Best Pillows

Based on 11,198 reviews
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$0 to $400
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Koala Pillow

Koala Pillow 2nd Gen — Fall Asleep Faster

4.7 

“Best pillow I’ve ever had.” Adjustable firmness, dual-sided seasonal cover & PolarBands® cooling help you fall asleep faster and wake up refreshed.

Spinaleze Pillows

Spinaleze Pillows 🏆 2026

4.9 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $239
  • ShapeStandard
  • LoftHigh, Medium and Low
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Peter PapasNSW3 posts
 

Bought a pillow for my wife who suffered from neck issues. She no longer has that problem. I suffer from serious shoulder pain and have booked in to… Read more

see a surgeon. Prior to my appointment with the surgeon I started using my wife’s pillow and found that upon waking and throughout the day my issue with my shoulder is not as serious. I will now cancel my appointment with the surgeon and have ordered a pillow for myself.

Ecosa Pillow

Ecosa Pillow 🏆 2026

4.8 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $150
  • ShapeContour
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam
  • LoftAdjustable
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Charlotte JohnsonWA
  Fair Incentive Verified

Bought this pillow because I was suffering from neck pain. Haven’t had it since. Pillow is excellent and my sleep comfort has improved.

microCloud Pillows

microCloud Pillows 🏆 2026

4.8 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $59 to $150
  • ShapeStandard, European, King and Body
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Bella C
 

The pillows are so comfortable and the overall service has been absolutely incredible

Emma Foam Pillow

Emma Foam Pillow 🏆 2026

4.6 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $200
  • ShapeStandard
  • LoftAdjustable
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Lisa LVIC
  Verified

This has been a game changer - I'm sleeping better than ever and my back does not hurt. Wish I bought this earlier - after a night or 2 or getting used to it, I'll never go back. Show details

Ecosa SideSupport Pillow

Ecosa SideSupport Pillow

4.8 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $150
  • ShapeStandard
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam and Polyester
  • LoftAdjustable
Ali2 posts
  Fair Incentive Verified

Very comfortable with great support for side sleeping. Thank you

Koala Pillow

Koala Pillow

4.7 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $169
  • ShapeStandard
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Tim13 posts
  Verified

I've bought many Koala pillows over the years. It's important to know that this product has always been very inconsistent. Each time I bought a new… Read more

Koala pillow it was different from the one before it. I'm guessing they kept changing suppliers for their memory foam. This wasn't a huge problem with the 1st Gen pillow because you could flip it over for different firmness. But Koala have changed to a new 2nd Gen pillow that only has one set firmness. I bought two of the 2nd Gen models within the space of a few weeks and they were completely different pillows... one was high and rock hard, and the other was soft and flat as a pancake. The zips on the side to adjust the firmness are a gimmick and do nothing. The new models also come rolled up in a box which is likely causing these issues (the 1st Gen pillows did not come rolled up). Finally, the foam chemical smell is really bad with these new models and doesn't go away. Beware if buying the 2nd Gen pillow, it's a gamble on what firmness you will actually get.

Koala
Koala    

G'day Tim, We are absolutely gutted to hear about your… Read more

Ecosa Cooling Pillow

Ecosa Cooling Pillow

4.7 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $200
  • ShapeStandard
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam
  • LoftAdjustable
squirreltrooperQLD3 posts
  Verified

Save yourself the money and buy this pillow NOW! Or read my long review if you're unsure. I've written a review longer than my standard 2 sentences… Read more

- 1 para because as a family we are all converts now! So grab a cuppa and if you're actually serious about buying a pillow (and likely desperate if you're like us and been on a quest for the perfect pillow), you won't mind reading before purchasing!

Quality sleep matters to our health, on a number of levels, especially as we age! My hubby and I (and various members of my extended family), have all been on the hunt for a quality pillow for what feels like years now. I'm sure my mother (now in her mid 70's) has spent thousands over the years, desperately trying different designs in the quest for a good night's sleep. From cheap, throw away - "might-as-well-give-them-a-go" pillows, to hotel-quality and high end - "hurt-the-wallet", but makes "all-the-promises-in-the-world" kinds of pillows, and everything in between. She'd essentially given up, until we heard about the Ecosa **Height Adjustable Cooling Pillow.

