Ratings of the top pillows for sore necks and creaky spines, whatever your sleeping position
CHRIS TEMPEST
Osteopathic Consultant
Chris is a professional osteopath who qualified from the European School of Osteopathy with an Integrated Masters of Osteopathy (D.O. M.Ost.), so what he doesn’t know about your body isn’t worth knowing. Learn more about our team.
Sometimes, you experience uncomfortable back, neck, and shoulder pain when you wake up. So, you’re left wondering, have I been sleeping the wrong way? Does your sleep pattern keep getting interrupted? Or maybe you keep tossing and turning all night?
If you can’t find a comfortable position to sleep, chances are that your pillow is part of the problem, and you need one that offers more targeted support than a standard backrest pillow.
If you’ve been experiencing any of these issues, you urgently need to invest in an orthopedic pillow. Why do I call it investing? Orthopedic pillows are game-changers for people that suffer from neck and back pain.
If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry. This article will review the seven best orthopedic pillows for you.
Table of Contents
Our Top Picks for Orthopedic Pillows
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall  | Tempur Neck Pillow |
| Check Best Price - AmazonCheck Price at Tempur-Pedic |
Honorable Mention  | Snuggle Pedic Bamboo Luxury Pillow |
| Check Best Price - Amazon |
Best for Side Sleepers  | Eli & Elm Side Sleeper Pillow |
| Check Best Price - AmazonCheck Price at Eli & Elm |
Best for Back Sleepers  | Coisum Back Sleeper Cervical Pillow |
| Check Best Price - AmazonCheck Price at Walmart |
Best for Stomach Sleepers  | MARNUR Cervical Pillow |
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Best for Neck Pain  | UTTU Sandwich Memory Foam Adjustable Pillow |
| Check Best Price - Amazon |
Best for Shoulder Pain  | Core Products Tri-Core Cervical Support Pillow |
| Check Best Price - Amazon |
Best for Back Pain  | Dr. Loth's Spine Align Pillow |
| Check PriceButton Text |
Types of Orthopedic Pillows
Orthopedic pillows guarantee you a good night’s sleep with minimal sleep interruption. Sleeping positions are pretty crucial in ensuring your comfort at night.
But guess what? Great sleep accessories significantly complement the correct sleeping position. That’s where orthopedic pillows come in.
Orthopedic pillows vary in shape, size, and the materials used to make them. To choose the best orthopedic pillows, you need to understand the various types available on the market. This information will help you to choose the right orthopedic pillow for you!
Let’s take a look at various types of orthopedic pillows:
Cervical Pillow
A cervical pillow is one of the most common orthopedic pillows. It is curved in a way that contours with your head, spine, neck, shoulders, and back when you are lying down. This pillow relieves conditions like snoring, sleep apnea, and respiratory distress.
Lumbar Pillow
A lumbar pillow has a half-moon shape. In a sitting position, the pillow provides support to your lower back to give you the correct posture. When lying down the pillow can be used to raise your legs and provide support to your neck.
Neck Pillow
A neck pillow is commonly known as a travel pillow. You’ll often people using them on flights or buses. This pillow is shaped like a horseshoe. It is made to support your head and will work well when your head is resting against a seat.
Knee Pillow
A knee pillow is hourglass shaped. The pillow helps with spine realignment when someone is sleeping on their side. It also promotes blood circulation and prevents friction between the legs.
Body Pillow
A body pillow is a long pillow designed to support your arms, shoulders, and hips. This pillow is highly recommended for pregnant women as it supports the entire body. It can also be used by anyone who needs support to fall asleep quickly.
Water Pillow
A water pillow is the most flexible orthopedic pillow. All you need to do is add water to the pillow, and fill it to the height you need. A water pillow contours to the shape of your body to give you maximum support.
Best Overall - Tempur Neck Pillow
Let’s look at our best orthopedic pillow choice in the market; the Tempur neck pillow for neck pain. This is not your regular pillow. Let’s find out why the Tempur neck pillow tops the list of best orthopedic pillows. Keep reading!
