Beat the Heat With These Editor-Tested Cooling Pillows

If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night to flip your pillow to “the cool side,” hoping to make it to morning without waking up damp and sweaty, it might be time to rethink your bedding. A cooling pillow, typically infused with gel or lightweight, breathable materials, offers a quick fix for a good night’s sleep.

If a warm pillow is making it hard to fall asleep, there’s a reason for that. According to Steven Feinsilver, MD, the director for the Center of Sleep Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, there’s evidence that humans sleep better in cooler environments.

Marina Dolgovina, MD, a board-certified neurologist at Advanced Medical Care in New York who specializes in sleep medicine, also explains that a cooling pillow may help you reach the ideal sleep temperature. “Sleep onset is most likely to occur when the core body temperature decreases, and it hardly occurs when it increases,” she says. “A cooling pillow lowers the body temperature around the head, neck, and shoulders, facilitating a faster sleep onset and deeper sleep.”

To find the best cooling pillows, the Health team tested more than 100 of the top options at home for a week straight and held onto the pillows for additional long-term testing, including measuring size changes over time and how the pillows hold up while using the manufacturers’ care instructions. We selected our top choices based on temperature and airflow, comfort, quality, durability, and value. A pediatrician on our Medical Expert Board also reviewed this article for medical and scientific accuracy surrounding what to look for in cooling pillows, how they work, and who could benefit from using them.

Our Top Picks

• Best Overall: Coop Sleep Goods The Eden Pillow
• Best Overall Runner-Up: Slumber Cloud Core Down Alternative Pillow
• Best Budget: Himoon Cooling Pillows
• Best for Side Sleepers: Casper Foam Pillow with Snow Technology
• Best Latex: Saatva Latex Pillow
• Best for Stomach Sleepers: Sleep Number True Temp Pillow
• Best Tempur-Pedic: Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow
• Best for Neck Pain: Nest Bedding Easy Breather Natural Pillow
• Best Firm: Marlow The Pillow
• Best Hybrid: Casper Hybrid Pillow with Snow Technology

The Editor’s Take

As a sleep editor for Health, I know what a difference a good pillow can make in getting a good night’s sleep. When writing about the best cooling pillows based on our at-home testing here, I highlighted pillows that not only touted cooling capabilities and breathable materials but were also high-quality overall. We considered pillows based on their shape, support, value, and care.

Regarding cooling capabilities, the experts we spoke to noted that cooling pillows do work. While they won’t necessarily provide immediate full-body cooling, our experts identified 68 degrees as the ideal temperature for your sleep environment, and cooling pillows can go a long way toward bringing your bed—and your head and neck—to the right temperature.

If you’re not sure where to start, experts agree that latex and plant-derived materials like bamboo and Tencel are good options because they’re less likely to trap heat—but those aren’t your only options. Our winner in this roundup was the Coop Sleep Goods Eden Pillow, a gel-infused memory foam option that was cool to the touch and stayed that way all night.

— Jaylyn Pruitt, Associate Commerce Editor

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Coop Sleep Goods The Eden Pillow at Amazon $96

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Best Overall Runner-up:

Slumber Cloud Core Down Alternative Pillow at Amazon $69

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Best Budget:

Himoon Cooling Pillows at Amazon $24

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Best for Side Sleepers:

SALE

 Casper Foam Pillow with Snow Technology at Amazon $139 $113

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Best Latex:

Saatva Latex Pillow at Amazon $185

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Best for Stomach Sleepers:

Sleep Number True Temp Pillow at Amazon $110

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Best Tempur-Pedic:

SALE

 Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow at Amazon $89 $66

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Best for Neck Pain:

Nest Bedding Easy Breather Natural Pillow at Nest Bedding $119

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Best Firm:

SALE

 Marlow The Pillow at Amazon $84 $69

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Best Hybrid:

Casper Hybrid Pillow with Snow Technology at Amazon $179

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Best Overall

Coop Sleep Goods The Eden Pillow

PHOTO: Coop Sleep Goods

$96 at Amazon$96 at Target$96 at Walmart

Our Ratings

• Quality4.8/5
• Breathability5/5
• Support5/5
• Durability5/5
• Comfort5/5

Why We Like It

We were immediately impressed with the pillow’s temperature, noting that it was cool to the touch and stayed that way all night—even after adding a pillowcase—thanks to the pillow’s gel-infused fill throughout.

