Reviews
The Best Pillow In 2022: My Top Pick Fixed My Back Pain
Jenny Brown
03.09.22

Final Winner: 1 out of 10 (See Below for In Depth Review and Process)



9.5/10
15 votes



A+
Overall Grade

Back Pain Reduction
`
10/10

Comfort
`
9/10

Support
`
10/10

Return policy / warranty
`
10/10

Value
`
9/10

PROS
Actually helps reduce back pain
Innovative contour design works for side back and combination sleepers
Best value and quality for the price
CertiPUR-US Certified Memory Foam
Luxuriously soft cooling bamboo cover
3-Year Extended Warranty
60 Night Sleep Trial

CONS
X
Only available online

In Depth Review And Process

For decades, I had been sleeping on whatever pillow I found at the department store. When moving residences, I would pick pillows that felt good at the store, but they didn’t perform when I had to sleep on them for eight hours a night. Finally, I decided to systematically go through a process of testing different pillows. I went through this process and ranked the pillows I found via the following method:

  • Effectiveness at reducing back pain
  • Comfort
  • Cover
  • Return policy / warranty
  • Value

Overall, the best pillow I slept on by far was the Dosaze Contoured Orthopedic Pillow. We enjoyed sleeping on the Dosaze Contoured Orthopedic pillow in all three sleep positions thanks to the innovative shape and design. The contour aligns your neck and back, which reduces pain, snoring, and gives you the best night of sleep ever. We also found it significantly cooler than the other pillows that we tested. I highly recommend this pillow as my top pick, especially for side-sleepers or people who sleep in a combination of positions.

Is It Worth It To Consider Pillows Under $50?

I personally do not think it is best to consider the options under $50. You will likely save money in the long run because the manufacturers of cheaper pillows tend to cut corners – these pillows also generally do not last as long. If you get the right pillow (even if it is more expensive), you’ll likely save money in the long run.

As an example, some memory foam pillows (especially those that are not CertiPUR certified) tend to use lower quality foam foam, which results in worse pillows. Down and down alternative pillows under $50 tend to use more quills than down clusters, which results in a pillow that will poke you. A lot of cheaper pillows also skimp out on the filling, which causes the pillows to provide less support and feel flat.

It is worth it to invest in a higher quality pillow – especially when you consider how much impact a better pillow can have on your sleep quality. The right pillow can help your sleep as much, if not more, than a new mattress (which is way more expensive).



9.6/10
15 votes



A+
Overall Grade

Back Pain Reduction
`
10/10

Comfort
`
9/10

Support
`
10/10

Return policy / warranty
`
10/10

Value
`
9/10

PROS
Actually helps reduce back pain
Innovative contour design works for side back and combination sleepers
Best value and quality for the price
CertiPUR-US Certified Memory Foam
Luxuriously soft cooling bamboo cover
3-Year Extended Warranty
60 Night Sleep Trial

CONS
X
Only available online

The Bottom Line

This pillow is the top of the top, crème de la crème. I used to think it was normal to toss and turn in the middle of the night, but the innovative shape and the quality of the materials of the Dosaze Contoured Orthopedic pillow stopped that for me. The innovative shape really works wonders to keep my neck and back aligned, and I was so surprised by how much deeper my sleep was with this pillow. When testing this pillow, I woke up so much more well rested.

The Dosaze Contoured Orthopedic Pillow is one of three “contoured orthopedic pillows” that I tried – (I also tried Epabo and Sutera) and Dosaze was by far the best one. The Dosaze pillow distinguishes itself in three ways. First, the contour is the perfect depth (it isn’t too deep or shallow). I found that Sutera was a bit too deep (and I didn’t like the sides of the Sutera pillow, but more on that later) and that Epabo was too shallow. Second, the Dosaze pillow is larger than the others, so there is more room to sleep on it (especially if you are a combination sleeper and roll around). Finally, the Dosaze pillow is CertiPUR-US certified – it’s made of premium, certified memory foam (Sutera and Epabo are not).

This pillow is great if you are a back, side, combination back and side, or stomach sleeper. Because the center of the pillow is a different height (lower) than the sides, you can sleep in the center as a back or stomach sleeper (who usually require lower heights) or on the edges of the pillow (which are higher) as a side sleeper. If you are a combination back and side sleeper, you can sleep on the edges of the pillow when side sleeping or roll to the center of the pillow when sleeping on your back. You cannot do this on the Sutera pillow (due to the “wings”).

