I’m an especially hot sleeper, and before I switched to cool bamboo sheets and a lighter comforter, I would wake up sweating in the middle of the night. If you sleep hot like me, you know the struggle. Unfortunately, switching up everything on your bed can be a hassle and expensive. However, swapping out your pillow (especially a really old one) can make a huge difference.
Hot sleepers can benefit from a cooling pillow made of materials that don’t retain body heat and provide a cooling or temperature-neutral sensation. I personally tested and rounded up the best cooling pillows on the market.
The best overall cooling pillow
The Casper Hybrid Pillow with Snow Technology made the top of my list due to its high-quality materials, comfort and truly cool-to-the-touch feel. I tested about 25 pillows from 20 different top brands. The 12 pillows that made this list are the best cooling pillows on the market. I also included a few honorable mentions in case one of those might fit you better.
The pillowcase you use will affect the cooling sensation of any pillow. If you are a hot sleeper and use flannel or heavy material pillowcases, I suggest switching to silk, bamboo or cotton if you want the most out of your cooling pillow.
Now that you have the right pillowcase in mind for summer, here are the best cooling pillows for hot sleepers.
How we chose the best cooling pillow
Caroline Igo/CNET
During my testing, I considered each pillow’s cooling sensation, material, feel, firmness, sleeper type, price and size. I then slept on each pillow for one to two nights (in addition to daytime-lounging testing). I’m a side sleeper, but I also tried different sleeping positions with each cooling pillow to determine the most comfortable sleeping position.
While you won’t find a pillow that will stay ice cold for the entire night (at least not yet), these cooling pillows contain temperature-neutral materials that won’t retain any of your body heat. Some have a cool-to-touch feel that I’ve noted below, but be aware that the pillow won’t feel that cool all night.
Best cooling pillow of 2023
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The new Casper Hybrid Pillow with Snow Technology is the coolest pillow I have ever tested. That’s why it takes my pick for the best overall cooling pillow. Not only is the machine-washable cover cool to the touch, but the inside of the pillow is made with perforated poly foam, polyester fibers and gel. It uses what Casper calls Snow Technology, which includes phase-change material that remains temperature-neutral around your head and neck and allows for airflow..
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You’re receiving price alerts for GhostPillow Gel Memory Foam Pillow
GhostBed is known for its comfortable, cooling mattress, and its cooling Gel Memory Foam Pillow is no different. It’s made with a perforated gel memory foam core, a layer of phase-changing materials, an inner aerated mesh and a cover that’s truly cool to the touch. I like how the pillow shapes to my head and neck and feels cool on my face.
You’re receiving price alerts for GhostPillow Gel Memory Foam Pillow
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The Brooklyn Bedding Luxury Pillow is not only my winner for the best cooling memory foam pillow, but it is also the best pillow for all sleeper types. There are two lofts available: high and low. A high loft is great for side sleepers, and a low loft is meant for back and stomach sleepers. Its hexagon-patterned cover is cool to the touch and can be removed and washed. The cover extends to the other side, but the hexagon side is the coldest.
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The Nest Easy Breather is one of the more supportive pillows on this list. The cover is cool to the touch, and the pillow is filled with shredded foam. If the pillow arrives too firm or too high for you, simply remove some of the filling and fluff it back up. When it was filled to its maximum, I found that it supported my neck and head from sinking into the surface — which is great for side sleepers that don’t like the feeling of sinking memory foam.
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I consider the Purple Harmony pillow to be a mini-version of the Purple Mattress. Both products contain a GelFlex grid layer that’s unique to Purple. This feature is flexible, supportive and slightly molding like memory foam. The Purple Harmony pillow also has a Talalay latex (a natural latex sourced from rubber trees) core that is perforated for airflow and won’t trap in your body heat.
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The Bear Pillow is another great pillow for back sleepers. Its machine-washable cover is cool to the touch and made with what Bear calls Double Ice Fabric. At both ends of the pillow is a mesh that allows for more airflow. It’s also hypoallergenic and helps to stop mold, bacteria and dust mites. At its core, the Bear Pillow is made with a hybrid foam, which I consider halfway between bouncy latex foam and slow molding memory foam. I think it’s right down the middle of too firm and too soft. It’s also supportive enough for both back and side sleepers. .
