Best Pillow for Neck Pain

By: 
Tom Qiao
 | 
Updated: 
March 26, 2022

Are you waking up every morning feeling stiffness, pain, pressure or tension in your neck? Does it progress down to your shoulders and back? And do you feel dissatisfied after a “good” night’s rest?

If you are like me and have been coping with neck pain and tiredness for many years, then it is time to do something about it! Did you know that the answer to your neck pain could actually be as simple as buying a new pillow?

If you are currently sleeping on a pillow that does not support you well, then your pillow could be the problem. A pillow that offers great support and that is designed to reduce neck pain has worked wonders for me, and it could really transform your life too! Check out our review on the Best Pillow for Neck Pain below:

Our Top 5 Pillows for Neck Pain

1. Core Produces Therapeutic Sleeping Pillow

Core Produces Therapeutic Sleeping Pillow

The Therapeutic Sleeping Pillow from Core Products is a good option if you suffer from neck pain because it moulds to create the best sleeping position based on factors such as your size and body shape. One of the greatest features of this pillow is that it is designed with one major goal in mind- to keep your spine and neck aligned.

Another benefit of this pillow is that it can work with any sleeping position; it does not matter if you sleep on your back, side or stomach. It also features an ergonomic design which ensures support and stability.With the support, comfort, spinal alignment and stability that it offers, it allows you to have a deeper and more relaxing sleep and wake up with fewer aches and pains, especially in your neck.

PROS
  • Works well with any sleeping position
  • Ergonomic design offers great support and stability
  • Ergonomic design offers great support and stability
  • Is comfortable
  • Promotes good neck and spinal alignment
  • Option of 5 sizes
  • Durable and does not lose its shape
  • Made from non-allergenic and non-toxic foam
  • Reduces pain and pressure in the neck and back
  • 5 year warranty
CONS
  • Some reviewers found that it was too firm

2. Core Products Tri-Core Standard Support Neck Pain Pillow

Core Products Tri-Core Standard Support Neck Pain Pillow

The Core Products Tri-Core Standard Pillow is a great option no matter what position you sleep in because it supports all these sleeping positions well. It is also extremely comfortable and the depression in the center of the pillow enables you to sink into the pillow, just enough that it correctly aligns your neck whilst still offering excellent support. Additionally, It has thick padding along the edges of the pillow which gives extra support to side sleepers.

It’s trapezoid-shaped middle has the added advantage of cradling your head in a comfortable and supportive manner. This pillow is available in various sizes. As such, you can pick a size based on your body size to ensure adequate comfort. It also has a built-in neck roll which adds extra firm support.

Another great feature of this pillow is that it contains high resiliency fiber which allows it to spring back into shape after being compressed, making it long-lasting, durable and always supportive. In addition, it comes with a blended cotton cover which is breathable to help keep you cool.

PROS
  • Is comfortable
  • Is supportive which helps to reduce pain and pressure in the neck, back and shoulders
  • Has a breathable cotton cover
  • Has 3 size options
  • Long-lasting and durable
  • Good for any sleeping position
CONS
  • You must ensure you get the right size or else your neck pain may not subside

3. Tempur Pedic Swedish Neck Pillow

Tempur Pedic Swedish Neck Pillow

The Swedish Neck Pillow by Tempur Pedic is a great option for you if you suffer from neck pain on a regular basis. It is great for many reasons including the following: It is made up of viscoelastic memory cells that enable the pillow to have a great amount of ventilation, which keeps you cool and comfortable, and therefore less likely to toss and turn which can throw your neck out of alignment throughout the night.

The dual lobe design of this pillow allows your head to be supported, whilst also ensuring that your neck and back are well aligned for a more relaxed and comfortable night’s rest.What’s also great about this pillow is that it is temperature and weight sensitive and molds to your unique body shape and size.

PROS
  • Sleeps cool
  • Dual lobe design offers great support
  • Promotes great spine and neck alignment which helps reduce pressure and pain
  • Weight sensitive to mold to your body
  • Removable polyester cover that is machine washable
  • 3 year warranty
CONS
  • Reports of off-gassing (giving off of a chemical odor due to the memory foam)

4. Mediflow Waterbase Pillow

Mediflow Waterbase Pillow

The Mediflow Waterbase Pillow is another really great option for you if you suffer from neck pain, and it was actually voted best in class in a John Hopkins University study, where it also received great reviews for neck pain relief.It reduces neck pain because it has an inner water chamber that is adjustable which allows you to choose your preferred level of support.

What’s more is that it is also great for back and side sleepers, however, it is not very supportive if you are a stomach sleeper. Additionally, this pillow offers excellent support, and even responds to your body’s movement to ensure your neck, back and shoulders are well supported and aligned at all times, which helps to massively reduce neck tension and pressure or pain.

