The Best Memory Foam Pillow Reviews

Among all the different kind of pillows available in the market, memory pillows are the most popular and commonly used.

Different filling types come with their own pros and cons.

If feather/down pillow is too expensive and hard to clean, micro bead pillows are cheap but noisy and not very supportive, latex foam pillow is too heavy.

But the memory foam pillow will balance all of them because they are moldable, soft but supportive, easy to clean, affordable, and the most popular across the world.

Knowing the fact that there are a lot of pillows available in the market, finding the best one becomes a hectic job.

It sucks especially when you try a new brand and it doesn’t turn out well. To save you from all that headache, we are reviewing the best, tested and tried products available on Amazon.

#1 Coop Home Goods Shredded Memory Foam Pillow With Bamboo Cover

Amazon

The more we say, the less it is when talking about this pillow by Coop Home Goods.

If you have been struggling to find your best pillow until now, this is for you. With thousands of positive reviews, this is definitely a winner.

I really love the pillow cover which is 60% polyester and 40% bamboo. The pillow is hypoallergenic, dust-mite resistant, machine washable and durable.

Totally safe to call it the best shredded memory foam pillow.

The shredded memory foam will mold and adjust to each individual, supporting the correct spinal alignment for various sleeping positions, while the cover remains cool during the night thanks to the presence of bamboo fibers.

You can also add or remove the foam to customize it for optimum comfort. This is really a long term investment and it won’t go flat for years.

Recommended For

Key Features

#2 SleepBetter Iso-Cool Gusseted Memory Foam Pillow

Amazon

This is the best memory foam pillow for side sleepers.

It is covered by 100% cotton and have 4 supportive panels to provide ultimate lifting for the head and neck of side sleepers.

But the most interesting thing about this gusseted pillow is the filling, which is made of a “phase-change” cotton blend (PCMs), which could regulate the temperature.

It can absorb the heat and make you feel cool or release the heat and make you feel warm, ultimately making you feel comfortable.

Another remarkable feature of this gusseted pillow when comparing with others is that it is firm, supportive but still very consistent, and the head will never sink down into the base.

Therefore, the neck will receive the same support during the whole night with this firmest memory foam pillow.

Beside this gusseted pillow, Iso-Cool has 2 other pillows that serve other sleepers such as the Standard and the Contour.

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Key Features

#3 SleepBetter Iso-Cool Gusseted Memory Foam Pillow

Amazon

This is one of the best memory foam contour pillow for neck and shoulder pain that you can buy at such an economical price.

The therapeutic design will promote better alignment of head, neck and shoulder, bringing the gentle support and comfort that you are looking for.

This full slab 3 lbs density memory pillow is coming with dual height that is adjustable to adapt to different personal preference.

One downside of this memory foam contour pillow is that it has fresh foam odor when un-boxing (you could avoid this by letting the pillow in fresh air for 2-3 days before use, or spraying the foam lightly with Febreze or Lysol).

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#4 InteVision Memory Foam Wedge Pillow

Amazon

This memory foam wedge pillow from Intevision is an excellent option if you’re looking for a wedge.

The pillow is made of 2 layers: a visco soft foam on the top to give the luxurious feeling and the firmer foam base to give a perfect support.

The wedge design helps with acid reflux, snoring, allergies or any other condition that has to deal with breathing.

The latest design has built-in channels between the two layers that promote air circulation.

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Key Features

What Is A Memory Foam Pillow?

Memory foam is a synthetic material made by polyurethane and chemical substances to increase the moldability and viscosity, which was originally used by NASA for aircraft services.

The unique characteristic of this pillow is the ability to mold and to contour your head and keep the head and the neck in correct alignment, which eventually relieves the head pain and neck pain.

Lately, memory foam is now used in daily applications, such as making mattress, helmet, sport shoes, sofa, etc.

Apart from the traditional memory foam, there is gel infused memory foam, which is made by adding gel beads into the mix.

The gel memory foam pillow is a bit more expensive, but it could reduce the downsides such as heat build-up, off-gassing,etc.

One of the greatest memory foam pillow benefits is its ability to fit to individuals perfectly because it could adapt to each person’s body, head and pressure.

When you lay down on it, the pillow will mold and contour your head and when you get up, it will turn back to original form.

Advantages

Maintain the contour to the head, neck and spine also keep these pressure joints into alignment
Relieve head pain, neck pain and shoulder pain due to proper alignment
Cradle the head in a stable position, thus preventing the sleeping reposition during the night (which is one of the main causes of sleep apnea)
It is a breathable material, suitable for people with respiratory issues.

Disadvantages

The density of the foam pillow will reciprocally affect breathability. Therefore, if you have breathing difficulties, you should choose either shredded bamboo memory foam pillow or one with lower density. However, the very low density may cause your head to sink to the pillow base during sleep.
Heat build-up during the whole night, not a major drawback though, but could be a problem for people who suffer night sweats
Chemical off gassing is also another downside of synthetic memory foam pillow. The new pillow will have unpleasant smell when you open the package. To reduce the smell, you simply need to let the pillow to ventilate alone for 1-2 days before use.

