We all know that there are three sleeping positions: back, side, and stomach. Some people can fall asleep in one position and stay that way the whole night. But there are those out there who move around during the night. We call these people combination sleepers.
Picking a pillow can be tough for just one sleeping position, but combination sleepers need to consider all the sleeping positions they find themselves in. This means they need a truly versatile pillow to stay comfortable throughout the night. I’ve tested dozens of pillows and have curated a list of the best pillows for combination sleepers!
Keep reading to see our top picks!
Our Verdict: What’s the Best Pillow for Combination Sleepers?
We named the Layla Kapok pillow as the best pillow for combination sleepers because of its adjustability. The soft, shredded memory foam and plush kapok fibers can be removed to find the right fit for any sleeping position you find yourself in. Plus, this pillow has a cooling cover, and the shredded foam allows for airflow, so it shouldn’t trap a lot of heat.
Our Top Picks for the Best Pillows for Combination Sleepers
- Layla Kapok – Best Memory Foam Pillow for Combination Sleepers
- Saatva Latex – Best Organic Pillow for Combination Sleepers
- Lagoon Fox – Best Soft Pillow for Combination Sleepers
- Coop Sleep Goods Eden – Best for Heavy Combination Sleepers
- Cozy Earth Silk Pillow – Best Cooling Pillow for Combination Sleepers
- Marlow – Best Budget Pillow for Combination Sleepers
- TEMPUR-Neck – Best Pillow for Combination Sleepers with Neck Pain
How We Choose Our Products
Our team of sleep specialists tested many pillows currently on the market, using proprietary analysis and hands-on testing to find the best of the best for our readers. For the “best pillows for combination sleepers” list, we examined many pillows that could either be adjusted in some way, had a loft (height) that could work for more than one sleeping position.
In this roundup, we give you a number of options so you can select a product that not only fits your preferences, but find one that is also long lasting, breathable, and extremely comfortable. We also encourage you to check out our Buyer’s Guide at the bottom of the page. There, we take a deeper dive into all of these attributes so you can make the most informed purchase possible.
Best Memory Foam – Layla Kapok
Layla Kapok Pillow
The Layla Kapok pillow combines shredded foam and natural kapok tree fibers to give you a great balance of comfort and support. You can also take out some of this fill to adjust the height of the pillow to make it work for you.
Mattress Clarity Score
4.50 / 5
Read Full ReviewOur Expert’s Take
The Layla Kapok pillow blends shredded memory foam and kapok tree fibers to give this pillow a soft, slow-moving feel. This pillow has been named one of our favorites for combination sleepers a few times thanks to this shredded foam fill, and for good reason!
To start, you have the option to adjust this pillow, meaning you can change its firmness and loft based on the amount of fill you have in the pillow. Back and side combo sleepers can keep the pillow relatively full to get the support they need,while the memory foam contours around the head and neck. Back and stomach combo sleepers can remove foam to make it mid loft for back sleeping, or low loft when you compress the foam for stomach sleeping.
What We Love About the Layla Kapok Pillow
- The shredded foam and kapok fibers give this pillow a slow-moving, plush feel.
- You can adjust the loft and firmness of this pillow to make it work best for the sleeping positions you find yourself in during the night.
- With a shredded fill and a breathable cover, this pillow won’t trap heat.
What to Keep In Mind About the Layla Kapok Pillow
- Because this pillow is compressed into packaging, it might need time to off-gas after you unbox it. It’ll expand quickly, but there might be a chemical smell that lingers for about 24 hours, so it might not be ready for use the day you get it — especially for those with sensitive noses.
Read our full Layla pillows review.
Best Organic – Saatva Latex Pillow
Saatva Latex Pillow
The Saatva Pillow has an organic cotton cover that is removable. Underneath is an outer pillow made up of hypoallergenic microfibers.
Mattress Clarity Score
4.80 / 5
Read Full ReviewOur Expert’s Take
For those looking for an organic product, it doesn’t get much better than Saatva. The latex pillow uses 100% organic cotton and latex that have been Fair Trade certified. This means that the materials have undergone rigorous testing to ensure they were made in compliance with environmental, economic, and social standards.
The Saatva Latex pillow is a good choice for combination sleepers of all types. This is a softer pillow, but it has a latex core that provides some good support. Heavier back and stomach combo sleepers will compress the pillow a good bit to make it nice and flat. Light to average-weight back and side combination sleepers won’t compress the pillow too much, which keeps it tall and supportive.