After traveling with a friend recently (who purchased hers some time ago), she raved about hers when I inquired about it. After hearing about all the features, I immediately googled it, did a little reading and purchased on the spot, planning for it to be part of a larger hamper of Father's Day gifts for my hubby.

At the time, I purchased a second pillow (there was a discount promotion if buying a second pillow – clever marketing, but it worked and I'm glad I did!). I figured I would also give it a try but I primarily purchased the second to lend to family to give it a try (especially my Mum, given her health issues and ongoing quest). Worst case, I figured Ecosa offered a 100-day guarantee if we weren't happy.

Thankfully, hubby fell in love with his very quickly. It did take him a few nights of playing with the height adjustable pieces to land on the level 'just right' for him but he's never looked back. It was one of his favourite gifts on FD!

I fell in love with mine immediately; I happened to guess the 'just right' level for me on night one. So, after only one night I loaned mine to my mum, thinking if she loved it I would buy her one as an early Christmas presents. Suffice to say, it hasn't come back haha. She has also fallen in love with it, though it took her a few nights of playing to get her 'just right'!

So, as that was three out of three of us happy, I immediately placed an order for two more - one to replace mine (I've actually missed having it) and one for our daughter, who we recently found out has mild scoliosis. We hope this will support her posture better while she sleeps - the goal being to have a straight spine and not just a supported head/neck.

We will be gifting these to the rest of the parentals next, and when we can afford to, we will be ordering two for our guest room as well (as we host a lot of friends and family and it will be great to offer height optionality given we're all different). It will be interesting to see how many of our guests fall in love with this pillow and end up buying one. By now, I'm thinking we should be charging commission!

The following are just a few of the key reasons we've each reported loving this pillow design:

The removable / washable cover. Though all quality pillows offer this, Ecosa's are very well made and slide on / off much easier than many we've tried. We put this down to the quality of the material of both the cover and the pillow inserts themselves. There's nothing more annoying than battling with trying to slip a pillowcase protector on and the insert resisting. Painful - especially when we're talking about gifting this to ageing parents who struggle with these basic tasks as it is.

The pillow quality. You can just see the quality in everything Ecosa does anyway. But in this case, from the vacuum seal bag all the bits come in (allowing for better quality storage for any additional height adjustable pieces not in use), to the little draw string carry bag it comes with (making traveling with your new fave pillow easy), to the stitching and manufacturing of the pillow quality itself overall, make this pillow definitely worth the $.

The pillow shape. Over and above the different height adjustable pieces, the pillow itself has a shorter and higher side, allowing for further optionality. Some pillows we’ve tried don’t quite get the shape right.

The pillow plushness. It’s the perfect balance of soft and plush but without compromising on being supportive and firm. So many of these curved shaped, supportive / chiro type pillows are too firm, actually risking doing more harm than good. The plushness makes it feel more luxurious to sleep on, while not at the cost of you feeling like you’re being swallowed up by it or claustrophobic because of it either.

Above all, our two favourite features, in order, are:

1. The height adjustable feature. (There are so many variations to support you getting a sleep that’s 'just right' for you). 2. The shape and feel of the pillow.

The fact that each of us are so happy, despite having different expectations of what comfort should feel like and very different body shapes / heights / weights (and therefore neck shapes etc), says a lot about the quality and design too.

We've stopped joking we're all Goldilocks now we've found our 'just right' pillow!

SMALL CAVEATS: The cooling technology is new to us. It’s not something we’ve tried before. It’s too early to tell so we’re somewhat ‘jury out’ on this. You can definitely feel it's slightly cooler to touch, when touching the Ecosa pillowcase cover. But as we sleep with a pillowcase over the top of ours (so it matches all our linen / looks nicer - we're not that keen on Ecosa that we’d advertise their branding from our bed haha), we can't honestly say you can feel that same ‘cooler feel’ through our pillowcase per se. That said, we're guessing the pillow insert itself must have been designed to be more breathable / a 'cooler' design somehow, as it definitely doesn't feel hot when sleeping on this pillow. We just can't honestly say it feels "cool" either. We'd just suggest, don't go buying it and expecting something unrealistic - like you're sleeping on a soft ice brick direct from the fridge! ;)

The only small criticism we have so far is that the bag doesn’t feel quite big enough. You can definitely get the pillow into the bag, but it does take bit of work to roll the pillow up small enough to fit into the bag, but you can do it - just don't expect elderly or folks with hand strength challenges to be able to do it easily/at all.