There's an interesting background story to the Tempur neck pillow. The Tempurpedic company first created a patented memory foam pillow for a NASA space flight. Their memory foam pillows were so comfortable that they set the standard for the sleep industry, forcing other manufacturers to develop their own foam materials.
- Materials: Memory Foam
- Item Dimensions: 20 x 12.8 x 4 in
- It helps relieve neck pain
- It follows the natural curve of your body.
- It has a strong smell when new.
Material
The pillow is made from a strong TEMPUR material that gives the pillow an extra firm feel. Don’t mistake the ‘extra firm feel’ for a hard surface feel! The pillow is made to help the neck and shoulder muscles to relax and at the same time stay supported.
The tempur neck pillow is designed for back and side sleepers. It provides enough support to side sleepers who require an extra lift to maintain a healthy posture throughout the night.
It is the perfect pillow for back sleepers who do not change sleeping positions when they sleep but require neck support.
If you are a hot sleeper, you will appreciate this pillow! The pillow has a soft polyester fiber knit hypoallergenic outer cover. When using most pillows, you will wake up sweaty because of body heat at night. The polyester material is moisture resistant which helps with body heat.
Shape
The Tempur neck pillow is designed with an ergonomic shape meant to help with cervical support and alignment. This helps to reduce neck pain and is ideal for a wide range of body sizes.
Features
The tempur neck pillow is produced in three sizes (small, medium, and large). You can refer to the neck pillow size chart with the measuring guide on their website to determine your correct size.
The pillow has a removable and washable cover.
Honorable Mention (Overall Runner Up) - Snuggle Pedic Bamboo Luxury Pillow
Snuggle -pedic bamboo luxury pillow – the ideal pillow for any sleeping position!
Who wouldn’t want to be associated with luxury? I speak for myself as I adore comfort. What makes it the second-best orthopedic pillow?
The snuggle-pedic pillow is one of the highly-rated pillows online. Just as the name suggests, it gives you luxury as you slumber away to dreamland.
- Materials: Memory Foam
- Item Dimensions: 30"L x 20"W
- Snuggle pedic company has an excellent four months return policy with a complete refund for the policy.
- The company offers a 20-year warranty. Other orthopedic pillows cannot match this!
- The orthopedic pillow is environmental friendly
- The pillow feels too firm in the first use.
- When unboxed, the pillow has a weird odor.
- Costs more than similar quality products.
Material
The orthopedic pillow is constructed from memory foam.
Memory foam is a polyurethane material enhanced with chemicals to get more density, firmness, and support. Memory foam is sensitive to body heat.
Snuggle pedic pillows are ideal for all sleep positions because of the quality shredded memory foam. Shredded memory foam pillows can adjust with the shape of your head and neck.
This pillow is enhanced with a kool flow micro-vented bamboo outer cover to achieve ultra-luxurious comfort.
The unique bamboo cover offers breathability. Air circulates through the pillow to keep it cool and have a fresh smell.
Firmness
The snuggle pedic ultra bamboo pillow flattens when you lay down. It decompresses back to place when you get up. It has a very soft and smooth feel yet is very firm to support the weight.
This orthopedic pillow stands out for its flexibility and fluffiness. Such a pillow is perfect for side, back, and stomach sleepers. And gives you excellent neck support.
Guess what? It also works perfectly for pregnant ladies as it properly aligns the body.
Features
The bamboo cover is machine washable in cold water.
It is also possible to wash the pillow.
Types of the Pillow
The snuggle pedic luxury bamboo pillow comes in standard, king, and queen sizes.
Best for Side Sleepers - Eli & Elm Side Sleeper Pillow
Side sleeping is one of the common sleeping positions in the world. The Eli &Elm side sleeper pillow is the best pillow for side sleepers.
Side sleepers often struggle with severe neck pain. I’m a side sleeper, so I know what this feels like.