What We Love About the Saatva Latex Pillow
- Saatva uses 100% certified organic cotton and latex for this pillow, making it a good choice for those who want to purchase eco-friendly, responsible, and sustainable pillows.
- It’s very plush and soft, but the supportive latex core makes it easy to move around on for combination sleepers.
- Cotton and latex are both very breathable materials, so this pillow won’t trap heat.
What to Keep In Mind About the Saatva Latex Pillow
- Fans of firm pillows will find this pillow to be too soft. The latex core offers a good amount of support, but the plush down alternative layers are very soft and fluffy.
- Some heavyweight back and side sleepers might compress the pillow too much and may want to opt for a firmer option.
Read our full Saatva pillow review.
Best Soft – Lagoon Fox
Lagoon Fox Pillow
The Lagoon Fox Pillow is a CertiPUR-US certified product that incorporates soft memory foam. It’s also adjustable, allowing sleepers to fit the loft to their own needs.
Our Expert’s Take
Lagoon Sleep is all about options, offering up to eight pillows. Though you can take a quiz to match you to your perfect pillow, if you’re looking for a soft, plush, slow-moving memory foam pillow, check out the Fox pillow. The Fox features a blend of shredded memory foam and plush microfibers to give it a soft feel.
The Fox is also an adjustable pillow, so you can take out or add in some extra fill, which Lagoon provides, to make it ideal for whatever sleeping positions you find yourself in. It does have that classic, slow-moving foam feel to it, but you shouldn’t feel trapped by this pillow, as it’s fairly easy to move around on. The shredded fill design allows for airflow, and the outer cover is breathable so it won’t trap heat.
What We Love About the Lagoon Fox Pillow
- The shredded foam and microfiber fill feels very plush and soft, but you can change how firm this pillow feels with the amount of foam you put inside.
- You’ll sink into the slow-moving foam, but you won’t feel trapped in the pillow when you want to change positions.
- Lagoon offers a 100-night trial to help you decide if this is the pillow for you, and there’s a 5-year warranty if you keep it.
What to Keep In Mind About the Lagoon Fox Pillow
- At full price, the Lagoon Fox costs about $120. While it should last the length of its five-year warranty, this might be out of budget for some people.
Read what we have to say about some popular Lagoon pillows.
Best for Heavy Combination Sleepers – Coop Sleep Goods Eden
Coop Eden Pillow
Filled with pieces of gel-infused memory foam, this pillow has a soft and luxurious feel.
Mattress Clarity Score
4.60 / 5
Read Full ReviewOur Expert’s Take
Heavyweight sleepers can compress pillows a good deal, so their pillows need to feel supportive. The Coop Sleep Goods Eden pillow is a good choice for heavy combination sleepers because it’s adjustable. The Eden can be stuffed to the brim with its shredded foam fill to make it firm and supportive.
This foam has been infused with gel, which will pull heat away from your body and keep you cool at night. It’s also encased in a breathable bamboo cotton cover. So, though you’ll be sleeping “in” this pillow because of its slow-moving nature, you won’t overheat. Because heavy combo sleepers need to stuff it full for proper support, it’ll work best for back and side combination sleepers.
What We Love About the Coop Sleep Goods Eden Pillow
- Because you can stuff this pillow full of shredded foam, you can keep it quite firm, making it ideal for heavyweight sleepers who worry about “bottoming out” on their pillows.
- It won’t trap heat thanks to a breathable, moisture-wicking cover and gel-infused memory foam.
- It can work for all three sleeping positions depending on how much fill is in the pillow.
What to Keep In Mind About the Coop Sleep Goods Eden Pillow
- If you prefer a soft, cushy down or down alternative pillows, you won’t get that with the Eden. This pillow can be quite firm and dense when made to support heavier weights.
- There’s a slight chemical smell to the pillow when you remove its packaging. It will need to off-gas before you sleep on it.
Read our full Coop Sleep Goods Eden pillow review.
Best Cooling – Cozy Earth Silk Pillow
Cozy Earth Silk Pillow
The Cozy Earth Silk Pillow is filled with soft silk and covered with a material made out of naturally cooling bamboo viscose.
