Contoured Memory Foam Pillow

Height Is The Whole Question

A pillow exists to fill the gap between the head and the mattress so the neck stays in line with the spine, and the size of that gap depends on sleeping position.

Side sleepers have a wide gap between the shoulder and the head and need a high pillow, and back sleepers need considerably less.

Front sleepers need almost none, and a thick pillow forces the neck into extension all night, which is why sleeping on the front is the position most associated with neck pain.

Contour Shapes And Who They Suit

A contoured pillow has a raised edge for the neck and a lower centre for the head, which holds a neutral position without the sleeper having to arrange it.

That works well for people who sleep consistently in one position, and it works badly for people who move, since the shape only fits one orientation.

Anybody who moves between back and side sleeping may do better with an adjustable-fill pillow than with a moulded shape.

Firmness And Sinking

A pillow that compresses fully under the head provides no support for the remaining hours, which is what a flattened old pillow does.

Memory foam holds its loft considerably better than fibre fill and takes longer to respond, which means less adjustment through the night.

A pillow too firm holds the head too high, which is the same problem as one too thick and is frequently mistaken for a comfort issue.

Heat And Foam Density

Solid foam blocks traps heat around the head and neck, which is where many people notice it most because the face is against it.

Perforated, shredded and gel-infused foams move more air, and shredded fill can be adjusted by removing some of it to change height.

A cooling pillowcase or a natural fibre cover makes more difference to felt temperature than most foam treatments do.

Pillows And Neck Pain

A pillow of the wrong height causes or worsens neck pain, and changing it is a reasonable first step for anybody waking with a stiff neck.

Persistent neck pain, pain radiating into an arm, numbness or weakness are reasons to see a doctor rather than to keep buying pillows.

No pillow treats an underlying condition, and marketing that suggests one is therapeutic should be read with that in mind.

Pillow replacement intervals are shorter than most people assume, since a pillow accumulates skin cells, oils, sweat and dust mites over years regardless of pillowcases and washing. Most manufacturers suggest replacing pillows every couple of years, which sounds like sales advice and is supported by how much a used pillow weighs compared with a new one. The fold test tells you whether support has gone: a pillow folded in half that does not spring back has lost its structure and is doing nothing.

Cover material affects both temperature and how easily a pillow can be cleaned, since a removable washable cover means the foam core itself never needs washing, which it generally cannot survive. Bamboo and cotton covers breathe considerably better than the tightly woven polyester used on cheaper pillows.

The Verdict

Genuinely useful when the height matches your sleeping position, where a moulded shape suits consistent sleepers only.

Solid foam traps heat, contours suit one position, and no pillow treats an underlying neck problem.

Match height to sleeping position. Side sleepers need high, back sleepers less, front sleepers almost none.