The Best Memory Foam Pillows

Updated Dec 11, 2022

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If your current down or down-alternative pillow seems comfortable at first but sinks too low while you sleep, or if you wake up with pain in your head, neck, and shoulders, you might like a memory-foam pillow instead—they’re firmer, and they keep their shape. These generally come in four types of foam: shredded, single slab, layered, and contoured. We tried 18 memory-foam pillows and picked our favorite of each type, but the one that was the most popular with our testers was the adjustable shredded-foam Nest Bedding Easy Breather Pillow.

Nest Bedding Easy Breather Pillow

Best memory-foam pillow

Our testers love shredded foam more than any other type, and this pillow is a longtime favorite. It has moldable, customizable filling that gives back- and side-sleepers firm support.

We recommend

Weekender Gel Memory Foam Pillow

An inexpensive, supportive foam rectangle

The most affordable memory-foam pillow we tried is also our favorite one-piece foam pillow. It offered some of the best neck and shoulder support without overheating our testers.

Budget friendly

Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt Pro + Cooling Pillow (mid-density)

A high-quality layered-foam pillow

This pillow is made with stacked sheets of foam and has a better cover than any other foam pillow we tried—it’s luxe, cool, and soft but substantial. The pillow comes in three thicknesses, and it’s one of the few we tested that you can try in a store.

A better upgrade

Ecosa Pillow

Best contoured memory-foam pillow

Height-adjustable and curved to provide targeted neck support, the Ecosa was the best contoured pillow we tested. It’s pricier than others we recommend, but it’s the favorite of our back- and side-sleepers who struggle with pain.