For most people, a natural sleeping state is warm. However, some are cooler sleepers than others.
In case you too feel excessively warm during nighttime, pillow selection is a crucial factor to consider.
Some pillows have good airflow and breathable covers, which helps in feeling cool and comfortable. On the other hand, other pillows tend to absorb body heat, which makes the sleeper hot.
We all know how uncomfortable it is to wake up sweaty in the middle of the night.
For us at Cushion Lab, your comfort is a primary concern, so we’ve come up with everything you should know about cooling pillows.
We’ll explain their common features and characteristics, as well as our recommendation for the best cooling pillow out there.
What Is a Cooling Pillow?
Cooling Neck Support Contour Pillow
The cooling pillow’s primary purpose is to keep you cool during the night.
How do cooling pillows achieve this? The materials they’re made of have cooling properties.
What’s the difference between a regular pillow and a cooling pillow?
A cooling pillow can release the heat which our head creates, while a regular pillow holds onto it.
Cooling pillows are divided into two categories:
- Solid: Made of one solid piece of material
- Stuffed: Stuffed with small cooling material scraps
Note: Solid pillows are firmer than stuffed ones.
Features to Consider When Choosing a Cooling Pillow
Material
The material a cooling pillow is made of determines its lifespan and comfort level.
Some of the most common pillow materials are:
- Memory foam: A viscoelastic polyfoam material. If your choice is a memory foam pillow, make sure to choose a gel memory foam or a shredded memory foam pillow. Otherwise, you’ll feel too hot as memory foam tends to absorb and retain heat.
- Latex: Made from the sap of rubber trees. Latex also tends to retain heat, so choose an aerated latex pillow as it encourages airflow, keeping you cool.
- Down: This is the inner plumage that’s found beneath the duck and geese feathers. As it gives warmth to ducks and geese, it can retain heat, so it’s not the best choice if you experience night sweats.
- Feathers: Usually, geese or duck feathers are used. These don't retain a lot of heat. Also, they’re firmer than down pillows.
- Polyester: Has synthetic microfibers. These pillows are mostly temperature neutral and don’t trap as much heat as a memory foam pillow.
- Buckwheat: Buckwheat hulls are used in this case. Hulls have an open shape which creates air pockets that help with keeping cool. However, buckwheat pillows will take some getting used to if you’re not a fan of firm pillows.
Cooling Pillow Cover Material
Cooling Neck Support Contour Pillow
Best cooling pillows cover materials include:
- Cotton is soft and breathable. It’s one of the most common cover materials as it helps increase airflow and is easy to clean. Buckwheat pillows usually have an organic pillow cover.
- Bamboo is a great natural option. The bamboo cover is moisture-wicking and has better absorbing abilities than cotton, which makes it an excellent choice if you sweat a lot during the night. Bamboo is also breathable and helps with airflow.
- Phase-change material controls the temperature by absorbing and releasing body heat. It can change from liquid to solid-state and draws heat away from the body.
Sleeping Position and Pillow Loft
Pillow loft refers to the pillow's height when the pillow is in a flat position on the bed. Cooling pillows have a medium to high loft.
There are some materials—such as shredded memory foam and down—which, despite having a high loft, are easily compressed.
Some pillows even have an adjustable loft, which means you can remove or add the filling to change the height to your preference.
Here’s what different sleepers prefer:
- Stomach sleepers like thin pillows and low loft to keep the head and neck comfortable.
- Side sleepers like a higher loft that can fill the space between neck and shoulders. This is also important because it keeps the spine aligned.
- Back sleepers need medium loft pillows which will keep the head level—not tilted too far forward or back.
Firmness Level
The firmness level of cooling pillows depends on the material as shown in the table below.
| Firmness level | Pillow material |
| Soft | Down, shredded memory, wool |
| Medium | Solid foam, latex |
| Firm | Buckwheat and some foams |
Again, the firmness level a sleeper goes for depends on the sleep position and personal preferences.
Maintenance
Before you settle on a cooling pillow, consider its maintenance.
Check online or ask your store attendant about your pillow’s cleaning instructions. Follow these to ensure durability of your cooling pillow.
Some pillows have to be washed by hand, while others can just be thrown in the washing machine.
Note: Shredded memory foam pillows need to be fluffed or shaken regularly to retain their shape.
Latex pillows never need fluffing. However, they should not be machine-washed. Spot or dry cleaning is recommended instead.
Say Goodbye to Night Sweats With the Cooling Neck Support Contour Pillow
Cooling Neck Support Contour Pillow
Now that you know everything about choosing the best cooling pillow for you, here’s one that fulfills all the recommendations to keep you cool all night long.
Designed by our in-house ergonomists, the Cooling Neck Support Contour Pillow naturally conforms to the head, while the concave head basin supports the neck and head at an optimal height.
This means you can not only say goodbye to feeling hot, but you’ll also never suffer from neck pain again.
Did you know? Neck pain affects two-thirds of people at some point in their lives.
Usually, it resolves within days or weeks, but it becomes chronic for about 10% of people.
What makes this pillow stand out are the raised side bolsters—they relieve the shoulder pressure.
Side and back sleepers will especially like it because it enables a seamless transition between sleep positions during the night.
Also if you like firm pillows, this is another plus for you. Our bedding experts rated the firmness level an 8/10 (10 being very firm).
Why Choose This Cooling Pillow Over The Rest?
This pillow is made with gel-infused Hyperfoam™ premium visco elastic memory foam to ensure it stays cool during the night.
It also has a heat-repellant and moisture-wicking cover, while its mesh inner layer helps regulate airflow for a cool and relaxing sleeping experience.
Don’t believe us? Here’s what others had to say:
“It's hard to describe how comfortable it has been to sleep on my new pillow! It has enough firmness to keep my neck feeling great, and it is soft enough that it molds to my head and doesn't hurt my ears. It feels like I am laying on a cool supportive cloud every time I go to bed, that I never want to be without it. I'm going to buy another one just so I can take it on trips and enjoy the same great sleep!”
Take advantage of our free shipping and get yourself the best cooling pillow today.
