Editor’s Choice
The pillows with gel inserts never felt as comfortable as a “real” pillow. Tempur-Pedic has built its reputation on comfort and quality sleep and their pressure-relieving Adapt pillows are cushy yet cool-to-the-touch. The washable cover is made from breathable, high-stretch performance knit that refuses to heat up. And because the core is formed from a single piece of “Tempur” material, it won't breakdown and lose its shape over time. Meaning this is a pillow that's going to keep its cool for a long time.
Adapt Cloud cooling pillow, $99 / $74.25 by Tempur-Pedic
A Modern Solution
Instead of simply being stuffed with filling, Malouf's pillows are actually made from a proprietary "ActiveDough" foam. Designed with zoned technology to relieve pressure points, it has larger holes in the center of the pillow to cradle your head and smaller holes around the perimeter to support your neck. Hot sleepers will appreciate that the foam is infused with a temperature-regulating gel that draws heat away from your body. And the silky Tencel cover also helps regulates temperature for all-season comfort.
ActiveDough cooling gel pillow, $174.99 by Malouf
The Best of Memory Foam,
Without the Heat
There are a lot of benefits to a memory foam pillow—they mold to your head and provide incredibly soft support—but the big drawback is that the material can really heat up. No amount of comfort is worth trying to sleep in a puddle of neck sweat. But this pillow is stuffed with finely shredded memory foam, and the fluffy interlocking pieces allow air to circulate through the pillow. That, combined with a micro-vented bamboo cover ensures this never warms up.
Kool-Flow bamboo pillow, from $49.99 by Snuggle-Pedic
The Best Down Alternative
We found the Nest Cool Pillow to be incredibly comfortable. It wasn't cooling, exactly, but it never overheated. So if you want a more traditionally built pillow, this is a fantastic option that has a soft, breathable cover and a filling made from a proprietary blend of gel-foam material that mimics the feel of a down/feather pillow. You can also customize the feel simply by removing some of the inner filling too.
Cool pillow, from $119 by Nest Bedding
