The 12 Best Cooling Pillows for a Good Night’s Sleep

We’ve all been there: tossing and turning because you’re hot and constantly flipping over your pillow to find a cool spot. While this is a common complaint in the summer, it can be a year-round problem for some hot sleepers. Luckily, there’s an easy solution to banishing sweaty, sleepless nights forever. In addition to swapping out your regular bedding for a lightweight comforter and cooling bed sheets, you need one of the best cooling pillows on the market. These little miracle workers are specifically designed to draw heat away from your body and increase airflow, which reduces heat retention and provides you with a colder surface to rest on.

But besides finding one with innovative technology that keeps you chill, you need the right pillow for your sleeping style, whether you’re a side sleeper, back sleeper, stomach sleeper, or some combination of the three. After all, if you skip that step, you’ll still end up being up all night because you’ll be uncomfortable. To help you sidestep that problem, we’ve rounded up the best cooling pillows for every type of sleeper and every budget. Find the right one and you won’t believe the difference. Once you’re all set, check out the best weighted blankets, weighted eye masks, and non-toxic mattresses for an even more restful slumber.

Tempur-Pedic Breeze° Pro+ Advanced Cooling Pillow

Out of all of the options available, this Tempur-Pedic model gets our vote as the overall best cooling pillow for several reasons. For starters, you can get it in two different loft levels. The ProLo is five inches thick and ideal for back sleepers, while the ProHi works best for side sleepers since it promotes spinal alignment and prevents pressure buildup around the shoulders and neck. And, of course, both options work some serious cooling magic. Their removable (and washable) covers are made of SmartClimate fabric that has a cool-to-the-touch feel, and the pillows themselves boast cooling gel layers that surround the foam, drawing heat away from your body and helping you stay comfortable on even the hottest nights.

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Beckham Hotel Collection Bed Pillows

If the 90,000 glowing five-star reviews on Amazon don’t convince you that this is the best cooling gel pillow on the market, we don’t know what will! As numerous happy customers note, these luxe, hypoallergenic pillows from the Beckham Hotel Collection are as comfy as the pillows you’d find at a fancy hotel—even though the $40 price tag is anything but bougie. Five-star reviewer Taylor says, “I absolutely love these pillows. They actually feel like you are laying on a cloud. I have spent hundreds on brand-name memory foam pillows that failed to relieve my neck pain—these pillows made that pain go away immediately.” And here’s the clincher: They’re filled with gel-coated microfibers that promote cooling, as well as made with breathable cotton, so they’ll help regulate your body temperature.

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Vaya Pillow

This Vaya pillow’s core is made from open-cell polyfoam, which will help you stay cool while you’re snoozing since it has a perforated cover that won’t trap heat. That cover also happens to be made of soft microfiber, and you can’t get much cozier than that. Plus, since the pillow is six inches thick, it’s ideal for both side and back sleepers since it’ll keep your neck in line with the rest of your spine. By the way, here’s what your sleeping position reveals about your personality.

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Coop Home Goods Eden Shredded Memory Foam Pillow

Have you sworn off memory foam pillows because they’re dense, heavy, and hot? Not so fast—you just haven’t met the right memory foam pillow. Nearly 9,000 five-star reviewers rave about this Coop Home Goods shredded memory foam model. Kim C. says it’s the only one she’s found that doesn’t retain heat: “As we all know, memory foam holds heat too well. I assumed all memory foam was like that, so I put up with it. I don’t get that at all with the Eden version. I’m a hot sleeper, but I haven’t had any issue with it at all.” Its cooling power lies in its gel-infused blue foam and microfiber blend, which you can customize depending on how firm you want it to be; it also comes with an eco-friendly and cooling bamboo-derived cover.

And it not only prevents overheating—it’s also CertiPUR-US certified and Greenguard Gold certified, meaning it meets rigorous third-party chemical emissions standards so you won’t be snuggling up next to harmful chemicals. This USA-made pillow is so good, the company even provides a 100-night trial and five-year warranty for it. Keep it in tip-top shape by washing it properly—and regularly.

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Helix Adjustable Pillow

Regardless of what type of sleeper you are or how firm (or soft) you like your pillows, this one’s for you. Helix’s cotton and gel microfiber pillow has not one but two removable layers so you can adjust its height to whatever is the most comfortable for you. Plus, you won’t have to worry about sweating, thanks to its polyester cool-knit fabric, which is a blend of both down alternative and memory foam.

