Sleeping on a pillow that properly supports your head and neck is vital to both prevent and manage neck pain, and therefore get a good night’s sleep. But considering we’re all built differently, how do you know which pillow is right?
Posture is top of the list when it comes to choosing a pillow for neck pain, as ergonomic expert Lucinda Newbound, owner of ergonomic furniture shop Back in Action, explains: “The right pillow should encourage and maintain the correct spine alignment. Look for something that supports the natural curve of your spine and neck, without holding it at an awkward angle.”
Your size, weight and sleeping position will all dictate which pillow suits you best, and sleep posture expert and founder of Levitex, James Leinhardt, has a good analogy for this: “If you saw my trainers and thought they were awesome, you wouldn’t wear them, because you’re not a size 11. The principle is exactly the same for pillows – one pillow definitely doesn’t fit all.”
With all that in mind, it pays to shop around when choosing a pillow. To make the search a little easier, I’ve put a whole range of options to the test. As a fellow sufferer from neck pain, I’ve found some great options for pain relief. Whether you need an adjustable, ergonomic pillow for chronic issues or a cosy V-pillow to stop a cricked neck when reading in bed, I’ve tested lots of pillows to help you find the very best.
How I tested
I tested a variety of pillows that offered one or more features designed to support neck pain. That includes postural pillows to offer better spinal alignment, firm pillows with good support and thermo-regulating materials to prevent overheating, and V-shaped pillows and travel pillows to offer neck support beyond sleeping.
In particular, I assessed each pillow on the following key factors:
- Pain relief: The most important detail, I had to wake up pain-free. Any pillows that had me tossing and turning didn’t make the cut.
- Support: Support is crucial to reducing pain. I made sure that each pillow gave my neck the right level of support, preventing my head from lolling in the night without feeling claustrophobic.
- Features: I gave extra points for pillows that offered multiple features, such as temperature regulation and adjustable firmness, and made sure they held up to their claims during testing.
- Value for money: Pillows can be expensive, so it’s always important to find one that works well for your aches and pains, sleeping habits, and budget. When I tested each pillow, I paid close attention to those that offered excellent value for money.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Katie Gregory has been writing consumer reviews for IndyBest since 2021. She has used her keen eye for quality when testing everything from the best dual air fryers to garden furniture. For each of her reviews, she prioritises products that balance high-quality materials with affordability, and her guide to the best pillows for neck pain is no different. She has suffered from neck pain, so she could see firsthand if these pillows gave her relief during the night.
The best pillows for neck pain 2025 are:
- Best overall – Levitex sleep posture pillow: £80, Levitex.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Simba stratos pillow: £60, Simbasleep.com
- Best for temperature regulation – Panda hybrid bamboo pillow: £76.46, Pandalondon.com
- Best adjustable pillow – Aeyla foamo pillow: £69, Aeyla.co.uk
- Best V-shaped pillow – Woolroom organic V-shaped washable wool pillow: £153.74, Thewoolroom.com
- Best for kids – Panda kids memory foam bamboo pillow: £31.46, Pandalondon.com
Best anti-allergy and hypoallergenic pillows 2025, tried and tested
10 best weighted blankets to ease stress and anxiety
12 best linen bedding sets to keep you cool, tried and tested
Silentnight airmax mattress topper review: An affordable upgrade for beds past their best
10 best silk pillowcases for smooth skin and glossy hair in 2025
Levitex sleep posture pillow
Best: Pillow for neck pain overall
Filling type: Foam
Support: Medium-firm
Size: 60cm x 40cm with variable depths from 8-14cm
Why we love it
- Varying depths to find the perfect fit
- Comfortable
- Great for side sleepers
Take note
- Requires you to re-think your sleeping position
When you choose a pillow on the Levitex website, the first step is to select the right depth for you, depending on your height and whether you’re a side- or a back-sleeper. The idea is that by having the correct depth pillow to correctly align your neck while sleeping on your side, and the correct level of support to keep it there, your neck pain will be no more.
The next step is to optimise your sleeping position, which means transitioning to sleeping on your side – either side is fine, and alternating is ideal – with knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your old pillow between your knees and ankles. This enables your hips to remain neutral, rather than rolling forward and twisting your spine while you doze, and helps you to achieve the optimum sleep posture.
While it did take a bit of getting used to – the foam pillow seemed quite rigid at first, and sleeping with a pillow between my knees took some practice – it did indeed reduce some very long-term stiffness after just a couple of days. Granted, if you’re going to sleep in the same position you've always done, this probably isn’t for you. But if you’re after a long-term solution and you’re prepared to make some tweaks to how you sleep, this could be an absolute game-changer.