DISCLAIMER: It's still early days (only weeks) so we can't speak to how it will stand up over time but based on the above we’ve never looked back and feel it’s been good value for money based on the sleep it’s already bought us to date.

PRO TIP: Though we didn’t need time to realise it’s value. We highly recommend you play with the different levels it comes with and even turn the pillow around (you'll see the front and back are even different heights), so you can get the balance 'just right' for your neck/head support before making any final decisions. We also spotted one another to ensure when laying down it looked like our spine was straight when on our side, to ensure we nailed the height as best as we could. Interestingly, even while playing with the different levels each night, we all still felt we had a better quality sleep regardless. So that's about the pillow shape and quality overall.

Emma Diamond Pillow

Emma Diamond Pillow

4.7 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $189
  • ShapeStandard
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam
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Scott8 posts
  Verified

The pillow is too hard and quite uncomfortable. It feels just like cheap foam. Very disappointing considering the price and how good Emma mattresses are in comparison.

Emma Sleep
Emma Sleep    

Hi Scott, I totally get why that's a pain—definitely… Read more

Ecosa Kids Pillow

Ecosa Kids Pillow

4.9 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $100
  • ShapeStandard
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam
  • LoftAdjustable
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Selina R.WA
  Fair Incentive Verified

Pillow are great, my kids were excited to use them and have the same one as mummy. No complaints so far. Show details

Derila Ergo Pillow

Derila Ergo Pillow

4.9 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $92
  • ShapeContour
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam
Shelley M.
  Fair Incentive

This product is absolutely necessary for a great night sleep. The quality and comfort of this pillow is amazing, and I will highly recommend this pillow to everyone.

Derila Pillow

Derila Pillow

4.0 
Summary
  • ShapeContour
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam
  • LoftHigh
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Carolyn & LenQLD2 posts
  Verified

I am extremely satisfied with the Derila Pillow as I have a badly damaged spine which has been fused and have not been able to lay on my back. With… Read more

the Derila Pillow it gives me several choices and now I can spend the whole night on my back. Thank you Derilia. Regards Len Fairweather

  • Price (RRP) $179.90
  • ShapeStandard
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam
  • LoftAdjustable
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Michael Riley
  Verified

Very nice and after a short time has alleviated my neck problem

Ecosa Cooling Knee Pillow

Ecosa Cooling Knee Pillow

4.7 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $70
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam and Polyester
NayNSW
  Fair Incentive Verified

Finally bought this and glad I did. Comfortable, soft but firm enough and can actually notice the cooling effect.

Sleeping Duck AntiGravity Pillow

Sleeping Duck AntiGravity Pillow

4.9 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $179 to $199
  • ShapeStandard
  • LoftHigh and Medium
Amy G.QLD
  Fair Incentive

I have been struggling with sleep for the last year or so, most specifically with making sure I have the correct posture while sleeping as a side… Read more

sleeper. I was recommended this pillow by someone I know and it is the perfect pillow for me. I have not had a bad night's sleep since it arrived.

Contour Legacy Leg Pillow

Contour Legacy Leg Pillow

4.8 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $49.95
  • ShapeContour
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam
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Dolly D
 

I have bin using a regular pillow, was a nuisance turning over in the nite, l love this pillow, barely know it's ther & keeping my back in alignment, my Husband has recently had a hip replacement & he loves his. Show details

Koala x Bluey Snoozytime Pillow

Koala x Bluey Snoozytime Pillow

4.8 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $90
  • ShapeStandard
  • LoftLow
Mrs SWA4 posts
 

I bought these as gifts for my 2 kids. It says its a kids pillow as its a bluey pillow. It's way too firm for kids, and at 10cm height, way too… Read more

high. The kids have gotten neck pain and when I tried it out I could see why, even i got a stiff neck. Kids need a low profile. Such a waste of money. I don't know what ages others are who have given it 5 stars, but for kids around 6, definitely not recommended. The only positive I can think is the prints.

