The best pillows for stomach sleepers we tested
Best pillow for stomach sleepers: Saatva Latex Pillow
Best firm pillow for stomach sleepers: Brooklinen Marlow
Best soft pillow for stomach sleepers: Casper Hybrid Pillow
Best adjustable pillow for stomach sleepers: Layla Kapok Pillow
While stomach sleeping may not be the optimal sleep position — it’s not easy to find the ideal neutral position for your neck and spine — for some people, sleeping any other way is difficult. If you do prefer to sleep on your stomach, you deserve a comfortable, supportive pillow during your rest.
Thankfully, there is plenty of variety for stomach sleepers, including firm or soft options as well as pillows with adjustable fill. As someone who tests a lot of sleep-related products, I’ve spent my fair share of nights with just about any of the best pillows you can imagine. I also enlisted the help of physicians and sleep doctors for insight into what to consider while shopping for the best pillows for stomach sleepers.
To compile the pool of pillows to test, I searched for options each brand claimed to be designed specifically for stomach sleepers. I then consulted with various sleep doctors and researchers to find answers on the best pillow shapes, firmness levels and fill for those who sleep that way. After spending several nights testing each pillow, I settled on four I’d consider the best for stomach sleepers.
The Saatva Latex Pillow was a favorite during testing — supportive enough while squishy and malleable, in the best way. The outer layer is filled with down-alternative fibers, and a removable inner core made of shredded latex is completely encased so the fill doesn’t spill out.
For stomach sleepers who prefer a firm pillow, the Brooklinen Marlow pillow has a dense yet light feel with plenty of support.
While a firm pillow is recommended for stomach sleeping, if you like a slightly softer feel, then you’ll love the Casper Hybrid Pillow. The rectangular shape was our favorite in testing, and it comes in low or regular loft to suit different preferences and body frames.
The firm yet bouncy Layla Kapok Pillow is made with shredded memory foam and kapok fiber. It's also adjustable, so you can make it as soft or firm as you prefer.
Best pillow for stomach sleepers: Saatva Latex Pillow
In our testing, the Saatva Latex Pillow was soft and fluffy yet supportive. An outer layer is filled with down-alternative fibers, and a removable inner core is filled with shredded latex. The inner core is encased, so it’s easy to take out without having shredded fill spill everywhere, as can happen with other adjustable pillows. The downside: It’s not completely customizable (you can’t add or remove fill), so you can only adjust the pillow by removing the inner core. Luckily, we found this pillow most comfortable for stomach sleeping with the inner core removed, which emphasized its squishiness and malleability.
The Saatva pillow is only available in queen and king sizes, so be aware that it may not fit well in standard pillowcases. That said, it comes with a removable, washable organic cotton outer cover, making it easy to keep clean.
Saatva offers a 45-day return policy, so if you don’t love the pillow you don’t have to keep it.
Best firm pillow for stomach sleepers: Brooklinen Marlow Pillow
The Brooklinen Marlow Pillow is extremely firm — we would compare it to sleeping on a sandbag, but in the best way. So if you love an extremely firm pillow, then you’ll love this pillow for its dense yet light feel. If you find this pillow too firm, then the side zippers open gussets that allow more give to make the pillow softer (though we found the difference in feel was minimal).
Unfortunately, this pillow is spot clean only, so you’ll want to make sure to use a pillowcase to protect it. If you’re prone to spills or heavy sweating, then you may even want a pillow protector.
The Brooklinen Marlow comes in standard and king sizes, and it was one of the less pricey options among our top picks. Brooklinen also has a generous 365-day return policy, so you can try it for a while and return it if it doesn’t work for you.
Best soft pillow for stomach sleepers: Casper Hybrid Pillow
We loved the Casper Hybrid Pillow for side and back sleeping, so we were surprised that it was also great for stomach sleeping. The rectangular shape gives this pillow a slight raise, and it’s exactly what our stomach sleeper looks for when it comes to pillows.
This pillow is not extra firm, so if you like a slightly softer pillow, then you’ll love the Casper Hybrid. It’s squishy, thanks to its synthetic fill and surrounding memory foam, yet the molded foam helps it keep its shape. It’s a good choice if you’re a hot sleeper too; while testing, we didn’t overheat as much as we did with other foam pillows since this one has holes throughout for ventilation.
It comes in two heights: regular with a 2-inch gusset, and low loft with a 1.25-inch gusset. Casper offers a pillow height guide you can check to help determine which loft height is right for you; we found that the low-loft version was a good size for stomach sleeping. It comes with a removable and machine-washable cover, and Casper offers a 30-night return policy.
Best adjustable pillow for stomach sleepers: Layla Kapok Pillow
The Layla Kapok Pillow is made of shredded memory foam and the fibers from the seeds of the kapok tree, which feel similar to a mix of wool and cotton. We also found that the pillow has a firm and slightly bouncy feel.?Like many other pillows, the firmness level can be adjusted by removing or adding fill, and we appreciated that we could adjust it to our liking.
The Layla pillow has a unique honeycomb cover that feels plush and very luxe. While this was a favorite pillow for stomach sleeping, it may need some adjusting through the night, as the fill tends to move around.
It comes in queen and king sizing only, so it won’t fit in a standard pillowcase, but the cover is machine-washable. Layla also offers a 30-night trial period if you decide it’s not the right pillow for you, promising a very easy return process. Simply fill out this return form on its website with your order number and the reason for the return. No fees are deducted for returns, so you’ll get 100% of your money back.
How we tested
After narrowing down our list to the six most popular pillows and brands, we slept on each for a minimum of two nights and a maximum of seven. We noted how comfortable each pillow was, how easy it was to clean, whether it was well constructed and durable, and how many firmness levels were available. We also checked to see if we could try out the pillow and for how long, as well as the ease with which we could return it.
