4 Best Pillows for Combinations Sleepers Out of the Hundreds We Tested
If you change sleep positions throughout the night, you'll have no problem getting the support you need with these picks.
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I often fall asleep on my side, but wake up on my back (sometimes even on my stomach). Pillows are usually designed to support a specific sleeping position, leaving many to wonder: What do you do if you are a combination sleeper? I am the expert pillow tester in the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab and I'm here to help. Combination sleepers should look for pillows that are made with flexible materials that allow you to shift positions without sacrificing support. Drawing from our Textiles Lab testing of more than 200 pillows across sleep styles, in addition to at-home testing with combination sleepers, these are the best options we recommend for combination sleepers.
Pros
- Innovative hybrid blend for softness and support
- Sleep testers gave it high marks for comfort and support
- Adjustable loft and firmness
Cons
- Grey color shows through light pillowcases
KEY FEATURES: This Layla pillow is made with an innovative blend of shredded memory foam pieces and kapok fibers. Kapok is a natural, fluffy fiber that adds a plush feel to this pillow. This hybrid blend creates a pillow that's both supportive and soft, ideal for combination sleepers. The fill is also adjustable, so you can find the best loft and firmness for you.
EXPERT TESTING:
✔️ A favorite among combination sleepers: At-home consumer testers who identified as combination sleepers gave this pillow high scores for comfort, support, and overall satisfaction. Many said it helped prevent soreness in the morning. "It was perfect as a back and side sleeper, providing the right neck support in both positions," shared one tester.
✔️ Combines softness with support: One tester said, "I liked how it supported my head and neck well but somehow was also still soft enough for someone who loves a feather pillow." The unique hybrid blend is both supportive and soft to create a comfortable sleeping environment for every sleeping position.
✔️ Outer cover redesign: The brand recently updated this pillow to include a machine washable cover. When Lab analysts previously tested this pillow, it did not include this new feature. Testers liked how soft the cotton outer cover feels, but some noted that the grey color showed through white pillowcases.
Features at a Glance
| Fill | Adjustable blend of memory foam clusters and kapok fibers |
| Outer cover | Polyester/viscose blend |
| Firmness | Medium-Plush |
| Sizes | Standard/Queen and King |
Pros
- Plush fill maintains its shape
- Includes two pillows
- Testers said it provided comfortable neck support
Cons
- The cover showed some puckering and loose threads after laundering
KEY FEATURES: Beckham Hotel Collection's best-selling down alternative pillows are sold in a set of two. This is ideal for combination sleepers who can benefit from having an extra pillow depending on their sleeping position. The entire pillow is machine washable for easy care. Plus, the whole set is currently $60—just $30 per pillow!
EXPERT TESTING:
✔️ Soft, fluffy fill that maintains its shape: The polyester down alternative fill mimics the feel of down, great for anyone with an allergy. The fluffy material is movable to help accommodate different sleeping positions. "I liked the soft filling, and that it molded to my head and neck when I lay down and kept my head at a comfortable angle," shared one tester. "The pillow maintains its shape throughout the night and has not gotten lumpy."
✔️ Especially popular among back and stomach sleepers: Combination sleepers loved how moldable the pillow was. One tester who sleeps on her side and back said, "It doesn't flatten out when I rest my head on it, but it's not hard to squish it into different shapes either." Testers who prefer side sleeping were mixed on if this pillow provided enough support.
✔️ Simple care: The pillow is machine washable and dryer safe. In Textiles Lab washability tests, the pillow didn't show noticeable shrinkage and the fill felt fluffy after five washes and dry cycles. The cotton cover did show some puckering and loose threads.
Features at a Glance
| Fill | Polyester down alternative |
| Outer cover | Cotton |
| Firmness | Soft |
| Sizes | Queen/Standard, King, and European |
Pros
- Adjustable fill blend of shredded memory foam and down alternative fiberfill
- Entire pillow is machine washable and dryer safe
- Popular among testers of every sleeping position
Cons
- The cover showed some pilling after extensive use
KEY FEATURES: GH analysts regularly recommend this popular pillow from Coop for all sleeping positions. It's made with a blend of shredded memory foam pieces and down alternative fiber clusters. This creates a supportive yet plush pillow that's adjustable by removing or adding extra fill. Unlike most memory foam pillows, the whole pillow is machine washable—cover and fill.
EXPERT TESTING:
✔️ Popular for its feel among all types of testers: Most sleep testers said this pillow helped improve their sleep quality. "This pillow is great at conforming to your head and neck while still providing adequate support," shared one combination sleeper tester. "It's thick enough that it takes pressure off of my shoulder when I'm sleeping on my side."
✔️ Maintains its shape night to night: In Lab pressure tests, this pillow immediately returned to its original shape after weights were applied for eight hours to mimic the weight of a head lying on the pillow all night. Consumer testers noted that the cover showed some pilling after extensive use.
✔️ Adjustable height and firmness: "I like that the stuffing was adjustable and that we were given extra stuffing (and that adjusting the level of fluff/stuffing was so easy)," noted one tester. This pillow popularized adjustable pillows—it makes it easy to add and remove fill to find your perfect firmness level and loft.