Koala
Koala    

G'day Mrs S, We are absolutely gutted to hear about your… Read more

TLC Latex The Classic

TLC Latex The Classic

4.8 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $85
  • Pillow FillingLatex
  • LoftMedium
MarinaWA
 

Absolutely FANTASTIC customer service. I purchased a pillow from TLC a few weeks back (as well as some pillow covers) but unfortunately it was… Read more

unsuitable for me, so sent it back for an exchange to a different pillow. The team at TLC sent me new pillow covers as the previous ones I had purchased did not fit the new pillow I exchanged for, completely complementary which was so thoughtful and kind.

The pillows themself are very soft and the odour is not offensive at all. And the pillow covers have a very luxurious feel.

Highly recommend this brand! Will be purchasing again!

Emma Cloud Hybrid Pillow

Emma Cloud Hybrid Pillow

3.9 
Summary
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Lara Freeman2 posts
  Fair Incentive Verified

Adaptable and super comfy – The Emma hybrid pillow is super comfy and adaptable. There is a small insert that can be removed to make for a softer, flatter surface if needed to optimise comfort fir the individual.

Origin AirSoft Microfibre Pillow

Origin AirSoft Microfibre Pillow

4.4 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $125
  • ShapeStandard
Paul6 posts
  Verified

Luxurious feeling pillow that does the job it was designed for Show details

Ecosa Loft Pillow

Ecosa Loft Pillow

4.6 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $50
  • ShapeStandard
  • Pillow FillingBamboo and Polyester
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DrmQLD3 posts
  Fair Incentive Verified

Soft and lofty at first but noticed it become flatter with time. Not as I expected Show details

Ecosa
Ecosa     

Hello Drm, Thanks for taking the time to share your… Read more

Quokka Beds Latex Pillow

Quokka Beds Latex Pillow

5.0 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $170
  • ShapeContour
  • Pillow FillingLatex
  • LoftAdjustable
Faye S.QLD5 posts
 

I spent some time reviewing pillows online before my purchase. My goal was to get the best pillow I could to support my posture and provide comfort… Read more

while I sleep, considering I spend so many hours doing this! I came upon this pillow and decided this was the one. And months later I love it so much more. It is constantly supportive, the perfect shape for my sleep (back, side and tummy!). I would recommend this pillow to anyone who values quality sleep.

Koala x Bluey Snuggletime Cushion

Koala x Bluey Snuggletime Cushion

5.0 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $60
  • Pillow FillingPolyester
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James
  Fair Incentive Verified

Very cute design and soft comfy pillow, would recommend to anyone

Ecosa Cooling Wedge Pillow

Ecosa Cooling Wedge Pillow

4.7 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $200
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam and Polyester
TODNSW
  Verified

Very happy with this pillow. My sleep quality (as measured by my Apple Watch) has definitely improved.

Ecosa Classic Foam Pillow

Ecosa Classic Foam Pillow

4.6 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $120
  • ShapeStandard
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam and Polyester
Mike2 posts
  Fair Incentive Verified

Firmness and height were great. Also not bouncy like some others which is horrible for sleeping. Travel bag a nice bonus.

Leah
  Fair Incentive

Excellent supportive pillow – Amazing pillow with just the right amount of support, it's not to soft or to firm. I like that it gives you a higher and lower neck support on each… Read more

side of the pillow. My growing teenager says it's comfortable and has been sleeping really well since he has been using this pillow.

Ecosa Latex Pillow

Ecosa Latex Pillow

4.8 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $100
  • ShapeStandard
  • Pillow FillingLatex
  • LoftMedium
Adam2 posts
  Verified

Very comfy pillow for back and side sleepers, highly recommend Show details

  • Price (RRP) $109.95
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SonFVIC3 posts
 

Love my new Aussie wool pillow. I normally sleep with a low pillow and I found these to be firmer than what I am used to, but only after a few uses,… Read more

I love it. The quality of the material is great, it is very comfortable, provides great neck support and I find it keeps me cooler at night too. I use it as a single pillow, the other half uses it as a top pillow. Highly recommend this pillow.

