8 best pillows that provide comfort and support for side, front and back sleepers

Just like the humans who use them, pillows are remarkably varied. Choosing the right one is all about identifying the things that you really like in a pillow, and finding an option that has those characteristics.

First, think about firmness. Do you want your pillow to be soft, firm, or somewhere in-between? There’s no right or wrong answer here – everyone has their own Goldilocks zone based on factors such as their body shape, the weight of their head and their learnt pillow preferences.

Pillows made with memory foam tend to offer a firmer, more supportive feel than pillows with organic fillings such as goose or duck down, feathers or wool. Meanwhile, organic fillings often feel softer and lighter.

With that being said, clever bedding makers are getting better at making pillows that combine materials to achieve a more moderate feel, somewhere in-between feathery comfort and orthopaedic firmness. These include hybrid pillows, made with a mix of memory foam and organic fillings, and all-organic pillows that use a dense layer of down in place of a synthetic foam.

Another differentiating factor among pillows can be their shape. Although many pillows still come in a “standard” rectangular design, there are some alternative options out there – including the wedge-shaped pillow featured in this article.

Increasingly, pillows have an adjustable design. This means you can open up the pillow and tweak the padding or filling to make the pillow better suited for you.

And speaking of you, in which position do you like to sleep? Certain shapes and firmnesses of pillow can suit some sleepers better than others. Front-sleepers often get on best with relatively soft pillows, while side-sleepers and back-sleepers tend to prefer firmer support, as this can help keep the head comfortably aligned with the rest of the body.

How we tested

Our reviewer tested these pillows in the only proper way: by using them while sleeping and lazing around. They tried each pillow while resting on their front, back and side, in order to get a sense of how well the pillows would suit users with different preferences. Our reviews aim to take into account the subjective nature of this type of product – one person’s nightmare pillow could be another person’s dream.

The best pillows for 2022 are:

• Best overall – Soak&Sleep 100% Canadian goose down standard chamber pillow: £150, Soakandsleep.com

• Best memory foam support – Nectar a whole night’s sleep adjustable memory foam pillow: £51.48, Nectarsleep.co.uk

• Best supportiveness – Brook + Wilde perla hybrid pillow: £249, Brookandwilde.com 

• Best adjustability – Simba hybrid pillow: £81.75, Simbasleep.com

• Best wool-stuffed pillow – Woolroom Chatsworth collection washable wool pillow, standard: £74.99, Thewoolroom.com

• Best for front-sleepers – Scooms Hungarian goose down pillow, standard: £80, Scooms.com

• Best hypoallergenic pillow – Woolroom classic wool pillow: £52.99, Thewoolroom.com

• Best temperature regulating pillow – Otty deluxe gel pillow: £49.99, Otty.com

Soak&Sleep 100% Canadian goose down standard chamber pillow

This is a superb quality pillow from its outermost stitch to its deepest layer of padding.

It’s a chamber pillow, which means there are multiple compartments inside, each filled with stuffing. In the outer two of this pillow’s three chambers, thick clusters of Canadian goose down create a luxurious level of fill and keep your head wonderfully well supported.

Thanks to its malleable filling, Soak&Sleep’s pillow has tremendous versatility. In our testing, it provided support and comfort while we rested in various positions, including front, back and side. We also liked the use of two seams around the edge, which seems to help the pillow keep its shape.

Buy now £150.00, Soakandsleep.com

Nectar a whole night’s sleep adjustable memory foam pillow

The a whole night’s sleep pillow provides superb support via its thick, gel-infused memory foam core. It definitely gave us the feeling of taking a weight off, allowing the neck to relax. We found it to be at its best when we were laying on our sides.

While we loved this pillow’s thickness, some sleepers may prefer a thinner configuration. If that’s the case for you, simply unzip the cover and remove one of the pillow’s three inner layers.

For every pillow sold, Nectar Sleep makes a donation to #IAMWHOLE, an anti-stigma mental health campaign run in partnership with the NHS and YMCA.

Buy now £51.48, Nectarsleep.co.uk

Brook + Wilde perla hybrid pillow

The first thing you’ll notice about the perla is that it’s remarkably heavy – somewhere between an ordinary pillow and a sandbag! The pillow is dense with high-end, highly-supportive materials, including layers of duck down and duck feathers and a memory foam core. Laying your head down on it brings an instant feeling of soothing and relief.

We found the perla to be outstandingly comfortable when sleeping on our back or side. Its hybrid design equips it to balance a high level of support with a soft, squishy feel.

As far as we’re concerned, the only potential problem with this pillow is that it’s pretty expensive, but you’re paying a premium price for a top-notch product.

Buy now £249.00, Brookandwilde.com

Simba hybrid pillow

The hybrid pillow from popular mattress-maker Simba is just about as high-tech as a pillow can be. It’s great at temperature regulation, thanks to its mesh border and filling of open-celled foam cubes. These ‘Nanocubes’ can be removed, or added to, in order to adjust the pillow to your preferred height.

