The Best Cooling Pillows

Beckham Hotel Collection Cooling Pillows

Cool rules

The standard pillow design gets an upgrade with a cooling, machine-washable filling.

Best Overall

Find on Amazon

These may look like regular pillows, but the plush filling is infused with cooling gel for a comfortable sleep. It avoids the tendencies of cheaper pillows that get lumpy or flat over time. They’re also easy to keep clean — just throw them into the washer on a delicate, cold cycle.

Pros:

• Filling retains its shape
• Can be cleaned in a washing machine

Cons:

• Cotton cover may not be as breathable as other materials

Sleep Restoration Cooling Pillows

This pillow is on your side

Side sleepers will appreciate this soft but resilient pillow.

Best For Side Sleepers

Find on Amazon

If you sleep on your side, your pillow needs to retain its loft. Although these pillows have a soft, polyester filling, they reliably spring back into shape and won’t get permanently squished down with use. The five inches of loft should be adequate to support your head, or if you have particularly broad shoulders, you can always stack both pillows on top of each other.

Pros:

• Filling is soft but resilient
• Entire pillow is machine-washable

Cons:

• Cotton cover may not be as breathable as other materials

Qutool Bamboo Cooling Pillows

Bamboozle the heat away

The bamboo fiber cover and shredded memory foam filling of these pillows combine for an exquisitely comfortable experience.

Best Bamboo

Find on Amazon

A cooling pillow is only as good as its cover. Airflow is necessary for the cooling material to release the heat it gathers. These pillows come with bamboo-polyester covers that enhance ventilation and wick away moisture. They also strike a happy medium between firmness and softness with a shredded memory foam filling that contains gel particles for cooling.

Pros:

• Pillow cover improves cooling with its breathable bamboo-polyester blend
• Shredded memory foam filling is firm but softer than a single slab of foam
• Unzips to allow for removal of some filling if a thinner pillow is desired

Cons:

• Foam filling has an initial odor that some may find unpleasant

Classic Brands Reversible Cool Gel and Memory Foam Pillow

Essential comfort, optional cooling

Use the cooling side when you need it, and enjoy the comfortable memory foam all the time.

Best Reversible

Find on Amazon

Comfort while sleeping can be elusive. Sometimes you go to sleep warm and wake up cold later in the night, or vice versa. Rather than a uniform, mildly cooling filling, this memory foam pillow has a cool gel layer on just one side. The gel side will keep you cool when you need it, and the other side will keep you comfy when you don’t. The open-cell memory foam is great for air ventilation and will avoid excess heat buildup no matter which side you use.

Pros:

• Cooling gel efficiently dissipates heat when you want to be cool
• Memory foam-only side available for colder nights
• Mesh cover allows for airflow

Cons:

• Gel layer and memory foam material are not ideal if you like to fold up your pillow

Calming Comfort Cooling Knee Pillow

What your knees need

With this knee pillow, your legs can stay cool, too.

Best Knee Pillow

Find on Amazon

Many of us side sleepers can’t get comfortable without some cushioning between our knees. If your legs are prone to overheating, this memory foam knee pillow not only creates space for airflow, but it also provides extra comfort with cooling gel. For side sleepers, your whole body will benefit from better alignment. It could also be quite helpful when sleeping on your back if you need to elevate one leg while recovering from an injury.

Pros:

• Supports alignment for side sleepers
• Cools legs by improving airflow and dispersing heat with cooling gel

Cons:

• Likely not as helpful for back or stomach sleepers
• May not be able to disperse heat into the air if used under heavy covers

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a cooling pillow work?

Although different pillows use various materials and designs, all cooling pillows work by transferring heat from your head and neck to the surrounding air. For the effect to last through the night, it’s best to maintain airflow and a cool temperature in your bedroom with an air conditioner, fan, or open window. If the air around your pillow is not significantly colder than the surface temperature, it won’t efficiently disperse the heat, and your pillow will eventually end up being a heat reservoir. Choosing a larger pillow also provides more surface area, increasing the efficiency of the heat transfer and providing more cool spots as you change positions.

What does “loft” mean when it comes to pillows?

Loft is the height of a pillow when it is laid flat. All characteristics of a pillow are a matter of personal preference, but a higher loft is generally better for side sleepers, while a lower loft is better for stomach sleepers.

How can I extend the life of my pillow?

For pillows with any sort of filling, it helps to fluff them daily when you make your bed. That will help the pillow retain its shape and keep it from getting flat or lumpy. It’s also important to switch out and clean the pillowcase or cover regularly. Sweat, oils and dust can accumulate quickly, and you don’t want the buildup to transfer to the inner part of the pillow — or your face, for that matter.