Neck Pillow: Who It Suits and What Really Matters

A neck pillow, also called a neck support pillow, is a pillow designed to support your neck. Whether it suits you isn't decided by shape alone but by height: it has to match your shoulder width, your neck and your mattress.

What exactly is a neck pillow?

The term isn't protected. Under “neck pillow” or “neck support pillow” you'll find pillows with a hollow for the head and a roll or raised section for the neck. You'll also find wave-shaped pillows and classically shaped memory foam pillows. The goal is always the same: your head and cervical spine should stay in a line while you lie down.

A neck pillow isn't a type of pillow with fixed properties, but a promise: good support for your neck. Whether it keeps that promise for you depends on how well it fits your body.

Not to be confused with the travel pillow, the kind you wear around your neck on a plane or train. You can find more on that in our guide Neck pillows for travel.

Wave shape or classic shape: what's the difference?

Both shapes have their place. We explain what speaks for and against each.

• Wave shape: The pillow has a higher and a lower side, often with a hollow in between. The idea behind it: one side for sleeping on your back, one for sleeping on your side. This can work if the preset heights happen to match your body measurements. If one of the two heights is too high or too low, there's hardly any way to correct it. On top of that, if you turn over during the night, you won't always be lying on the part of the pillow it was designed for.
• Classic shape: The pillow is evenly shaped, usually rectangular. The support here depends mainly on height and material. It's simpler, but leaves more room for how you lie in bed.

Neither wave shape nor classic shape is better in itself; height is what decides. A high-quality pillow at the wrong height still sits wrong.

Which height is right for me?

Three things determine how high a pillow should be:

1. Your body measurements. The broader your shoulders, the more space the pillow has to fill between your head and the mattress when you sleep on your side. Neck circumference and neck length also play a part.
2. Your sleeping position. When you sleep on your back, your neck usually needs less height than when you sleep on your side. When you sleep on your stomach, your head should be tilted back as little as possible.
3. Your mattress. On a soft mattress, your shoulder and hips sink in deeper; on a firm one, less so. This changes the distance between your head and the surface.

The same pillow height can feel very different for two people, because their bodies and mattresses are different.

For a rough idea of how to work out a suitable height, read Calculating pillow height. How to tell that your pillow isn't right is explained in our article Pillow too high or too low?

Which neck pillow is suitable for side sleepers?

When you sleep on your side, the distance between your ear and the mattress is at its greatest. The pillow fills that gap. If it's too low, your head sags toward the mattress. If it's too high, your head is bent upward. That's why shoulder width is the deciding factor: it determines how much height your head needs to lie in line with your spine.

Then there's the mattress. If your shoulder sinks in deeper on a soft mattress, the pillow generally needs less height than on a firm one. That's why there's no universal “best” neck pillow for side sleepers.

As a side sleeper, you need a pillow that matches your shoulder width and mattress, not simply the highest one possible.

You can find more under The right pillow for side sleepers. If you mostly sleep on your back or stomach, the pages Pillows for back sleepers and Pillows for stomach sleepers will help.

How do I read a neck pillow test properly?

Tests and comparisons are a sensible starting point. They show how pillows are made and how they feel. We deliberately don't name any brands here and don't claim any test winner. Instead, we explain what to look out for in a test:

• Who did the testing? A pillow that sits well for a tester with narrow shoulders may be too low for you if you have broad shoulders. Check whether the testers' body measurements and sleeping positions are given.
• How long was it tested? Your body often needs a few nights to get used to a new pillow. An impression after one night says little.
• What was rated? Workmanship, smell, cover and washability are easy to compare. Fit is individual and hard to capture in a table.
• Which mattress was underneath? It affects the height you need. If this isn't stated, the rating only partly carries over to your bed.
• What does a label tell you? A harmful-substances label such as STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX concerns the materials. It says nothing about how well the pillow fits your body.

A test winner is the pillow that fit the testers best, and that doesn't have to be you. Use tests to gauge quality, and have the height measured against your own measurements.

How does Pillowise approach this?

Pillowise is a made-to-measure memory foam pillow. It grew out of practical experience: Thijs van der Hilst, a physiotherapist specializing in neck and shoulder complaints, couldn't recommend a suitable pillow to his patients. So he developed a measuring method that determines the right pillow size with three measurements.

Your sleeping position (back, side, stomach) and your mattress (soft, normal, firm) are also factored in. An algorithm uses these to choose the best-fitting pillow. There are six sizes, each with its own colour: pink, orange, green, blue, red and purple.

The pillow measures 55 x 35 cm. The core is made of 100% memory foam and is manufactured in the Netherlands. The cover has a moisture-regulating Tencel top and a polyester underside. It's machine washable at 40 °C. The materials are certified to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX. We give a 5-year warranty on every Pillowise pillow. You can find the terms under Warranty terms. You can read more about the material in our guide Memory foam pillows, and more about the pillow itself under The Pillowise pillow.

For travel, there's Pillow ToGo, a travel pillow measuring 34 x 35 cm. It offers the same support as the regular pillow, is available in all sizes and comes in a sturdy travel bag.

We don't choose the height by feel, but from your body measurements.

What can a neck pillow do, and what can't it do?

A suitable pillow helps your head lie in line with your cervical spine and gives your shoulder room. This can improve your sleeping comfort. It isn't a cure. Neck pain can have many causes, and a pillow is no substitute for an examination. If you have persistent or severe complaints, please have them assessed by a doctor. You can find general information on this under Which pillow for a stiff neck?

So: do you need a neck pillow?

If you wake up rested in the morning and your pillow feels good, you don't need to change anything. A new pillow isn't necessary then, whatever it's called. If, on the other hand, you're unsure whether your pillow is the right height, or you've already tried several pillows, a measurement is worthwhile. It shows which height suits your shoulders, your neck and your mattress. That holds true whether you end up choosing a wave-shaped pillow, a classic pillow or a Pillowise.

How to find your size

There are two ways: you can have yourself measured with the Pillowise tape measure at a Pillowise retailer. Or you can work out your size yourself with PillowScan, using your smartphone or a QR code.

Work out your size yourself or find a retailer near you.

You can find more pillow guides in our guide overview.

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