It is also provides the perfect combination of comfort and support – the foam isn’t too firm nor is it too soft. I would describe it as firm enough to support my head (so my neck stays aligned and my head doesn’t sink too much into the pillow, but also soft enough so that my ears do not hurt when I use it.

This pillow distinguishes itself from other pillows for back pain in four ways (1) the quality of the materials (2) the innovative shape (3) the fact that it works for all sleepers and (4) the customer experience.

  1. quality materials the foam in this pillow is CertiPUR-US certified (unlike many other pillows, including Sutera). The cover is also made of bamboo, unlike other pillows which tend to use 100% polyester or other scratchy materials. This memory foam has the perfect ILD (indentation load deflection). The foam is not too firm nor is it too soft.
  2. innovative shape – the innovative contour of this pillow is amazing. It does wonders to align your spine and back and keeps your spine in place throughout the night. This reduces back pain, neck tension, tension headaches, and even alleviates snoring and sleep apnea (because your airways won’t get blocked). Other pillows have tried to copy this shape, but I found this one to be the best, by far.
  3. Actually works for all sleepers – the shape of this pillow is ideal for two reasons: (1) it aligns your head and spine and keeps it in place and (2) if you are a combination sleeper (and sleep on your back and side), you can sleep on the edge of the pillow (which is higher) when you side sleep and you can roll into the middle of the pillow (into the contour) when you sleep on your back. Stomach sleepers (who usually stay on their stomachs) can sleep in the contour.
  4. customer experience – I had the best experience purchasing this pillow. The Dosaze team was incredibly responsive when my pillow got lost in the mail, and sent me one free of charge. They also offer a 60 day sleep trial and 3-year-warranty.

This pillow is seriously a case of you get what you pay for – with high quality materials, an innovative shape, and incredible customer service and experience, this pillow is the best option if you want to alleviate back pain.

And don’t take our word for it, other review sites have come to the same conclusion on the Dosaze pillow being the best pillow for back pain. You can even check out the Dosaze pillow reviews on the site itself, if you don’t believe us.

You can see that this pillow is great for side and back sleepers. For back sleepers, it is perfect to sleep with your head in the contour. For side sleepers, it is great to sleep on the edges of the pillow – it will fill your shoulder gap and ensure that you sleep in perfect alignment all night long. If you are a combination sleeper, you can roll from on side to the middle and to the other side.

UPDATE (3 months later!): I’ve been sleeping on this pillow for 8 months now, and it is still the best one. I’m super satisfied with the overall quality and durability of this pillow. I usually toss this pillow in the dryer on low heat to give it a bit of a fluff. This has been the best investment for me in terms of improving my overall sleep quality!




8.4/10
5 votes



B
Overall Grade

Back Pain Reduction
`
8/10

Comfort
`
9/10

Support
`
8/10

Return policy / warranty
`
9/10

Value
`
8/10

PROS
Quality materials
Brand name
Ergonomic

CONS
X
Only reduced back pain slightly
X
Shape doesn’t keep spine in place
X
Pricey
X
Short return window

The Bottom Line

Best known for their mattresses, the Swedish company also has a great array of foam pillow products. It is ergonomically-sound and made with memory foam in order to give you solid support when you’re on your side or back. Additionally, the pillow is contoured in order to curve naturally around your head, neck, and shoulders to prevent any unnecessary stress or pressure on pivotal joints. While the polyester outer layer can be removed and machine washed, it’s important to note that this product does have an odd time fitting into pillowcases.

This is a great pillow produced by a well-known company. You can tell by feeling the memory foam that it is high quality. This is a great pillow for side sleepers, but it isn’t as good for combination back and side sleepers. The primary reason for this is that the contour is merely a single “wave” – this wave doesn’t prevent your head from moving side to side as a back or combination sleeper, and so it doesn’t align your spine as well as other contoured memory foam pillows.

When I lay my head down on this pillow, it feels a bit too firm. While I feel supported, the foam kind of hurt my ears (especially when I slept on my side).

If you’re looking for a trusted name in the industry, this is a good option. However, we feel as though there are other, better designed pillows in the market. This company specializes in mattresses, and while their pillow offering is good, it isn’t the best available, especially for the price.

