Best pillows 2024, tried and tested for all types of sleepers and neck pain

Finding the perfect pillow can be a life-long quest but its one worth pursuing, as the best pillows can transform the quality of your sleep. What constitutes the ideal pillow is a subjective thing, however.

Side sleepers will do well with firm pillows, such as those made from memory foam. Back sleepers, meanwhile, may prefer a squashy pillow that cocoons their head – feather and down or a synthetic dupe are great options. Front sleeps need a low-profile pillow, and wool or synthetic are great for this.

Allergy sufferers need to look for pillows that are hypoallergenic – synthetic, wool or bamboo are go-tos. You need to be able to properly wash the pillows to blitz out the dust and dust mites (grim, we know, but dust mites are the main cause of house-based allergies in the UK).

Those who are liable to overheating with night sweats would do well to look for pillows they can wash, and might want to veer away from some synthetic pillows, too, as they’re not super breathable.

Whichever pillow you plump for, it should keep your spine aligned throughout the night, so you don’t wake up with aches and pains. You shouldn’t be waking up having to shift your pillow, either. If your sleep is disrupted, you probably need to buy a new pillow. A pillow’s lifespan is about one to five years – and that’s if you look after it properly.

Keep scrolling for our pick of pillows for all types of sleepers.

How we tested

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We’ve spent two years putting pillows to the test for this article – that’s almost 6,000 hours of testing. We recruited side, back and front sleepers, to check the pillows for comfort. We also covered loads of different fillings, with synthetic, natural and hybrid options. Whether the pillows offered good value for money was also taken into consideration. Here are the ones that won the pillow fights…

The best pillows for 2024 are: