I Bought a Cooling Pillow
and It Changed My Life

A new pillow is an easy investment you can make to upgrade your sleep

Best cooling pillows in 2024
Best cooling pillows in 2024

I think I first heard it from ESPN’s late, great Stuart Scott: “You’re as cool as the other side of the pillow.” It was a turn of phrase that instantly resonated for me, as I've flipped my pillow over countless times, for as long as I can remember—searching for the sweet relief that comes when cool cotton hits your cheek. I've always ran a bit hot so when I go to bed, I want my room temperature turned down and my blankets to be minimal. When my pillow starts warming up, it's easy to let that distract me or cause me to toss and turn (only further heating me up, I'm sure).

So I decided to invest in a cooling pillow. What was once perhaps a simple infomercial gimmick has now become a full-fledged cottage industry. The market is full of options and innovations in order to help us keep cool and fall asleep. I immediately noticed a difference with the new pillow. No more tossing and turning, no more pillow flipping and rearranging. Just delightfully cool and restful moments before drifting away to dreamland. After all, is there anything more important to your overall health and well-being than a good night's sleep? Well it all starts with what you're sleeping on. So here are the web's best reviewed cooling pillows, along with the one that has forever changed the way I go to bed.

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The Best Cooling
Pillows in 2024

Valet. editor's pick

The Editor’s Pick

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,
$134 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

Soft, Squishy Latex

If you want a really soft and bouncy pillow that offers support but won't heat up and trap warmth, this latex option really does the job well. Purple's has a weightless feel, thanks to its perforated-latex core and signature gel grid, which promotes additional airflow. A moisture-wicking cover adds additional breathability while offering a nice cooling touch when you first lay down. It also comes in three lofts, so you can choose the height best suited for your primary sleeping position and body size.

Harmony pillow,
from $199 by Purple

FYI

During rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, your brain’s temperature-regulating cells switch off and let your body temperature be determined by how warm or cool your bedroom is.

(Source: National Sleep Foundation)

The Smart Way
to Start Your Day

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