The 7 Best Pillows for Stomach Sleepers of 2024

Of all the sleep positions, stomach sleeping requires the highest attention to sleep setup—including selecting the best stomach sleeping pillows. With your head positioned on its side, your pillows need to be on point to allow you to sleep comfortably in the prone position without waking with a crick in your neck. Get it wrong, and stomach sleeping can lead to a range of aches and conditions, from neck and back pain to face wrinkles and more serious spinal issues.

If stomach sleeping is your preference, sleep specialist and Chief Medical Advisor at Sleepopolis, Raj Dasgupta, MD, says that using a thin, low-loft pillow helps to keep your head, neck and spine aligned throughout the night. He also notes that the breathability of down or memory foam pillows is preferable, especially if you tend to sleep hot.

To find the best pillows for stomach sleepers, we consulted with some experts, then tested more than 50 popular memory foam, latex and down pillows in the lab and at home. Throughout testing we scored each pillow based on quality, durability, temperature/airflow, comfort and value. Read on for our top seven recommendations based on our testing.

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Coop Sleep Goods

Cool to the touch, Coop’s The Eden pillow offered all-night breathability. And the adjustable fill allows you to tailor each pillow to the individual needs of back, side and stomach sleepers sharing the bed. This combination of unmatched comfort and cooling performance made it hard to fault throughout testing, and beyond.

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Slumbercloud

The down alternative filling of this pillow stayed consistently supportive, with zero clumping and no need to re-fluff or adjust through the night. We found the quality of the materials and construction superb for the below average price tag. And its no-fuss washability makes it a convenient mid-range choice for a master or guest bedroom.

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Amazon

The contrast between the warming bamboo side and cooling side of this pillow makes it versatile for use in hot or cold climates (and for hot and/or cold sleepers). The quilted texture and balance of comfort and support felt high-end luxe for a budget price. And if you purchase a two-pack, you get them even cheaper, making them the best value of all the pillows we tested.

Before you start shopping for pillows for stomach sleeping, it pays to deeply consider your personal preferences and the types of pillows that have worked for you in the past. If you’re switching to stomach sleeping from another position, as Dr. Dasgupta notes, it can create strain in your back and neck. And that strain can lead to poor quality sleep at night, and aches and pains in the morning. Here are several pillow factors worth considering before you shop:

Loft: This is probably the most important consideration for stomach sleepers. As Dr. Dasgupta notes, while side sleepers usually do best on a pillow with a high loft to support the head and neck, stomach sleepers should opt for a low-loft or thin pillow. Board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon Rahul Shah, MD, agrees. “Stomach sleepers typically sleep with their heads faced down or turned to the side, so an overstuffed pillow can be awkward as it may force the neck into hyperextension and cause discomfort,” he says.
Materials: The three main constructions of our top-performing pillows were memory foam, latex, and down (or down alternative). Memory foam is airy and can be infused with gels for cooling, plus it molds to the contours of your head and neck. Latex is naturally breathable, and a popular choice for allergy sufferers, and people who want a plant-derived option. Down is lightweight and naturally airy, so there’s no need for gels or chemicals.
Firmness: Along with loft, firmness is especially important when considering pillows for stomach sleeping. Too soft, and your face can get buried in the pillow. Too firm, and it may cause hyperextension of your neck. As a rule of thumb, latex pillows are often firmer, while down (and down alternative) pillows tend to be softer. Most manufacturers list softness/firmness levels on their product pages.
Trial Period and Return Policy: Like many products in the bed/sleep space, pillow manufacturers often allow generous trial periods and free returns. Several of our top-performing pillows came with 100-night risk-free trials, so if the pillow you’re considering doesn’t, it’s worth shopping around.

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Coop Sleep Goods

Why We Like It

From the soft, premium Lulltra™ cover—a breathable bamboo and polyester blend—to the adjustable fill functionality and cool, breathable feel, Coop’s The Eden pillow was hard to fault across any metric. We loved that the pillow came with a generous bag of extra fill. For stomach sleeping, we were able to follow the manufacturer recommendations and remove the exact amount of fill to get that Goldilocks “just right” feel.

The cooling gel is infused throughout the filler, delivering superior cooling performance to other gel-core pillows we’ve tried. The pillow is also fully machine washable and fluffed back almost too well out of the dryer (we had to remove a little more fill). If you can afford the above-median price tag, we believe the combination of comfort, premium materials, adjustability, and cooling performance justifies the additional cost.

It’s Worth Noting

Adding and removing fill can be a messy business, so if you’re not inclined to make these adjustments yourself, perhaps try a low-loft design and save yourself the hassle.