Ecosa Loft European Pillow

Ecosa Loft European Pillow

4.9 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $60
  • ShapeStandard
  • Pillow FillingBamboo and Polyester
Roy P
  Fair Incentive Verified

Good product, too big in terms of length. It stays cool through out the use.

Newentor Memory Foam Pillow

Newentor Memory Foam Pillow

4.7 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $140
  • ShapeStandard
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam
  • LoftAdjustable
Tash
  Verified

After searching for ages for a soft memory foam pillow, I finally found the one. The Newentor pillow is a super soft squishy memory foam, not like… Read more

the other hard brick memory foam pillows in stores. The adjustable height is fantastic, allowing you to adjust to the prefect height and support to suit you. I've tried many pillows, and this one is by far my favourite. I have not had a sore neck since using it. Just purchased a second one for my son to have on the lowest height.

Ecosa Cooling Leg Elevation Pillow

Ecosa Cooling Leg Elevation Pillow

4.6 
Summary
  • Price (RRP) $150
  • Pillow FillingMemory Foam and Polyester
Lana2 posts
  Verified

The pillow itself is good, and does what it's designed to do. Where it falls short is the lack of an actual pillow case or more linen based pillow… Read more

cover option. Apart from that it seems sturdy and well made.

I haven't washed the cover yet so I'm not sure how that holds up to washing and extended regular use.

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Koala Pillow

Koala Pillow 2nd Gen — Fall Asleep Faster

4.7 

“Best pillow I’ve ever had.” Adjustable firmness, dual-sided seasonal cover & PolarBands® cooling help you fall asleep faster and wake up refreshed.

Middle aged man sleeping on a comfortable pillow

Types of pillows for sleeping positions

The way you lay, scrunch or scrawl your body when you go to sleep is an important consideration when selecting a pillow.

The point of a pillow is to keep your spine in alignment as you sleep - called a neutral position. This keeps your neck and back - as well as your head - properly supported, which minimises strain and relieves pressure.

Choosing the wrong type of pillow for the way you sleep can throw off the neutral position of your spine, leading to pain and poor posture in the morning.

Stomach sleepers

Sleeping on your stomach puts a lot of distance between your back and the mattress.This gap causes the shoulders and back to slump, throwing off the neutral position that supports your spine.

The aim here is to reduce the distance between your shoulders and spine and the mattress - using a good pillow. Choose a soft pillow that's also flat, or low-profile. This will prevent your head and neck from becoming too elevated and misaligned with the spine. Sometimes also propping a pillow under your shoulders can add some extra support. Sleeping with no pillow can also keep the spine in alignment.

Side sleepers

If you sleep on your side, you need a pillow that allows you to keep your ears in line with your shoulders. For this, your neck should be on the pillow, and be properly supported.

For most side sleepers, choosing a firm pillow with a medium profile (height) will be a safe choice. The firmness allows your neck to remain supported, while the medium profile stops the neck from arching upwards (for a pillow that’s too high) or downwards (for a low pillow).

Choosing the right profile - which influences the pillow’s loft or elevation - also helps side sleepers from tucking their chin towards the chest, a habit that can cause neck pain.

Sleepers with larger frames may find that they prefer a side sleeper pillow that has a higher profile.

Back sleepers

This is the sleeping position that best encourages a neutral spine position. It can keep a healthy curve in the spine, and evenly distribute weight across the body. However, having a pillow that’s the wrong height can still leave you waking up with a sore neck.

With back sleeping, your head and neck should be kept on the same level. This keeps a natural distance and curve between the neck, and your shoulders on the mattress.

A medium profile pillow that has a medium thickness is likely to do a good job. It will prevent an unnatural or exaggerated angle caused by a pillow that’s too high or too low.

Combination sleepers

If you find yourself dabbling in these different sleeping positions all throughout the night, you’re likely to be a combination sleeper.

If this is you, you have the option of buying a pillow that suits the sleeping style you’re in the most. Alternatively, here are some tips to help you find a pillow that’s going to be able to adjust with your movements throughout the night.

