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We updated this article in April 2022 to add shopping information and to ensure all product information accurately meets the standards of the Textiles Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. We also added picks from Riley Home and Purple.
If you're a stomach sleeper, you've likely been told that you should try sleeping on your side or back for proper neck alignment: But changing your sleeping position isn’t an easy task. If stomach sleeping is what you find comfortable, we have the scoop on the best pillows for you according to Lab testing and input from physicians.
The experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab put every type of pillow to the test to find the best pillows for every sleeping position. Testers who sleep on their stomachs slept on each of the featured pillows, so they not only held up in our Lab testing, but they were actually comfy to snooze on. Our pros teamed up with Dr. Jaspal R. Singh M.D., co-director of the Center for Comprehensive Spine Care at Weill Cornell Medicine, to answer your most pressing questions about how to find the best pillow for your sleeping position. You can read more about how we tested and what to look for when shopping for pillows at the end of this article, but first, here are the best pillows for stomach sleepers:
Our top picks:
Coop Home Goods Premium Adjustable Loft Pillow
Pros
- High marks from testers for comfort and support
- Shredded memory foam and microfiber clusters for plush feel
- Fill and cover are both machine washable
Cons
- Outer cover pills over time
Our top tested pillow, this Coop Home Goods pillow is ideal for stomach sleeping as the fill is entirely adjustable, so you can find your perfect height and firmness level. Testers raved about how comfortable and supportive this pillow was in every sleeping position (read: toss-and-turn approved!). Our textile pros were impressed that unlike most memory foam pillows, both the cover and the shredded memory foam fill are entirely machine washable.
• Fill: Shredded memory foam and microfiber clusters
• Care: Machine washable; wash cover and fill separately
• Sizes: Queen and King
AmazonBasics Down Alternative Bed Pillows (2-Pack)
Pros
- Over 16,000 5-star Amazon reviews
- Affordable price point
- Pack of two
Cons
- May be too thin for some
This AmazonBasics set costs only $41 for two pillows – just $20.50 a pillow! These pillows are among the thinnest we tested, so it's an ideal stomach sleeper pillow. In Lab testing, the fill became a bit clumpy after washing and took some shaking to redistribute, but it dried quicker than other styles and maintained its shape after weights were applied.
• Fill: Polyester
• Care: Machine washable
• Sizes: Standard and King
SlumberCloud Core Down Alternative Pillow
Pros
- Phase changing material for cool sleep
- Aced our Lab performance testing
- Soft cotton cover
Cons
- Not as supportive, according to testers
If you’re a belly sleeper and suffer from night sweats, this SlumberCloud cooling pillow is a thin height that's ideal for stomach sleepers — and its cover is infused with Outlast, which absorbs and stores heat to keep your body at a stable temperature. We recommend the soft firmness level for stomach sleeping.
• Fill: Polyester
• Care: Machine washable
• Sizes: Standard and King
Layla Sleep Kapok Pillow
Pros
- Mix of shredded latex and Kapok fiber
- Adjustable height
- Nearly perfect overall score from testers
Cons
- Not washable
- Grey color shows through some pillowcases
If you suffer from neck pain, you want a pillow that can keep your neck aligned in a neutral position. The Layla Kapok pillow is filled with shredded latex and natural Kapok fiber for a plush feel that’s also supportive. The fill is entirely adjustable, so you will likely need to remove the extra fill to find your ideal stomach-sleeping pillow height.
• Fill: Shredded latex and Kapok
• Care: Not washable
• Sizes: Queen and King
Parachute Home Down Pillow
Pros
- Testers gave high scores for comfort and support
- Showed no signs of wear after laundering
- Double stitching piping seam
Cons
- Not 100% down as it includes 15% feathers
For stomach sleepers, the soft option of Parachute’s down pillow is ideal for both support and neutral spine alignment. Made with down and feathers, this pillow offers the soft, plush support that our testers loved, earning high marks for comfort, support and maintaining its shape after use. In Lab, this pillow washed beautifully and fit nicely in a standard pillowcase.
• Fill: Down and feathers
• Care: Machine washable
• Sizes: Standard and King
Riley Down Alternative Pillow
Pros
- Chic side piping
- Easy laundering, according to Lab pros
- Testers appreciated its supportive feel
Cons
- Some testers said the fill didn't feel evenly distributed
For allergy sufferers, down alternative is an ideal pillow fill as it's made with microfiber instead of down or feathers. Stomach sleepers should opt for the plush density: It provides a perfect, squishy feel that keeps your neck properly aligned. Showing barely any signs of shrinkage or wear after laundering, Lab pros were impressed by this pillow's durability and appreciated its stylish navy piping.