Buy now £80.00, Levitex.co.uk
Simba stratos pillow
Best: Budget pillow for neck pain
Filling type: Simba renew bio
Support: Medium
Size: 50cm x 75cm
Why we love it
- Simba comfort at a reasonable price
- Cool-touch coating
Take note
- No customisation options
Can’t justify shelling out £160 on the Simba hybrid pillow below? This stratos pillow is the brand’s budget-friendly option at £60, but it has the same soft cotton outer, with ‘cooling technology’ on one side, which Simba describes as being “similar to the innovation that keeps astronauts cool in space”. In reality, it’s a subtle geometric coating that does actually feel cold to the touch when you compare it with the cotton on the other side.
This pillow doesn’t have the customisation option of the hybrid pillow, and it’s also much softer and lighter, as it’s filled with Simba renew bio – an airy material made from recycled plastic bottle fibres. That also makes it much thinner, which was ideal for me, but too thin to provide a good level of neck support for my male co-tester. Because of that, it’s unlikely to help with significant neck pain issues, but a good preventative option to consider if overheating is your primary cause of interrupted sleep and the neck pain that comes with it.
Buy now £60.00, Simbasleep.com
Simba hybrid firm pillow
Best: Firm pillow for neck pain
Filling: Foam-enclosed springs
Support: Firm, adjustable
Size: 45cm x 70cm x 05cm
Why we love it
- Can be arranged in different configurations
- Customisable support
Take note
- Expensive
- Quite bulky if you are petite
If you’re after maximum support, Simba’s hybrid firm pillow was – as the name suggests – the firmest of the pillows on test. Having said that, there’s a good degree of customisation, thanks to three internal layers that you can arrange in different configurations.
The firmest layer is made from foam-wrapped springs, then there are two softer fibre pillows that fit inside the cotton cover. Side-sleepers can configure all three layers to get different levels of support, from medium to firm, while back-sleepers only need to use two layers. I enjoyed playing around with the different configurations and was surprised by how much of a difference they made.
I also tested the Simba hybrid pillow (£109, Simbasleep.com), which was another incredibly comfortable option, but I loved the fact that the firm pillow provides so much scope to get the perfect level of support.
Buy now £159.00, Amazon.co.uk
Panda hybrid bamboo pillow
Best: Temperature-regulating pillow for neck pain
Filling type: Foam
Support: Medium
Size: 70cm x 40cm x 13cm
Why we love it
- Feels cool to sleep on
- Keeps its shape over time
Take note
- Doesn’t feel very deep
I found this hybrid bamboo pillow cool and comfortable. It’s filled with the brand’s squashy yet supportive orthopaedic-grade CharcoCell foam, which is essentially memory foam infused with charcoal. The result is a pillow that’s naturally moisture-wicking and absorbent, which, along with channels in the foam to promote airflow, helps to keep the pillow fresh and cool as you sleep.
The pillow is wrapped in a hypoallergenic quilted cover made from 100 per cent viscose, which itself has a breathable mesh panel to help aid temperature control. While I can’t vouch for the pillow’s thermo-regulating qualities in the middle of winter, it certainly lived up to claims when it came to staying cool on a hot summer night. Plus, this pillow comes with a 10-year guarantee, and Panda will even help you to recycle your pillow responsibly when it reaches the end of its life.
Buy now £76.46, Pandalondon.com
Aeyla foamo pillow
Best: Adjustable pillow for neck pain
Filling: Shredded memory foam
Support: Adjustable
Size: 50cm x 75cm
Why we love it
- Fully adjustable
- Stays plump
- 30-night money back guarantee
Take note
- Takes a bit of trial and error to find the perfect fill level
This pillow is filled with hypoallergenic bamboo memory foam, which is shredded rather than being in a solid block. This gives the pillow a much more flexible and breathable feel than a standard memory foam pillow, and it’s fully adjustable. You can take out some of the filling if you want a bit more squish, or leave it all in for more loft, which makes this a good option if you’ve previously dismissed memory foam for being too rigid, or you just want a customisable level of cushioning.
The pillow arrived vacuum-packed and rolled, and I was amazed to watch it spring into life in a matter of seconds once I’d removed the wrapping. It hasn’t lost its shape since, and I love the silky feel of the bamboo-viscose pillowcase, which is removable and washable.
