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The best cooling pillows for hot sleepers, tried and tested
The perfect place to rest your (hot) head
Tested by Blossom Boothroyd and Kim Hawley
Waking up feeling sweaty and overheated is a hot sleeper's (or, in fact, most people's) worst nightmare – especially when it's a regular occurrence. Luckily, the best cooling pillow can help you sleep more comfortably and soundly.
Many feature technology that absorbs heat to prevent night sweats in the first place and are designed with a cool-to-the-touch feel so your pillow always has a colder side… How dreamy.
Our Good Housekeeping Institute experts got snoozing (it's a tough job) to help you find your perfect cooling bedtime companion. Here are our top picks at a glance, with options for all needs and budgets.
The best cooling pillows for 2025
Brook + Wilde The Everdene Cooling Pillow
Read review
We enlisted a panel of hot sleepers to trial a range of designs from popular sleep brands over a two-week period. We asked them to judge any temperature-regulating or cooling claims to separate the dependable from the duds. Read more about the testing process below our full reviews, along with the features to consider when shopping.
Pros
- Cover washed well
- Soft, breathable bamboo cover
Cons
- Not deep enough for all our panellists
Score: 96/100
This premium memory foam pillow "worked wonders" for our panellists who liked both its cooling pad and firm feel. And as there's also a soft bamboo side, testers liked that a quick flip made things cosier for cooler nights when the gel was a bit too much.
The pillow always seemed to bounce back into shape after a good night's sleep and it didn't form a dip or lose its loftiness during the trial period.
Key specifications
| Cover material | Nanoweave bamboo |
|---|---|
| Filling material | Solid CloudTec foam filling |
| Care instructions | Machine wash cover only |
| Adjustable | No |
| Trial offering | 100 night trial |
| Guarantee | 10 year - no flat guarantee |
Pros
- Pillow felt well made
- Held its shape well on test
Cons
- Cooling effect less impactful when used with an additional pillow case
Score: 89/100
REM-Fit says the cool-to-the-touch fabric used for this pillow's machine-washable cover is 10 times cooler than cotton. And it certainly delivered for our panellists, who praised its temperature regulating properties.
There's no alternative side like the pillow above, so testers flagged that it may be less inviting on cold winter nights. But you can always pop a standard pillow case on top to make it warmer if needed. And this didn't put our testers off –the majority said they would recommend this premium memory foam pillow to a friend.
Key specifications
| Cover material | Polyester Nordic Chill fabric and tencel |
|---|---|
| Filling material | Memory foam |
| Care instructions | Machine wash cover at 40C, tumble dry on low, don't iron; sponge clean inner |
| Adjustable | No |
| Trial offering | No |
| Guarantee | 5 years |
Pros
- Easy to fit into a pillow case
- Whole pillow is simple to wash
Cons
- Softer than some pillows which might not be to everyone's liking
Score: 87/100
While the other pillows on this list feature additional cooling technology, this one relies solely on breathable fabrics. Don't let that put you off though, as the majority of our panellists still said it prevented hot heads overnight.
The dacron fibre filling is designed to wick moisture away, while the microfibre cover promotes extra breathability. It was comfortable to nod off on, so given its budget price tag, you can't really go wrong.
Key specifications
| Cover material | Microfibre |
|---|---|
| Filling material | Dacron |
| Care instructions | Machine wash at 40C |
| Adjustable | No |
| Trial offering | No |
| Guarantee | None |
Pros
- Offers good neck support
- Suited a range of sleep styles
Cons
- One tester said there was an unusual smell on opening
Score: 87/100
Using thermoregulating technology developed by NASA, we were expecting this pillow to be out of this world (pardon the pun). And we weren't disappointed.
The material, called Outlast, helped our panellists stay cool throughout the night, while the outer cover of Egyptian cotton boosted the pillow's breathability and softness.
There's no trial period with this one, which isn't ideal – particularly as it's an expensive buy. However, all our testers said they experienced a good night's sleep.
Key specifications
| Cover material | Egyptian cotton |
|---|---|
| Filling material | Hollowfibre |
| Care instructions | Wash at 40C |
| Adjustable | No |
| Trial offering | No |
| Guarantee | No |
Pros
- Under £15
- Can be refrigerated for extra cooling
Cons
- On the bulky side
Score: 86/100
If you travel a lot, we highly recommend investing in this cooling pillow insert. You simply slip the gel pad into your pillowcase, or on top if you’re extra hot, and enjoy the cooling effects. You can even pop it in the fridge for half an hour to chill its surface – ideal for particularly sweaty nights.
Testers were impressed, noting that it provided sweet relief around the head, neck and shoulders. One tester even said their middle-of-the-night hot flushes had completely stopped since using the product: “I wake up less in the night and have much more consistent sleep.”
It was easy to clean (just wipe it down with a cloth) but some found it slipped around in their pillowcases. Still, it’s a reliable pick for those who run hot.
Key specifications
| Material | PVC, memory foam |
|---|---|
| Care instructions | Wipe clean only |
| Adjustable | No |
| Trial offering | No |
| Guarantee | No |
Pros
- Cooling and supportive
- 30-night free trial
Cons
- Pricey
- Not deep enough for some
Score: 78/100
The TEMPUR SmartCool Pillow is designed to keep you cool and provide great support. It boasts a cool-to-the-touch woven cover and features the brand’s unique SmartCool technology, which works to draw heat away from the body. The cover can also be unzipped and chucked in the washing machine to keep things fresh.
