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Best Pillow for Neck Pain Sufferers in 2025

Getting a great night’s sleep is a key part of making sure you’re as productive, loving and generally as great as you can be throughout the day. But that can really be disrupted if you suffer from neck pain, and it has the potential to cause longer-term issues with your back and posture, too. Misalignment can strain muscles and joints without proper support, leading to stiffness and discomfort. That’s why having a top-quality new mattress is vital, but that’s just the start. There are pillows that are specially designed to help prevent neck pain while improving your overall sleep quality. The result? You’ll wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day instead of reaching for the painkillers.

When choosing a pillow for neck pain, key factors to consider include your sleep position, the pillow’s firmness and its materials. Back and side sleeping are recommended as the ideal positions for pain relief, but if you’re a stomach sleeper, there are options for you, too.

I’ve tested over 50 pillows from 45 top brands over the years. The nine that made this list are the best pillows for neck pain on the market. I also included a few honorable mentions in case one of those might fit you better.

What’s the best overall pillow for neck pain?

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My pick for the best pillow for neck pain is the Pluto Pillow ($125) due to its hybrid design, comfortable feel, optional cool-to-the-touch cover and the fact that you can personalize it to suit you. This pillow can work for all sleepers and all body types. You can customize it to be firmer and its supportive foam makes the Pluto Pillow a winner for neck pain. I’m a stomach and side sleeper, but this pillow should work for all positions since it is completely custom to you.    

Best pillow for neck pain for 2025

Pluto is a relatively new brand in the market. It tailors your pillow to you and your sleep needs. You’ll take a quick questionnaire about your sleeping habits: Your preferred position, age and weight, the material and firmness of your current pillow, the firmness of your mattress, if you’re a hot sleeper and so on. Once the company has all this information, you’re presented with a pillow built for you. 

Regardless of how you fill out the questionnaire, your Pluto Pillow will come with a perforated foam core, a layer of hypoallergenic fibers and a smooth or cool-to-the-touch cover. Any sleeper should be able to find a pillow that is supportive in this sleeping position and help keep their neck and spine aligned. I chose a thinner pillow since I switch sleeping positions between my stomach and side, and I still wake up feeling like my neck was properly supported at night.

Pros:

  • Completely customizable
  • Hybrid design 
  • Great for all sleeper types

Cons:

  • Not for those who enjoy down and latex materials
  • May off-gas for a few days

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Brooklinen’s Marlow Pillow is made of memory foam and polyester fiber, and the outside cover is made of 100% cotton. While you can’t remove any filling, the pillow comes with two zippers (one at the top and one at the bottom) that adjust the firmness. This pillow feels more like a down pillow to me, so this might be best for those who dislike foam. 

I found the Marlow Pillow to be even more supportive than a pillow made with shredded foam. My head doesn’t sink in as far as other pillows on this list, which is a good feature for neck pain. The Marlow Pillow is great for those who like firmer pillows and are on a budget.   

Pros:

  • Adjustable with two zippers
  • On the firmer side
  • Very supportive 

Cons:

  • Not for strict stomach sleepers 
  • Not for those who like to sink into their pillow

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When considering the best pillow for neck pain, side sleepers need a lofty, tall pillow that properly supports the neck without going flat. If you sleep in this position, the Side Sleeper pillow from Eli and Elm is going to be your best friend.  

It’s around 5 inches tall and measures 17 by 29 inches. You can get yours with extra fill if you want it even firmer. Conversely, you can take fill out to adjust its firmness level to your liking. It’s also ergonomically shaped to contour around your shoulder and provides a good balance between soft and supportive. I like that it’s pressure-relieving enough to take some weight off my neck, but it doesn’t lose its shape or durability. The inside is made with soft polyester fibers and bouncy latex shreds. It also has a removable, washable cover. 

Pros:

  • Shaped specifically for side sleepers 
  • Machine-washable cover 
  • Adjustable — remove or add filling to your liking

Cons:

  • Requires a specific pillowcase 
  • Not for combination sleepers

Caroline Igo/CNET

The Sleep Number True Temp pillow in the Classic shape is one of the best pillows for neck pain in back sleepers. It also has additional features like its 37.5 Technology that uses natural volcanic minerals. In other words, it helps regulate your temperature and lets you sleep cooler than on other memory foam pillows. Combined with a cooling cover that’s cold to the touch, it’s a cooling pillow true to its name. 

