Getting Measured for a Pillow: Where and How to Find Your Size

You get measured at a Pillowise retailer, or you work out your size yourself with PillowScan. Strictly speaking, it isn't the pillow that gets measured, it's you: an algorithm uses your shoulder width, neck circumference and neck length to choose the right pillow from six sizes.

What exactly gets measured?

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

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

Your sleeping position and mattress are also factored in. If you pick a standard size off the shelf, you're usually just guessing at these factors. When you get measured, they are recorded and calculated together. To learn how height can be worked out in general, read our article Calculating Pillow Height.

Where can I get measured?

Pillowise is sold through retailers. These include chiropractors, physiotherapists, sleep specialists, wellness clinics and specialty retailers. They measure you with the Pillowise tape measure. You can find a retailer near you on the map under Retailers.

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

Getting 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 pricing and what's included with measuring at your retailer, ask them directly. We don't quote figures here that we can't back up.

How does the measuring work?

1. Measure shoulder width. The tape measure runs around the curve of the back, resting loosely and not pulled tight.
2. Measure neck circumference. The tape measure goes once all the way around the neck.
3. Measure neck length. You measure from the underside of the ear to the shoulder point.
4. Enter your sleeping position and mattress. You say whether you sleep on your back, side or stomach, and whether your mattress is soft, medium or firm.
5. Get your result. An algorithm uses your details to choose the best-fitting pillow. Each of the six sizes has its own colour: pink, orange, green, blue, red and purple.

You'll find more about the process on the Taking Measurements page.

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 retailer. You'll find the measuring tool page under Taking Measurements.

Measuring yourself is the quicker route; being measured at a retailer is the more hands-on one. Which suits you better depends on whether you'd like to hold the pillow first. If you're not sure whether your current pillow is too high or too low, the article Is Your Pillow Too High or Too Low? How to Tell can help.

What does the right pillow height do, and what doesn't it do?

A well-chosen pillow is meant to support your head and neck at a suitable height while you sleep. 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 doesn't promise relief from complaints. If you have ongoing neck, shoulder or head pain, numbness or sleep problems, please have the cause checked by a doctor. A pillow can support your sleeping position, but it is no substitute for an examination.

Why these three measuring points?

The measuring method comes from practice. Thijs van der Hilst, physiotherapist and inventor of Pillowise, specialized in neck and shoulder complaints. He couldn't recommend a truly suitable pillow to his patients. So he developed a method of his own that determines the right pillow from three measurements. This led to Pillowise, created together with United Comfort Industries, which has been making ergonomic sleep products in its 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 the surface area.
• The core is 100% memory foam and is made in the Netherlands.
• The cover has a moisture-regulating top layer made of Tencel and a bottom layer made 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 warranty. The terms can be found under Warranty Terms.

You'll find how the pillow is constructed on the The Pillow page. 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 don't need to change anything. A pillow that suits you stays suitable, even if no tape measure was ever involved.

If, on the other hand, you often switch between heights, have already tried several pillows, or don't know why one never sits quite right, a measurement is worthwhile. It gives you concrete numbers instead of a gut feeling, and the retailer can show you the sizes right away. It doesn't promise more than that.

Do you work in a clinic or specialty retail and want to offer Pillowise? You'll find information for partners under Become a Pillowise Partner.

Find your size or find a retailer

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

Find your size yourself · Find a retailer

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