AS summer approaches the nights are getting warmer, meaning those of us who suffer from overheating or night sweats are constantly moving to find that cool spot on our pillows.
If this is you then a great way to improve your sleep for the next few months is with a pillow specifically built for the job – the best cooling pillows will keep you asleep so you feel rested when you wake up in the morning.
A cooling pillow may not be something you’ve tried before so when you look for a pillow check what it’s made from – some fabrics hold in heat, while others, including silk and bamboo don’t.
According to The Sleep Charity, which provides sleep advice and support, your body heat peaks in the afternoon then drops in the evening so you should tailor your bedroom temperature to take account of this – too hot or too cold and you won’t sleep well. They recommend 16°C - 18°C is ideal for a good nights sleep, while more than 24°C and you’re likely to wake up.
Having a window open during the night will help generally, as will sleeping in a lower tog duvet (or just a sheet if it’s really warm). If you can sleep with the noise then a fan at night can be a godsend and make sure you’re well hydrated before dropping off.
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If you’re tempted by the thought of a pillow that keeps you cool but you’re unsure where to start finding one, don’t sweat it, simply read on to check out our reviews of the best cooling pillows available now in the UK.
Best cooling pillows at a glance:
- Best cooling pillow overall: Simba Hybrid Pillow
- Best pillow for back sleepers: Eve Sleep The Memory Foam Pillow Hybrid Front and Back Sleeper
- Best adjustable cooling pillow: Simba Hybrid Firm Pillow
Simba Cooling Body Pillow
Simba Cooling Body Pillow, £109
Pros: Good for pregnancy and nursing, washable cover
Cons: High price point, takes up a lot of space on the bed
Rating: 4/5
This body pillow is designed to provide extra support if you sleep on your side as it keeps your spine and hips in alignment. It’s also fab if you’re pregnant as it supports your bump while taking pressure off your hips.
I found it really soft – thanks to the Simba Renew Bio fibres inside – and cool. It is made with Stratos cool-touch technology, which stops you getting too hot and I could definitely feel that coolness.
The cover is removable and it’s machine washable, which is always a good thing.
The body pillow is incredibly comfy, as well as supportive, and it’s ideal as a back pillow for sitting reading in bed. In fact the only issue you’re going to have is finding somewhere to store it when you’re not using it.
Material: 100% cotton cover incorporating Stratos cooling technology with down-like Simba Renew Bio fibre interior (made from recycled PET bottle fibres), Support: Soft but supportive
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Review by Lucy Gornall
Woolroom Organic Washable Wool Baby/Travel Pillow
Woolroom Organic Washable Wool Baby/Travel Pillow, £94.99
Pros: Organic fabric and filling, cooling in summer, very comfortable, machine washable, great size
Cons: Price
Rating: 4.5/5
Wool is a great material for regulating your temperature so this pillow is a must for hot summer nights.
It’s a travel pillow so great for you or the kids when you’re heading off on holiday, though I must admit I use it more at home.
It’s also lovely and soft for sleeping on – I’m not a fan of hard pillows and sleep much better on a squishy (or medium squishy) version.
This one is made from 100% organic British wool and has an outer cover made from 100% organic cotton. It’s also endorsed by Allergy UK because of the wool’s hypoallergenic qualities and it’s house-dust mite resistant.
Sustainability is important to me so I love that the wool is traceable bacl to the farms from which it was sourced and the sheep that supply it are kept in high welfare conditions.
The pillow is also certified by the Soil Association and meets the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
It even comes with its own zipped carry bag for storage.
Material: 100% organic British wool inner with 100% organic cotton cover; Support: soft
Review by Lisa Burn
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Simba Stratos Pillow
Simba Stratos Pillow, £60
Pros: Supportive, cooling technology, hypoallergenic
Cons: None
Rating: 4/ 5
The Simba Stratos is filled with recycled fibres from plastic bottles – Simba Renew Bio – which is breathable, so reducing heat as you sleep and avoiding sweating.
Simba’s Stratos technology on one side of the pillow keeps the fabric cool to the touch. It reacts to your body temperature and dissipates heat, ensuring you feel cool and comfortable. The sustainable cotton cover is washable, which is another plus point.
I loved that this pillow arrived in a strong bag, which is useful for storage should I need to ever pack it away.
Material: Sustainable cotton cover; Simba Renew Bio interior (made from recycled plastic bottles), Support: Soft but supportive
Review by Lucy Gornall
The Simba Hybrid
The Simba Hybrid Pillow, £109
Pros: Customisable height, temperature-regulating, breathable, soft
Cons: Pricey
Rating: 5/5
The Simba Hybrid pillow has been cleverly designed to regulate your temperature and increase airflow.