Product Details:

Available Sizes: Queen, King
Fill: Cooling gel-infused memory foam and microfiber fill
Firmness: Adjustable

Health / Joy Kim

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Slumbercloud

Why We Like It

Cool to the touch, this pillow’s “NASA-engineered Outlast®” lining fabric delivered night after night. Despite its relatively low loft, the down alternative filling offered superb support with no clumping or bunching and great air circulation. After machine washing, the pillow maintained its size, shape and firmness. And throughout testing, this pillow had us falling asleep faster than usual. For this level of quality, comfort and cooling performance at a below-median price, we 100% recommend this Slumber Cloud pillow as one of our top picks.

It’s Worth Noting

Across every metric during testing, we found this pillow difficult to fault. If you’re not used to down or down alternative pillows, however, the feel takes some getting used to.

Product Details:

Available Sizes: Standard King
Fill: Cooling down alternative
Firmness: Soft/Medium or Medium/Firm

Health / Joy Kim

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Amazon

Why We Like It

Right off the bat, we loved the texture of the quilted fabric. And the temperature differential between the warm, comforting bamboo side and “cooling” side of the pillow allowed us to flip for instant adjustments during the night. Though we did need to occasionally readjust the pillow for comfort, we loved that we could add or remove filling for back, side, or stomach sleeping. The soft yet durable outer felt great after machine washing, though unlike other pillows we tested the shredded gel inner is not machine washable. All in all, for way below median price, this pillow offers fantastic versatility and value for money, rating highly across every metric.

It’s Worth Noting

The inner is not machine washable. We also had to re-fluff the pillow at times to maintain comfort during the night.

Product Details:

Available Sizes: Standard, Queen, King, Camping, Body Pillow
Fill: Shredded gel memory foam
Firmness: Adjustable

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Helix

Why We Like It

From the moment we picked this pillow up, the quality of the materials and double-stitched construction was obvious—total high-end hotel luxe. Though the plush and supportive feather and down core wrapped in breathable cotton did run slightly stuffy at times, we were able to flip the pillow for an instant improvement. Yes, at almost $100 full price, this is a luxury item for most. But for that feeling of the pillow molding to your head in a gentle embrace, we’d recommend this pillow as well worth the splurge.

It’s Worth Noting

We found we had to flip this pillow during the night to avoid stuffiness. And the feather/down construction did flatten through the night, requiring some re-fluffing.

Product Details:

Available Sizes: Standard, King
Fill: Feather core and double down
Firmness: Not listed

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Amazon

Why We Like It

Striking a near-perfect balance of softness and support, this Sealy pillow did a superb job of cradling our heads without straining our necks while side and stomach sleeping. While using the pillow, we felt relief from neck and shoulder soreness. And we even took it on vacation to use instead of lumpy rental accommodation pillows. The quality materials held up beautifully through testing, and we have no doubt they will do so over time. Overall, for a smidge under $50, we had a vastly improved night’s sleep—money that was most definitely well spent.

It’s Worth Noting

We noticed this pillow heated up slightly during initial use, though it wasn’t an issue after we flipped it. Beyond that, we found this pillow hit the mark across every metric.

Product Details:

Available Sizes: Standard
Fill: Adaptive memory foam
Firmness: Medium-soft

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Saatva

Why We Like It

You only have to look at the construction of this pillow to understand you’re at the higher end of things. Hypoallergenic shredded natural latex core. Certified-organic cotton fill layer with plush, down-like microdenier fibers, all wrapped up in a moisture-wicking and machine washable Fair Trade-certified organic cotton cover. Cool to the touch and with superb airflow by way of the heat-dissipating latex, this pillow’s performance lived up to the price. The only question: how much are you willing to pay for an exceptional night’s sleep?

It’s Worth Noting

After washing the cover, we made the mistake of tumble-drying and shrinking it slightly in the process. This made the cover moderately difficult to fit.

Product Details:

Available Sizes: Standard Queen, King
Fill: Shredded natural latex core
Firmness: Medium or High Loft available

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Brooklyn Bedding

Why We Like It

Super comfortable, and with naturally breathable latex construction, this pillow in its “Low Loft” 4-inch thickness offered excellent stability while back and stomach sleeping. We loved that the easily removable 100% Tencel™ Lyocell cover is machine washable. And the allergen- and dust-mite-resistance of the latex makes the pillow an excellent choice for allergy sufferers. Naturally bouncy, this pillow has the added benefit of never needing to be fluffed. So if the firmer feel of latex is your thing, we’d recommend this pillow as a higher-end choice.

It’s Worth Noting

Though the pillow performed well, offering great neck and head support for back and stomach sleeping, side sleepers will likely need to opt for the “High Loft” variation of this pillow.