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If you are a side sleeper, you should look for a pillow that is high enough to keep your neck aligned during the night. You should avoid a pillow that is so soft that your head sinks and you end up waking up with neck pain. The Layla Kapok is a great pick for side sleepers because it’s both high and firm enough to keep you from overextending their necks. The pillow is filled with shredded memory foam for optimal airflow, and it can even be adjusted by taking out the filling. If you are a back sleeper, just take out a bit of the Layla Kapok’s filling, and it should be low and soft enough for you.
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Pillows for stomach sleepers are sometimes hard to come by. They need to be supportive and low enough that you don’t overextend your neck at night. The Cozy Earth Silk Pillow is a great example of a pillow that supports the neck and is low enough for strict stomach sleepers. Made of bamboo fabric and filled with 100% mulberry silk, this Cozy Earth pillow uses the lightest and coolest of materials to keep you from overheating at night. And you can feel it! I love how soft it feels to the touch.
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You’re receiving price alerts for Coop Eden Cool Plus Pillow
Coop Sleep Goods has recently become popular for its cooling products. Its Eden Pillow continues to top lists of cooling pillows, and if you thought that pillow was cool — it got even better. The Coop Eden Cool Plus Pillow is the new, cooler version of the Eden Pillow. This new pillow has a similar cool-to-the-touch cover and now a heat-wicking inner liner, a gel layer and shredded gel-infused memory foam. The filling is Greenguard Gold and CertiPur-US certified. One side claims to be cooler and firmer than the other, but I didn’t feel that when testing. .
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If you are conscientious about your bedding and the places in which the material comes from, look no further than Birch. This brand is organic, eco-friendly and natural. Birch’s Organic Pillow is made with a 100% organic GOTS-certified cotton cover, and while it isn’t cool to the touch, it’s breathable. The core is made of a 100% organic cotton outer layer, filled with shredded latex. That core is then wrapped with 100% organic, GOTS-certified wool that helps to wick away moisture.
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The Sleep Number True Temp Pillow comes in three shapes: classic, contour and ultimate. I tested the classic for this review, which is best for back sleepers. If you are a side sleeper, I recommend the contour and all sleeper types should like the ultimate, as it can be customized to fit any sleeper. Regardless of the shape, the Sleep Number pillow is cool to the touch and contains 37.5 technology, which refers to material embedded with volcanic minerals that wick away moisture.
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The softest and thinnest pillow on this list belongs to the Saatva Latex Pillow. It is available in two lofts: standard and high. Back and stomach sleepers should go with the standard loft, while side and combination should choose the high loft. For this review, I tested the standard loft.
Here are my honorable mentions. While these pillows didn’t make my initial list, I still wanted to highlight these five for some of their cooling features. One of these pillows might work best for you.
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The Nolah Squishy Pillow is my favorite of my honorable mentions. The pillow is made of shredded foam that can be taken out and adjusted to your liking. Its cover is soft, machine-washable and made of Oeko-Tex certified, bamboo blend fibers. The best part is that one box comes with two queen-sized pillows.
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Made for side sleepers, the Helix Shredded Memory Foam Pillow has a medium loft to support the head and neck. It’s filled with shredded memory foam and gel polyester fiber. When testing this pillow, I sank into it a little too far for my liking. Some sleepers might find the pillow to be too soft or lumpy.
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You’re receiving price alerts for Brooklinen Marlow Pillow
I sleep on Brooklinen sheets every night, so I’m a huge fan of the brand. However, this was the first Brooklinen pillow I’ve ever tested. The Marlow Pillow is made of memory foam and polyester fiber, and the outside cover is made of 100% cotton. While you can’t remove any filling to adjust the firmness to your liking, the pillow comes with two zippers (one at the top and one at the bottom) that do just that. However, you won’t notice a huge difference.
You’re receiving price alerts for Brooklinen Marlow Pillow
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The Lagoon Otter Pillow is the definition of versatile. The fill is made with shredded gel-infused memory foam, and the cover is polyester and bamboo. While the pillow arrives prefilled with foam, there’s extra foam available and an extra pouch for any fill that you wish to take out. The pillow feels soft, but it’s not cool to the touch.
