The best cooling pillows we tested:
Best cooling pillow: Pluto Pillow
Best cooling pillow for side sleepers: Coop Sleep Goods Eden Cool+ Crescent Pillow
Best cooling pillow for stomach sleepers: Casper Hybrid Pillow
Best down-alternative cooling pillow: Slumber Cloud UltraCool Pillow
Best foam cooling pillow: Casper Foam Pillow With Snow Technology
Hot sleepers know how frustrating it is flipping your pillow over while trying to fall asleep in hopes of finding a cool side that just isn’t there. Waking up hot and sweaty in the middle of the night prevents you from getting your best sleep. So if you sleep too warm with your current pillow, it’s time to upgrade to a cooling pillow. These pillows are designed with fill materials and fabrics meant to promote airflow, release heat and even actively draw heat away from your body, thanks to modern materials.
Over our rounds of testing to find the best pillows, we’ve tested dozens of pillows, including several great cooling pillows. Here are the best ones we’ve found, sure to provide relief whether you’re a side sleeper, back sleeper or stomach sleeper.
The Pluto Pillow is a customized pillow based on your height, weight, sleep position, preferred firmness and more. This means the pillow we tested was exactly the right thickness and firmness, and was built with cooling materials that ensured we didn’t overheat.
The crescent shape of the Coop Sleep Goods Eden Cool+ Crescent Pillow makes room for your shoulders, helping your head stay aligned. You can adjust the fill level to your taste, and the cool-to-the-touch cover and ventilated foam prevent overheating.
The Casper Hybrid Pillow is malleable and supportive. The synthetic fill core wrapped by ventilated memory foam helps keep you cool. Our stomach-sleeper tester loved sleeping with this pillow since it keeps your head slightly elevated.
With a cover that felt noticeably cooler to the touch than the other fabrics we tested and had a more feathery feel, the Slumber Cloud UltraCool Pillow is the only cooling pillow we tested and loved that’s filled with a synthetic down alternative.
Foam pillows are not usually recommended for hot sleepers, but the mix of Snow Technology with ventilating Heat Delete Bands and Casper’s phase-change material means the Casper Foam Pillow With Snow Technology is the rare foam pillow that didn’t make us overheat.
Best cooling pillow: Pluto Pillow
From $125 at Pluto
The Pluto Pillow stands out because unlike other “customizable” pillows it comes to you bespoke: You order exactly what you want rather than adding or removing fill. Rather than choosing from a variety of models, shopping with Pluto involves filling out a questionnaire about your sleep preferences, from which the company builds your custom pillow. We were initially skeptical that the brand could build our perfect cooling pillow in one shot, but to our surprise, it quickly became one of our favorite pillows, due to the level of customization the brand uses from the detailed questionnaire.
The questionnaire considers your age and body size (weight and height). It also takes into account your bed firmness, usual sleep positions as well as the position you tend to wake up in. It goes into further detail, asking about your current pillow, its firmness level and height and whether it’s living up to your sleep needs. Lastly, it covers whether or not you feel that your head overheats while sleeping, which is where the cooling part comes in.
The pillow really felt tailored to us, with plush materials that are also supportive without having to make any adjustments. It also did not overheat while we slept, and the cover felt cool immediately when we laid our head on it. We were so amazed at how Pluto nailed our pillow on the first try that we did some investigating on the details.
To our surprise, it was more than adjusting the amount of fill and cooling choices. The core is made up of fiberfill, and Pluto personalizes the volume and the type of fill material. Each foam layer has different density, thickness, firmness and cooling materials, which are chosen based on your questionnaire responses. Finally, the cover fabric is either for hot sleepers or not.
Pluto takes a lot of details into account to build its pillows. With this level of customization, it was our top cooling pillow pick. The pillows aren’t standard sizes, but the original size measures 24 inches by 16 inches, which fits well in a standard size pillowcase, and its king size is 34 inches by 16 inches. Pluto has a 125-night return policy in case you’re wary of purchasing a pillow based on the questionnaire.