Product Details:

Available Sizes: Queen, King
Fill: 100% latex
Firmness: High or Low Loft available

Health / Dera Burreson

To determine our top recommendations for pillows for stomach sleepers, our editors tested 11 popular products in our lab and at home. Prior to sleep testing, we evaluated each pillow’s size and loft, ease of fitting into pillowcases, compression and bounce back after application of a medicine ball, and temperature differentials after five-minute periods of use. During at-home testing, we scored each pillow on the following criteria:

Quality: Including materials and construction, texture and softness, existence of any odors, presence and performance of a protective cover, and requirements to re-fluff the pillow during the night.
Durability: Including wash testing based on manufacturer instructions, pilling or any dissipation of fluff or fill, consistency of feel and support, and abilities to hold its shape over time.
Temperature/Airflow: Including evaluating temperature differentials before and after use, noticeable transfer of body heat into the pillow’s surface, the ability to maintain neutral temperature through the night, and the effectiveness of airflow through the pillow’s construction.
Comfort: Including overall comfort and support during sleep, improvements/reduction in sleep quality, the ability of the pillow to maintain its shape, and whether it lives up to comfort expectations or manufacturer’s claims.
Value: Including likelihood of an editor purchasing a tested pillow at full price, post-test opinion whether a listed price seems reasonable for a product, and whether or not we’d be likely to recommend a pillow to family or friends.

*General note: There were some differences in how we tested memory foam and latex pillows, with the latex options subjected to a more rigorous lab test method.

Prior to and during testing, we spoke with spinal experts to help us understand what to look for in a pillow for stomach sleeping. Experts we consulted include:

Raj Dasgupta, MD, Chief Medical Advisor, Sleepopolis
Rahul Shah, MD, a Board Certified Orthopedic Spine Surgeon

Beckham Hotel Collection Bed Pillow: More temperature neutral than definitely cooling, this pillow lacked structure and offered limited support. Would recommend as a comfy though lightweight option for a guest bedroom.
Rest Haven Shredded Memory Foam Bed Pillow: This super-flat pillow didn’t offer as much support as the other memory foam options we tried. Perhaps it’d be useful as a space-saving camping pillow, but it didn’t rate highly during testing.
puredown Feather and Down Pillow: We didn’t enjoy the feel of the feather filling of this pillow pricking our skin. However, we did enjoy its cooling qualities, and the plush support felt great for the budget price.
Elite Rest Slim Sleeper: This slim pillow offers latex lovers an option for under $50, and we enjoyed the lavender infusion. At 2.75 inches thick, however, even for stomach sleeping this pillow lacked the loft and support we wanted.

As all stomach sleepers know, finding comfortable positions, and repositioning in the night, can be challenging if your sleep setup isn’t quite right. We asked our experts what tips they had for stomach sleepers. Here are some of their insights.

Use a thin or low-loft pillow to keep your spine aligned throughout the night and to help prevent waking up in the morning with discomfort.
Try placing a pillow under your pelvis to help take some pressure off your spine and support the hips.
Pay attention to how your neck feels in the morning, as stomach sleeping can put the neck in a more uncomfortable position.
If you’re waking with pain, it’s time to experiment with different pillows or try sleeping without a pillow to see if your neck feels better.

Is it better to sleep on your stomach without a pillow?

According to Dr. Dasgupta, it comes down to personal preference and what you find most comfortable. “Using a low-loft pillow or sleeping without a pillow are both suitable options for stomach sleepers,” he says. He also cautions that stomach sleeping can create strain in your back and neck, which can lead to poor quality sleep, and aches and pains in the morning.

Are stomach sleeper pillows good for side sleepers too?

Dr. Shah notes that different pillows have different features and no one pillow is designed for side or stomach sleeping preferentially. He adds that when you sleep on your stomach, the neck can assume a position with the head turned to the side, so it’s conceivable that pillows that aid stomach sleepers can be great for side sleepers too. Though side sleepers generally prefer a higher loft than stomach sleepers.

How often should you replace your pillow?

Dr. Dasgupta says it depends on the quality of the pillow and lifestyle factors, but generally it’s a good idea to replace your pillow every 1–2 years because of wear, loss of support, or hygiene concerns.

Samson McDougall is a journalist, copywriter, editor and biology graduate. His work encompasses everything from web copy for science museums to sexual health articles for universities, info sheets for first-in-category pharmaceuticals to brand messaging for wearable touch therapy by neuroscientists. Samson is a walker, hiker, biker and surfer, and has multiple injuries to show for his active lifestyle. He is a side and stomach sleeper and has been prone to insomnia, but having children fixed that.

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