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The Sijo Support Pillow is for those who like pillows that are firmer, bouncy and supportive. It is not for memory foam lovers — like myself. The inside is made entirely of perforated Talalay latex foam, and the outside shell is made of a blend of eucalyptus fibers. The pillow is Oeko-Tex 100 certified, hypoallergenic and made of environmentally sustainable materials.
Factors to consider when choosing a cooling pillow
Sleeping position
Different sleeping positions require different types of pillows. Stomach sleepers should look for softer and thinner pillows, while side sleepers need a firmer and higher pillow. Back sleepers require a pillow that is somewhere in the middle.
Price
Pillows can be expensive. Oftentime, you can find a great foam pillow for around $50 to $100. Pillows with higher-quality materials (such as silk or bamboo) may well be over $150 or $200. Regardless, stick to your budget.
Material
The best cooling pillows will be made out of latex, foam, silk, cotton or bamboo. Steer clear of pillows made solely of non-gel, non-perforated memory foam, as this material will retain heat.
Height
Pillows with a high loft (about five inches) are made for side sleepers. If you are a stomach or back sleeper, look for pillows that have a low loft or height (under five inches).
Size
While the average pillow comes in s standard size, you can often choose a queen or king size.
Best cooling pillows compared
Price
Size(s)
Firmness
Materials
Machine-washable?
Hypoallergenic?
Trial Period
Warranty
Casper Hybrid Pillow
$149
Standard, King
Medium
Poly foam
Cover only
Not specified
30-nights
10-year limited
GhostPillow
$50
Standard, Queen
Medium
Gel memory foam
Cover only
Yes
101-nights
5-years
Brooklyn Bedding Luxury Cooling Pillow
$129
Queen, King
Medium
Memory foam
Cover only
Yes
30-days
3-years
Nest Easy Breather Pillow
$107
Standard, Queen, King, Side Sleeper
Adjustable
Shredded foam
Cover only
Not specified
30-nights
2-years
Purple Harmony
$199
Standard, King
Medium
Latex
Cover only
Yes
100-nights
1-years
Bear Pillow
$150
Standard, King
Medium
Latex and memory “hybrid” foam
No
Yes
30-nights
2-years
Layla Kapok
$109
Queen, King
Adjustable
Shredded memory foam
No
Not specified
120-nights
5-years
Cozy Earth Silk Pillow
$299
Standard, King
Medium
Silk and bamboo
No
Yes
100-day
10-years
Coop Home Goods Eden Pillow
$139
Queen, King
Adjustable
Shredded memory foam
Cover only
Yes
100-nights
5-years
Birch Organic Pillow
$149
Standard, King
Medium
Cotton, wool and latex
No
Yes
100-nights
1-year
Sleep Number True Temp Pillow
$110
Standard, King
Medium to Medium-firm
Foam
Cover only
Yes
100-nights
1-year
Saatva Latex Pillow
$165
Queen, King
Medium-soft
Cotton and shredded latex
Cover only
Yes
45-days
1-year
Best cooling pillows FAQs
Do cooling pillows really work?
While some cooling pillows claim to stay cool all night, this is rarely the case — even for those that feel cool to the touch. However, the material inside the cooling pillows is what works. These types of pillows use material that won’t retain body heat and remain temperature-neutral. The cool-to-the-touch cover is an added bonus and may keep you feeling cool for a while, but it will eventually fade. Its filling will keep you from sweating during the night.
What is the coldest pillow on the market?
Out of all the pillows that I tested, I found that the Casper Hybrid Pillow with Snow Technology is the coldest pillow on the market. It made the top of my list due to its high-quality materials, comfort and truly cool feel.
How do I keep my pillow cool all night?
While there is no such thing as a pillow that will stay ice cold all night long, there are a few things you can do to ensure it stays as cool as possible at night. One, make sure your cooling pillow has the right pillowcase on it. I suggest using a bamboo, silk or light pillowcase in order to truly feel the cool cover. This material also won’t retain body heat. Secondly, you can freeze your pillowcases and even your sheets before you go to bed. Lastly, choose a pillow that is made of perforated foam, gel, latex, bamboo, silk or cotton.