As you can see, this pillow was relatively aligned when I slept on my side, but it was too high when I slept on my back. This pillow has a “contour” which can be helpful, but because it is one consistent height throughout the pillow, it actually isn’t best for combination sleepers who require different heights when sleeping in different positions.




7.6/10
5 votes



C
Overall Grade

Back Pain Reduction
`
7/10

Comfort
`
9/10

Support
`
7/10

Return policy / warranty
`
8/10

Value
`
7/10

PROS
Quality fill (graphite infused memory foam and latex)
Brand name
Return policy

CONS
X
Only reduced back pain slightly
X
Expensive
X
Lacks additional features

The Bottom Line

This graphite infused memory memory foam pillow is a combination memory foam and latex foam pillow pillow – you can definitely feel the quality of the fill when you sleep on it. The pillow is a good level of firmness – it isn’t too firm and it not too soft. It definitely provides enough support for your head.

The pillow also sleeps relatively cool – the graphite infused memory foam and the latex foam are generally cooler than most memory foams. It is overall a good pillow, but we had two primary issues with this pillow.

  1. Price / Value – this pillow is expensive, there is simply no other way to put it. While the fill is good quality, we would have also expected a higher quality cover (than just cotton) for a pillow of this price. It is significantly more expensive than others on the market. We think the quality of this pillow justifies some price increase, but definitely not this large of a price increase
  2. No specific back pain reduction features – this is a great overall pillow, but it doesn’t do too much too help reduce back pain. It is not adjustable and does not have an innovative shape or design to help reduce back pain, and you can tell by sleeping on this pillow. It definitely does not help reduce back pain as much as other pillows do, but it is a high quality pillow nonetheless.

You can see that the pillow doesn’t do much to align your neck and spine – it is a high quality pillow, but I didn’t find it the most comfortable. I didn’t really enjoy the feel of the latex, which was a bit too “springy” for me.




7.6/10
4 votes

B
Overall Grade

Back Pain Reduction
`
6/10

Comfort
`
9/10

Support
`
7/10

Return policy / warranty
`
8/10

Value
`
8/10

PROS
Adjustable
Value
Trusted Brand

CONS
X
Fill is memory foam + polyester
X
so isn’t as supportive
X
No specific back pain reduction features

The Bottom Line

The Coop Adjustable Pillow is a very good pillow for general use – it is adjustable and can suit the needs of many different kinds of people. Our primary issue with this pillow is that it doesn’t specifically help with back pain.

In my experience, back pain is mostly due to incorrect alignment between your neck and spine. Your neck and spine can become misaligned vertically and horizontally. This pillow helps with the vertical misalignment – i.e., you can adjust the pillow so that it is the correct height for your neck and spine. However, it does not do much to align your neck and spine horizontally – i.e., while you sleep your neck can tilt left or right and this will cause strain to build up and you to wake up with back pain.

I again would recommend this pillow for a general audience (or maybe for your guest room, if you really like your guests!), but not for someone who is specifically dealing with back pain.

Some other minor complaints I had with the pillow are the following:

  1. Over time, it becomes harder to fluff
  2. The pillow isn’t 100% memory foam fill and you can tell vs. other adjustable fill pillows – this fill doesn’t provide as much support as 100% memory foam pillows.
  3. The adjustable fill can get messy

As you can see, this pillow doesn’t really align your back horizontally — the difference might seem slight, but it is important and can be a cause of that “crink” in your neck and back when you wake up.




7.0/10
4 votes

C-
Overall Grade

Back Pain Reduction
`
6/10

Comfort
`
8/10

Support
`
6/10

Return policy / warranty
`
8/10

Value
`
7/10

PROS
Kapok + Memory foam fill
Adjustable
Copper cover

CONS
X
No specific back pain reduction features
X
Cover doesn’t feel “smooth”
X
Kapok fill takes getting used to

The Bottom Line

The Layla Kapok pillow is another solid pillow for general use – it is adjustable and can suit the needs of many different kinds of people. Our primary issue with this pillow is that it doesn’t specifically help with back pain.

I would recommend this pillow for a general audience (or maybe for your guest room, if you really like your guests!), but not for someone who is specifically dealing with back pain.