It incorporates astronaut-inspired temperature regulation, which absorbs, stores and releases heat as and when you need it, which means that — even on a hot summer's night — it'll absorb the heat and keep you cool.
With over 14,000 five-star reviews, we decided to put one to the test and see what all the fuss was about.
As someone who usually opts to buy budget £5 pillows, I was taken aback by the price, but once my head hit the pillow, I couldn't believe the difference in comfort.
The pillow is filled with breathable and lightweight nanocubes, which can be removed to adjust the height and firmness of your pillow.
Once I tweaked the height to suit my needs, it was glorious to sleep on. The material is thick, plush and supportive, and I swiftly found myself amongst the army of Simba pillow lovers.
Whilst this is one of the more expensive pillows in our round-up, the general consensus of those who have tried it is that it's worth every penny.
Read our full Simba Hybrid Pillow review here.
Material: Cotton, hypoallergenic microfibre, foam Nanocubes, Support: Medium-firm (adjustable)
Review by Sianade Curry
Simba Hybrid Firm Pillow
Simba Hybrid Firm Pillow, £159
Pros: Breathable, temperature-regulating, supportive, adjustable height
Cons: Expensive, might be too big for some pillowcases, firmness may not be to everyone's taste
Rating: 4.5/5
Simba seems to be storming ahead of its competitors when it comes to cooling technology.
The sleep company is known and loved for its Simba Hybrid Firm pillow (and many other products), and I tested it out during a heatwave.
The Hybrid Firm is comprised of three individual pillows (two soft fibre pillows and one layer of firm Aerocoil springs), which can be combined and rearranged to adjust the height and firmness of the pillow.
It also features Stratos tech (the astronaut-inspired temperature regulation we mentioned earlier), which means it's as good as a pillow can be at regulating your body temperature.
Whilst it took me a few days to get used to the firmness of the pillow, its superior cooling properties and adjustability make it the most comfortable pillow I've ever slept on.
Undeniably the price of the pillow is pretty high, but if you're able to afford it, we believe it will be a worthwhile investment.
Read our full Simba pillow review here.
Review by Kieran Ahuja.
Material: Cotton, mesh, Aerocoil, Best for: Back and side sleepers, Support: Firm to medium-firm (adjustable)
Slip Silk Pillowcase
Slip Silk Pillowcase, £70.99
Pros: Cooling, soft, lovely to sleep on, machine washable
Cons: Price
Rating: 4/5
This Slip mulberry silk pillowcase not only brings beauty benefits, such as helping prevent lines and wrinkles while you sleep, but it also kept me cool.
The fabric is incredibly soft and once I’d inserted my pillow and fastened the zip, it was a delight to sleep on.
It has been dubbed the eight-hour beauty treatments and creates 43% less friction than a cotton pillowcase, says the company. My skin felt soft when I woke up and I think the silk helped my skincare products of the night before absorb more fully.
To say I was impressed would be an understatement – and I love that the pillowcase is available in different colours so you can match it to your décor.
Review by Tayo Andoh
Material: 100% mulberry silk, 22 momme
Soak&Sleep Ivory Pure Mulberry Silk Pillowcase Pair
Champagne Pure Mulberry Silk Standard Housewife Pillowcase Pair, £60
Pros: Temperature regulating, soft, hypoallergenic, kept my hair frizz-free, machine washable on delicate cycle
Cons: None
Rating: 5/5
This Soak & Sleep pillowcase keeps you cool on warm nights, thanks to its temperature-regulating properties. It’s made from 19 momme mulberry silk satin, which is hypoallergenic and anti-bacterial.
The price is competitive – especially when you take into account it includes two pillowcases – so you can alternate them or use both as a matching set.
I tested these on a warm night and I can confirm the pillowcases kept me cool and stopped me from overheating. I found them incredibly soft against my skin and they kept my hair looking frizz-free so I didn’t wake up with a bedhead in the morning.
The pillowcases also come with a two-year guarantee
Review by Tayo Andoh
Material: 100% mulberry silk, 19 momme
Eve Sleep The Memory Foam Pillow Hybrid Front and Back Sleeper
Eve Sleep The Memory Foam Pillow Hybrid Front and Back Sleeper, £70
Pros: Honeycomb memory foam top layer ensures coolness, supportive, anti-allergy hollowfibre
Cons: Price
Rating: 4/5
The Eve Memory Foam Hybrid pillow is constructed in three parts: there’s a memory foam centre that relieves pressure on your neck and head, a hollow fibre layer that gives extra support and an outer layer of breathable memory foam.
