Sleeping Pillow: Which One Is Right for You?
A sleeping pillow is a pillow that keeps your head and cervical spine in a line while you lie down. Which one is right for you depends less on the model than on your body measurements, your sleeping position and your mattress.
What exactly is a sleeping pillow?
“Sleeping pillow” is not a fixed product category. The term covers pillows and neck support pillows made from a wide range of materials. The material determines how a pillow feels. The height determines how you lie. We explain the properties of foam pillows in our article Memory foam pillows.
What does the right height depend on?
Three things: your body measurements, your sleeping position (back, side, stomach) and your mattress (soft, medium, firm). On a soft mattress, your shoulder sinks in deeper than on a firm one. Side sleepers need more space between their head and the mattress than back sleepers. A pillow fits when your head and cervical spine are in a line and your shoulder has enough room. You can read more at Calculating pillow height.
Which measurements matter?
With Pillowise, there are three measuring points:
| Measuring point | How to measure |
|---|---|
| Shoulder width | around the curve of your back, with the tape measure not pulled tight |
| Neck circumference | fully around your neck |
| Neck length | from the bottom of your ear to the tip of your shoulder |
How does Pillowise work?
As a physiotherapist, Thijs van der Hilst was unable to recommend a suitable pillow to his patients with neck complaints. So he developed a measuring method. Pillowise grew out of that, together with United Comfort Industries.
- Measure. You can have yourself measured at a retailer with the Pillowise tape measure, or work out your measurements yourself with PillowScan.
- Add your details. You enter your sleeping position and the firmness of your mattress.
- Get your size. An algorithm selects the best-fitting pillow from six sizes. Each has its own colour: pink, orange, green, blue, red and purple.
The pillow measures 55 x 35 cm and is made of 100% memory foam, manufactured in the Netherlands. The cover with a Tencel top layer is washable at 40 °C, and the materials are certified to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX. We offer a 5-year warranty (Warranty terms). To find out how taking your measurements determines your pillow, see Made-to-measure pillows.
What does a sleeping pillow not promise?
A pillow that fits is not a cure. It provides good positioning for your head and neck, nothing more. If you have ongoing neck or shoulder complaints, have the cause checked by a doctor.
So: do you need a new sleeping pillow?
If you wake up rested and your pillow feels right, you don’t need to change anything. If you’re unsure whether the height and shape suit you, though, a measurement is worthwhile. Comparing different models helps less here than your own measurements. You’ll find an overview in Which pillow is the best?
Find your size: Measure yourself now or find a retailer near you. Pillowise is available through retailers, not through our own online store.
Thijs van der Hilst, physiotherapist (non-practising)
Inventor of Pillowise
