13 Pillow Types, and How to Choose the Perfect Pillow for Successful Sleep

If you don’t sleep well, it might be the screens you use before bed, your loudly snoring partner, the allergens in the air — or it might be that you are trying to use the wrong type of pillow. Pillows come in many different shapes and materials, and choosing the right one is imperative for getting a great night’s sleep. But, how to choose the perfect pillow for successful sleep?

Shape

The point of a pillow is to keep your body in proper alignment during your sleep, so you don’t stretch any connective tissues, pinch any nerves or otherwise harm your body in any way. Thus, there are different shapes of pillows for different types of support, and for different types of sleepers.

Standard Pillow

The standard pillow is a rectangle intended to support the head, but it is easy to manipulate the standard pillow — by scrunching, folding, etc. — into different shapes for use between the knees, under the waist and more. Standard pillows are usually proposed in three sizes: standard, queen and king.

Neck Pillow

While you sleep these cervical pillows improve posture and keep the neck aligned with the head, and also reduce the pressure that is exerted on the neck so that pain relief is achieved.

Lumbar Pillow

A lumbar pillow tends to be longer and thinner than a standard pillow, so it can fit in the curve of the lower back. Many people use lumbar pillows while seated, but back sleepers might enjoy a lumbar pillow for extra support.

Body Pillow

Body pillows are the largest, longest pillows you are likely to find on a bed, and they can be manipulated in a variety of ways to improve comfort and support while sleeping. They are essential for side-sleepers, who need a bit of additional support to achieve comfort, or like to hug something.

Wedge Pillow

These dense, triangle-shaped pillows are commonly used to elevate part of the body, like the top half for acid reflux sufferers or the bottom half for those looking to alleviate varicose veins. Wedges can also be used to prop up books while reading in bed.

Decorative Pillow

If you see a square pillow, you should know that this is purely decorative. Square pillows of any size are not ideal for any kind of sleeping support; they are merely for enhancing the look of a bed.

How to Choose the Perfect Pillow Materials

The materials that are used on your pillow are as important as the pillow’s shape. Different materials provide different types of comfort and support — and materials can have other effects on health, as well as impacts on the environment or the aesthetics of the room. How to choose the perfect pillow, it’s linked to a good material choice.

Polyfill Pillow

Perhaps the most common type of pillow material, polyfill refers to polyester fibers, which are easy to wash, hypoallergenic, affordable and quite durable — but they are neither the most supportive nor the softest of material options. Additionally, polyester is a plastic product, which means old polyfill pillows are not eco-friendly.

Down Pillow

Down is the fluffy undercoating that many aquatic birds have beneath their feathers. It makes for an especially soft and puffy pillow as well as a sumptuous sleeping experience. However, down is expensive, is unable to provide support and tends to aggravate allergies — and typically, the treatment of geese farmed for down isn’t humane. You can buy “vegan down” alternatives, but these are almost exclusively rebranded polyfill.

Memory Foam Pillow

Memory foam was made famous by NASA’s use of the material to protect astronauts during space travel. The polyurethane foam conforms to the body, providing both comfort and support. However, memory foam does off-gas, meaning as the material breaks down, it releases potentially harmful chemicals into the air. Many memory foam users complain of headaches, breathing trouble and worse, so if you are susceptible to off-gassing, you might try a different pillow material.

Latex Pillow

You can buy a molded latex pillow that provides superior support for your head and neck without the dangers of off-gassing, allergic reactions, environmental degradation or other harm. Organic latex is a safe, natural alternative to most other pillow materials because it provides support and comfort.

Microbead Pillow

If you prefer an extremely hard, supportive pillow, you should look for one made of microbeads, which are tiny, polystyrene balls that can be molded around your head and neck. Many travel pillows are made with microbeads.

Buckwheat Pillow

If latex is the natural alternative to memory foam, buckwheat is the natural alternative to microbeads. Using the hard husks of buckwheat plants, these pillows also provide hard, moldable support.

Innerspring Pillow

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard of innerspring mattresses, which contain a core of tight, metal springs that offer cushion and support while you sleep. Innerspring pillows use the same technology; they have an outer layer of memory foam or polyester fiber and an inner core of springs. These pillows are rare and quite pricey — and they often don’t offer anything beyond what you can find with other materials.

How to Choose the Perfect Pillow

People have been sleeping with pillows since time immemorial, but that doesn’t mean any kind of pillow will do. If you are struggling to sleep, you might consider whether you need normal pillows, air foam pillows or switching to any of the above pillow options.

If you are going to buy a new pillow for your bed, it is very important that you choose a good model, because in addition to avoiding neck, back and shoulder pain, you will help to avoid breathing problems and snoring, pain in the upper extremities, insomnia or poor circulation.