I found that my neck was moving back and forth on this pillow, and so I would wake up with a “crink” in my neck and back. This was the case both when I was sleeping on my side and when I was sleeping on my back. For someone looking to alleviate back pain, this pillow is probably not the best option.

Some other minor complaints I had with the pillow are the following:

  1. The gray cover is visible through most pillowcases, and looks a bit off
  2. While the cover does feel cool, it isn’t the most smooth, and you can feel the textured pattern on your skin when sleeping
  3. The adjustable fill can get messy and there isn’t a ready place to store it

You can see that the pillow doesn’t do much to align your neck and spine – if you are looking for a solid generic pillow, this is a good option, but might not be the best if you struggle with back pain.




7.8/10
4 votes

C
Overall Grade

Back Pain Reduction
`
7/10

Comfort
`
7/10

Support
`
7/10

Return policy / warranty
`
10/10

Value
`
8/10

PROS
Kind of Adjustable
Not messy
Decent value

CONS
X
Cover is nothing special
X
Only two levels of adjustability
X
Great return policy and warranty

The Bottom Line

The Marlow pillow is a new pillow brought to market by the makers of Brooklinen, the sheets company. After sleeping on this pillow, I think it is a solid pillow for the right person.

The way this pillow works is that there is a zipper that you can either zip or unzip to adjust the height/firmness of the pillow. If you happen to enjoy one of the two levels, then this pillow could be a good fit for you. However, if you don’t then it might not work for you. That being said, it is easier and less messy to adjust this pillow than it is to adjust other adjustable pillows.

How often are you going to adjust your pillow once you get it? Once you find that ideal level of firmness, you probably don’t have to adjust it again. That also brings me to my next issue with the pillow – if you don’t happen to like one of these levels, then it will not help you at all with reducing your back pain. These levels might be too high or too low for you.

Another issue I have with this pillow (and most pillows to be honest!) is that I am a combination side and back sleeper (as most people are!) and that most pillows only have one height throughout the pillow. One consistent height might be okay if you only sleep on your back or side, but if you sleep on both, you need a pillow that has multiple heights. In my opinion, this is a great benefit of the contoured orthopedic pillows that have a dip in the middle (for back sleeping) and are higher on the edges (for side sleeping).

Marlow does offer an extremely generous return policy / warranty. You’re able to return the pillow within 365 days (so you can definitely try it for a long time to see if it suits you, although you’ll probably know sooner than that). And the pillow has a 2 year warranty in case it gets damaged.

As you can see, this pillow (even when zipped) is clearly too high. It can work for some people, but definitely not everyone.



7/10
3 votes

C
Overall Grade

Back Pain Reduction
`
7/10

Comfort
`
7/10

Support
`
7/10

Return policy / warranty
`
7/10

Value
`
7/10

PROS
Relatively inexpensive
Provides some back pain relief

CONS
X
Not very comfortable
X
Small
X
Poor return policy
X
No warranty
X
Too Firm

The Bottom Line

This pillow is a lower quality version of the Dosaze Contoured Orthopedic one. It is smaller, made of lower quality materials (fill and cover), and not as comfortable. I found that the memory foam in this pillow (which was not CertiPUR US certified), was not as comfortable as the memory foam in other pillows. The cover is also a bit scratchy (as it is 100% polyester).

I found that this pillow is okay for back sleeping, but less good for side sleeping. The contour of the pillow works okay if you sleep on your back (although again it was a bit too shallow for me), but when you sleep on your side the pillow is not thick enough to fill your shoulder gap, which can cause alignment issues. I also found that the foam on this pillow is noticeably firmer than that of other pillows. This does a lot for providing support, but does not do much in terms of providing comfort.

While this pillow is a bit cheaper than other alternatives, it is not the best product in terms of quality and might need to be replaced more quickly. The foam is not CertiPUR-US certified. Add to this the fact that the pillow only has a 3o day trial period (and sometimes it can take that long to really get used to a new pillow) and does not come with a warranty, and this pillow is kind of a gamble. This cheaper version might work for y0u and it might not – and you don’t have that much time to decide.

It’s a bit hard to tell in this photo, but I essentially felt like 100% of my body weight was on my shoulder when I slept on my side on the epabo pillow. There was a lot of pressure on my shoulder as I kind of “sank” into my bed to meet the pillow. The memory foam wasn’t supportive (or high) enough for me.




