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• Best Pillow for Neck Pain

  

  If you're experiencing more intense neck pain and looking for a pillow for pain management, the Kanuda Primo Air is worth a look. (Also, see your doctor, please.) I reach for it on nights where pain is just overwhelming—a sort of “break glass in case of emergency” pillow. Its ergonomic, orthopedic design promotes light stretching.

  Kanuda pillows, including the Primo Air, are designed to best fit side and back sleepers. I found it to be the most comfortable while back sleeping. While lying on my back, I felt a slight stretch as my head and neck relaxed into the scooped-out center spot. It isn’t as intense a pressure or stretch as what I’d receive in a massage; it was enough to lull me to sleep.

  The Primo Air’s side “wings” kept my head and spinal alignment on the same level while side sleeping. The ability to stay asleep on it depends on how bad my neck pain is, mainly because I’m not a dedicated back or side sleeper. In most cases, I’d have another pillow handy to transition to (also listed below). Additionally, this isn’t the type of pillow you sink into in terms of firmness or softness. This was especially relevant for the side wings. While your neck feels great from the overall support, it’s more like lying on a cube than a down pillow. But if it negates the chronic neck pain I regularly deal with, I’ll take it.

  Material type	Poly-rayon-cotton cover, high-density polyurethane foam, waterproof lining
  Sizes available	One size (23.6″L x 11.8″W x 4.6″H)
  Sleep trial	60 nights; $15 return fee
  Warranty	1-year limited
  HSA/FSA eligible?	Yes

• Best Adjustable Pillow for Neck Pain

  I’ve found that many pillows either have the wrong height (loft) or are too firm to provide adequate neck support. This pushes the head at an awkward angle, and the neck doesn’t get proper support, which you can lie on for hours on end. Plus, when I’m already in pain, a firmer surface is hard to get acclimated to, even when I know it’s good for my cervical spine alignment. I cannot spend a night apart from my Lagoon Fox adjustable pillow. It offers a softer yet supportive feel that cocoons my head and, more importantly, my neck.

  The Fox has a shredded memory foam fill that looks like a pile of fluff, with irregularly shaped cubes sticking out. Don’t be fooled, as this stuff is magic for my sleep. It allows the Fox to contour around your head and neck’s profile, as well as the weight pressing down into it. The memory foam fill counterbalances that weight, which results in a squishy, cozy feel. All Lagoon pillows, including the Fox, are adjustable. When it arrives, you get a vacuum-sealed bag of extra fill, as well as a drawstring storage bag that matches your pillow’s cover material. Take out fill as needed, or add more in during especially bad pain flare-ups. It can get messy if you’re not careful, but again, this pillow is my mainstay.

  Material type	Shredded CertiPur-US-certified memory foam and poly fiber fill; bamboo and polyester soft cover
  Sizes available	Queen, king
  Sleep trial	100 nights
  Warranty	5-year limited
  HSA/FSA eligible?	Yes

• Best Pillow for Side Sleepers With Neck Pain

  Coop Sleep Goods

  Cool+ Cut Out Adjustable Pillow

  I’ve seen it all when it comes to pillow shapes, especially ones with funky shapes designed for, ideally, “pain-free” sleep (looking at you, Kanuda). Standard rectangular pillows can be very tricky for side sleepers with neck pain, as their shape offers overarching support around the head and neck. However, without the right loft, fill, and design features, it’s hard to quantify them as true cervical pillows for neck pain, especially when there is no direct support under the neck. Coop’s Cut Out Pillow stands out for its unusual shape, which many can try to replicate but can never truly match in terms of support, especially while side sleeping.

  The Cut Out has a more pronounced notch, meant for sleepers who just stick to their sides. Your shoulder slides into this area, while you gain more pronounced support under the head and neck. Coop bills both the Cut Out and Crescent models (the latter is listed below) as being ideal for side sleepers, and WIRED reviewers who have tested agree.

  This is also an adjustable pillow, with fill you can add or remove (also included) based on your stature and preferences. You can also opt for a cooling cover (called Cool+) or the standard, soft cover of the original.

  Material type	Cooling fabric cover, phase-change gel and gel-infused memory foam liner, gel memory foam fill
  Sizes available	Queen, king
  Sleep trial	100 nights
  Warranty	5 years
  HSA/FSA eligible?	Yes, via Flex

• Best Customizable Pillow for Neck Pain

  

  Neck pain manifests in so many forms, from chronic occurrences to more severe conditions, like herniated discs or even cervical spondylosis. You know your body best, and you know what you like to sleep on. Now, add Pluto Pillows to the equation. This is a customized pillow service that prompts you to take an initial quiz to build a sleeper profile. From there, your answers are sent to Pluto’s Los Angeles–based production facility. Then, your custom pillow is sent to your doorstep.

  The quiz will ask questions about your height, weight, and preferred sleeping position. It will also ask if you deal with neck and shoulder pain. Depending on your answers, your pillow will include a perforated foam core tailored to your needs for density and loft. The pillow cover will either be a cooling one or a soft cotton option, both of which are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified to ensure no harmful chemicals are present.

  Once ordered, your pillow ships within four weeks—so take that into consideration if you have chronic neck pain or a bad flare-up. I love mine and keep it on deck alongside my Coop Crescent Adjustable and Lagoon Fox pillows. The cervical alignment it provides is on par with the Kanuda Primo in terms of ideal height, with a slightly firmer feel to help support my head and neck.

  Material type	Custom perforated foam core, down-alternative microfibers; Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified pillow cover is either a 350-thread cotton cover or a cool-to-the-touch one, with or without cooling treatment
  Sizes available	Original (24 x 16 inches), king (34 by 16 inches)
  Sleep trial	125 nights
  Warranty	1 year
  HSA/FSA eligible?	Yes, via Truemed

• Best Pillow for Combination Sleepers With Neck Pain

  

  Coop Sleep Goods

  Original Adjustable Crescent Pillow

  I consider myself a side–combination sleeper, convenient for testing all sorts of sleeping positions with mattresses, yet problematic for neck pain. Coop came to my rescue with my Original Adjustable Crescent pillow, and if it’s missing from my studio, chances are my husband swiped it. Rude.

  Where the Cut-Out (above) has dedicated space for shoulder insertion, making it an obvious side-sleeper pillow, the Crescent’s got a shallower curved edge. I’ve found that between the two, the curved edge offers a greater range of motion for active side sleepers who move between sides, or shift to a different sleep position altogether. You can push your shoulder right up against the pillow, which also condenses the fill around the neck to keep it elevated.

  It’s an overall cushy, buoyant feel, with slightly more compression to sink into than other shredded memory foam pillows I’ve tried. You can also adjust this as needed, as the Crescent comes with a bag of extra fill. However, the standard amount works great for me.

  Material type	Lulltra fabric cover; hypoallergenic microfiber and shredded memory foam fill
  Sizes available	Queen, king
  Sleep trial	100 nights
  Warranty	5 years
  HSA/FSA eligible?	Yes, via Flex

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