Will this ergonomic pillow solve your neck pain problem?
Keep reading!
Regular pillows will not work the required magic for side sleepers to sleep and wake up with zero neck pain. That's why Eli & Elm created one of the best orthopedic pillows for side sleepers!
Side sleepers are often combo sleepers. How will this orthopedic pillow work for you? Let's look at how it is constructed to find out.
- Materials: Cotton
- Dimensions: 17 x 29 x 6 in
- Most orthopedic pillows have an odor after unpacking. Eli & Elm orthopedic pillows do not have this problem.
- Made with organic materials hence environmentally friendly.
- Hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites.
- You can adjust the loft to suit your body features.
- Its latex foam maintains a cool temperature.
- Too long to fit into a standard-sized pillowcase.
- Not ideal for stomach sleepers.
- The company offers a 45-day return policy which is not so bad, but other orthopedic pillow companies give an average of 100 days.
Material
This side sleeper pillow is constructed with three layers: antimicrobial, hypoallergenic, mildew proof, and resistant to dust mites.
Cover
The top cover is cotton, blended with ultrafine polyester and spandex to maximize comfort.
Interior Liner
Under the polyester-spandex blend, there is an interior liner. The liner has a zipper to adjust the fill and loft.
Filling
The fill is 75% latex and 25% polyester fiber to give you excellent support.
Firmness
For side sleepers, spinal alignment is very critical. So, to AVOID CHRONIC PAIN on the neck, you want to get a pillow that will elevate your head.
The pillow has a medium-firm feel. It is thinner in the middle and thicker on the sides to enhance neck support.
The Eli &Elm pillow has adjustable firmness. You can adjust the firmness by removing the excess loft to attain proper spine alignment.
The pillow might work well for combo back and side sleepers. However, it won’t work well for stomach sleepers!
Shape
The pillow has a U-shape design. The U shape helps to enhance neck support hence reducing neck pain.
Features
The pillow has a removable cover.
You can clean the cover by machine washing with cold water. The inner cover and fill are spot clean only.
The side sleeper pillow only comes in one standard size (17″ by 29″)
Unlike memory foam pillows, Eli & Elm side sleeper pillows contain latex which will not trap heat. So don’t worry about sweating as you sleep.
Types of the Pillow
The snuggle pedic luxury bamboo pillow comes in standard, king, and queen sizes.
Best for Back Sleepers - Coisum Back Sleeper Cervical Pillow
The Coisum back sleeper cervical pillow is an orthopedic pillow for neck and shoulder relief. the perfect solution for a painful neck and sore shoulder. This orthopedic pillow is ideal for old folks, office workers, people who sit all day or have a chronic cervical vertebra issue.
Coisum back cervical pillows are IT for back sleepers.
- Materials: Memory Foam
- Dimensions: 24.4 x 15 x 4.7 in
- Relieves migraines
- Made of memory foam, making it comfortable to sleep on.
- Has a breathable pillowcase.
- It is the best orthopedic pillow for neck and spine alignment.
- Has a chemical odor when new.
Material
The slow rebound memory foam allows you to enjoy a stress-free sleep. The Coisum back sleeper pillow is made of 60 density memory foam.
Features
This orthopedic memory foam pillow has a breathable pillowcase to keep you cool throughout the night. The pillowcase is removable and machine washable.
This memory foam pillow has a center cavity to relieve pressure from your head. It has a cutout area to ease the pressure on your shoulder and a wedge extension to hold your neck as you sleep on your back.
Shape and Design
The pillow has two sides, the higher side and the lower side. The higher side has a wedge shape hanging out like a cliff. The wedge shape is designed following the curve of the human neck. The design helps achieve proper neck and spine alignment and gives lumbar support (like any good pillow for back pain). It has a wing-like shape or a horn shape for folks who sleep on their sides.
The lower side is thick enough to provide lumbar support and straighten your spine.
