Best Pillows for Back Pain

Pillows and Back Pain: Quick Facts

• What To Choose: When choosing a pillow to help manage back pain, the fundamental goal is to maintain neutral alignment of your head, neck, and spine throughout the night. Seek out pillows with adjustable thickness so you can customize the height to your needs, materials like contoured memory foam or latex that provide consistent support while conforming to your unique shape, and breathable covers that help regulate temperature and prevent overheating.
• Fit By Sleep Position: Your ideal pillow depends largely on how you sleep. Side sleepers typically require a medium to high loft with firmer support along the edges to fill the space between the shoulder and head while keeping the spine straight. Back sleepers generally find the most comfort with a medium-loft pillow that cradles the natural curve of the neck without tilting the head too far forward or back. Stomach sleepers face the greatest challenge, as this position inherently strains the neck and lower back; if you prefer this position, use the thinnest pillow possible or consider transitioning to side or back sleeping for better spinal health.
• How To Set It Up: Proper setup extends beyond the pillow under your head. Position your pillow so your ears stay aligned over your shoulders and your chin remains in a neutral position rather than jutting forward or tucking down. If you sleep on your side, place an additional pillow between your knees to keep your hips level and reduce twisting stress on your lower back. If you sleep on your back, try positioning a small pillow or bolster under your knees to maintain a gentle bend that takes pressure off your lumbar spine.

Your Pillow Materials Matter

Good alignment of your spine is just as important when you’re lying down as it is when you’re standing up. So if you suffer from back pain, the first thing to consider when lying down is if you have enough support.

Having the right pillow matters — and that means making sure you have a pillow that supports good alignment of your head, neck, shoulders and back. The goal is to reduce pressure on your spine and promote blood circulation.

Next consider your pillow’s interior materials — that dictates the level of support and comfort. Depending on how you sleep, you should consider choosing between memory foam, latex and down.

And don’t forget to take into account HOW you sleep. If you’re a stomach sleeper or have a light frame, go for the soft to medium soft pillows. Side or back sleeper? Seek out a medium-firm pillow. Medium firmness offers contouring to align the head and neck. Side sleepers and those with a heavier frame should seek out a firm to extra firm pillow because they provide added support since the extra resistance keeps the head from sinking into the pillow — especially important for those with severe neck pain.

And finally, look for the right pillow size. The basic rule is the pillow’s height should allow for your head and neck to be aligned with your spine. You may need to test them out. Sometimes finding the right pillow means a little trial and error — but it’s well worth it and can mean the difference between waking up with or without pain.

If you’re on a tight budget, consider a basic cervical contour pillow with height options so you get the most bang for your buck like this one or the Anvo pillow which has soft and firm options:

Here are some other favorites:

• TEMPUR Cloud Adjustable pillow for back pain
• Saatva Latex Pillow for back pain
• Eli & Elm for side sleepers with back pain
• TEMPUR Neck Pillow if you have neck AND back pain
• Casper Backrest pillow — for sitting upright in bed
• Bearaby Cuddler — body pillow to support back, neck and joint