READ OUR FULL REVIEW: Coop Original Adjustable Pillow
Features at a Glance
| Fill | Adjustable blend of memory foam and polyester down alternative |
| Outer cover | Polyester/rayon blend |
| Firmness | Medium |
| Sizes | Queen and King |
Pros
- Machine washable and dryer safe
- Sold in three firmness levels
- Maintained its loft after in-Lab pressure tests
Cons
- May not offer enough support for consistent side sleeping
KEY FEATURES: Nothing will feel as fluffy and cloud-like as down fill pillows, but they tend to go flat over time. This Parachute down pillow is available in three firmness levels: Soft, Medium, and Firm, so you can find one that is supportive for you. The brand also offers a side sleeper down pillow if you mostly sleep on your side because this one likely won't offer enough support for a side sleeper.
EXPERT TESTING:
✔️ Cloud-like feel: This pillow is filled with down clusters and a bit of feathers too. This adds a more supportive feel to the plush, airy texture of down. It also makes the pillow more affordable—down pillows can regularly retail for $300+. One tester even said it felt "absolutely dreamy" and "like a marshmallow."
✔️ It didn't go flat like most down pillows: In Lab pressure tests, this pillow returned to its original shape quickly after weights were applied. "This pillow had a lot of 'give' to it yet it returned to its original form quickly," shared one tester. "The fabric cover was of excellent quality and prevented feathers from piercing through the fabric."
✔️ Aced Lab washability tests: Some down pillows require special care like dry cleaning, but this one is machine washable and dryer safe. When analysts washed and dried this pillow five times, they didn't note any notable shrinkage or changes in appearance.
Features at a Glance
| Fill | 85% down clusters, 15% down and feather fibers |
| Outer cover | Cotton sateen |
| Firmness | Soft, Medium, or Firm |
| Sizes | Standard and King |
What is combination sleeping?
Combination sleeping means you switch between different sleeping positions, side, back, or stomach, throughout the night. Some sleepers are consistent with one sleeping position, while others may sleep differently night to night. It's important to use a pillow that will properly support your neck as you move through different sleeping positions to prevent neck pain or strain.
How we test pillows for combination sleepers
Each year, my team and I in the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab put new pillow launches to the test. We've tested more than 200 different pillows in recent years. Here is how we test all types of pillows:
✔️Consumer feedback: Lab pros assign pillows to at-home sleep testers based on each tester's preferences and sleeping position to ensure they're a good match for the tested product. Testers give feedback on comfort, support, temperature regulation, and more.
✔️ Pressure tests: To evaluate how well a pillow will maintain its shape, we apply weights to the pillows. We assess how long it takes for the pillow to return to its original shape once the weights are removed. This is especially important when assessing pillows for combination sleepers because you toss and turn throughout the night, putting ample stress on a pillow.
✔️ Washability: Analysts first score the pillow's care label because not all pillows are machine washable. We wash each pillow that is fully machine washable and removable covers and then rate any visible shrinkage or changes in appearance.
✔️ Pillowcase fit: We rate how well the pillow fits inside of a standard-sized pillowcase to ensure it'll be compatible with most home bedding.
How to buy the best pillow for combination sleeping
First and foremost, your pillow needs to be comfortable and supportive.
✔️ Materials: The type of fill in your pillow will have the biggest impact on its feel. These are the best fills for combination sleepers:
- Memory foam: Memory foam pillows are popular because they're supportive and contouring to help relieve neck strain and provide optimal support. Shredded options (especially hybrid options blended with down alternative fiberfill) are great for combination sleepers because the fill can move around to accommodate different amounts of pressure whether you're on your side, back, or stomach.
- Latex: If you like memory foam, you may like latex even more. It has a bouncier feel compared to memory foam, which many testers said helped alleviate neck pain. Like memory foam, it's sold in both solid and shredded versions.
- Down/down alternative: These fluffy fills are moldable, which can be great for combination sleepers to fluff up or flatten depending on their sleeping position. However, down and down alternative pillows are typically thinner and may not offer enough loft for side sleeping.
It's a good idea to be open to new materials you may have never tried before, but you should stick with similar feels to make sure you choose something you'll like long term.
✔️ Loft: Loft refers to the thickness of your pillow. It can have a massive impact on the support your pillow provides. Depending on your sleeping position, different pillow heights are recommended.
- Side: Thicker and firmer
- Back: Medium height and firmness
- Stomach: Soft and thin
For combination sleepers, you should choose a loft that's supportive for your most common sleeping position. That loft paired with a flexible fill like a shredded memory foam hybrid will adjust when you change positions throughout the night.
✔️Adjustability: Adjustable pillows are a great option for combination sleepers because you can customize the amount of fill in the pillow to find the ideal loft and firmness for you. You can also add and remove fill over time in case your sleeping preferences change.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Emma Seymour is the associate director of the Textiles Lab and oversees pillow testing. Seymour has rigorously tested more than 200 pillows in the Textiles Lab, and she has coordinated pillow sleep testing with hundreds of at-home reviewers. She graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor of science in fiber science and apparel design and a minor in gerontology. She is a combination sleeper who likes to fall asleep on her side, but often wakes up on her back.
More on the best pillows to buy
- Types of Pillows
- Best Down Pillows
- Best Down Alternative Pillows
- Best Latex Pillows
- Best Memory Foam Pillows
- Best Pillows for Side Sleepers
- Best Pillows for Back Sleepers
- Best Pillows for Stomach Sleepers
- Best Organic Pillows
- Best Cooling Pillows
- Best Pillows for Neck Pain
- Best Body Pillows
- Best Pregnancy Pillows
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