Like Coop’s other pillows, the Eden comes with an additional bag of the brand’s signature shredded foam and easy access to the pillow’s interior to add additional filling or remove it based on your preferred sleeping position.

It’s Worth Noting

• The one downside we found was the slight smell that comes with the pillow out of the box, but it quickly went away and may be unnoticeable for side and back sleepers.

Product Details:

• Material: Gel-infused memory foam
• Measurements: Queen: 20 x 30 in.; King: 20 x 36 in.
• Care: Machine wash and dry
• Special features: Includes extra memory foam; hypoallergenic

Best Overall Runner-up

Slumber Cloud Core Down Alternative Pillow

PHOTO: Slumbercloud

$69 at Amazon$64 at Slumber Cloud

Our Ratings

• Quality5/5
• Breathability5/5
• Support5/5
• Durability5/5
• Comfort4.5/5

Why We Like It

Constructed with Outlast cooling technology designed for NASA, this pillow left us cool all night without having to flip the pillow once. While this pillow has a short loft—or height—of only four inches, we were impressed by how well it supported us.

It’s Worth Noting

• While this pillow’s loft surprised us (in a good way!), some sleepers, especially those who sleep mainly on their sides, might prefer a taller pillow.

Product Details:

• Material: Down alternative
• Measurements: Standard: 20 x 26 in.; Queen: 20 x 30 in.; King: 20 x 36 in.
• Care: Machine wash and dry
• Special features: Soft/medium and medium/firm firmness; 60-night trial

Best Budget

Himoon Cooling Pillows

PHOTO: Amazon

$24 at Amazon

Our Ratings

• Quality5/5
• Breathability3/5
• Support3/5
• Durability5/5
• Comfort3/5

Why We Like It

If you want to try out a cooler pillow without spending a lot on space-approved tech, a set of two HIMOON Bed Pillows cost a fraction of the price. While they are less expensive, we found that they had a “premium quality feel.” We liked that they had a high loft, suitable for back and side sleepers, that maintained its height after use. It’s also easy to re-fluff in the dryer without heating up.

It’s Worth Noting

• Our one note is that the pillow doesn’t have a cool feel, but it also doesn’t heat up and keeps a neutral temperature throughout the night.

Product Details:

• Material: Down microfiber
• Measurements: Queen: 20 x 26 in.; King: 20 x 36 in.
• Care: Machine wash and dry
• Special features: N/A

Best for Side Sleepers

Casper Foam Pillow with Snow Technology

PHOTO: Casper

$113 at Amazon$113 at Target$169 at Nordstrom

Our Ratings

• Quality5/5
• Breathability5/5
• Support5/5
• Durability4/5
• Comfort4/5

Why We Like It

While all sleep positions can be tricky to pick a pillow for, most side sleepers agree that a weighty, firm pillow will keep your head supported for good alignment and leave you without a cramped neck the next morning. Casper—known for its mattresses—has entered the cooling pillow market with its Foam Pillow with Snow Technology, which felt plenty supportive to our tester, a side sleeper. This pillow is substantial and well-made and kept its shape even after weeks of testing.

Its noticeable cooling sensation comes from its “Snow Technology,” which pulls heat away from your head and neck during use. The pillow is also surrounded by a layer of cooling gel foam for that long-lasting cool feeling. We used this pillow during warm weather and found that it lived up to its promise of keeping cool.

