotton covers that manage to filter hot air into cool air, keeping you nice and refreshed all night long.

Materials

There are numerous options when it comes to pillow materials. Take a look at our brief overview of each material and find out all about these different types of pillows.

Latex

Latex pillows, made from rubber trees, are biodegradable, 100% natural, breathable, and dust-mite resistant. However, these organic options are also heavier than their memory foam counterparts, and their high manufacturing costs mean that they can be pretty expensive. For our top picks, see the best latex pillows.

Down

Down pillows are similar to feather pillows in that they are soft, long-lasting, and very breathable, making them excellent options for people who value durable pillows. On the negative side, they can be very expensive, and in order for them to maintain their shapes, you’ll need to give them a good shake and fluff every now and then. Otherwise, they will remain flat or with an indentation of your head until they get a good fluffing.

Synthetic Down

Synthetic down pillows, also occasionally referred to as down alternative pillows, are cooler and more breathable, vegan-friendly, hypoallergenic, and more affordable than traditional down pillows. However, they are also prone to short lifespans (roughly one or two years), they’re not as soft as regular down pillows, and they may not be as eco-friendly.

Memory Foam

Memory foam pillows are excellent sleep options for people suffering from constant neck pain or back pain. They also revert to their original position when pressure is released, meaning they won’t lose their shape or structure for a long time. Unfortunately, memory foam can trap heat and cause you to sweat at night. Also, some memory foam is produced with certain chemicals that may give off a strong odor. If you suffer from neck pain, see the best memory foam pillows.

Summary

It can be tricky finding a high-quality pillow for yourself if you’re a combo sleeper. Since you’re switching up sleep positions all night long, you’ll want to use something that will keep your head and neck properly supported no matter how you toss and turn. With our recommendations, we believe you’ll be on the right track to finding the perfect pillow to provide a good night’s sleep.

If you’re still having issues with your hunt for a new pillow, you should stop and ask yourself the right questions to find out exactly what you want. Do you need a cool pillow? Do you want a pillow that will alleviate neck pain? Are you shopping on a budget? By answering these questions, you’ll find your pillow shopping experience to go much more smoothly so that you’ll be on track to getting a restful sleep.

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