6.2/10
2 votes

D
Overall Grade

Back Pain Reduction
`
7/10

Comfort
`
7/10

Support
`
6/10

Return policy / warranty
`
5/10

Value
`
6/10

PROS
Provides some back pain relief
Medium price
Good for back sleepers

CONS
X
Lower quality memory foam
X
Poor warranty and return policy
X
Uncomfortable cover

The Bottom Line

This pillow is another spin on the ergonomic / contoured shaped pillow – I found in my testing that is has a couple of noticeable benefits/costs. The “supportive” neck nook as they call it, is comfortable, but it lacks some support. Unlike the EPABO pillow, this pillow is a bit too soft and lacks the necessary support to properly align your neck and spine.

I also found that the “butterfly” wings were a bit unnecessary and kind of got in the way. In fact, they made it much more difficult to sleep on your side. A huge point about pillows and sleep positions is that different sleep positions require different heights – naturally, a stomach sleeper requires a lower height than a back sleeper who requires a lower height than a side sleeper. In Sutera’s own sleep diagram, they recommend sleeping in the same “nook” whether you are a back, side or stomach sleeper.

This is not the ideal position for all sleepers – in my opinion, the Dream Deep pillow is best for back sleepers. If you sleep on your side, the “nook” is not high enough. Unlike the Dosaze pillow, where as a side sleeper, you can comfortably sleep on the edges of the pillow (which are higher and will fill your shoulder gap), the butterfly wings on the Sutera pillow actually get in the way if you try to sleep on the edges of the pillow. And if you try to “side” sleep in the “nook” of the center of the pillow, it is not high enough.

The Sutera pillow is also one that is a bit of a risk – you can definitely try it out, but be aware that you don’t have that much time to test it. They only provide a 30 day trial period, and they don’t advertise this, but they do have a 15% processing fee to return the pillow – just look at the reviews online.

As you can see, this pillow is a decent solution for exclusively back sleepers, but it does not work as well for side sleepers. Add to that the fact that the return policy and warranty isn’t the best, and purchasing this pillow is a bit of a risk. That being said, it isn’t the most expensive and it could work for you if you try it out – just be sure you’re willing to keep it if it doesn’t work! (or risk not being able to return it or having to pay a substantial fee to return it).

The biggest issue here is that the center of the pillow isn’t high enough for side sleepers, and the “wings” get in the way and aren’t comfortable for side sleepers if you try to sleep on them (see above).



6.6/10
4 votes

D
Overall Grade

Back Pain Reduction
`
6/10

Comfort
`
5/10

Support
`
8/10

Return policy / warranty
`
8/10

Value
`
6/10

PROS
Cool and Breathable
Return policy
Provides support

CONS
X
Latex feel takes getting used to (a bit too springy)
X
Expensive
X
No specific back pain reduction features

The Bottom Line

The Purple Harmony pillow is good for someone looking to try something new. It definitely takes some getting used to (and you may very well like it a lot), but it wasn’t for me. This pillow is probably better suited for someone who tends to sleep very hot – the grid is breathable, and I did notice that I slept cooler throughout the night.

However, the latex is pretty “springy” and honestly provides a bit too much resistance against your head – for me personally, this pressure was a bit too much to handle. The pillow is a bit “jiggly” as well, and the vibrations can make it challenging to fall asleep.

The pillow also does not promote alignment in any particular way, so your head, neck, and spine may get out of alignment. Some people also complain that the grid feels weird against their skin and can leave marks (although I didn’t have this issue).

This pillow does come in multiple sizes, so make sure you follow the guidelines based on your height and sleep style to get the pillow that suits you. I will say, however, that Purple does have a pretty good return policy – you have 100 days to make a return or exchange. So you can try this pillow and see if it suits you with little to no risk.

That being said, I would expect a generous return policy given the extremely high price point of this pillow ($159). For that much money, you could get two or more of a lot of other pillows.

Conclusions

For most sleepers (side, back, and combination) with back pain, I highly recommend the Dosaze Contoured Orthopedic Pillow. The quality of the foam, the innovative shape, and the cover are all best in class. And if you don’t like it, you have 60 full days to return. That being said, you can try any of the pillows on this list and see for yourself, hopefully risk free (well except for a few!).

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