Best Pillows for Back Sleepers
Check out what back sleepers should look for in a pillow as well as our top picks.
Apr 3rd, 2023 •
Many doctors and sleep experts found that back sleeping is the best sleeping position for your body. This position benefits your head and neck while you sleep as well as your spine alignment. But, if you are a back sleeper waking up with aches and pains in your neck or back, your pillow might be the problem.
We’ve compiled a list of our favorite back sleeping pillows to help you get the most out of this healthy sleep position. We’ve also shared some of our tips, tricks, and advice to help you find the best pillow for back sleeping.
Our Picks for the Best Back Sleeper Pillows

Best Overall:
Brooklyn Bedding Talalay Latex
Made with natural materials, this pillow provides the support and comfort of memory foam without any toxic chemicals. The bulk of the pillow is made from Talalay latex foam, which is hypoallergenic—even for those that have a latex allergy.
The foam is incredibly responsive and conforms to the shape of your head and neck, which helps to promote a healthy spine alignment and reduce pain from pressure or bad sleeping positions.
The pillow also has an organic cotton cover which is highly breathable and naturally cool to the touch. It comes in two lofts—four inches and five inches—so you can choose the right height for your sleep style. (Most back sleepers should opt for the four-inch option.)
Pros:
- Natural materials
- No strong smells
- Very responsive
Cons:
-
May be too firm for some
Features:
- Warranty: 10 years
- Filling: latex foam
- Sleep Trial: 120 nights
- Sizes: queen and king, low and high loft

Best Pillow for Back Sleepers With Neck Pain:
Saatva Latex Pillow
Although solid foam pillows are often suggested for those with neck pain because of the support they offer, they can feel a bit firm to those that are used to something softer like down or fiberfill. This pillow is a great option if you want something that feels plush but still has lots of support and pressure relief.
The Saatva Latex Pillow has an internal latex foam core that’s responsive, pressure relieving, and hypoallergenic. It’s surrounded by a plush down-alternative layer to give it a softer feel. This combination is not only both supportive and cushy, but it’s also highly breathable, which helps to keep you cool all night long.
Pros:
- Soft but supportive
- Highly breathable
- Keeps you cool
Cons:
- Pricey
Features:
- Warranty: 1 year
- Filling: latex foam and down alternative
- Sleep Trial: 45 nights
- Sizes: queen and king

Best Value Pillow for Back Sleepers:
Tempur-Pedic Tempur Cloud
While $90 might still seem like a lot of money to spend on a pillow, when you put the Tempur Cloud up against other premium pillows, it stands out as a high-quality product for a comparatively mid-range price. The pillow uses Tempur-Pedic’s signature Tempur material, which is an ultra-soft memory foam that conforms to the shape of your head and neck.
It’s on the softer side of the memory foam spectrum, which is great for those that like a plush feel but need ample support. It’s also so compressible that it can be rolled up and secured in a suitcase or bag, which makes it a great option for frequent travelers.
The pillow has a stretchy polyester cover that’s easy to remove and wash. It’s also hypoallergenic, which makes it a good option for shoppers that are allergy-prone.
Pros:
- Soft but supportive
- Hypoallergenic
- Very compressible
Cons:
-
No returns
Features:
- Warranty: 5 years
- Filling: Tempur foam
- Sleep Trial: none
- Sizes: standard

Best Firm Pillow for Back Sleepers:
Avocado Molded Latex Pillow
Some back sleepers prefer a pillow on the firmer side because it offers consistent support and alignment, bolstering your head and neck from underneath. This one uses a firm molded latex foam that’s both lightweight and also excellent at retaining its shape. The foam has a charcoal infusion, which helps to eliminate odors and reduce excess moisture.
The pillow’s cover is made from 100% organic cotton, which is soft, breathable, and high-quality. All the foam inside is Greenguard Gold-certified, which means that it’s free from harmful chemicals, including VOCs, formaldehyde, and phthalates—so it won’t negatively affect your air quality or health.
Pros:
- Organic cotton cover
- No harmful chemicals
- High support
Cons:
-
Might be too firm for some
Features:
- Warranty: 1 year
- Filling: latex foam
- Sleep Trial: 100 nights
- Sizes: standard, queen, king