Firmness
The pillow is very firm, and you will require about 3-5 days to adjust.
Best for Stomach Sleepers - MARNUR Cervical Pillow
Most orthopedic pillows do not cater to every sleeping position. It is very challenging for a stomach sleeper to get an orthopedic pillow that is ideal for their sleep position.
Even though this pillow supports all sleep positions, the MARNUR cervical pillow is the best orthopedic pillow for stomach sleepers. Let's look at why it is ideal for stomach sleepers.
- Materials: Memory Foam
- Dimensions: 25 x 13.5 x 4.5 in
- Ideal for any sleeping position.
- It is the best orthopedic pillow for stomach sleepers.
- Has two interchangeable memory foam inserts.
- Has an armrest design feature to prevent numbness in the shoulders, arms, and hands.
- The pillow has an extra-large size to provide maximum comfort.
- The pillow is only available in one size.
- Has a slight odor when new.
- For memory foam material, it's quite thin
Material
The pillow is made of high-quality slow rebound memory foam. The soft memory foam adjusts to your unique head and neck shape to relieve pressure in the joints. The cover has a rayon polyester blend which is skin-friendly and breathable. The memory foam material is firm to keep your head, spine, and legs properly aligned.
Features
The pillow has a removable cover that is thin and dustproof. The cover is machine washable.
Shape and Design
The MARNUR cervical memory foam pillow has an ergonomic design to give you comfort and pain relief as you sleep. The ergonomic design distributes even pressure on the head and neck. It has a unique armrest design feature that allows you to relax your arms as you sleep to avoid numbing. Stomach sleepers often experience numbness.
Size
This cervical pillow is larger than a standard size pillow. It measures 25.2 inches by 13.4 inches by 4.7 inches.
Best for Neck pain - UTTU Sandwich Memory Foam Adjustable Pillow
If you have been experiencing neck pains, it’s time to get the UTTU sandwich Memory foam adjustable pillow. Don’t subject yourself to discomfort at night!
Among the many orthopedic pillows, this brand can be adjusted and customized to fit your preference. Once you have adjusted your pillow, you will realize that it conforms with your body shape, promoting spinal alignment.
- Materials: Memory Foam
- Dimensions: 23.6 x 14 x 4.7 in
- This memory foam pillow is ideal for any sleep position. The inner layers are removable and adjustable.
- The pillow is hypoallergenic.
- Pocket friendly.
- It is breathable.
- Has an odor when unboxing
Material
UTTU sandwich pillow is made from 100% dynamic foam. The dynamic foam gives the pillow a firm feel. Unlike any other memory foam pillow in the market, the dynamic foam material adjusts to your body type whenever necessary. You can adjust this orthopedic pillow to meet your personal needs.
The pillow material is covered with a bamboo cover with touches of polyester. This enhances the free circulation of air. The cover is also hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites.
Features
The bamboo cover is removable and machine washable.
Size
The orthopedic pillow has a length of 23.6 inches, a width of 14 inches, and a height of 4.7 inches.
The Tri-core cervical support pillow has proven to provide proper neck alignment while sleeping.
This cervical pillow is commonly used to correct different neck and shoulders conditions. People who have used this pillow say that it reduces headaches and neck pain.
Shoulder pain can be very uncomfortable! You can imagine how hard it is to walk around with a stiff shoulder and neck. You would look like a robot!
This pillow is ideal for back and side sleepers. Let's see how the cervical pillow is made:
- Materials: Polyester Fiber Filled
- Dimensions: 22 x 15 x 4 in (Mid-size)
- Alleviates neck, back, and shoulder pain.
- Unlike most orthopedic pillows, it has different firmness levels.
- The cotton cover is super soft and easy to wash.
- Has three sizes suitable for adults, teenagers, and children
- Poor durability
- Extremely firm.
- It is not ideal for stomach sleepers.
Material
This is not your typical soft pillow.