Types

Memory foam pillows have been customized in many ways to tailor various personal demands.

These pillows come in 4 basic designs:contour, shredded, wedge and traditional one. We will examine each type below:

Contour

Recommend for: back sleepers, people with neck pain

A contour memory foam pillow is basically a slab of memory foam which has a hollow part like a groove which perfectly cradles your head and supports neck.

This special design maintains correct spine alignment, eventually relieving the headache and neck pain. The contour pillow is also referred to as orthopedic pillow.

Shredded

Recommended for: all types of sleepers, people with breathing issues

The shredded memory foam pillow has memory foam in the form of tiny, spongy shred.

It consist of thousands of small memory foam shreds which is more breathable than the condensed filling.

In addition, the pillow loft can also be adjusted (by adding or removing the stuffing), therefore a good shredded memory foam pillow is suitable for all sleeping styles (back sleepers, stomach sleepers and side sleepers can use this).

However, its price is a bit higher than traditional pillow but it is a worthy investment for a better night’s sleep.

The Wedge

Memory foam wedge pillow comes in a triangle form which has different height at 2 sides.

The wedge pillow is used for propping the body, therefore this is one of the must-have item for pregnant women to prop the tummy (reduce the back pain due to tummy pressure), for side sleepers to keep the sleeping posture stable, and even for yoga practitioners to assist them in difficult postures.

Traditional

Recommended for: People with no sleeping preferences

If you are just looking for a classic pillow, this could be a perfect option.

It comes in rectangular shape (king, queen, twin and single size all available) with average loft, which is basically what we need to have a good sleep.

There is another modification i.e. gusseted , which has side panels that could give extra support to the neck and shoulder.

What To Consider Before Buying

Due to different assorted designs, it is really daunting when choosing a pillow firsthand.

To some people, a firm, thick pillow is more preferable than a soft, fluffy one and vice versa.

Here are few important things you should keep in mind when making the final decision.

Sleeping Position

Some people love to sleep on their back, some prefer sleeping on their stomach, while the rest might feel comfortable sleeping on their sides.

Each sleeping posture needs a specific pillow height (the loft), where a flat, thin and soft pillow is suitable for stomach sleepers, a thick and hard pillow is more suitable for side sleepers because the pillow needs to be firm enough to support the head, and a relatively thick pillow is the most suitable for back sleepers.

In some cases, you can choose an orthopedic pillow which will enable multiple sleeping postures if you change your sleeping position constantly during the night (mix sleeping styles).

Stuffing Materials

As a rule, a cheap memory pillow often comes with low density and low quality, which easily goes flat, builds up heat, and can have dust and mites in a short time.

Memory foam can be modified before filling. They can be in form of a condensed slab, or shredded particles.

Sometimes, manufacturers add natural materials into the memory foam.

For example, bamboo is often combined with memory foam to promote ventilation and reduce heat build-up, while gel particle is also another great material to create a cooling effect.

The memory foam gel pillows will ultimately reduce the heat build-up allowing you to sleep cool.

Choosing the right filling type is important. Some pillows might not be safe if you suffer asthma or other breathing problems.

In this case, you need to read the pillow description if it is non-allergenic and safe for you.

Most of them are hypoallergenic but make sure you read the description before making your purchase.

Size

This can be an unexpected issue if you don’t read the product description carefully before placing an order.

Normally, a queen/ king size pillow is the one that we are after, but sometimes you order your pillow in travel size or Japanese small size without acknowledging it.

Make sure you order the correct size to avoid any inconvenience.

Brand

A well known brand generally means a lot of buyers feel pleased with their products.

You should go after for the brands that are already famous on the market for many years such as InteVision, Coop home Goods, Home Comfort, Life Essentials.

You can also read their reviews before you make a final choice.

Added Features

Consider features such as machine washable, 30 days guarantee with 100% refund, product lifespan, dust resistant, etc.

These will add value to your pillows. Sometimes, they are more expensive than the normal pillows, but it is a worthy deal because it will save you lots of time and money in a longer run.

If you already know what you are looking for (shape, materials, price, brand, sleeping postures), choosing a memory pillow will be as easy as a pie and hopefully this buying guide can help you find the best memory foam pillow for yourself.

Robert Frontier

Getting quality sleep is important to people of all ages and is just one of many areas of our health we need to be maintaining. When I was younger, I didn’t understand that my health was my greatest asset and took it for granted. I have spent the last twenty years of my life in the pursuit of a healthier life style. I am a parent, grandparent, author, and entrepreneur. My desire is for you and your family to get the best possible sleep and that starts with quality sleep products. Welcome to VJ Pillow.