When it comes to getting quality rest, the temperature of your body — and the items around you — are key. “A cool sleep environment supports the natural dip in your body temperature that occurs in the evening, signaling it’s time to sleep,” says Seth Davis, a certified sleep coach and owner of Sleepably, a sleep services company. “If the environment is too hot, it can interfere with this process and make falling asleep more difficult.”
Cooling pillows, along with an air conditioner, are helpful options to have on hand since our heads are a significant source of heat, according to Davis. If your upper body gets particularly hot, a cooling pillow, which releases hot air instead of trapping it, might be a worthwhile investment.
To help you shop, we spoke with two sleep coaches for their pillow recommendations and guidance. We also included some highly rated options based on expert recommendations.
SKIP AHEAD How we picked the best cooling pillows | Best cooling pillows | How to shop for cooling pillows
How we picked the best cooling pillows
When building this list we focused on three key factors, which our experts recommend keeping in mind when considering a cooling pillow:
- Fabric: Look for breathable fabrics like cotton, Tencel (a material made from lyocell fibers) or bamboo, all of which encourage airflow and wick moisture.
- Fill: The best cooling pillows are typically constructed with gel-infused memory foam (regular memory foam tends to trap heat) or hybrid pillows, which typically have one side that’s made from foam and another with cooling gel. You can also consider pillows with other heat-reducing fillers, like latex.
- Ventilation: Built-in ventilation, which you may typically see via holes in a pillow’s foam or via a vented pillow cover, helps air flow through your pillow keeping you cool as you sleep, according to Davis.
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The best cooling pillows to shop in 2024
All of the cooling pillows we rounded up below are either direct recommendations from our experts, products NBC Select staff members have tried themselves or have at least a 4-star average rating from 500 reviews or more on Amazon.
The best overall cooling pillow: Pluto Pillow
- Extremely cooling
- Comes in different sizes
- Nothing to note at this time
This NBC Select Wellness Award winner earned high marks for its cooling foam and customizable design. Before ordering, you fill out a questionnaire to customize it to your unique sleep position and preferences. If you want basic cooling, you’ll get a pillow with a breathable eucalyptus surface. If you require something a bit more heavy-duty, the brand will send you a pillow with extra-cooling fibers. NBC Select associate updates editor Zoe Malin, who received the pillow from the brand, says it’s definitely worth getting if you’re a hot sleeper. “I’ve probably never spent more than like $30 on a pillow, but after trying this one, I completely understand why investing in a high-quality option is worth it,” she says. “It’s great thickness and made my head, neck and back feel supported while sleeping.”
Dimensions: 24 x 16 in. (original size), 34 x 16 in. (king size) | Warranty: 1 year
The best budget-friendly cooling pillow: Himoon Standard Size Cooling Pillows
- Affordable
- Sweat-wicking
- Nothing to note at this time
This affordable pair of cooling pillows, which have a 4.4-average star rating from more than 21,300 reviews on Amazon, are ideal for side, back or stomach sleepers, according to the brand. The filling is made from microfiber, which is more cooling than down, and its cover is also made of the same breathable, sweat-absorbing fabric that’s used for the filling, according to Himoon. Plus, they don’t have an off putting out-of-the-package smell, which is common with many bedding items, according to the brand.
Dimensions: 18 x 26 in. (standard), 19 x 29 in. (queen) and 19 x 34 in. (king) | Warranty: n/a
The best cooling pillow worth the splurge: Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Breeze Dual Cooling Pillow
- Adaptable shape
- Long-term warranty
- Nothing to note at this time
Tempur-Pedic makes some of the best cooling products for sleep, according to experts in our guide to the best cooling mattresses. This cooling pillow, which has a 4.3-star average rating from 3,834 reviews on Amazon, has a removable, machine-washable cover. It’s also made with a dual-sided cooling gel that adapts to your shape when you lay on it, according to the brand.
Dimensions: 27 x 19 in. (queen) and 35 x 19 in. (king) | Warranty: 5 years
The best supportive cooling pillow: Casper Foam Pillow
- Ergonomic
- Good for posture
- Nothing to note at this time
This ergonomic foam pillow is made with air-circulating properties that keep heat from accumulating. The Casper pillow and an NBC Select Wellness Award winner also helps with head and neck alignment — you can choose between two pillow heights depending on how much support you want (the brand offers a short questionnaire to find out which could be best for you). “I’ve slept on a lot of pillows, but there is something about the way that this one supports my head while still feeling cloud-like,” says NBC Select editorial director Lauren Swanson, who received the pillow from Casper.