It’s Worth Noting

• While we did feel supported by the pillow, we noted that it did take a short breaking-in period as its loft was shorter than other pillows for side sleepers.

Product Details:

• Material: Foam
• Measurements: Standard: 16x 24 in.; King: 16 x 32 in.
• Care: Remove cover and machine wash
• Special features: AirScape perforated foam; HeatDelete technology

Best Latex

Saatva Latex Pillow

PHOTO: Saatva

$185 at Amazon$165 at Saatva

Our Ratings

• Quality5/5
• Breathability4/5
• Support5/5
• Durability5/5
• Comfort4/5

Why We Like It

Latex provides one of the coolest sleeping experiences, in terms of pillow material. If you’ve never slept on a latex pillow, you might wonder about the comfort factor, but they provide a similar experience to memory foam.

This pillow was our choice for back sleepers thanks to its high loft and construction that keeps its shape. While it took a couple of nights for the material to settle into place, its 8-inch loft was comfortable and supportive.

It’s Worth Noting

• While Saatva’s Latex Pillow offers a luxury experience, it matches it with a luxury price. Cooling pillows tend to be more expensive than the standard variety, but Saatva’s latex pillow is additionally expensive which may be a negative for some buyers.

Product Details:

• Material: Shredded latex
• Measurements: Queen: 18 x 28 in.; King: 18 x 34 in.
• Care: Machine washable
• Special features: 45-day trial

Best for Stomach Sleepers

Sleep Number True Temp Pillow

PHOTO: Sleep Number

$110 at AmazonView on Sleepnumber.com

Our Ratings

• Quality4.5/5
• Breathability4.5/5
• Support4/5
• Durability4/5
• Comfort4/5

Why We Like It

We tested the Classic version of the pillow, which has less fluff and a lower loft than the True Temp Pillow’s other versions, the Contour and Ultimate. The Classic, thanks to its lower profile, is great for stomach sleepers who generally prefer a lower profile for better alignment.

While the pillow is available in three shapes, they’re all constructed with Sleep Number’s 37.5 Technology, which claims to adapt to your temperature throughout the night, dissipating heat and humidity. We found it cool to the touch, never waking up hot or needing to flip it over or look for a cool spot during testing.

It’s Worth Noting

• This pillow was cool to the touch, but beware of adding a pillowcase that’s too thick as it may lose some of its cooling power.

Product Details:

• Material: Foam
• Measurements: Standard: 26 x 20; King: 36 x 20
• Care: Hand wash and air dry
• Special features: Available in three pillow shapes—classic, contour, and ultimate

Best Tempur-Pedic

Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow

PHOTO: Amazon

$66 at Amazon$89 at Tempurpedic.com$75 at Wayfair

Our Ratings

• Quality4/5
• Breathability5/5
• Support5/5
• Durability4/5
• Comfort5/5

Why We Like It

With a reputation for making quality memory foam mattresses, it makes sense that Tempur-Pedic also makes a comfortable cooling pillow. Using its TEMPUR material, we liked its custom-fit feel, finding that it adjusted to and accommodated us all night, no matter our sleeping position.

The comfortable cooling effect was immediately noticeable, leaving us feeling like we were falling asleep faster and staying in REM sleep longer.

It’s Worth Noting

• One of our only complaints was the weight of the pillow. Its heavy-weight materials were noticeable, but we still found the pillow to be soft and comfortable. This pillow also comes in at more of an investment price, but we felt like the price made sense considering the pillow’s quality.

Product Details:

• Material: Memory foam
• Measurements: 24 x 15.5 in.
• Care: Cover is machine washable
• Special features: N/A

Best for Neck Pain

Nest Bedding Easy Breather Natural Pillow

PHOTO: Nest Bedding

$119 at Nest Bedding

Our Ratings

• Quality5/5
• Breathability3.5/5
• Support4/5
• Durability4/5
• Value4/5

Why We Like It

Like some of the other pillows on our list, the Nest Easy Breather Pillow offers customizable stuffing, but Nest suggests using the current stuffing level for a night and then adjusting, which was slightly uncomfortable. After adjusting the filling, however, we found the pillow comfortable and that it formed to our preferred sleep positions while still holding its shape and not flattening.

