The Best Firm Pillows Are Supportive Sleep Accessories

There’s some bedding that always gets all the praise: the softest sheets, duvet covers, you name it. We’re here to make the case for the best firm pillows too. We know that there are some soft-pillow faithfuls out there who like their heads to have a doughy place to land. But when it comes to specific sleep positions, like those who rest on their sides, it’s pretty important to get a little extra support. Or if you like to read in bed or binge-watch your favorite series, having something to prop you up is also a must.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall

Brooklinen Marlow Pillow

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$65 $55 (15% off)

Brooklinen

For Side Sleepers

Buffy Cloud Side Sleeper Pillow

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$59 $44 (25% off)

Buffy

Best Budget

Quince Premium Down Alternative Pillow

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$40

Quince

Our editors feel the same way, so they’ve weighed in on pillows they sleep on for nightly comfort. From down to memory foam, there are plenty of materials to choose from. And many are backed with sustainability certifications so you know you’re getting the best pillows without harsh chemicals. Scroll below for all of our top picks.

All of these prices reflect standard/queen sizes; however, the options in this guide come in king sizes too.

From sheets to robes, Brooklinen has tons of favorites among our editors for the brand’s quality materials—including the collection of pillows. Two AD writers keep this firm pillow in their arsenal and say it lives up to its supportive reputation. “As an editor who tests a lot of pillows, I need to keep them rotating, and all I have to say is that I keep going back to Marlow between the testing rounds,” says contributor Yelena Moroz Alpert. “I have one zipper open for medium firmness that makes this side sleeper happy.”

This pillow comes with three firmness levels: plush (two sides unzipped), medium (one side unzipped), and firm (two sides zipped). No matter your choice, it has an even, cooling-infused memory foam fill that never clumps up. “My head never feels hot or sweaty, nor do I have to re-fluff it in the middle of the night,” Alpert shares. “Few things are more frustrating than tossing and turning and adjusting your pillow at 3 a.m.—never an issue here.”

As a stomach sleeper who likes “mushy, moldable” pillows for sleeping, commerce director Rachel Fletcher appreciates the firmer feel of the Marlow when reading or lounging in bed. “I always like to keep a few extra pillows around for those hang-around, lazy mornings, and they fit the bill for that,” she adds. Fletcher also gives the pillow a big plus for its antimicrobial and cooling materials and firm feel she’d recommend to anyone who needs more neck support.

If you haven’t caught on from our editors’ reviews in this guide, side sleeping is the type of position that needs a lot of support. Even though the pillows in this list can give you a firm boost around your neck and shoulders, you can take things up a notch with a cradling, crescent-centric design like this one. “Picture a travel neck pillow and then enlarge it by five,” according to Alpert. It has a cutout in the center to keep your neck aligned and give your shoulders some breathing room.

“The firmness level is spot-on for me—I absolutely cannot sleep on foam pillows because they are too hard, and when a pillow is light down, it feels too flimsy,” she says. “The semi-circle shape of the Cloud Side Sleeper pillow feels as if it elongates and hugs your neck.” Other cool touches include the honeycomb pattern she says feels smooth and almost glassy.

Best Budget

Sensitive sleepers who crave the feel of a firm down pillow can turn to this hypoallergenic down alternative fill. While it’s one of the softest pillows out there in the softer firmness level, there are a couple of firm and extra-firm density options that buoy your head up with no problem. “The polyester fill is firm enough to prop my head up without me sinking into its depths, but still has some squishy give (see the video!) that doesn’t feel like I’m laying on the floor,” says associate commerce director Lori Keong. The polyester fill is wrapped in a polished cotton sateen shell that Keong says is “enough to live up to the ‘premium’ descriptor.”

This shredded memory foam pillow is a favorite for a couple other AD staffers. Associate commerce director Lori Keong loves “how adjustable and plushy they are to snooze on in all sleep positions,” so much so that she’s on her second pillow. It’s stuffed with hundreds of mini cotton-candy-like pieces that give it its soft cushioning; however, the adjustable pillow comes with an extra bag of fill to make it more supportive and firm.

“I’ve been singing the praises of Coop’s adjustable memory foam pillow for years and years, which has occupied a prime spot on my bed and never been dethroned despite testing so many other pillows since then,” she says. “The shredded fill is easy to remove or add to as you see fit, and there’s enough of a mound in there to begin with to firmly (or at least medium firmly) prop your head up.”

Commerce producer Lauren Arzbaecher, a self-proclaimed combination sleeper, says the pillow has been “life-changing” for her bed. “I don’t wake up with a stiff neck anymore, plus it just feels luxurious,” she shares. Aside from the classic pillow design, there are more shapes catered to all sleeping styles, including a crescent design for side and back sleepers, and a cutout option for side sleepers.

Best Organic

Commerce writer Julia Harrison spends her down time (pun intended) trying out the market’s various goose down options to determine which are up to snuff. She says the Boll & Branch down chamber pillow “outranks them all.” Harrison attests to absolutely no off-gassing, a headrest equal parts firm and plush, and the sort of “cool weight that puts a person right to sleep.” 100% organic and Oeko-Tex certified cotton make up the cool shell, and U.S.-sourced down comprises the pillow’s fill. Shop well, sleep well.

Best Down

If you want a bedscape filled with accessories reminiscent of hotel pillows, consider this Brooklinen pick. Unlike the plush option that just comes with down clusters, the mid-plush and firm densities are down cluster and feather pillows. The bestseller is the type of pillow contributor Jacqueline Wladis says is good for any “chaotic sleeper who is constantly rotating positions.” She says it’s the perfect pillow for her since it bolsters her neck and back. “They’re not so firm that you feel like you’re sleeping on a brick, but they cradle your head,” she shares. Since the care instructions note to spot clean only, she recommends the Slumber Cloud pillowcase, which is machine-washable and breathable, for hot sleepers like herself.

With a memory foam core and a refreshing gel pad top layer, you won’t miss the support of a firmer pillow or comfort of a cooling pillow here. Senior commerce editor Nashia Baker says she feels refreshed and comfortable in any sleep position with this memory foam pillow. “It has a structured build and feels slightly firm to the touch, but it shapes to my head when I lay down for a soft, cradling feel as I sleep,” she says, noting that it helps keep neck pain at bay. “Another perk that caught me by surprise was its cooling gel pad that actually feels refreshing. It’s been a go-to when the weather heats up so I can comfortably doze off.” It’s a good option if you’re constantly battling with pillows flattening over time. Baker has had hers for over a year, and it’s kept the exact same shape.

Best Memory Foam

This firm pillow is also a soft pillow, or a medium firm pillow, or a medium soft pillow—in other words, it’s customizable. There are four memory foam inserts inside the quilted shell, and Alpert says that while she’s no “math whiz—that’s at least 10 combinations for fill loftiness.” She also loves that the extra fluff (should you have any) comes with designated pillow covers for storage so you’re never just sticking these in your linen closet haphazardly. Spoken like a true host.

We reviewed all the pillows in this guide pretty much like every person who’s reading this story. We sleep on the pillows in our homes to see if they’re really comfortable enough to earn a permanent spot on our bedscape. When making our selections, we look for certifications like CertiPUR-US and Oeko-Tex that help ensure that the pillow materials are ethically sourced and free of harmful chemicals. From there, we keep an eye out for an extensive night trial and warranty so you can try out the pillows and return them if they’re not a fit.