Mattress Clarity Score
4.90 / 5
Our Expert’s Take
If you find yourself constantly flipping your pillow to the “cool side” throughout the night, check out the Cozy Earth Silk pillow. Cozy Earth uses a 100% bamboo viscose cover for this pillow. This means that the outer cover is breathable and moisture-wicking and will keep you at a comfortable temperature all night long.
The silk fiber fill has a soft, but supportive feel to it, and it allows for airflow. Hot sleepers who find themselves shifting between back and stomach, or side and stomach sleeping should find a good match with this pillow. It’s supportive enough for back and side sleepers, but can get fairly low, preventing a strained neck while sleeping on your stomach.
What We Love About the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow
- This pillow has a medium-firm feel, so it’s equal parts plush and supportive. It works well for back and side sleepers.
- The silk fill has a warranty against shifting, making it a good option for combination sleepers. It’s easy to switch sleeping positions on this pillow.
- Both bamboo and silk are breathable materials, so hot sleepers can stay cool on this pillow.
What to Keep In Mind About the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow
- The materials that Cozy Earth uses in this pillow are high-quality and long lasting. However, silk is a pricey material, which gives this pillow a luxury price tag.
- Unlike many pillows on this list, this pillow can’t be adjusted in either height or firmness. Because of this, it only works well for back and side sleepers.
Read our full Cozy Earth Silk pillow review.
Best Budget – Marlow
Brooklinen Marlow Pillow
The Marlow pillow is a new take on the adjustable pillow. It has zippers along the sides of the pillow to change the loft and firmness. You don’t have to worry about messy shredded foam fills to find the sweet spot that works for you with this memory foam pillow.
Mattress Clarity Score
4.20 / 5
Read Full ReviewOur Expert’s Take
Not looking to shell out a lot of money for a new pillow? The Marlow pillow is the least expensive pillow in this roundup, but it still packs a good punch for combo sleepers. The Marlow pillow costs under $100, and Marlow also sells it in two or four packs. You might be spending more for these, but the price breaks down to be less than a single pillow when you do the math.
Marlow has taken a unique approach to the adjustable pillow. Along the long sides you’ll find two gussets that can be closed with zippers. These zippers can pull the outer cover tight, which changes the firmness of the pillow. Back and side combination sleepers will want to keep one or both of the zippers zipped up, while stomach sleepers should keep the zippers unzipped.
What We Love About the Marlow Pillow
- This is a good option for budget-minded shoppers. Marlow sells these pillows in two and four packs, which brings the price of each pillow between $34 and $38 each.
- You can adjust the firmness by unzipping the sides of this pillow.
- It’s made with dense polyfoam, which is more supportive and not as slow-moving as memory foam. This makes it easy to move around on.
What to Keep In Mind About the Marlow Pillow
- Though this pillow is made of memory foam, it’s a good deal more responsive than your standard, slow-moving memory foam. Because of this, you don’t really sink into this pillow.
Read our full Marlow pillow review.
Best for Neck Pain – TEMPUR-Neck
TEMPUR-Neck Pillow
The ergonomic shape to the TEMPUR-Neck pillow makes it an ideal pillow for anyone dealing with neck pain. This solid slab of memory foam will contour to your head and neck, giving you good support and will alleviate neck pain.
Mattress Clarity Score
3.90 / 5
Read Full ReviewOur Expert’s Take
Pillows with ergonomic designs do well for people who have neck pain because they follow the contour of the head, neck, and shoulder to provide optimal support. And that’s exactly what the TEMPUR-Neck is designed for.
It’s made out of a single piece of TEMPUR material, which has that slow-moving memory foam feel. Despite this, it’s a very firm pillow, and with the tall side under your neck, you’ll find support for your neck to help alleviate neck pain. It comes in three sizes to match many different body types, and it works best for back and side combination sleepers looking for some neck pain relief.
What We Love About the TEMPUR-Neck Pillow
- The pillow’s ergonomic shape helps support your neck, which can alleviate pain.
- TEMPUR-Pedic offers this pillow in three size options that are based on your shoulder width, making it good for many body types.
- The unique shape feels very comfortable for both back and side sleepers who are dealing with neck pain.
What to Keep In Mind About the TEMPUR-Neck Pillow
- Because of this unique shape, it’s best for back and side sleepers. Stomach sleepers would feel rather uncomfortable on this pillow.
- The TEMPUR material used in this pillow might trap heat. While you can opt for a cooling cover, it comes at an additional cost, which might put this pillow out of some peoples’ price range.