It’s Worth Noting

• Adding a pillowcase diminished some of the cooling feel.

Product Details:

• Material: Foam
• Measurements: Standard: 24 x 16 in.; Queen: 28 in. x 18 in.; King: 34 in. x 18 in.; Side Sleeper: 29 in. x 17 in.
• Care: Cover is machine washable
• Special features: Customizable firmness; special side sleeper size available

Best Firm

Marlow The Pillow

PHOTO: Amazon

$69 at Amazon$65 at BrooklinenView on Marlowpillow.com

Why We Like It

If you’re looking for a pillow that keeps you cool without sacrificing support, Marlow’s The Pillow offers three firmness levels via its two side zippers. We found that the pillow moves easily between the settings without flattening, not needing to fluff it up at all during testing, with the pillow easily bouncing back into shape.

It’s Worth Noting

• It doesn’t have an overly strong cooling sensation.

Product Details:

• Material: Memory foam
• Measurements: Standard: 1​7.5 x 26 in.; King: 1​7.5 x 36
• Care: Spot clean only
• Special features: Three loft profiles

Related: The Best Weighted Blankets for Anxiety

Best Hybrid

Casper Hybrid Pillow with Snow Technology

PHOTO: Casper

$179 at Amazon$179 at Target$149 at Nordstrom

Our Ratings

• Quality4.8/5
• Breathability5/5
• Support5/5
• Durability5/5
• Comfort5/5

Why We Like It

Hybrid pillows combine the best of several worlds, mixing materials so you can find the right fit without having to commit to just foam or only fiber. The Casper Hybrid Snow Cooling Pillow impressed us with its quality construction and blend of foam and down alternative fill that supported our head and neck while keeping its shape throughout testing, which is why we named it our best hybrid cooling pillow.

But in addition to the totally supportive feel we got while sleeping, we were blown away by how cool the pillow felt. It was cool to the touch even through a pillow case and never felt like it heated up or changed temperature during testing.

It’s Worth Noting

• We couldn’t find many negatives with this pick, but you might find its price point a little steep if you’re not reaching for a cooling pillow every night. That said, we did think the price made sense when considering its quality feel and long-lasting cooling.

Product Details:

• Material: Memory foam and down alternative fill
• Measurements: Standard: 18 x 26 in.; King: 18 x 34
• Care: Wash cover on delicate; dry flat
• Special features: N/A

Our Testing Process

The Health team tested 29 of the top pillows on the market at home. We had 18 different testers—including side, back, and stomach sleepers—sleep on their cooling pillows for seven nights. In addition to incorporating the pillows into their sleep routines, they also washed the pillows according to the manufacturers’ instructions and measured the pillows right out of the box and after washing. They judged the pillows based on cooling capabilities, comfort, quality, value, and durability. We also spoke to sleep experts to discuss what to look for when selecting a cooling pillow. Experts we spoke to included:

• Steven Feinsilver, MD, the director for the Center of Sleep Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital
• Amelia Jerden, a certified sleep science coach and writer at Sleepopolis
• Maria Dolgovina, MD, a board-certified neurologist at Advanced Medical Care in New York
• Peter Polos, MD, PhD, FCCP, FAASM, sleep medicine specialist at JFK University Medical Center and sleep expert for Sleep Number

Our testers kept the pillows for continued testing at home. We’ll update our results with long-term testing insights as they become available.

What to Know About Cooling Pillows

Material

Cooling pillows are available in various materials, each with their own benefits. “There is a big difference in the experience you’ll have with a pillow that uses more breathable materials like cotton and shredded foam versus a latex core pillow or a pillow cover that uses a cool-to-the-touch material like Phase Change Material,” says Amelia Jerden, a certified sleep coach.