Best cooling pillow for side sleepers: Coop Sleep Goods Eden Cool+ Crescent Pillow
From $149 at Coop Sleep Goods
If you’re looking for a great pillow for side sleepers, the Coop Sleep Goods Eden Cool+ is a crescent-shaped pillow that makes room for your shoulder so your head is supported without your shoulder getting in the way. One of our favorite pillows for side sleeping is the Eli and Elm Side Sleeper pillow; however, it can get a touch on the warm side, which is why we love this pillow. It’s part of Coop Sleep Goods’ Cool+ Collection and adds the benefit of cooling materials to the company’s crescent-shaped cutout pillow.
The cover feels smooth and cool to the touch, and has an inner liner that’s supposed to wick away heat. We found it’s best to sleep directly on the machine-washable cover to get the maximum cooling benefits. We tried sleeping on it with a pillowcase and found it didn’t feel nearly as cooling, which is common with most of these types of cooling pillows.
Like all the brands’ pillows, the fill is adjustable by removing or adding shredded foam. We especially love that this pillow has one side that is a solid piece of ventilated cooling foam, a new feature that the older pillows don’t have. This helped to keep the adjustable foam pieces from shifting around, a small complaint we had about its pillows previously. It’s available in queen or king sizes, and Coop Sleep Goods has a 100-night trial policy.
Best cooling pillow for stomach sleepers: Casper Hybrid Pillow
From $89 at Casper
The Casper Hybrid Pillow is an excellent pillow for stomach sleepers, with a rectangular shape that keeps your head slightly elevated without pushing your neck too far back, which is why we loved sleeping with this pillow. While testing, we also found that it didn’t overheat like other foam pillows, thanks to the ventilated holes, so warm sleepers can slumber comfortably.
This pillow won’t fall flat or require refluffing since the outer layer is solid foam with a core of fiberfill. This unique hybrid combination makes the pillow feel squishy while still being supportive. It’s also on the softer side rather than firm, which is good for stomach sleepers since it has some give, allowing your head to sink in. The removable cover is machine-washable, so it’s easy to clean after sleeping on it. Casper offers a 30-night return policy, and the pillow comes in standard and king size.
Best down-alternative cooling pillow: Slumber Cloud UltraCool Pillow
From $69 at Slumber Cloud
Most pillows with cooling technology feel cool to the touch, but the Slumber Cloud UltraCool Pillow is aptly named because it’s one of the coolest pillows we’ve ever slept on. The fabric incorporates Outlast, a phase-change material designed to draw heat away from the body. Like most cooling pillows we tested, it’s best to use this without a pillowcase so the cooling effect won’t be hindered by the extra layer of fabric between your skin and the pillowcase.
One drawback of this pillow is that the fill clumped up after a few washes. We managed to fluff it back into shape, so it wasn’t a deal breaker, but if you wash your pillows often, then it may not hold up in the long run. We like this pillow for its cooling effects, and it was one of the few we tested that has a cool cover and is a down-alternative fill rather than foam. Two firmness options are available, either soft/medium or medium/firm. The pillow comes in a standard or king size, and Slumber Cloud offers a 60-day return policy.
Best foam cooling pillow: Casper Foam Pillow With Snow Technology
From $89 at Casper
Solid foam pillows are known for trapping heat and sleeping hot, which is why we love the Casper Foam Pillow, which contains Casper’s Snow Technology and Heat Delete Bands. Both of these are designed to combat heat using phase-change technology that draws heat away from the body. On top of that, the foam also has small holes for ventilation so heat can escape (and you can’t feel the holes). When we slept on this pillow, we found we did not overheat and slept comfortably.
We also liked the rectangular shape that kept our head supported and didn’t crush down throughout the night. Similar to all cooling pillows, you’ll get the most cooling benefit by sleeping directly on the cover, which is removable and machine-washable. This pillow is on the firm side, making it best for side and back sleepers. Stomach sleepers may find this too firm. Standard or king sizes are available with a 30-day return policy.
What you need to know about cooling pillows
When looking for a cooling pillow, you’ll want to choose materials that are best for you, from slightly warm to sweaty hot sleepers. Cooling pillows rely on two main approaches, employing either ventilation or phase-change materials (or some combination of both) in their construction. Here’s what you need to know:
- Ventilation: The traditional way to create a cooler pillow (or any textile) is to add ventilation, whether by using perforated foam or a shredded or other high-loft fill that allows for airflow and won’t trap heat. For pillow covers, stiffer, more absorbent materials (think linen or various synthetic materials) can also be used; these wick away sweat because of their absorbency and promote airflow because their substantial fibers create space for ventilation.