Most Innovative Pillow for Back Sleepers:
Purple Harmony
While most pillows fall into the foam, down, or fiberfill categories, this one pushes the limits of categorization with an innovative new construction. It has a latex foam core that’s surrounded by a gel honeycomb that gives the pillow an incredible responsiveness while also allowing it to keep its shape and never fall flat.
The pillow is wrapped in a moisture-wicking mesh material, which makes it super-breathable and helps to keep you cool all night long. It comes in three pillow heights—low, medium, and tall—so you can get the best one for your sleep position and preferences. Back sleepers will likely want to stick with the low or medium.
Pros:
- Keeps its shape
- Very supportive
- Three heights to choose from
Cons:
-
Pricey
Features:
- Warranty: 1 year
- Filling: gel honeycomb, latex foam
- Sleep Trial: 100 nights
- Sizes: standard, king; low, medium and high height

Best Adjustable Pillow for Back Sleepers:
Coop Home Goods Original
Finding the right pillow density can be difficult—especially if you’re shopping online. This pillow from Coop makes the decision a bit easier by allowing you to adjust the pillow to your ideal feel at home.
The pillow has a side zipper that allows you to open and add or remove the filling. It also comes with an additional half-pound of fill, so you can really stuff the pillow tightly if you like it super-high and firm.
The filling is a combination of shredded memory foam and microfiber, which gives it a soft but supportive feel. The pillow’s cover is made from a breathable polyester-bamboo blend that’s soft to the touch and machine-washable.
Pros:
- Adjustable firmness
- Comes with additional fill
- Machine-washable cover
Cons:
- Might have some off-gassing, which causes odors
Features:
- Warranty: 5 years
- Filling: shredded memory foam and microfiber
- Sleep Trial: 100 nights
- Sizes: queen, king

Best Soft Pillow for Back Sleepers:
Layla Memory Foam Pillow
Back sleepers need a pillow that provides proper support—but that doesn’t mean you need to sleep on a rock. This pillow uses a blend of 70% shredded foam and 30% polyester fiber to give it a soft but supportive feel. It’s also adjustable, thanks to a zippered opening on the side that allows you to add and remove foam.
One of the best things about this pillow is that it’s easy to clean—just throw it straight into the washing machine, stuffing and all. The memory foam part of the filling also has a gel infusion, which helps with temperature regulation and keeps you cool, even if you’re a hot sleeper.
Pros:
- Adjustable firmness
- Fully washable
- Cooling features
Cons:
- Adjusting it can be messy
Features:
- Warranty: 5 year
- Filling: shredded memory foam and microfiber
- Sleep Trial: 120 nights
- Sizes: queen and king

