Calling all hot sleepers: These pillows ensure you always sleep on the "cold side"
Waking up feeling sweaty and overheated is a hot sleeper's (or, in fact, most people's) worst nightmare – especially when it's a regular occurrence. Luckily, a cooling pillow can help you sleep more comfortably and soundly.
Many feature technology that absorbs heat to prevent night sweats in the first place and are designed with a cool-to-the-touch feel so your pillow always has a colder side… How dreamy.
While a cooling pillow can’t stop your hot flushes or change a stuffy room, sleeping on one in addition to cooling bedding or even an AI-powered cooling mattress topper can certainly help. And here at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we consider ourselves experts at finding the products that will help you get the best night's sleep possible. So, our experts set out to find the cooling pillows that actually make a difference.
With each pillow we tested, we asked our panel to judge any temperature-regulating or cooling claims to separate the dependable from the duds. Check out our top picks below, and read on for what you need to look for in a cooling pillow as well as our full reviews.
What to look for when shopping for the best cooling pillows
To ensure you choose the best option for your needs, consider these factors.
Cooling technology
Designs will vary but pillows with cooling technology often have gel pads that absorb heat (drawing it away from you) or special fabrics (like the one used for REM-Fit's Nordic Chill Pillow) that dissipate heat better than regular textiles.
Material
Many cooling pillows also have covers and fillings that are good at regulating your temperature. Natural fibres such as cotton, wool, linen and bamboo are great for their airy weaves and moisture-wicking properties, while, conversely, memory foam traditionally holds a lot of heat.
Care instructions
If you often wake up covered in sweat, it's important to find a pillow you can wash and clean with ease. Some designs are completely machine washable, while others have removable covers that can be machine washed. Some may need hand washing though, so it's worth checking that you're happy with the level of care required before parting with your money.
Trial offering
Finding the right pillow for your body and preferred sleeping position is important to help improve bad quality sleep and ease aches and pains. Some brands offer trials, so you can check your new pillow suits your needs perfectly. We've highlighted which ones do this below, to help you feel confident in your purchase.
How we test pillows at the Good Housekeeping Institute
To find the pillows that are the best for drifting away on, we work with a panel of testers who trial them at home for at least two weeks. They rate each one on comfort, support, washability and overall design, and tell us whether they'd continue to use it after the trial period or not.
They also note how breathable each pillow is, considering whether it kept their head cool overnight and whether it helped them sleep better.
Back at the GHI, we conducted further wash tests and checked for any changes to the pillow afterwards.
Scroll on to discover all you need to know about our top picks.
Mayfair Cooling Gel Pillow
Score: 96/100
This premium memory foam pillow "worked wonders" for our panellists who liked both its cooling pad and firm feel. And as there's also a soft bamboo side, testers liked that a quick flip made things cosier for cooler nights when the gel was a bit too much.
The pillow always seemed to bounce back into shape after a good night's sleep and it didn't form a dip or lose its loftiness during the trial period.
Snow Pillow
Score: 89/100
REM-Fit says the cool-to-the-touch fabric used for this pillow's machine-washable cover is 10 times cooler than cotton. And it certainly delivered for our panellists, who praised its temperature regulating properties.
There's no alternative side like the pillow above, so testers flagged that it may be less inviting on cold winter nights. But you can always pop a standard pillow case on top to make it warmer if needed. And this didn't put our testers off –the majority said they would recommend this premium memory foam pillow to a friend.
The Everdene Cooling Pillow
Score: 87/100
Using thermoregulating technology developed by NASA, we were expecting this pillow to be out of this world (pardon the pun). And we weren't wrong.
The material, called Outlast, helped our panellists stay cool throughout the night, while the outer cover of Egyptian cotton boosted the pillow's breathability and softness.
There's no trial period with this one, which isn't ideal – particularly as it's an expensive buy. However, all our testers said they experienced a good night's sleep with this one.
$90.00 at brookandwildesleep.com
Climate Control Pillows
Score: 87/100
While the other pillows on this list feature additional cooling technology, this one relies solely on breathable fabrics. Don't let that put you off though, as the majority of our panellists still said it prevented hot heads overnight.
The dacron fibre filling is designed to wick moisture away, while the microfibre cover promotes extra breathability. It was comfortable to nod off on, so given its budget price tag, you can't really go wrong.
Original SmartCool Pillow
Score: 85/100
Tempur's Original SmartCool Pillow aims to solve two problems in one: overheating and snoring. The ergonomic shape is designed to tackle the latter, promoting good head and neck alignment, which keeps airways open for a quieter night.
Then, its cool-to-the-touch cover is what recommends it for hot sleepers. It's machine washable and made to absorb excess heat and keep you fresh all night long – one tester said it helped them "sleep like a baby".
It's expensive, but there's 30-night trial available (depending on where you buy it from), so you can make sure it's right for you.
The verdict on cooling pillows
Are these pillows as effective as they claim? In short, yes. Those that feature cooling technologies are definitely worth the investment if you constantly wake up sweaty. Our top pick is Luff's The Mayfair Gel Pillow, which our panellists loved for its cooling gel pad.
But if you want a budget pick, we recommend Slumberdown's Climate Control Pillow, a savvy buy that's sure to lessen sweaty nights, even if it doesn't have a dedicated cool side.
Why you should trust the Good Housekeeping Institute
Helping our readers get the best night's sleep possible is our life's work at the Good Housekeeping Institute. So far, we've tested over 80 pillows, with our homes testing manager, Blossom Boothroyd, coordinating all the feedback from our trusted panel.
Our homes writer, Megan Geall, then turns that feedback into clear, easy-to-understand reviews. She's written about hundreds of products and looks after our other pillow buying guides, including anti-snore pillows and memory foam pillows so knows a thing or two about what to look for in the perfect sleep companion.
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