9 best memory foam pillows for extra neck support and comfort

One of the most hi-tech pillows we’ve come across, this slab of sleep-inducing perfection is seriously impressive, offering firmness paired with unbeatable air circulation. We tested it on a particularly muggy night and woke up well-rested, with none of the clammy-faced discomfort associated with other pillows.

The temperature reactive part isn’t just a gimmick, either – we could clearly see the holes that allow air to circulate, and the material had a definite coolness when we rested our head against it. One side is textured and one side is smooth, but both offer the same cooling sensation. The design also ensured the material stayed fresh-smelling, even after one week of use. Nobody likes a pongy pillow, after all.

In our humble opinion, you can’t go wrong with Slumberdown – not simply because we’re seduced by the name, but because the size and success of the brand allow it to pack its pillows with features rarely seen on ones at this price point. A firm support pillow designed with side sleepers in mind, this pillow achieves the holy grail of great support paired with freedom of movement.

We’re prone to shifting around in the night, but this pillow’s super-soft material (both the cover and the hollow fibre filling, which is surrounded by a layer of memory foam) ensured we didn’t remain outside of the land of nod for long.

This one is a brilliant option for back sleepers, and has just the right amount of support – it’s firm but still has a certain moldability (because nobody likes sleeping on a brick, after all). Our first impression was that our head was some distance from the bed (due to the pillow’s firmness), but the top-notch memory foam soon did its thing and our head sank blissfully into the optimum position. Our top tip? Even if you usually double up, you won’t need to with this one, due to its firmness.

The perfect pillow to lull side and back sleepers into their deepest sleep yet, Kally’s neck pain pillow (which we can’t help but feel could have been given a more appealing name) looks unashamedly quirky, with a butterfly-shaped design and a slightly smaller size. It certainly feels a little odd at first – the memory foam takes longer than most foams to rebound – but we were quickly converted.

The combination of its central groove and top-quality memory foam allowed this pillow to mould around our head, shoulders and neck with an accuracy that was incredibly supportive but unobtrusive. Despite testing this during a week when a minor injury had flared up a bout of shoulder pain, we enjoyed one of the most comfortable night’s sleep we can recall.

We’re aware a jaunty trim doesn’t have any reflection on the quality of a pillow, but we can’t help but wish more pillow manufacturers shunned the all-white approach and followed Duvalay’s lead, adding a splash of colour to the sea of white.

This is a full-bodied pillow that claims to use what the brand calls “airwave design” in conjunction with super-soft memory foam that keeps cool and is breathable and supportive.

It was twice as deep as our old pillow but, despite this extra depth, we awoke without the neck ache we feared. The brand also claims its design can help reduce snoring, although the jury’s out on this one, given we’re not prone to this trait.

One of the most hi-tech memory foam pillows you’ll find for less than £40, this wallet-friendly option from Octasmart relies on eight-sided foam springs to provide the perfect balance of support and comfort. It also relies on cooling technology to help regulate temperature.

Whether our sleep was 25 times cooler remains to be seen (simply because it’s almost impossible to work out) but, on a muggy night, we stayed surprisingly cool, and the pillow did a great job of moulding to our head, back and shoulders, too.

Nothing is more likely to keep us awake at night than a blocky pillow with rigid sides, and we loved the gentle contours of this pillow, designed with sloping edges and a slight curve, which did a brilliant job of supporting our neck and head. It’s a great option for side sleepers, and we loved that the cover it comes with could be washed at 60C – all too often a maximum of 40C is recommended. Bed bugs, be gone.

The Therapur pillow has an open cell structure to help regulate temperature (aided by a layer of cooling gel). Ideal for side sleepers, it offers a decent level of support – it’s officially ranked as firm – and did a great job of keeping our temperature under control.

However, the price is on the high side – there are plenty of similar quality pillows that do all of the above but come with a much more palatable price tag.

We’ve got a confession to make: we’ve never tried a neck pillow, and have always wondered how a horseshoe-shaped piece of foam can ever be comfortable. But this one had us at hello. Admittedly, it won’t deflate, so you’ll struggle to stash it into your handbag, but with this level of comfort and support, it’s a sacrifice we’ll happily make.