Tri-core cervical support pillows are made from HIGH-DENSITY fiber and polyester. The pillow has a hypoallergenic and microbial fiberfill.
The cover is made with a soft cotton polyester blend. This makes it hard for the cover to tear.
Shape and Design
The center of the orthopedic pillow has a unique trapezoid shape.
It has two neck lobes to gently support your head and neck, holding it to its natural position. The unique shape of the pillow helps in alleviating headaches and neck pain.
The firm cervical roll supports the neck while the shaped center gently supports the head to promote better sleep. It has raised sides that keep the head raised and enhance proper spinal alignment. This significantly reduces shoulder pain.
Features
The pillow can be hand-washed with mild soap, and the cover is easy to clean.
Firmness
The pillow is very firm to provide its orthopedic benefits to folks. It comes with two firmness levels: gentle firm and standard firm.
Choose the Right Tri-core Pillow for You
As you know, tri means three. The Tri core pillow comes in three sizes to accommodate your sleep position.
Standard Size
The standard size is commonly used with tall men and women. The full size has 24″ by 16″ firmness, a height of about 3.6″ to 4.6.”
Midsize
Midsize is often bought by ladies, petite men, and children above ten years. The midsize has a firmness of 22″ by 16″, a height of about 3.6″ to 4.6″
Petite Size
Petite women and children of age 6 to ten prefer the smallest size. The small size has a firmness of 19″ by 12″ and a height of between 3.3″ to 4.”
Best for Back Pain - Dr. Loth's Spine Align Pillow
Dr. Loth is a certified chiropractor who designed the Spine Align Pillow. The idea came to him as he tried to find the perfect sleeping position to rest his spine correctly. The cervical spine pillow was meant to support the spine correctly during sleep.
Growing up, I always heard my grandparents constantly complain about back pain. So, I thought back pains only affected older people. Not until one morning, I woke up with horrible pain in the back. It was terrible. I would pay a million bucks just to avoid that awful feeling. Dr. Loth came to our rescue, folks! He designed one of the best orthopedic pillows to enhance proper spinal alignment.
- Materials: Polyurethane
- Dimensions: 27 x 17 x 6 in
- It alleviates back pain.
- It reduces headaches and migraines.
- It is one of the fully adjustable pillows in the market.
- Eco-friendly.
- It is time-consuming to get the correct adjustment.
- It is not ideal for stomach sleepers.
- They are known for off-gassing during unpacking.
Features
This orthopedic pillow screams comfort and health. However, it can be a bit too firm! Apart from sleeping on it, you can use it to rest your back as you read a book and sip your coffee.
Size
The pillow has one size. It is referred to as a one-size-fits-most pillow. You can customize the pillow to your liking. The side with a higher loft is recommended for folks who are 5.7 feet and above, while the size with a shorter loft is for those who are below 5.7 feet.
Material
This orthopedic pillow is made from 100% CertiPUR-US shredded polyurethane foam fill. The cover is made from 100% polyester with mesh strips. It has three zippered chambers on the back of the pillow to adjust and customize the fill to your perfect liking.
Shape and Design
The contour pillow, as the name suggests, has a contoured shape. The orthopedic pillow is structured with three chambers. Two side chambers are for side sleepers, while the centermost chamber is for back sleepers.
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How We Choose the Best Orthopedic Pillows
We are committed to ensuring that we guide when choosing the best wedge pillows. For this reason, we have provided a list of high-quality pillows. Below are the factors that we consider when choosing the best orthopedic pillows:
- Price
- Quality of material
- Adjustability
- Firmness
- Reviews of other users
- Maintenace
- Durability
- Comfort
Final Remarks
If you are experiencing back, neck, and shoulder strain while sleeping. Or you just want to feel comfortable in your bed or as you watch your favorite show. Invest in one of the orthopedic pillows discussed above. Your body is beautiful and you don’t deserve to suffer from pain. Check the prices at our recommended merchants to get yourelf a great deal today!