Best Silk Pillow for Back Sleepers:
Cozy Earth Silk Pillow
Although we usually associate silk in bedding with sheets, pillowcases, and other covers, this pillow uses it as a filling instead. The pillow’s interior is filled with 100% mulberry silk, which is incredibly soft and lightweight.
It also doesn’t clump like down or fiberfills tend to. The silk helps to regulate temperature and is naturally breathable, which keeps you feeling cool and dry all night long.
The Cozy Earth pillow has a viscose cover made from bamboo that’s super-soft, light, and naturally cool to the touch. Bamboo is naturally moisture-wicking, so it will still feel dry even if you tend to sweat a lot while you sleep.
Pros:
- Very soft
- Temperature-regulating
- All natural materials
Cons:
-
Very expensive
Features:
- Warranty: 10 years
- Filling: 100% mulberry silk
- Sleep Trial: 100 nights
- Sizes: standard, king
Advantages and Disadvantages of Back Sleeping
Although only roughly 13% of people sleep on their backs, back sleeping is considered the healthiest way to sleep. Let’s explore this discrepancy by looking at the pros and cons of sleeping on your back.
Pros
- Good Spinal Support: Lying flat on your back on a good, supportive mattress is the best way to sleep in terms of spinal alignment. This position allows the spine to maintain its natural curve, giving you good posture all night long.
- Good Neck Alignment: Back sleeping allows for good neck alignment as well. With the right pillow, your neck lies in a neutral position that causes no strain, eliminating neck pain.
- Fewer Wrinkles: Unlike side sleepers and stomach sleepers, your head isn’t smushed into the pillow when you sleep on your back. This may result in fewer wrinkles a few years down the line and less acne spots because your face oil isn’t pooling into the pillowcase.
Cons
- Can Be Uncomfortable: Despite being great for your alignment and skin, back sleeping is among the least popular sleep positions. Why? Because many people find it uncomfortable. It isn’t easy to toss and turn at night in this position, and those who do fall more into the combination sleeper category.
- Snoring and Sleep Apnea: The biggest con to back sleeping is the effect it can have on breathing. When you lie on your back, your throat muscles relax and obstruct your airways. This can causes snoring or worse—sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is when your airways are blocked so much that you actually stop breathing multiple times throughout the night.
What Back Sleepers Need
When choosing a pillow, back sleepers need something that will keep their neck aligned with their spine to avoid waking up with neck pain. They need a pillow that isn’t too low to avoid hyperextension, but one that isn’t too lofty that compresses the neck. It is also advisable to place a thin pillow underneath the lower back or the knees to reduce some of the pressure on your lower back as it presses into the mattress.
Related: Best mattress for back sleepers
What to Consider When Shopping
While you’re on the lookout for a new back sleep pillow, here are some pillow features to look out for.
Loft
Your neck and spine alignment both depend on pillow loft. A pillow with a low loft is less than three inches in thickness and is considered too flat for back sleepers. Low loft pillows are great for stomach sleepers because it reduces neck strain, but they increase neck strain for back sleepers due to hyperextension.
Pillows with a medium loft vary between being three to five inches thick. This is the ideal loft for both side sleeping and back sleeping because it keeps the neck in a neutral position and works well for those with average shoulders.
A high-loft pillow is any pillow thicker than five inches. This loft is also ideal for back sleepers. It elevates the head and keeps your posture in the best position. People with broaders shoulder will usually opt for a higher loft compared to those with smaller and average shoulders.
Firmness
The firmness of a pillow refers to the support it offers and the malleability of the pillow. Pillows with soft firmness are the most malleable, but they are not ideal for back sleepers. Pillows that are too soft cause your head to sink too far down, and you risk misaligning your neck.
Medium-firm pillows have average malleability. Medium works for back sleepers as long as the neck stays aligned and doesn’t sink too far.
Firm pillows work well for back sleepers too as long as the loft isn’t too high—firm pillows offer little to no sink. Regardless if you choose medium or firm, maintain the neutral neck position throughout the night.
Material
- Buckwheat: Buckwheat fill is made from buckwheat husks and is ideal for back sleepers. This fill often makes a thick, firm, supportive pillow. Buckwheat pillows are also adjustable. You can remove the fill for your desired loft.
- Feather: Feather pillows are a mix of duck/goose feathers and down feathers. When the ratio of feathers to down favors feathers, the pillow tends to be more supportive, which is exactly what back sleepers need. You can also usually remove as many feathers as you need to adjust the loft.
- Memory Foam: Memory foam pillows work for just about any type of sleeper. This type of fill conforms to your head shape and is often firm enough to offer adequate support. If the pillow is filled with shredded memory foam, you can remove handfuls and customize the height and firmness.
- Latex: Latex pillows are similar to memory foam except they are naturally cooler and can be made of organic material. This type of material is not adjustable, but it is firm and supportive enough for back sleepers.
Shape
Back sleepers can either opt for a flat, normal pillow shape or a contoured design. A contour pillow is a pillow designed to conform to your head, neck, and shoulders. Some have this straight forward design and some are more complex. Regardless of the complexity, contour pillows are great for back sleepers because they offer a mold for your body to fit into and stay supported—some can even help with snoring.
Cost
Back sleeping pillows vary in cost from $20 to $100. Down alternative and feather pillows are usually the cheapest while down and latex are priced at a more luxury value. Memory foam tends to run the gamut of prices depending on quality.
Summary
Back sleepers need to look for a pillow that keeps their neck in a neutral position to make this the best sleeping position for your alignment. Some contoured pillows can even help with the snoring side effect of back sleeping. Whether you pick a pillow from our list or venture out to find one on your own, remember our tips, so you can invest in a pillow that works for you.
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