If you need a little more support, I recommend trying Aeyla’s dual pillow (£69, Aeyla.co.uk). It has a soft-fill outer layer combined with a firm-fill inner layer, and felt slightly firmer during testing, compared with the foamo.
Buy now £69.00, Aeyla.co.uk
Back In Action royal rest pillow, memory foam
Best: Premium contour pillow for neck pain
Filling: Foam
Support: Medium-firm
Size: 51cm x 34cm x 11-13cm
Why we love it
- Two contours to choose from moderate or strong support
Take note
- Not suitable for front sleepers
Back-care specialists Back In Action stock a range of pillows designed to combat neck pain, many of which are made from orthopaedic memory foam. That includes the royal rest pillow, which is shaped to support your neck, with two different-sized contours, so you can choose a moderate or strong level of support.
Each contour is filled with a firm foam core, and if you can get your head around the slightly unconventional shape, it makes for a surprisingly comfortable sleep. I tested the memory foam version, but you can also choose a standard foam version. Just bear in mind this one is for back and side-sleepers only – Back In Action doesn’t recommend front sleeping due to the position of the neck.
Buy now £89.00, Backinaction.co.uk
Panda kids memory foam bamboo pillow
.png)
Best: Kids' pillow for neck pain
Filling type: Orthopaedic-grade memory foam
Support: Medium-firm
Size: 53cm x 38cm x 10cm
Why we love it
- Reduced depth and size to suit children
Take note
- You’ll need a non-standard size pillowcase
Another signature Panda pillow, this one comes in a variety of sizes, from baby to adult. With the help of my 10-year-old, I tested the kids’ size, which measures 53cm x 38cm x 10cm and is aimed at those aged four and above. The reduced depth, which is 3cm less than the hybrid pillow and 2cm less than the adult-sized memory foam bamboo pillow, offered good neck support for my 10-year-old. This pillow also proved to be a great fit for my petite adult frame.
This pillow uses orthopaedic-grade adaptive memory foam, which is engineered to be firmer and more supportive than standard memory foam, and pressure-sensitive to mould to the contours of the head and neck. That does mean it’s fairly firm and takes a bit of getting used to (similar to the Levitex sleep posture pillow included in this lineup), but it ensures ideal alignment of the neck and spine.
I wasn’t so keen on the washable pillowcase, however – at 70 per cent bamboo viscose and 30 per cent polyester, it feels synthetic compared with the 100 per cent bamboo quilted cover on both the adult-sized version and the hybrid pillow. With a standard cotton pillowcase over the top (this was a little baggy), though, this pillow still provided a great level of neck support for smaller sleepers.
Buy now £31.46, Pandalondon.com
Dusk memory foam contour pillow
Best: Mid-range contour pillow for neck pain
Filling type: Memory foam
Support: Firm
Size: 60cm x 40cm x 11.9cm
Why we love it
- Subtle contours
- A good introduction to using a cervical pillow
Take note
- Has a bit of a chemical smell for a few days
If you’re looking for a contour pillow with a slightly more palatable price tag, Dusk’s memory foam contour pillow is a good find. It’s similar in design to the royal rest pillow above, with a memory foam core that I found to be quite firm. It also has a choice of two contours to provide neck support, although the contours are much subtler and don’t provide the same level of support as the Back In Action pillow.
That said, it’s a good way to ease into sleeping on this type of cervical pillow if you’ve not used one before. For that reason, I’d say this pillow is best suited to prevent neck pain, rather than to help alleviate an existing problem.
The soft jersey cover with silver piping adds a premium feel to this relatively wallet-friendly purchase. The only drawback I found was the chemical smell, which took a few days to dissipate.
Buy now £40.00, Dusk.com
M&S medium V-shaped pillow with pillowcase
Best: Budget V-shaped pillow
Filling: Fibre
Support: Medium
Size: 84cm x 33cmx 84cm
If you’re looking for something to prop you up while you’re reading in bed, this V-shaped pillow from M&S is a good budget option at less than £20. The fibre filling offers good support for your head and neck when you don’t want to lie flat, but the medium support means it’s pleasantly comfy.
The pillow itself is machine-washable at 40C and you can tumble dry it on a low temperature, which makes keeping it clean and fresh nice and easy. We particularly like the fact it comes with a removable V-shaped white pillowcase, so there’s no need to buy one separately, although it would be great if M&S sold some more colourful options.