Three foam inserts inside the Sleep Number True Temp pillow give it a cushy, pressure-relieving feel. It’s really soft but still offers a good balance of support. If you want to make it even softer and less lofty, you can remove the inserts and adjust accordingly. Back sleepers should feel supported and sleep soundly, knowing their neck is properly aligned. 

Pros:

  • Cool to the touch
  • Comes in classic, contour and ultimate shapes
  • Soft, machine-washable cover

Cons:

  • Not for strict stomach sleepers

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Imagine you’re at the movie theater, and you get front-row seats. Your neck has been kinked for over an hour, and you walk out with slight soreness or irritation. The same thing goes for stomach sleepers who sleep on a tall pillow. While stomach sleeping isn’t recommended for those with neck pain, if you can’t sleep any other way, look for a thinner pillow made of foam that can still support your neck.   

The Brooklyn Bedding Luxury Cooling Memory Foam pillow in a low loft is the perfect height for stomach sleepers. The pillow is thinner and has and has a hexagon-patterned cover that is truly cool to the touch. The memory foam itself is perforated, and the top is infused with copper. I like how supported my head and neck feel even when I’m sleeping on my stomach. Best of all, Brooklyn Bedding often has deals, so you can usually grab this pillow for under $99.

Pros:

  • Cool to the touch 
  • Machine-washable cover
  • Available in low and high profiles 

Cons:

  • Back sleepers may not find either profile comfortable

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I’m a combination sleeper, and I’ve been using this pillow for years. Combination sleepers need a pillow to be adaptable when switching positions, and it should have around a medium loft to support one position to another. The Original Foam pillow from Tuft and Needle is all of those things and more. 

The Original Foam pillow is made of Tuft and Needle’s proprietary foam and it feels neutral, bouncy and versatile. I can easily switch positions during the night, and I don’t feel resistance from this pillow. The foam cradles my head but also gives my neck enough support, and the soft cover can easily be removed for a quick wash. It’s a simple pillow, but sometimes that’s all you need. Also, you can often find this pillow under $100 during frequent deals.  

Pros:

Cons:

  • Some stomach sleepers may need a thinner pillow
  • May off-gas for a few days 

Caroline Igo/CNET

The Purple Harmony pillow is available in three different heights: low, medium and tall. It’s fitting for all sleepers of all sizes. It softly cradles your head and cervical spine while keeping it in neutral alignment with the thoracic and lumbar spine. 

The Purple Harmony is unlike any pillow. It’s made with the brand’s own Gel Flex Grid and a slab of latex foam, making it soft and supportive at the same time. The feel of the is similar to gel, like a shoe insole; it’s soft and squishy but never loses its shape. With the latex foam, you have a pressure-relieving pillow that promotes proper alignment and great airflow. You’ll never have to fluff the Purple Harmony in your life. 

Pros:

  • Breathable and cool to the touch
  • Unique honeycombed-pattern grid
  • Soft, machine-washable cover

Cons:

  • Expensive 
  • Not everyone will like the latex-grid feel

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The Layla Kapok pillow is an eco-friendly pillow made with natural fill sourced from the fibers of kapok tree seed pods. Alongside Layla’s shredded memory foam fill, it makes for a plush, cushy and supportive pillow that supports and promotes proper spinal alignment. I love how I feel comfort and support, even when I switch sleeping positions during the night. 

The Layla Kapok, like a few others on our best pillow for pain list, is adjustable. You can remove the filling to size it to your preference. 

Pros:

  • Adjustable — remove or add filling to your liking 
  • Plush and supportive 
  • Soft, machine-washable cover

Cons:

  • Can be lumpy 
  • Not for strict stomach sleepers

Caroline Igo/CNET

If you’re a hot sleeper, switching to a cooling pillow is a simple change that can help you from overheating at night. Pillows that feel cool to the touch, such as the Coop Eden Cool Plus Pillow, are truly game-changing. 

The Eden Cool Plus pillow contains a heat-wicking inner liner, a gel layer and a shredded gel-infused memory foam core. The filling is airy, breathable and Greenguard Gold and CertiPur-US certified. When you lie down, you can feel the pillow contour to you and take pressure off your neck. One side claims to be cooler and firmer than the other, but I didn’t feel that when testing. Another great feature of this pillow is that it is adjustable. Make it as firm or soft, high or low as you desire.

Pros:

  • Cool to the touch 
  • Adjustable and hypoallergenic 
  • Machine-washable cover

Cons:

  • Not for strict stomach sleepers
  • Not for those who don’t like to sink a little into pillows

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