When one thinks of a pillow in general, one thinks of feather-lined or simple foam pillows. But there is something better! There are high-tech pillows that have a special gel filling; these are called gel pillows!
Do you wake up during the night because your pillow gets too hot to sleep on? The gel pillow is a great way to make the night more comfortable. The best gel pillows are usually filled with gel or just a gel component, which is often placed on the front of the pillow. But what makes the gel cushion so special and which are the best models for you? By taking a look at their filling technology, size, firmness, cover type, and warranty, we have helped you handpick the 10 best gel pillows.
More features: heat-capturing liquid gel; 6-inch mid-loft
The Amore Beds Double-Gel Cooling Pillow as its name suggests has a filling that comprises memory foam infused with gel. Not too soft nor too hard, it has a medium firmness. The highlight of its cooling property is the heat-capturing liquid gel, which makes it even more sleep-worthy for hot sleepers. The mattress is available in cut-out and without cut-out shapes, in Queen, King, Travel, and Neck versions. For great cooling and moisture-wicking effect, the cover is made from bamboo velour. It is also washable and suitable for allergy sufferers. Therefore, this pillow meets the highest standards of comfort and hygiene.
Unlike the Amore Beds Bamboo Charcoal Luxury Pillow, this is a gel memory foam pillow. The name and shape of this pillow already reveal that great emphasis is placed on cooling and supporting the back and neck. Due to the special cut-out shape and the memory foam, the pillow is suitable for both back and side sleepers. The contour adapts to the body and you are well supported in every position.
More features: 180-night sleep trial; hypoallergenic properties
The product is a hypoallergenic neck support pillow that is filled with gel memory foam. It is covered in polyester and bamboo rayon. The greatest upside is that it comes with a lifetime warranty and up to 180-night sleep trial.
This pillow is ideal for people with back, neck, and shoulder pains. It adapts to the shape of the body very well and supports your cervical spine. At the same time, it should ensure that the sleeper adopts an orthopedically correct posture while sleeping. The pillow reacts quickly to a change in the lying position. It can adapt directly to pressure. The manufacturer points out that the pillow can help alleviate or reduce back pain, tension, and other complaints. According to the manufacturer, it can even prevent complaints such as neck pain.
More features: 30-night sleep trial; 2.5-inch-thick profile
It’s said about 7% of Americans sleep on their stomach. Health experts say it is the unhealthiest position to sleep in because it’s really hard to get neutral head, neck and spinal alignment when you’re sleeping on your stomach. However, those committed to stomach sleeping can take solace in the Belly Sleeper Pillow. It’s flatter than most pillows and has a filling of gel-infused memory foam. It’s also covered in bamboo and polyester fabrics.
This pillow is made specifically for stomach sleepers. As it’s adjustable, there’s a zipper on the side that lets you access the filling. When your head is pressed against the pillow, you will not feel any lump. It’s more supportive than lumpy; the polyester fibers help keep it together and give it a soft feel, which is why we think it will be great for Belly sleepers.
More features: low and high profiles available; open-cell foam; dual-action cooling; 30-day sleep trial
This pillow is naturally antimicrobial. It is resistant to allergens, bacteria, mold, and dust mites. It is topped off with a luxury cover made from a blend of cotton and polyester knit fabric. It feels durable, soft and can be removed for machine washing. Just make sure to use a gentle setting. The cover material feels breathable, and this feature should complement the gel memory foam pillow insert.
Thanks to its open-cell design, this pillow is ideal for anyone who wants naturally cooling sleep support. According to Brooklyn Bedding, it’s suitable for side, back, and stomach sleepers. The ventilation holes allow air to circulate freely. The pillow is about six inches tall but when you rest your head on it, the foam compresses down to a comfortable height. It has a slow response, and this is what we expect from a gel memory pillow like this one.
More features: 6-inch loft; Zoned Technology design
Made of ActiveDough foam with gel infusion, the pillow is responsive and feels like latex with a comforting memory foam feel. It has size variants in King and Queen with a loft of approximately six inches. If you don’t want to use a neck support pillow, you can opt for the flatter variant. This does not have any bulge on the sides but offers similarly good support for the neck. The cover is made of Tencel which has a great cooling property and regulates temperature in all seasons.
This pillow is a typical neck support pillow with a higher curvature in which the neck is perfectly placed. The numerous holes are noticeable. These are used for ventilation and ensure that the pillow is breathable. The holes pull themselves through the gel surface so that a high exchange of air is guaranteed. So if you suffer from heavy sweating while sleeping, this model is recommended for you.