• Fill: Polyester
• Care: Machine washable
• Sizes: Standard and King
Tuft & Needle Down Alternative Pillow Set (Set of 2)
Pros
- Includes two pillows
- Dried quickly during laundering evaluations
- Fit perfectly in a Standard size pillowcase and maintained its shape after testing
Cons
- Lower scores for having some soreness after use
This Tuft & Needle pillow is a top-tested style and is sold as a set of two — perfect if you want to test out Dr. Singh’s advice to place a pillow under your hips while sleeping on your stomach. Stomach sleeper testers loved this thin pillow’s fluffy feel, but since the pillow has a higher height than other stomach sleeper pillows, we recommend it for those who sleep on their stomach and back.
• Fill: Polyester
• Care: Machine washable
• Sizes: Standard and King
Purple The Purple Pillow
Pros
- Unique GelGrid material
- Cooling cover
- Adjustable height with pillow boosters
Cons
- Heavy weight
Purple's unique material offers excellent contouring by cradling your head and neck for proper alignment. Designed for stomach and back sleepers, this pick also includes pillow boosters if you want additional height for side sleeping. It aced our Lab performance tests, and testers loved that this pillow kept its shape after continued use while "molding to their body." Some testers noted that the grid material left some indentations on their face after sleeping.
• Fill: Polymer grid
• Care: Only cover is machine washable
• Sizes: Standard
How we tested pillows for stomach sleepers
GH fiber scientists put all types of pillows to the test — including down, down alternative, memory foam and latex pillows — in the Lab and with consumer testers. In recent evaluations, we tested over 100 pillows with 500+ testers culminating in over 4,000 data points.
First, we check the care labels to see how easy they are to clean (PSA: some are not machine washable!), then we wash them five times to see whether they'll actually hold up to laundering. We check how well they fit into a pillowcase. And we perform support and recovery tests that mimic the pressure from your head lying on it all night: Weight are left on the pillows for an extended period, then we measure how quickly it returns to its original shape.
Real consumer testers try them out to provide in-depth feedback on things like comfort, support, temperature regulation and more. Testers are assigned a pillow based on their sleeping position and fill preferences, then they're given weeks to sleep on it before providing feedback.
These 10-pound weights stay on the pillow for eight hours to mimic real-world use. Then, Textiles Lab pros time how long it takes for the pillow to return to its original shape.
Emma Seymour, senior textiles product analyst, is seen here testing pillowcase fit.
What to look for when shopping for pillows for stomach sleepers
The key to safe stomach sleeping is to ensure your neck stays in neutral alignment. Stomach sleepers should use a thin pillow to prevent the neck from tilting in any direction to maintain a neutral spine alignment.
Avoid high loft or stiff pillows that'll crane your neck or hurt your face. If the pillow is too thick, your neck will arch upward which places stress on your shoulders, head and neck. The right pillow for you will keep your ears in line with your shoulders when sleeping.
Is it bad for you to sleep on your stomach?
Dr. Jaspal R. Singh M.D., co-director of the Center for Comprehensive Spine Care at Weill Cornell Medicine, notes that the main issue when sleeping on your stomach is that it “disrupts the natural curvatures of the spine.” Sleeping on your stomach actually forces you “to turn your head to one side or the other, which can place excess strain on the muscles of the neck, shoulders and upper back.”
Even if you strongly identify as a stomach sleeper, chances are you are also a back or side sleeper as "most people change positions throughout the night," according to Dr. Singh, which he says "is a good thing as even a little motion can decrease tension in muscles." Dr. Singh also recommends placing “a pillow underneath your abdomen or pelvis in order to maintain a gentle spine curve and to take the stress off your lower back muscles.”
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Emma Seymour is the senior textiles analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute. She has rigorously tested more than 100 pillows in the Textiles Lab in the past two years, and she has coordinated pillow sleep testing with hundreds of at-home reviewers. Emma has a Bachelor of Science in Fiber Science from Cornell University and has been testing bedding for more than three years at Good Housekeeping.
Emma Seymour (she/her) is the associate director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab, where she has led testing for luggage, pillows, towels, tampons and more since 2018. She graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor of science in fiber science and apparel design and a minor in gerontology, completing research in the Body Scanner Lab on optimizing activewear for athletic performance.
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