  • A soft to medium comfort level can encourage movement. In comparison, a firm pillow (especially one made from high-density memory foam) can make you feel locked into a sleeping position. You won’t feel like you can freely move around.
  • Two sides to every pillow. Some pillows have a firm side and a softer side, which you can flip over depending on what feels more comfortable for your sleeping position.
  • A contour pillow has two heights across the pillow length. One part is slightly more elevated than the other. You can turn it upside down, and right-side up again, throughout the night depending on your shifting position.
  • Adjustable pillows are designed with an adjustable loft. You can add or remove filling - such as shredded memory foam or buckwheat hulls - until you reach your desired amount of filling.
  • Multiple materials rather than just one, may be naturally more adaptable when you move around at night.

Types of pillow materials

Polyester

Once the stock standard pillow filling, polyester is a synthetic material that has some benefits, but limited longevity compared to other pillow material types.

Pros
Good for stomach sleepers as the material flattens easily, reducing the loft between your spine and the mattress.
Flexible and lightweight, you can bend them in half to increase the loft and shape the pillow to lay how you like it.
Cons
Cheap to purchase, you won’t break the bank handing over money for a polyester pillow.
Low longevity - polyester pillows can wear out their welcome in your bedroom in as little as 6 months.
Material becomes clumpy - and doesn’t maintain its structural integrity for long, especially compared to denser (and more expensive) materials like latex and memory foam.

Foam

This usually refers to polyurethane foam or PU foam. This is generally the most inexpensive pillow to make.

Pros
Cheap to purchase, you won’t break the bank handing over money for a polyester pillow.
Flexible and lightweight, you can bend them in half to increase the loft and shape the pillow to lay how you like it.
Cons
Can often be thin and unsupportive. High-density PU foam will be more supportive than low-density foam, but this dense composition will also retain more heat.
Traps heat easily. High-density PU foam will be more supportive than low-density foam, but this dense composition will also retain more heat.

Memory foam

Also known as visco-elastic foam, memory foam is hugely popular when it comes to pillows.

Pros
Contours to the shape of your head and neck. This means your head and neck are supported - as the foam shifts to cradle them throughout the night.
Praised for its pressure relieving properties, which can help soothe aching muscles and joints, and prevent strains.
A smooth surface prevents lumps and bumps in the pillow surface, which aids in a pillow’s longevity.
Cons
High density memory foam, while highly supportive, traps heat. If you're a hot sleeper, some heat may be reduced by choosing a cooling pillow cover.
Can be expensive. However there are affordable options too, like memory foam Kmart pillows.
Sometimes emit a chemical smell when they’re new. This is due to a process calling ‘off-gassing,’ which occurs when Volatile Organic Compounds (or VOCs) are released. However, this odour is mild and usually goes away by itself over time.

Latex

Pillows made from latex are another popular choice today. There is natural and synthetic latex. Natural latex is derived from the sap of the rubber tree, whereas the synthetic option is man-made.

Pros
Contours to the body and moulds to it like memory foam.
More resilient than memory foam - springs back to its original shape faster.
Breathes well, as an airy structure (particularly with Talalay latex) prevents heat and moisture from becoming trapped.
Natural latex is hypoallergenic and resists dust mites.
Durable and can last a long time, when maintained well.
Cons
Not adaptable - if you’re not happy with a latex pillow, there’s usually little you can do to change the shape or the loft.
Can often be expensive.

Feather pillows

Most feather pillows are made from a combination of feathers and down (both of these soft materials are taken from ducks and geese).

Pros
Fluffy, soft and comfortable.
Easy to re-shape and adjust to your preferred style of pillow.
Cons
Not supportive, due to its ultra-soft feel. Won’t be supportive enough for side sleepers or tummy sleepers.
Hard to maintain, as they will quickly become lumpy and require fluffing.
Can be expensive, especially when the ratio of down to feathers is high.
Not cruelty-free.

Bamboo pillows

This refers to pillows that use bamboo fibres weaved into the pillow cover, rather than inside the actual fill material. (This is also the case for cotton pillows, which refers to an independent filling that uses a cotton pillowcase).

Pillows with bamboo covers are usually filled with memory foam or shredded memory foam.

Pros
Cooling bamboo material can help counteract some of the heat built up inside dense memory foam pillow fillings.
Bamboo covers are also naturally hypoallergenic. Dust mites won’t build up on the pillow’s surface, which means if you suffer from allergies you’re less likely to wake up sneezing in the middle of the night.
Antimicrobial properties help your pillow maintain a hygienic surface.