This final layer is honeycombed, allowing air to pass through it, so you don’t overheat and your head stays cool.
I tested this pillow for a week and really noticed the difference from my old cheap pillows. This one is more supportive as it keeps your spine in alignment, which helps prevent aches in your neck and back.
It also kept me cool and I didn’t feel too hot while I was sleeping on this pillow, which I think is due to the fact it has a breathable cotton cover and mesh borders, as well as the air holes in the memory foam that worked their cooling magic.
The cover is removable and you can wash it in the machine, which is handy.
Eve also offers a 30-night trial, which is a great idea if you’re unsure about buying as you can return the pillow if it’s not to your liking.
Review by Jess O’Donnell.
Material: Memory foam middle layer, hollowfibre mid layer and honeycomb memory foam top layer, encased in a cotton cover, Support: Medium
How does a cooling pillow work?
A cooling pillow is used mainly in the warmer, summer months to prevent heat retention and provides a cool surface when sleeping.
The design of the pillow increases air flow to stop heat retention, while the materials used in the pillow are often breathable and derived from natural products, including wool or bamboo. Some pillows also may contain water or gel pouches which help to cool the skin and wick away moisture, while absorbing heat.
Do cooling pillows work?
Cooling pillows do work, but the effectiveness of each pillow depends on the type you purchase.
If you've purchased a cooling pillow featuring a water or gel insert, these inserts only work for a limited time - this is because they quickly absorb the heat energy from your body, so warm up as this happens.
If you let the pillows cool back down again, the cooling effect can then be enjoyed once more.
How to make your pillow cool
The way cooling pillows stay cool depends on they type you buy - but generally speaking, you don't have to do much.
To make gel-filled cooling pillows colder, you can put the gel pack in the fridge for a few hours before bed or try flipping the pillow once one side has become warmer.
If you don't have a cooling pillow, you can make a regular pillow cool by inserting a frozen, reusable gel cooling pack inside your pillowcase.
How to wash a cooling gel pillow
Always make sure you read any included instructions on how to wash your cooling gel pillow - these may differ from brand to brand, and many are machine washable (making life much easier).
In most cases, you can simply use a clean cloth, and a soap and water mix to wipe the pillow down, then gently use paper towels to press the pillow dry (water will be in the foam, this helps to soak it back up). To make sure it's perfectly dry you can then leave a towel on top of your pillow overnight.
Where to buy the best cooling pillows?
As with all purchases, we want to shop around for the best deals and prices to match our budget. However, it becomes even more important when we're looking for something to help us improve our sleep.
We found the cooling pillows and pillowcases tested in our feature at:
- Amazon
- Eve Sleep
- Simba
- Soak&Sleep
- Woolroom
We've also compiled an extensive list of retailers to point you in the right direction. You can buy a range of cooling pillows from:
- Argos
- Dunelm
- John Lewis
- Kally Sleep
- M&S
- Matalan
- Silent Night
- Wayfair
How much does a cooling pillow cost?
The price of a cooling pillow varies from brand to brand and also depends on the type of material used.
Memory foam pillows tend to cost more than fibre-filled versions and if the pillow incorporates high-tech features then that can also increase the price.
The cheapest pillow in our feature is the £60 Stratos from Simba and the most expensive is the Simba Hybrid Firm, which comes in at a cool-as-a-cucumber £159.
Are cooling pillows safe?
Some varieties of cooling pillows can contain volatile organic compounds (or VOCs), depending on what they're made from.
Purchasing a cooling pillow that's OEKO-Tex certified or CertiPUR-US certified can help make sure that these VOCs are only found in small doses.
In smaller amounts, VOCs aren't dangerous to your health, although they can be irritating to those who suffer from allergies or respiratory problems.
VOCs are present in numerous foam products and quite often can have an unpleasant smell when they are first purchased - however, this typically disappears between 24 to 48 hours after unpacking and leaving to breathe - so just make sure you air your pillow before use.
Do you put pillowcases on cooling pillows?
Pillowcases help to keep everything clean - and are especially handy for using on cooling pillows (which may or may not be machine-washable, depending on the individual design and brand).
Using a pillowcase on your cooling pillow makes it faster and easier to clean, protects it from excessive wear and tear, and keeps it fresh.