Read our full TEMPUR-Neck pillow review.
What is Combination Sleeping?
When it comes to your sleeping position, people tend to fall in three categories: back, side, or stomach. Some people can fall asleep in one position and stay there the whole night. Combination sleepers are people who tend to shift or change sleeping positions during the night. You could be a back/side combination sleeper, back/stomach, side/stomach or switch between all three during the night.
While back sleeping is considered the healthiest sleeping position, most people are side sleepers, myself included. I tend to switch sides during the night, but mostly stay on my side. Occasionally, I’ll switch to my stomach, but it’s never for a full night of sleep.
RELATED: Sleep Positions Guide
How to Choose the Best Pillow for Combination Sleeping
Each sleeping position has recommended heights, or loft, and firmnesses. Because of this, choosing a pillow if you’re a combination sleeper takes a little more thought than those who stick to one position.
Though we’ve given you a full list of the best pillows for combination sleepers, you might not know which pillow above is the best one for you. Generally speaking, adjustable pillows are a good option for combination sleepers due to the fact that you can make them work for any sleeping position.
However, the drawback here is that no one wants to wake up in the middle of the night to take out or add in shredded foam just to change positions. And it can certainly take a while to find that sweet spot that works for all your sleeping positions.
If you don’t want an adjustable pillow, I’d recommend starting with a medium-firm pillow. These pillows tend to be a safe bet for combination sleepers because they have an easier time being compressed for stomach sleeping, but can still offer good support for back and side sleeping.
Many companies these days also offer a variety of firmness and height options. If you want a pillow that is tailored to your specific needs, you’ll want to consider your size and sleeping position. For example, if you’re a heavy side and back combination sleeper, you’ll want to opt for a pillow with a high loft and firmness. For more information, I’d recommend watching our how to choose a pillow video.
Tips for Combination Sleepers
Let’s quickly recap everything that combination sleepers need to keep in mind when picking a pillow. Here are a few tips:
- Sleeping positions: First and foremost, you should consider what sleeping positions you find yourself in most often. This will be your starting point for finding the right pillow.
- Adjustability: Can a pillow be adjusted to work for your sleeping position? This might work better for those who can sleep a full night in one position, but don’t alway sleep in that same position every night.
- Firmness: For those that do move around during the night and can’t adjust a pillow when they do, consider the firmness of a pillow. Soft pillows can work for stomach sleepers because you can get them flatter much easier, but they don’t offer the same support for back or side sleeping. On the other hand, firm pillows are good for back and side sleepers who want to keep their heads elevated, but don’t compress easily for stomach sleeping.
Summary
| Pillow | Best for |
| Layla Kapok | Best Memory Foam Pillow for Combination Sleepers |
| Saatva Latex | Best Organic Pillow for Combination Sleepers |
| Lagoon Fox | Best Soft Pillow for Combination Sleepers |
| Coop Sleep Goods Eden | Best Pillow for Heavy Combination Sleepers |
| Cozy Earth Silk Pillow | Best Cooling Pillow for Combination Sleepers |
| Marlow | Best Budget Pillow for Combination Sleepers |
| TEMPUR-Neck | Best Pillow for Combination Sleepers with Neck Pain |
Still need some clarity? Let’s go over some frequently asked questions about pillows for combination sleepers.
The Best Pillows for Combination Sleepers FAQs
What type of pillow is best for all positions?
Most pillows on this list are adjustable. These are great for providing flexibility for most sleepers and offer a level of customization that works specifically for the user. Because of this, adjustable pillows sort of fall into a “one size fits all” category because you can change the height and firmness by the amount of fill that is in the pillow.
What firmness is best for back and side sleepers?
Medium-firm and firm pillows work best for back and side sleepers, depending on your body type. Some people change positions frequently throughout the night and can’t adjust the firmness of a pillow while they sleep.
Medium-firm pillows are great for most average and lightweight back and side sleepers because they provide a perfect amount of comfort and support for both sleeping positions. Firm pillows work better for heavyweight back and side combination sleepers because this group of people can compress the pillow more to get optimal support.
What is the best pillow for back and side sleepers?
Out of all the pillows on this list, I recommend the Layla Kapok as one of the best pillows for back and side sleepers. It can be adjusted by removing the foam fill, and it has a plush feel that still provides a good amount of support for both sleeping positions.