Pillows for pain relief

If you experience neck, shoulder and back pain during the night or the morning after, a dodgy pillow might be playing a contributing factor in your chronic pain.

To help avoid pain, both your head and neck should be securely positioned on the pillow before you drift to sleep. If they're not, you're starting off your night misaligned, and it's likely to only get worse.

In terms of materials, generally memory foam, latex and water pouch pillows can be effective at relieving pain. They mould to your body and provide a high level of support. They can also take some pressure off joints. Contoured pillows are often also designed specifically as pillows for soothing neck pain.

Everyone is different, so the right pillow for one person who experiences neck pain may continue to cause pain for someone else. Finding your pain-free pillow match does involve some experimentation, which can be expensive.

Look for pillows that have an ‘obligation fee’ style trial period, which allows you to try out the pillow for a set period and be able to return the pillow before that date if it doesn’t work out or still causes you pain.

Allergy friendly pillows

Allergies in the bedroom stem from a number of sources, the main culprits being dust, dust mites and dust mite faeces (gross!) Other allergy triggers include pollen, pet dander, mould and chemicals. The presence of any of these can kick your sinus and asthma symptoms into gear.

Sourcing an allergy-friendly or ‘hypoallergenic’ pillow can go some way in keeping irritants at bay.

Allergy friendly pillows include those made from natural latex, cotton and bamboo. These natural materials all create an inhospitable environment for allergens and discourage their growth.

Tightly woven microfibre, although a synthetic pillow material, also demonstrates resistance to dust and pet dander.

If you’d prefer to keep your current pillow, you can opt for a dust mite resistant casing instead. You zip this casing over your pillow, and can buy matching ones for other bedding like your mattress.

Regularly washing your pillowcase is also an important step when it comes to keeping away allergens.

Hot sleepers

If you have a tendency to sweat a lot throughout the night, particularly during summer, this can contribute to a disrupted sleep that leaves you waking up feeling groggy and grumpy.

Hot sleepers may benefit from carefully selecting a pillow with both a fill material and cover that works to make getting too hot and bothered a thing of the past.

Cooling pillows will often have covers made of cotton or bamboo. These natural materials are breathable, as they wick moisture away from the body. The fill of a cooling pillow can also be made of cotton.

A memory foam pillow shredded memory foam (rather than block memory foam) and a cooling-gel surface can help you keep cool during the night. While memory foam does retain heat, the shredded nature promotes airflow. The addition of gel is considered to help reduce heat, including in other materials like microfibre.

How often should pillows be replaced?

It’s recommended that you change your pillow every 1-2 years. Over time, even the best of pillows flatten and become less supportive. Particularly if the pillow insert is not washable, it can become heavier from skin cells and dust mites accumulating.

If the filling of your pillow is machine washable, you can pop it in the wash at the end of every season. This will keep your pillow lasting longer. However, the cell structure of some pillow fill materials is damaged if washed - for example, you should avoid putting memory foam and latex in the wash.

It may also be time to replace your pillow earlier than the 1-year mark if you notice any of the following: flatness (or it feels like all the loft is gone), lumps, yellow spots or a funky smell. Also consider making a change if you wake up in the morning with sore or stiff neck or shoulders, or you notice an increase in your allergy symptoms, especially when you first climb into bed at night.

All of these tell-tale signs signal that your pillow is on its way out. Changing your pillow at the right time can also prevent you waking up with pain, and the discovery that a pain-free morning awaits you can be pretty exciting.

Finding a pillowcase for your pillow

The material of any pillowcase you buy can determine it's longevity and comfort. You can find both natural and synthetic pillowcase fabrics. While polyester may be soft to the touch, it isn't as durable or breathable as cotton and linen, which are both also easier to wash.

Silk pillowcases are also gaining popularity. Because they have a smoother surface and cause very little friction against the skin and hair, these pillowcases are thought to reduce the likelihood of waking up with frizzy or tangled hair. While they aren't a cure-all for bad hair days, they provide a less rough surface than cotton pillowcases which can both prevent hair breakage and be gentler on the skin.