Buy now £19.50, Marksandspencer.com
Woolroom organic V-shaped washable wool pillow
Best: V-shaped pillow for neck pain
Filling type: Traceable British wool
Support: Adjustable
Size: 75cm x 75cm x 28cm
Why we love it
- Adjustable
- Hypoallergenic
- All-natural and traceable materials
Take note
- It’s expensive and requires a bit of care
V-shaped pillows offer support in varying positions – I find them really handy for maintaining good posture while reading in bed. This luxury organic version from Woolroom is quite an investment, but I think it’s worth the splurge.
It’s made solely from Wool ID traceable British wool – scan the QR code on the tag and you can trace the wool back to a farm in the UK – in an organic cotton case. That means it doesn’t contain any synthetic materials and is naturally hypoallergenic.
The wool balls are loose inside the quilted cover, and you need to fluff them up every week to keep your pillow plump. The unbleached organic cotton outer, which itself is padded with wool, gives this pillow a gorgeously soft, premium feel. Just bear in mind that to wash it you first need to empty the wool balls – a handful at a time – into a separate bag.
If that sounds like a bit of a faff, or you just want a standard-shaped pillow, I found that caring for Woolroom’s natural latex washable wool pillow (£85.49, Thewoolroom.com) was a bit easier. The latex inner comes out in one piece, but you still get some of the soft, wool feel from the padded cover.
Buy now £153.74, Thewooldroom.com
Dunelm comfortzone contour pillow
Best: Budget contour pillow for neck pain
Filling: Synthetic hollow fibre
Support: Medium
Size: 61cm x 38cm
Why we love it
- Budget-friendly
- Machine washable
Take note
- Too big for those on the petite side
This contour pillow from Dunelm is designed with a dip in the middle to promote neutral spine alignment for side sleepers, and, at £22, it’s worth trying out if you’re after a budget option. While it’s described as firm, I found it to be closer to medium support after a few nights of testing, although it’s no less comfortable for it.
The contoured shape worked well for my male co-tester, but the one-size-fits-all design didn’t work as well for my petite frame, as the pillow proved to be a little too big to achieve a neutral spine alignment. Machine-washable and suitable for tumble drying on a cool setting, this pillow is still a good value option that will work well for some, as long as you sleep on your side.
Buy now £22.00, Dunelm.com
Levitex anywhere compressible travel pillow
Best: Portable pillow for neck pain
Filling type: Foam
Support: Medium-firm
Size: 30 x 40cm with variable depths from 8-14cm
Why we love it
- Very portable
- Choice of depths for accurate neck support
Take note
- Not machine washable
Continuity of sleep surfaces when you’re away from home is really important for those suffering from neck pain, and Levitex’s anywhere travel pillow is designed to solve this issue. This pillow is available in the same choice of depths – 8cm, 10cm, 12cm and 14cm – as the brand’s posture pillow (see above), so you can match the depth to the one you use at home, but at half the length, making it ideal for travel and camping.
I found it easy to inflate – open the valve, let the air in, push a little bit out, then seal the valve – and just as simple to squish it down, roll it up and store it away. Just bear in mind that this version is wipe-clean only, not machine washable, so you might want to find a tiny pillowcase to cover it. On top of that, it’s pretty large, so while it’s great for a hotel room or a camp bed, you might find it awkward on a train or a plane.
Buy now £65.00, Levitex.co.uk
Trtl travel pillow original
Best: Travel pillow for neck pain
Filling: N/A
Support: N/A
Size: 7.48cm x 7.48cm x 3.74cm
Why we love it
- A great alternative to a U-shaped travel pillow
- Good neck support
Take note
- The rigid design takes a bit of getting used to
Always get a crick in your neck when you’re travelling? This Trtl travel pillow is designed to let you nod off comfortably while sitting up – whether you’re on a plane, a train or a coach. While it’s not going to ease existing neck pain, it might just help you avoid developing it.
The pillow looks like a scarf, but when you open it up, there’s a built-in neck support that tucks at the side or front of your neck.
It took me a few goes to find the right position and wrap the scarf just tight enough, but I was impressed once I got the hang of it. It’s far more comfortable than a U-shaped travel pillow, not to mention lighter and easier to pack. Plus, you’re much more likely to get some shut-eye on the move without dribbling on your neighbour’s shoulder.
Buy now £59.99, Trtltravel.com
What is the best pillow for neck pain?
While the perfect pillow for you will depend on your sleep preferences, my top pick is the Levitex posture pillow, which helped to noticeably reduce neck pain after just a few days of testing. Panda’s hybrid bamboo pillow and Aeyla’s foamo pillow also impressed, helping to ease neck stiffness.
For ultimate comfort, why not pair your pillow with one of the best mattresses?