Dimensions: 18 x 26 in. (standard) and 16 x 32 in. (king) | Warranty: N/a
The best cooling pillow for all sleepers: Tuft & Needle Original Foam Pillow
- Made with cooling gel
- Wash in cold water only
Davis recommends this supportive and breathable option, which is designed to keep its shape while wicking warmth away using its foam, graphite and cooling gel materials. While the foam pillow itself isn’t washable, the pillow cover — which is made from breathable micro polyamide and polyester — is. The brand recommends washing it in cold water with light colors.
Dimensions: 25 x 16 in. (standard) and 34 x 16 in. (king) | Warranty: 3 years
The best organic cooling pillow: Birch Organic Pillow
- Organic material
- Could be firmer
Latex pillows are naturally cooler than pillows made from memory foam, according to our experts. This sustainable option from Birch, which has a 4.2-star average rating from 563 reviews on the brand’s site, is made with natural latex from Southeast Asia. The cover’s also made of 100% organic cotton certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard, and the pillow itself is free of any polyurethane-based foams and harsh chemicals, according to the brand.
Dimensions: 28 x 20 in. (standard) and 36 x 20 in. (king) | Warranty: 1 year
The best down-alternative cooling pillow: Beckham Hotel Collection Bed Pillows for Sleeping
- Good for different positions
- Only two sizes
This pillow, which has a 4.4-average star rating from 225,694 reviews on Amazon, has a gel fiber filling and breathable cover that give it its cooling properties. It’s Oeko-Tex Standard-Certified, which means it’s made without toxic substances. It’s also ideal for all back-, stomach- or side-sleepers since it has a firm construction that keeps its shape over time, according to the brand.
Dimensions: 26 x 20 in. (queen) and 30 x 20 in. (king) | Warranty: N/a
The best tall cooling pillow: Purple Harmony Pillow
- Multiple height options
- Supportive
- Best for combination sleepers
Another recommendation from Davis, this pillow has a honeycomb-patterned layer at its core that encourages airflow so you don’t overheat — it also provides neck and head support, according to the brand. Purple also has pillows in both standard and king sizes, with either a low, medium or tall height. That means that you can customize the size of the pillow based on your body size. If you have broad shoulders, you can choose one that’s on the taller side. It’s also covered in a mesh-like, breathable fabric that encourages even more airflow so you don’t overheat, according to Purple.
Dimensions: 26 x 1 x 5.5 in. (standard low), 34 x 17 x 5.5 in. (king low), 26 x 17 x 6.5 in. (standard medium), 34 x 17 x 6.5 in. (king medium), 28 x 17 x 7.5 in. (standard tall) and 34 x 17 x 7.5 in. (king tall) | Warranty: 1 year
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How to shop for the best cooling pillows
Here’s what experts recommend you keep in mind before you buy:
Fabric: The material of a pillow cover (not to be confused with a pillow case) influences whether it dissipates heat or traps it.Cotton, Tencel, bamboo and even wool are all breathable fabrics that encourage airflow and wick moisture away, according to our experts. You should also prioritize fabrics that have Oeko-Tex certification, which means it’s made without harmful textile substances. “We spend a third of our lives sleeping and we want to make sure that the materials that we are sleeping on are safe,” says Kelly Murray, a certified pediatric and adult sleep coach Finally, you should avoid synthetic fabrics since many tend to have a tighter weave that prevents air from moving through.
Fill: Pay attention to what’s inside your pillow. Some pillows are able to absorb heat and still stay cool. Cooling gel and wool are the common materials to do so. “I prefer wool fill for hot sleepers as it is excellent for thermal regulation and is moisture-wicking,” says Murray
Ventilation and airflow: Many pillows are made of memory foam, a material that adapts to your head shape and can make for a more comfortable sleep. Unless memory foam has proper ventilation, it can get very hot. So, it’s best to look for memory foam pillows that have holes or channels that allow for air to flow through, says Davis. If a cooling pillow doesn’t have memory foam, you still want to make sure the inside allows for proper airflow. Experts suggest looking for pillows that feel light, as options with dense insides often prevent ventilation.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Seth Davis is a certified sleep coach and founder of the sleep coaching and training company Sleepably.
- Kelly Murray is a certified pediatric and adult sleep coach and the founder of Kelly Murray Sleep Consulting.
Why trust NBC Select?
Mili Godio is an updates editor at NBC Select, where she writes about skin care, pets, wellness and food. For this story, she spoke with two experts about what to look for in a cooling pillow. She included their guidance and product recommendations and also researched highly rated options based on their advice.
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