In our reviewer’s opinion, the pillow’s height seemed perfect, straight out of the box. The feel is soft-and-gentle, yet there’s a good level of support from the core of the pillow.

We found the Simba hybrid especially comfy when laying on our back, and it’s good for side-sleeping too.

Read the full Simba hybrid pillow review

Buy now £81.75, Simbasleep.com

Woolroom chatsworth collection washable wool pillow – standard

Everyone should try a wool-stuffed pillow at some point. The padding has a different feel to the more commonplace down and foam alternatives – and you might well find that you prefer it.

We found this Woolroom pillow to be very comfortable indeed, especially while laying on our back. The wool stuffing feels dense and supportive, without causing your head to sink in especially far.

Interestingly, you can adjust the padding in this pillow to make it better-suited to your preferences. This involves fluffing up the little balls of wool inside it, or adding or removing wool to tweak the pillow’s thickness.

This pillow is from Woolroom’s Chatsworth collection of products made with materials sourced from the Chatsworth estate. There’s also a lovely smell to the organic British wool padding when you first take the pillow out of its bag.

Buy now £74.99, Thewoolroom.com

Scooms Hungarian goose down pillow

Sinking your head back into the Scooms Hungarian goose down pillow is a memorable delight. Deep, soft and squishy, the pillow is ideal for users who prefer gentle comfort with low firmness.

We found this pillow to be especially comfy when resting or sleeping on our front (although it worked well with other postures too). Just be sure to shake and plump the pillow before use, as this will help to keep the filling of down and feathers evenly distributed within the pillow’s chambers.

A word of praise for this pillow’s cover, also – its 300-thread count cotton sateen fabric is marvellously smooth.

Buy now £80.00, Scooms.com

Woolroom classic wool pillow

There’s a lot to love about Woolroom’s bedding – but there’s no doubt that the brand’s strongest suit is its beautiful materials.

This pillow is a particularly fine example, made with a traceable British wool filling that feels yielding yet supportive on the neck. Wool pillows are firmer than feather and down, but this one feels relatively soft, thanks in part to its generously thick cotton cover.

Another great benefit to this pillow’s all-natural materials is that they are suitable for some people who have allergies to synthetic fibres. The pillow is approved as hypoallergenic by Allergy UK.

Buy now £52.99, Thewoolroom.com

Otty deluxe gel pillow

We can’t imagine many sleepers having mixed feelings about the Otty deluxe gel pillow, which has a unique design and feel, as well as excellent temperature regulation.

This all stems from the cooling ‘blue gel’ foam used as the pillow’s padding. This material is supposed to distribute heat away from the parts of the pillow which your body is touching, in order to lower the pillow’s overall surface temperature. We tested the Otty deluxe gel pillow during hot summer weather, and found that it controlled our heat levels superbly well.

As well as regulating heat, the pillow’s memory foam layer gives it a unique feel – highly supportive, although perhaps a little too dense for some sleepers.

Buy now £49.99, Otty.com

Pillow FAQs

What type of pillow is right for you?

Microfibre – These pillows tend to be among some of the most affordable and are manmade from synthetic materials such as polyester. They come in a range of different firmness levels, which makes them suitable for most sleeping styles, particular front sleepers as they tend to be flatter. However, they aren’t the most breathable option as they can retain moisture and heat.

Feather and down – To be called a down pillow, a product must be made up of at least 70 per cent down feathers, with the rest being regular feathers. Down feathers are typically far softer and better at retaining heat. It’s worth noting that they're more expensive than most other pillows and not always suitable for those with allergies, however you can find anti-allergy options. As down pillows flatten over time, they’re not the best option for side sleepers who require more height, but others will usually find it a comfortable choice.

Memory foam – These pillows are ideal for anyone who struggles with neck pain as they offer sturdy support by moulding to the shape of your body. While they are durable, memory foam pillows can feel quite rigid and have limited airflow, which means they can get hot. Back and side sleepers will benefit most from this type of pillow.

Wool – If it’s an eco-friendly and naturally hypoallergenic pillow you’re after, wool could be the option for you. Wool pillows help to regulate your temperature, keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer, and are best-suited to front sleepers.

Latex – An alternative to memory foam, latex pillows share similar properties as they are firm and supportive. While they are much more breathable than memory foam, latex styles are on the pricey side and can have a distinct smell.

Pillows at a glance

The verdict: Pillows

Based on the fine quality of materials and its versatile appeal, we’re naming the Soak&Sleep 100% Canadian goose down standard chamber pillow our IndyBest best buy. This pillow has a moderate firmness, which won’t be for everyone. If you like a firmer feel, you might prefer to buy something like the Brook + Wilde perla hybrid pillow instead.

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