More features: adjustable loft; removable foam cubes
This pillow has a core made of gel memory foam and the cover is made of 88 percent polyester and 12 percent spandex. The pillow is adjustable and available in two sizes; that is, King and Queen, just like the PlushBeds. The pillow has removable foam cubes that are viscoelastic. They adjust to the contours of the neck and head.
The pillow is designed for all types of individual sleepers. The gel memory foam cubes are designed to help you sleep cool, helping you avoid the build-up of heat which most traditional viscose foams are known for. It prevents users from overheating.
More features: patented phase-change material; 101-night sleep trial
The Gel Memory Foam pillow from GhostBed has been around for a while. It’s obtainable in just one size: 16 inches wide, 23 inches long, and six inches tall. The outer fabric is removable and there’s a zipper. The cover is a proprietary one from Ghost Beds which they call the Ghost Ice Fabric. It adds a moisture-wicking performance to it. It’s 53 percent polyethylene and 47 percent polyester.
It’s geared towards hot sleepers, people who want a solid, pressure-relieving foam pillow but are worried about sleeping hot and not having a lot of breathability. There are so many factors and components built into this pillow to help with breathability that we don’t think it’s going to be an issue for you.
More features: adjustable height; 100-night trial
The Sweet Night pillow has a cover made of rayon derived from bamboo and has a filling of shredded memory foam. The pillow comes with a little bag where you can take out and store extra memory foam from the inside. This pillow comes with a removable case. It has zippers on one side and the case itself is soft. The stuffing is 10% shredded gel memory foam and 90% comfort foam.
It’s for users who have a lot of allergies and need a hypoallergenic pillow. It is suitable for combination sleepers. You can remove some of the shredded foam to get the precise height that you want. The pillow has shredded gel memory foam on the inside and as you can tell, it is squishy and fluffy.
More features: adjustable loft; heat-conducting fibers and open-cell design; 30-night sleep trial
The Infinity Pro from Molecule is a pillow made of shredded foam certified by CERTIPUR US. The cover is made of two polyester and polyethylene. It is adjustable and you have two size options to pick from; that is, standard and king. The foam is designed with open cells for ventilation, ensuring you can sleep cool.
The Molecule Infinity PRO pillow is designed for all types of sleepers. The pillow is guaranteed not to lose shape, regardless of how hard you twist, fold, and squeeze it.
More features: removable and washable cover
Made by Allswell, this pillow has a filling with a dual design of memory foam and cooling gel. The cover is a knit fabric that is certified by OEKO-Tex. It is available in standard size and it has medium firmness. The cover can be removed using a zipper. It can be washed in a washer.
This is a neck pillow that should adapt to the shoulder and head. It can be used to prevent joint tension and muscle tension. The pillow can be used in bed or on the sofa or taken with you when traveling.
Those who want to take benefits of the cooling properties of their pillow can choose the gel memory foam pillows. However, there is more to choosing a gel pillow than checking out the material. In this section, we’ll talk to you more about their benefits and show you how to choose one.
The gel cushion is a real all-round pillow. It not only increases sleeping comfort but also has other properties, which is why it is worth buying. In the following, you can see a small list of how this pillow also has a positive effect on your sleep.
The gel pillow is fundamentally different due to its material. It’s more stable and it supports the head better. The pillow also has a shape in which special attention is paid to the neck. The neck muscles can finally relax during night sleep.
The gel pillow is wonderfully suited to support the neck and spine. It can also be used flexibly. If you often change your sleeping position during the night, the modern material is an optimal solution. Regardless of whether you are on your side or your back, the gel always adapts to your current position.
Down or feathers offer an ideal habitat for mites or other small animals. During the night you will lose skin flakes and sweat. These collect in the pillow and provide an excellent breeding ground for the mites. This is a real nightmare for those who are allergic to house dust. The gel cushion is completely self-contained. There are no open spaces in which the mites can get themselves in and multiply. In addition, the gel cushions are breathable and do not absorb sweat. There are hardly any suitable living opportunities for mites here.
Another positive effect, especially in summer, is the cooling effect. The gel does not store the heat but dissipates it. Manufacturers can influence this effect even further by arranging the gel pads. During the winter the pillow is not too cold either. It feels more as if the pillow was briefly aired outdoors and is, therefore, a little cooler.
