Getting your pillow measured: where and how to find your size

You can get measured at a Pillowise stockist, or work out your size yourself with PillowScan. Strictly speaking, it is not the pillow that gets measured but you: from your shoulder width, neck circumference and neck length, an algorithm chooses the right one of six pillow sizes.

What actually gets measured?

The right pillow height depends on your body. Shoulder width, neck circumference and neck length are different for everyone. Then there are your sleeping position (back, side or front) and your mattress (soft, medium or firm). A soft mattress gives way, a firm one does not. That also changes how much space between your head and the surface needs to be filled.

Three measurements and two details determine your pillow size. These are the measuring points:

Your sleeping position and mattress are also taken into account. If you pick a standard size off the shelf, you usually only guess at these factors. When you are measured, they are recorded and calculated together. For how height can be worked out in general, read our article Calculating pillow height.

Where can I get measured?

Pillowise is sold through stockists. These include chiropractors, physiotherapists, sleep specialists, wellness practices and specialist retailers. They measure using the Pillowise tape measure. You can find a stockist near you on the map at Stockists.

Stockists also have a display with all six pillows. This lets you try out your calculated size and place a different size next to it for comparison. It is no substitute for a night in your own bed, but it shows how different the sizes feel.

Being measured in person has a practical advantage: someone else handles the tape measure. This is easier than measuring yourself, especially for shoulder width and neck length.

For prices and what is included in the measurement at your stockist, ask them directly. We do not give any figures here that we cannot back up.

How does the measuring work?

1. Measure your shoulder width. The tape measure runs around the curve of your back. It should lie flat against you without cutting in.
2. Measure your neck circumference. The tape measure goes once all the way around your neck.
3. Measure your neck length. This is measured from the underside of the ear to the shoulder point.
4. Give your sleeping position and mattress. You say whether you sleep on your back, side or front, and whether your mattress is soft, medium or firm.
5. Get your result. An algorithm uses these details to choose the best-fitting pillow. Each of the six sizes has its own colour: pink, orange, green, blue, red and purple.

You can find more about the process on the page Measuring.

Can I measure myself?

Yes. For that there is PillowScan at scan.pillowise.com. You open the page on your smartphone or scan the QR code. The measuring points are the same as for a measurement at a stockist. You can find the measuring tool page at Measuring.

Measuring yourself is the quicker route; being measured at a stockist is the more hands-on one. Which suits you better depends on whether you would like to hold the pillow in your hands beforehand. If you are not sure whether your current pillow is too high or too low, the article Pillow too high or too low? How to tell can help.

What does the right pillow height do, and what does it not do?

A well-chosen pillow is meant to bring your head and cervical spine into a line. Your shoulder should also have enough room, especially when you sleep on your side. That is all the right height can do.

A suitable pillow is not a cure. It does not promise relief from any complaints. If you have persistent neck, shoulder or head pain, numbness or sleep problems, please have the cause assessed by a doctor. A pillow can support your sleeping position, but it does not replace an examination.

Why these three measuring points?

The measuring method comes from practice. Thijs van der Hilst, physiotherapist and inventor of Pillowise, had specialised in neck and shoulder complaints. He could not recommend a truly suitable pillow to his patients. So he developed a method himself that determines the right pillow from three measurements. Pillowise grew out of this, together with United Comfort Industries, who have been making ergonomic sleep products in their own factory in the Netherlands since 1990.

What should I know about the pillow itself?

• The pillow measures 55 x 35 cm. The sizes differ according to your measurements, not in surface area.
• The core is 100% memory foam and is made in the Netherlands.
• The cover has a moisture-regulating top layer of Tencel and a bottom layer of polyester. It is machine washable at 40 °C.
• The materials are certified to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX.
• Every Pillowise pillow comes with a 5-year guarantee. The terms can be found under Guarantee terms.

You can find out how the pillow is constructed on the page The pillow. What “made to measure” means to us is explained in Made-to-measure pillows: what that means at Pillowise.

So: do you need to get measured?

If you sleep well on your pillow and wake up in the morning without stiffness, you do not need to change anything. A pillow that suits you stays suitable, even if no tape measure was involved.

If, on the other hand, you often swap between heights, have already tried several pillows or do not know why one never sits right, a measurement is worthwhile. It gives you concrete numbers instead of gut feeling, and the stockist can show you the sizes straight away. It does not promise more than that.

Do you work in a practice or specialist retail yourself and would like to offer Pillowise? You can find information for partners at Become a Pillowise partner.

Find your size or find a stockist

You have two options: work out your size yourself with PillowScan, or get measured at a stockist.

Find your size yourself · Find a stockist

Thijs van der Hilst, physiotherapist (non-practising)
Inventor of Pillowise