- Phase-change materials: Developed for demanding applications like spacesuits, these materials — often waxes and gels — change their structure as they absorb energy (body heat, for example). Sound weird? Think about how ice melts into water and refreezes — that’s pretty much how these materials work, though they are tailored to do it at a more comfortable range of temperatures, like the ones that are just a little warmer and cooler than you typically sleep. This means they can actively work to pull heat away from your body, keeping you cooler than would be possible with simple ventilation. These materials can be incorporated into fabric or foams, or be used in a gel layer.
If you sleep very hot, then you’ll likely want a pillow that is both breathable and uses some sort of active cooling material. For mildly warm sleepers, you may only need to opt for a breathable pillow (typically these are cheaper).
If you are purchasing a pillow that uses a cover that incorporates a cooling material, then you’ll want to sleep directly on it to get the most cooling benefits. Don’t add a pillowcase. The extra layer of fabric from a pillowcase can block some of the cooling effect. (Given this, you’ll want to make sure to look for pillow with a cover that’s machine-washable — most are.)
How we tested
After narrowing down our list to the most popular pillows and brands, we slept on each for a minimum of two nights, noting factors like durability and comfort. We evaluated each using the following criteria:
- Comfort: After sleeping on each pillow, we judged how comfortable each pillow was to sleep on, noting if we had to make adjustments throughout the night, if the pillow fell flat or if the pillow retained a lot of heat.
- Durability: To assess the durability of each pillow, we washed and dried each pillow twice (if applicable), according to the manufacturer’s care instructions. If the pillow indicated it was not machine-washable, then we washed the cover where possible. We evaluated each pillow for how much it flattened or changed shape after washing and sleeping on it. We also looked at the overall appearance of the pillow after wash and use, and noted if anything broke in the process.
- Ease of cleaning: For each pillow, we evaluated how easily it could be cleaned, taking into account if it was machine-washable, dry clean-only, spot clean-only or not washable at all.
- Firmness options: We looked at how many firmness options were available for each pillow or if it could be adjusted to anyone’s fill preference, which makes it more likely you’ll be able to find the right fit for you.
- Trial and return policy: Since pillows are highly personal, we also evaluated each pillow brand on its trial policy (whether you could test it out) and how many days you had to return it.
Other cooling pillows we tested
Coop Sleep Goods The Eden Pillow
From $96 at Coop Sleep Goods or Amazon
We love the Coop Sleep Goods The Eden Pillow for its comfort and adjustable fill. It was one of our favorite pillows, but it was edged out by the customizable Pluto Pillow. It’s also not quite as cool as Coop Sleep Goods’ Cool+ pillow line, but this pillow would still be great for someone who sleeps a touch warm.
Nest Bedding Easy Breather Premium Shredded Foam Pillow
$119 From $95 at Nest
The Nest Bedding Easy Breather Premium Shredded Foam Pillow is an excellent pillow in terms of comfort, with a silky smooth cover that feels cool and plush yet supportive fill. Unfortunately, the construction of the pillow was not up to our standards. In our testing, the pillow’s zipper broke almost immediately, which makes us question its long-term durability.
Brooklinen Marlow Pillow
$65 From $55 at Brooklinen
The Brooklinen Marlow Pillow stands out with its unique construction that has side zippers that open up into mesh panels. The exposed mesh helps make the pillow more breathable, and the expansion gives more room for the fill to create a softer pillow. However, when we slept on this pillow, it was too firm for side or back sleeping, even with the zippers open. And unfortunately, it only comes in one firmness level.
Purple Harmony Pillow
$199 From $159 at Purple Harmony
Purple’s products are easily recognizable with the company’s signature purple grid-like material. The Purple Harmony Pillow uses the same purple material in a honeycomb shape, which surrounds a core of latex. The molded pattern allows for high breathability since it’s an open structure, which prevents overheating. We liked the texture of this bouncy, squishy pillow. But even though we chose the lowest pillow height, it was still too tall for our petite frame. This may work for someone with a larger frame or for someone who likes a higher pillow.