We spoke to sleep medicine doctors and sleep specialists to find out which materials work best.

• Latex: As Jerden discussed, latex pillows tend to be cooler to the touch than memory foam pillows while still mimicking the custom feel of foam. It achieves this feeling by trapping less heat throughout the night, keeping your pillow cool.
• Plant-based materials: Jerden explains that materials derived from plants tend to do a good job of keeping pillows cool. “Bamboo, Tencel, modal, and other viscose fabrics derived from plant fibers are also very effective at temperature regulation and moisture-wicking,” she says.
• Foam and memory foam: Foam and memory foam can also make good materials for cooling pillows, but their effectiveness depends mostly on their structure. A shredded foam pillow tends to be more cooling than a block foam pillow thanks to the additional airflow between its materials.
• Microfiber: Microfiber is a popular option for sheets and other bedding, but it’s not the best choice for a cooling pillow. While it wicks away moisture, microfiber tends to retain heat. “If you’re a hot sleeper, you should avoid materials that retain heat as that can promote the hot feeling and interfere with sleep,” says Peter Polos, MD, PhD, FCCP, FAASM, sleep medicine specialist at JFK University Medical Center and sleep expert for Sleep Number.

How Cooling Pillows Work

Cooling pillows work by moving heat away from the body, either by absorbing heat or by using a phase change material, which gives the cool to the touch feeling as Jerden mentioned. How, specifically, cooling pillows work depends on the material that your pillow uses, but a pillow of any material plays an important role in the sleep environment.

“Temperature is a common complaint or issue for many sleepers. It’s also one of the most important components for promoting a good sleep environment,” says Dr. Polos. “A cooling pillow can help to absorb excess body heat and get you to your ideal internal temperature.”

Who Are Cooling Pillows Good For?

Cooling pillows are an option for anyone, but they’re great for those who experience night sweats, which can be caused by a wide variety of conditions including menopause. “They can be especially helpful if you consider yourself a hot sleeper or get frustrated by constantly flipping your pillow to the cooler side,” says Dr. Polos. “There’s no harm in using a cooling pillow since it’s more about personal choice and comfort.”

Drs. Polos and Dolgovina agree that temperature plays one of the most important roles in getting a good night’s sleep. “To improve the quality of sleep and sleep onset, the room must be dark, quiet, and not too hot (cooled to the individual comfort),” says Dr. Dolgovina, with Dr. Polos specifying that 68 degrees is the perfect temperature for your sleep environment to avoid poor sleep.

Additionally, Dr. Feinsilver mentioned evidence for cooling pillows promoting better sleep over just having a cool sleep environment. One real-world study of people with insomnia found that the majority of sleepers reported better sleep with a temperature-regulated pillow.

More Cooling Pillows to Consider

While not all of the pillows we tested made our list, these ones just missed the cutoff due to issues with value and comfort.

• Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud Breeze Dual Cooling Pillow: While this pillow is comfortable, cooling, and durable, our tester thought these qualities might come at too much of a premium.
• Purple Harmony Pillow: Our tester thought this pillow’s comfort and quality are probably available at a lower price, especially since the tester didn’t feel much of a cooling effect.
• Allswell Gel Cooling Pillow: While comfortable and cooling, our tester gave it lower marks for a poorly-designed case and faint rubber smell.
• Cozy Earth Silk Pillows: Our side sleeper tester found that while this pillow is luxurious and cooling, it was fairly soft and flat.
• Sijo Clima Adaptive Latex Pillow: Our tester found that this pillow was a little outside of their price range, especially without being cool to the touch.

Who We Are

Jaylyn Pruitt is an associate editor for Health who oversees sleep content. She has tested over 50 mattresses, helped to oversee mattress testing in our lab, and even toured a mattress factory to learn more about how mattresses go from raw materials to your bedroom.