It has a sloping design that will adapt to your head, neck and shoulders to ensure proper alignment, regardless of your sleeping position. Sure enough, panellists confirmed it provided a good level of support – it wasn’t too squishy or too firm – and they rated its cooling capabilities. “It came at just the right time for me with a change in life stage,” said one.
Key specifications
| Cover material | Polyester, polyethylene, elastane |
|---|---|
| Filling material | TEMPUR Renew materials |
| Care instructions | Wash the cover at up to 40C |
| Adjustable | No |
| Trial offering | 30 nights |
| Guarantee | 3 years |
How we test cooling pillows at the Good Housekeeping Institute
To find the pillows that are the best for drifting off on, we work with a panel of testers who trial them at home for at least two weeks. They rate each one on comfort, support, washability and overall design, and tell us whether they'd continue to use it after the trial period or not.
For this test, they also note how breathable each pillow is, considering whether it kept their head cool overnight and whether it helped them sleep better.
Back at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we conduct further wash tests and check for any changes to colour, quality or size afterwards. Once all testing is complete, our experts analyse the feedback and award each product a final score.
Why you should trust the Good Housekeeping Institute
Helping our readers get the best night's sleep possible is our life's work at the Good Housekeeping Institute. So far, we've tested over 80 pillows, with our senior sleep and wellness tester, Kim Hawley, coordinating all the feedback from our discerning panel.
Our sleep and wellness editor, Priyankaa Joshi, then turns that feedback into clear, easy-to-understand reviews. She's written about hundreds of products and looks after our other best pillow buying guides, which include the best memory foam pillows, so she knows a thing or two about what to look for in the perfect sleep companion.
What to look for when shopping for the best cooling pillows
To ensure you choose the best option for your needs, consider these factors.
Cooling technology: Designs will vary but pillows with cooling technology often have gel pads that absorb heat (drawing it away from you) or special fabrics (like the one used for REM-Fit's Snow Pillow) that dissipate heat better than regular textiles.
Material:Many cooling pillows also have covers and fillings that are good at regulating your temperature. Natural fibres such as cotton, wool, linen and bamboo are great for their airy weaves and moisture-wicking properties, while, conversely, memory foam traditionally holds a lot of heat.
Care instructions: If you often wake up covered in sweat, it's important to find a pillow you can wash and clean with ease. Some designs are completely machine washable, while others have removable covers that can be machine washed. Some may need hand washing though, so it's worth checking that you're happy with the level of care required before parting with your money.
Trial offering: Finding the right pillow for your body and preferred sleeping position is important to help improve bad quality sleep and ease aches and pains. Some brands offer trials, so you can check your new pillow suits your needs perfectly. We've highlighted which ones do this below, to help you feel confident in your purchase.
More Tried and Tested sleep buys
The verdict on cooling pillows
Are these pillows as effective as they claim? In short, yes. Those that feature cooling technologies are definitely worth the investment if you constantly wake up sweaty.
Our top pick is Luff's The Mayfair Gel Pillow, which our panellists loved for its cooling gel pad. But if you want a budget pick, we recommend Slumberdown's Climate Control Pillow, a savvy buy that's sure to lessen sweaty nights, even if it doesn't have a dedicated cool side.
Priyankaa is our sleep and wellness expert, specialising in expert-tested reviews and roundups on the latest health and fitness products. From walking boots to running machines, Priyankaa has written about hundreds of products and is passionate about providing in-depth, unbiased reviews. Plus, as an avid runner and gymgoer, she knows exactly what to look for when finding the right gymwear, fitness tracker or earphones.
Priyankaa has an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and over five years’ experience in health and fitness journalism. Priyankaa has written for Stylist’s Strong Women Training Club, where she regularly wrote about diversity in the fitness industry, nutrition tips, training advice and her experience completing various fitness challenges. She has also written for a variety of publications including Business Insider, Glamour, Bustle, Metro, HuffPost UK, gal-dem and more. Outside of work, Priyankaa can usually be found trying out a new gym class, seeking out London's best eats or watching a Spanish TV show in a bid to keep up her language skills.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market and has written hundreds of product reviews on everything from the best vacuum cleaners and coffee machines to the best ice cream makers and robot window cleaners.
When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her running every distance from 5km to 100km or relaxing at home with her cat – there really is no in between.
Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, Women's Health, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall.
Blossom is passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for GH readers. As head of the homes testing team, she has led reviews across multiple categories, from pizza ovens, and smart plugs to portable fans and hobs. She enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols to ensure we’re testing them against their claims. Her aim is to find the top-performing products on the market, to help take the hard work out of housework. Blossom’s most notable accomplishment in the lab has been toasting 528 slices of bread in her quest to find the best toasters money can buy. In her free time, she openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
Kim Hawley is our health and fitness product tester. Her career in fitness has spanned over 30 years. Prior to joining the Good Housekeeping Institute, she worked as a personal trainer, writer and fitness instructor for some of London’s most prestigious health clubs, including The Harbour Club, David Lloyd and The Chelsea Club. Passionate about women’s health and fitness, especially in pre/post menopause, she is also a Level 4 PT and holds a professional nutritional qualification. Kim is responsible for rigorously testing everything from cross trainers to smart watches.
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