The Best Cooling Pillows for the Bedroom

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If you’ve ever woken up with a sweaty neck and damp hair wondering what’s going on, the answer is simple: traditional down or fiberfill pillows tend to trap heat—interrupting a sound night’s sleep. Fortunately, cooling pillows are designed to wick moisture away from your skin and increase air circulation. The best cooling pillow will conform to your favorite sleeping position (stomach, back, or side) while keeping your face, neck, and head cool and comfortable all night long.

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Most cooling pillows are labeled as “breathable,” and they often contain gel-based memory foam or buckwheat filling. Alternately, they may feature a cooling cover that wicks away moisture as you sleep and encourages airflow at skin level to keep you dry.

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BEST OVERALL: ZAMAT Premium Gel Memory Foam Pillow

With its ventilated, high-density memory foam, breathable inner cover, and skin-friendly outer cover, the ZAMAT Premium Gel Cooling Pillow is a dream come true. It’s designed to conform to the natural shape of your head and neck while maximizing air circulation so you can sleep restfully—on your back, side, and/or stomach. The pillow—available in both standard and queen size and including a machine washable, zippered outer cover—is completely hypoallergenic, making it a good choice for anyone sensitive to common pillow components, such as feathers.

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RUNNER-UP: PineTales Premium Organic Buckwheat Pillow

Believe it or not, buckwheat hulls—the outer casings of buckwheat kernels—make one of the best natural pillow ingredients for promoting airflow. This PineTales pillow’s small organic husks move easily and feel great against your head and neck. (If you like a flatter pillow, simply unzip and remove some of the hulls from the pillow’s inner core.) The pillow comes in standard and a Japanese size (14 inches by 20 inches), and has a washable, lightly padded outer case that can be used without an additional pillowcase.

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BEST VALUE: Lunvon Gel Queen Sleeping Pillow

The small shredded pieces of memory foam in this pillow allow for ample natural airflow, keeping skin dry and cool at a budget-friendly price. The pillow, which comes in queen size only and includes a cotton cover for wicking moisture away, allows for back, side, and/or stomach sleeping. Another pleasing aspect to the shredded foam interior is the way it lets you manipulate the contents into your personal optimal configuration. With the Lunvon pillow, you may never wake up with a sweaty face or neck again.

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BEST FOR STOMACH SLEEPERS: Codi Hybrid Cooling Pillow

The shredded memory foam in this pillow is infused with gel for extra cooling power, while its breathable fabric cover helps wick moisture away from your skin. Designed with slightly less loft than traditional pillows, the Codi cooling pillow’s flatter shape may be ideal for stomach sleepers; however, an extra package of foam is included if you’d like a puffier pillow. This create-your-own amount of loft gives the Codi pillow a custom feel. Available in standard, queen, and king sizes, the Codi gradually conforms to your head and neck shape as you continue to sleep on it. Once a month, pop the pillow in the dryer on the low setting for 10 minutes to re-fluff and reinvigorate the cooling foam.

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BEST FOR SIDE SLEEPERS: KUNPENG Shredded Memory Foam Bed Pillow

All sleepers will enjoy the cooling comfort of the KUNPENG Cooling Pillow, but side sleepers will especially appreciate being able to remove some loft from the inner-core for just the right neck and spine support in this position. This adjustable pillow is filled with micro-vented Kool-Flow premium memory foam that’s designed to offer superior airflow for keeping skin cool and dry all night long. The pillow’s core is enclosed in a breathable cover that’s silky soft against your skin and no additional pillowcase is needed. The KUNPENG cooling pillow is fully washable, odor-free, and is available in standard, queen, and king sizes.

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BEST FOR BACK SLEEPERS: BedStory Memory Foam Pillow

The ventilated memory foam core of the BedStory Memory Foam Cooling Pillow helps you stay cool while the high-density foam conforms to your head and neck to encourage proper alignment of your head and spine while you sleep. This highly breathable pillow (available in standard size only) is formed from a single piece of foam, so it won’t ever become lumpy or bumpy, and the cover is removable for washing.

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UPGRADE PICK: Snuggle-Pedic Supreme Plush Ultra-Luxury Pillow

Want to spoil yourself with softness? A hypoallergenic shredded memory foam core plus a silky bamboo cover are the secrets to the softest cooling pillow on the market. The memory foam is gel-infused for added cooling power for hot summer nights, and an extra-breathable, micro-vented cover contains 43 percent viscose bamboo for increased airflow and a soft cool-feeling surface. The Snuggle-Pedic is available in standard, queen, and king sizes, perfect for any sleeping position and is fully machine washable.