In some areas of life, animal welfare is being pushed to the fore. When making pillows, however, most people are not even aware that animal products are used here. If you do not want to use down or feathers in the pillow, the gel is a much better alternative. No animal products are used in them.
Finding the right gel pillow can be difficult with so many products to choose from. You should therefore pay attention to a few important points before choosing a pillow.
Sleeping directly on the pillow is not recommended. The gel surface is not very pleasant for sleeping directly on. A cover however protects the pillow and extends its lifespan. However, since the pillow is much smaller, you cannot easily use an ordinary cover that is too big and will slip during the night.
If you do not want to use the supplied cover, there are alternative offers. However, you should make sure that these are suitable for the smaller size of a gel pillow.
The filling material is usually gel and memory foam or memory foam infused with gel.
Another advantage of the gel pillow is the cooling effect. In the summer months, in particular, many people sleep hot and sweat at night. This cannot happen with gel pillows. They do not store the heat but dissipate it. This positive property can be influenced even further by the arrangement of the gel pads.
However, this does not mean that the user of the gel pillow will get frostbite on the head in winter.
Even during the winter months, the gel cushion is not too cold. It feels a little cooler than when it has just been aired, which is not perceived as uncomfortable.
Some of the gel pillows with great cooling properties are the Brooklyn Bedding Luxury Cooling Pillow, PlushBeds Zoned Gel Active Pillow, and the Allswell Gel Cooling Pillow.
The models presented here are very different from ordinary pillows, being usually significantly smaller in comparison. It is therefore perceived as less “cuddly”, but the more compact shape is much better for the neck.
When buying, you should therefore look carefully at how big the pillow should be. This depends on your preferences and the sleeping position. If you sleep on your side, height is particularly important. Here you can use a pillow with a height of 15 centimeters. This ensures sufficient support for your head.
The shape can also differ in detail. This mainly affects the curvature. Depending on your feelings, you can prefer models that have a larger or smaller curvature and support the neck at this point.
As usual, you have a soft, medium, hard, and adjustable choice to make when it comes to the firmness of your pillow. We don’t recommend hard pillows. The Belly Sleeper Pillow is ideal for those who want a medium or soft pillow.
Most experts say that the loft or height of your pillow should keep your head elevated to around four inches off the bed. This allows your neck and back to sleep straight. There’s no exact science to make this happen, however. Much of it depends on the sleepers’ shoulders, head size, and how much you sink into your mattress.
Adjustability with luxury and gel pillows refers to the fact you can unzip the pillow and remove or add fillings to adapt to your needs. An adjustable pillow has to have a removable pillow.
Many pillows such as the Molecule Infinity PRO come with night trials of around 30 to 180 days. This means you can return the pillow if you don’t like it during that timeframe.
The warranty can range from 1 to 10 years. However, there are models which come with a lifetime warranty. These are the most advisable to buy.
Finding the right gel cushion is not that easy as there are so many different models. Therefore, there are a few points to pay attention to before choosing a gel pillow. Only a suitable gel cushion tailored to the needs of the user brings noticeable relief.
It is therefore important that you always consider your sleeping position when making a purchase.
Here the pillow should be flat and soft so that the cervical vertebra is not overstretched. Sufficient head support should also be provided. It’s better not to sleep here without a pillow. The Belly Sleeper Pillow is the most suitable here.
The pillow should fill the entire area between head and shoulder so that the neck is not overstretched on one side. Do not choose a model that is too flat or too high, it is best to choose a narrow and rectangular gel cushion with a small width of 20 × 26 or 20 × 30 inches.
In this case, the gel pillow must support the space between the head and the back. It should be relatively flat, but it can also be a little higher if you have a rounded back.
Sometimes you hear that people who sleep on their stomach shouldn’t use gel pillows? This is not entirely true and only applies if the stomach sleeper chooses a gel pillow that is too high. Belly sleepers need a flat gel pillow.
Rated 9.9 out of 10, our Editor’s Choice is the Amore Beds Double-Gel Cooling Pillow. As its name suggests, this has a filling that comprises memory foam infused with gel. Not too soft nor too hard, it has a medium firmness. It is therefore our choice of the overall best gel pillow.
With a rating of 9.7/10, the Puffy Pillow has the Best Value among our picks. This is covered in polyester and bamboo rayon. It comes with a lifetime warranty and up to a 180-night sleep trial.
Best for stomach sleepers, the Belly Sleeper Pillow, also rated 9.7, is for those committed to stomach sleeping. It’s flatter than most pillows and has a filling of gel-infused memory foam.