Comfort
- Comfort level: We tried out each pillow for two to seven nights each and noted how comfortable each was to sleep on.
- Needs adjustments: With certain pillows, sometimes you find yourself adjusting it throughout the night if it falls flat or if the pillow retains a lot of heat. We kept track of whether we had to continually adjust each pillow.
Durability
- Washing and drying:?Pillows need to be durable to withstand many months of wear and tear and washing, so we assessed the durability of each pillow by washing and drying each one twice (if applicable and according to the manufacturer’s care instructions). If the pillow indicated it was not machine-washable, then we washed the cover where possible.
- Shape retention:?After washing and sleeping on a pillow multiple times, it can become misshapen, lumpy or flat, so we evaluated each pillow for how much it changed shape after washing and sleeping on it. The less it changed shape, the more impressed we were.
- Appearance:?We also looked at the overall appearance of the pillow after wash and use and noted if anything broke in the process.
Ease of cleaning
- Simple or tough to clean:?A pillow can become soiled by drool, sweat or other contaminants. You can use a pillow protector to help keep the pillow clean, but you need to be able to wash the pillow itself. So, for each pillow, we evaluated it on if it could be cleaned and how easily
- Wash by hand or machine: We took into account if it’s machine-washable, dry clean only, spot clean or not washable at all.
Firmness options
- Soft, medium, firm:?It’s a good idea for pillows to come in various firmness levels so that you can choose the one that best fits your needs or preferences. With that in mind, we judged each pillow we tested on its available firmness levels, which included soft, medium and firm (with low, medium or tall fill, respectively).
- Adjustable or not:?Some pillows can be adjusted by removing or adding fill, so we looked at each pillow and noted if it could be adjusted to anyone’s fill preference.
Trial and return policy
- Long or short trial: Pillows are highly personal items; one person could sleep blissfully on the same one that causes discomfort for another person. Since experiences can vary, a person should have the option to change their mind. So we also evaluated each pillow brand on its trial policy: whether you could try it out and how many days you had to do so.
- Number of days before return:?We learned the trial periods varied widely; some were as brief as 30 or 45 nights, while others granted a trial slumber for 120 or even 365 nights. The return policies were different between vendors as well, with some letting you rest your weary head on their pillow for up to 30 nights, while others, well, didn’t accept pillows back at all.
How to choose a pillow for stomach sleepers
While we have done our best to find the best pillow for stomach sleepers, all of the experts we spoke with agreed there’s no perfect pillow that will work for everyone. Dr. Andrew W. Varga, neuroscientist and physician at The Mount Sinai Integrative Sleep Center in New York, emphasizes that “there is limited, if any, scientific evidence regarding pillow types.”
More vexing for those who sleep on their stomachs — whether for comfort, to avoid snoring or just out of habit — is that it’s “almost impossible to achieve a neutral neck in this position,” Varga says. However, for some, sleeping any other way is nearly impossible. So when choosing a pillow, you’ll want one that puts the least strain on your neck.
This means it can be challenging for those who sleep on their stomachs to find a great pillow. While a pillow labeled for a “stomach sleeper” may not work for everyone since pillows are very personal, we found that the labeling gives a good starting point when shopping for the right pillow. Most pillows recommended for stomach sleepers are softer and flatter than back- and side-sleeper pillows. Below are tips on what to look for when shopping.
Choose the right loft (pillow height or thickness)
Stomach sleepers will want to look for a thin, firm pillow, says Dr. Josh Tal of Josh Tal & Associates Sleep and Health Psychotherapists in New York. The head needs to be slightly elevated to keep the spine in a neutral position but not so high that the neck is out of alignment.
Fill and firmness
Out of the common types of fill — shredded foam or latex, down, down alternative and molded foam — stomach sleepers will want a firmer fill, such as memory foam, latex or packed down. If you’re a stomach sleeper who sleeps off to the side of the pillow, Tal recommends a medium firmness.
Lie on the pillow for at least 15 minutes to get a good sense of its feel
Sue Gordon, research professor at the Flinders University College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Adelaide, Australia, has studied the effect of pillow types in relation to sleep quality and their effect on waking back and neck pain. Gordon recommends lying on a pillow for at least 15 minutes (the time it takes for the body to fully settle) so you’ll know if the pillow is right for you.
Check the return policy
Since one pillow will not work for everyone, make sure to check the brand’s return policy. Many brands offer a trial period or returns, but some brands don’t allow you to return the pillow. You’ll want to choose a pillow with a good return policy so you can return it if it doesn’t work for you, unless you’re willing to risk being stuck with it.
Other pillows for stomach sleepers we tested
The Beckham Hotel Collection Bed Pillows are packed with fluffy 100% polyester fill and can keep the night sweats away with its breathable fabric. Our tester recommends this pillow for back and side sleepers.
The Beckham Hotel Collection Bed Pillow was one of the most budget-friendly pillows we tested, and while we loved it for side and back sleepers, it didn’t make the cut for stomach sleepers. We found this pillow too filled and fluffy for sleeping on our stomach. It can be washed in the machine, but the care instructions recommend letting it air-dry, which can take more than half a day.
This Amazon Basics Down Alternative Pillow is advertised as a great option for stomach and back sleepers, however our tester found the filling didn't stay in place.
We thought this pillow would be good for stomach sleepers since Amazon Basics recommends it for stomach or back sleepers due to its softness. It was one of the flatter pillows we tested, and it was very fluffy at first, but after sleeping on it for a few nights, we noticed the filling was moving too much while we slept.