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Z Gel Memory Foam L-Shape Pillow

There’s a good chance you’ve never seen a pillow like this before, but if you’re a side sleeper, you should get acquainted with it—quickly. Made out of 100 percent polyurethane foam and a cooling gel dough formula, it boasts an L-shape design that provides head, neck, and shoulder support—all things side sleepers need. As one happy five-star reviewer writes, “This pillow is a game-changer. It’s flat enough that my neck isn’t at a crazy angle, but very supportive and comfortable. It allows my shoulder to rest flat on the bed and increases the amount of space between my shoulder and my neck, meaning I can’t round my shoulder/tuck it up close to my head like I do on a regular pillow.” While you’re shopping, check out these other sleep products Amazon reviewers adore.

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Xtreme Comforts Slim Kool-Flow Bamboo Shredded Memory Foam Pillow

Named one of the best pillows by USA Today and Wirecutter, this just may be the best cooling pillow for stomach sleepers. As Amazon reviewer M. Weidenbach says, “I finally, FINALLY found ‘the’ pillow. I feel like it was easier to find a person I want to spend the rest of my life with (aka my wife) than it was to find the right pillow for me. I’ve tried upwards of 25 pillows over the last year and a half, trying to find ‘the one.’ This was finally the pillow that did it for me. I’m a stomach sleeper, and I bought the slim version of this pillow in a king size.”

What makes it so great? This Xtreme Comforts pillow has ultra-deluxe, premium-quality shredded memory foam that shapes to your body when you sleep and gives off a softer feeling than solid memory foam. It also has a micro-vented Kool-Flow technology bamboo cover that provides air circulation and regulates the pillow’s temperature so it won’t get warm while you’re sleeping. You can even throw the whole thing in the wash, which is unusual for a memory foam pillow and particularly important if you suffer from allergies.

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Bear Contour Pillow

This contour pillow from Bear is made with a fill that’s composed of plush down and alternative fibers, so heat won’t get trapped inside. To help keep the pillow even cooler, its cover is made of proprietary ICE fabric, which feels cool to the touch. And you’re probably wondering about that cut-out. It has nothing to do with the pillow’s cooling properties but everything to do with comfort. This clever feature ensures that your shoulders and neck stay aligned with the rest of your spine when sleeping on your side.

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Birch Organic Pillow

How does organic cotton, wool, and natural latex sound? If you’re concerned about chemicals and looking for something eco-friendly, natural, and ethically sourced, it should sound pretty good! And because of those ingredients, this sustainably sourced Birch pillow—which is Greenguard Gold, GOTS, OEKO-TEX, and eco-INSTITUT certified—will keep you as cool as a cucumber. If you want to get technical, here’s how it works: Its core contains natural, shredded Talalay latex, and its outer chamber has organic wool (which is naturally cooling) to cushion it.

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Purple Harmony Pillow

Is this the greatest pillow ever invented? Purple sure thinks so, and actually calls it that on its website. We won’t disagree—and neither will 7,400 five-star reviewers who love its innovative design. A hypoallergenic Talalay latex core is surrounded by its famous purple grid material, which comfortably cushions your head and neck. That special combo also provides loads of ventilation, so there’s lots of airflow, which keeps the pillow from holding onto heat. On top of that, it’s also wrapped in a moisture-wicking Breeze Mesh material to keep sweat far, far away.

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Malouf Shredded Cooling Gel Memory Foam Pillow

It’s easy to get hot and sweaty when you travel, not to mention uncomfortable, especially if you don’t have your regular pillow with you. That’s why investing in a cooling travel pillow is a smart idea. Bring it on an airplane or sleep on it at your hotel—you won’t be disappointed. It may be mini, but it’s mighty. Shredded gel dough memory foam molds to your body for comfort and offers ample neck support, in addition to providing cooling technology. This pillow also comes with a velour cover that helps with temperature regulation.

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Panda Copper Pillow

You know how pennies are always cool? That’s because of their copper, which this Panda pillow has in spades. Its innovative design boasts a copper-infused surface, which conducts heat away from you (not to mention kills microbes and allergens, too). And that’s not all: This pillow maximizes airflow because of the numerous tiny holes in its foam core. The holes are designed to push air throughout the interior, which helps keep you cooler because it has better-than-average temperature control and circulation. Thank you, science! Now that you’ve found the perfect pillow, find out how to buy a mattress that’s just as cozy for a great night of sleep every night.

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