PROS
  • is comfortable
  • Offers great support due to its response rate and adjustable inner chamber
  • Reduces pain and pressure in your neck shoulders and back
  • Responds to your body&rsquo
  • s movements to keep you supported at all times,Voted best in class in a clinical study
  • Adjustable to your unique needs
CONS
  • Not so great for stomach sleepers

5. PharMeDoc Memory Foam Pillow with Cooling Gel

PharMeDoc Memory Foam Pillow with Cooling Gel

This pillow is a great option due to its supportive memory foam material and reversible sides. One side of this pillow has a cooling gel to keep you cooler on warmer nights, and the other side is made of plush memory foam which is better for cooler nights. Why does this matter? The more comfortable you are during the night, the less likely you will toss and turn.

This will result in your neck and spine remaining better aligned, making you more likely to wake up with less aches and pains in areas such as your neck, shoulders and back. Additionally, the soft memory foam ensures your head and neck are well supported, whilst also being comfortable. In addition, the pillow has a hypoallergenic pillow case which is washable and removable.

PROS
  • Is comfortable
  • Is very supportive as it promotes healthy spinal alignment
  • Reversible sides are good for temperature regulation and comfort
  • Supports and cradles your neck back and shoulders
  • Reduces pain and pressure in key areas such as your neck, back and shoulders
  • Hypoallergenic pillow case that is washable and removable
CONS
  • Reports of off-gassing (giving off of a chemical odor due to the memory foam)

Our Best Choice

And the winner is….. the Mediflow Waterbase Pillow! And here’s why we picked this as our favorite pillow for neck pain relief.
We think it deserves the winning title because of its revolutionary water technology which guarantees a great deal of support because it contours and molds to the shape and size of your head and body, and responds well to your movements.

This means your neck, back and shoulders are supported all night through. The result? The pain in your neck, and key back and shoulder areas is significantly reduced when you wake up. None of the other pillows we reviewed are water based, and although they are great options for neck pain, this one’s water technology really supports you in all the right places.

Additionally, it is super comfortable due to its two layer design. The bottom layer is made from water and the top layer is a very soft layer that makes you feel like you are sleeping on a cloud. And of course as we mentioned earlier, this pillow was proven to be the best pillow for reducing neck pain as tested in a John Hopkins University clinical study!

Our Buying Guide

Did you know that choosing a pillow that actually targets neck pain has loads of really great benefits for your sleep and your overall health? If you haven’t been using a pillow that specifically targets neck pain, then you may not actually realise how helpful it could be. It is also important to know what actually causes neck pain so you know how to fight it:

What causes neck pain?

Our neck is made up of a combination of tendons, cartilage, muscle and seven miniscule bones. Those bones make up part of our spine which is composed of tiny nerves that are very sensitive and extremely vulnerable to movement.

When your neck is thrown out of alignment (i.e. when you sleep on a pillow that makes your neck too high or too low), these tiny nerves build up with tension which builds up and eventually creates a great deal stiffness, aches and pains.

The best way to ensure that your neck doesn’t build up with tension is to make sure you have a good pillow that properly supports this key area, and that it is designed to promote healthy spinal alignment.

And now that you know what pillows are our favorite, here’s what makes a pillow good for you if you struggle with neck pain. There are definitely certain factors that you need to consider and look out for when you are shopping for your new neck pain pillow. Check it out:

What to look for:

The best pillows for neck pain need to meet the following criteria:
- Have the right filling (more on this below)
- Be fluffy
- Be long lasting
- Thick enough to fill the gap between your head, neck and back
- Keep your neck correctly aligned

What Fillings Are Best?

The filling and material of your pillow is important because not all filling types will support you adequately if you are experiencing a sore neck. The fillings that will work well for you include:

  • Buckwheat
  • Memory Foam
  • Gel
  • Polyester
  • Microbeads
  • Water based
  • Latex
  • Down

What Are The Benefits of This Type of Pillow?

1. Reduces Pain: Having a targeted pain pillow will lessen the signs of pain, pressure or tension in key areas including your back, neck and shoulders. You will wake up feeling looser and raring to go.

2. Gives you a better sleep: When you have a pillow that is right for you, you will notice that your quality of sleep is so much better. You will more than likely stop tossing and turning, and instead will sleep soundly through the night.

3. Gives you more comfort: A pillow that is not supportive will be uncomfortable. When you use a pillow that is designed to target your more sensitive areas, you will see that you feel a whole lot more comfortable, which leads to a reduction in neck pain and you getting a better night’s sleep. It’s a win-win situation!

Conclusion

So, if you are looking for a solution to your neck pain when you sleep, then you need to ensure you get a pillow that specifically targets the pain in your neck. You need to look for a pillow that is made of the right material, offers good support and has a targeted neck pain reducing design.

We would suggest purchasing the Mediflow Waterbase Pillow because of its great support and cradling abilities. Its water technology makes it responsive and supportive so you are releasing pressure at all times, and its two layer design makes it effortlessly comfortable and reduce neck pain by supporting and aligning your neck and spine. Happy sleeping!

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