Poor sleep position is the number one cause of neck- and back-related pain, according to what Ben Gruen, lead chiropractor for New York City’s Move Well MD and member of the American Chiropractic Association, observes in his practice. It’s also largely avoidable with the proper pillow and a little bit of education.
When broaching the idea of a “proper pillow” it’s not unrealistic to think of Tempur-Pedic, a well-known mattress and sleep brand that will forever be recognized for its responsive, NASA-developed “viscoelastic memory foam, which the brand calls Tempur-Material, an open cellular structure that instantly and precisely adapts to factors like body weight and shape.
“I myself have been sleeping with different Tempur-Pedic [pillows] for decades,” Gruen told HuffPost in an email exchange.
According to him, Tempur-Pedic pillow designs are widely known to help support neutral alignment of the neck. This is important because, as Gruen explained, “a spine that is put in a non-neutral position is putting unnecessary pressure on your neck joints and can cause muscles to compensate as a result of that change.”
Gruen reminds us that it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to selecting the right pillow.
“For side sleepers, you would want the pillow to be supportive and fill the gap between your head and shoulder,” he said, while back sleepers should choose a thinner down-style pillow that allows your head to sink towards the bed and the pillow to surround your ears.
Fortunately, Tempur-Pedic offers several pillow options for every type of sleeper, each one made with some variation of the brand’s signature Tempur-Material that promises to be supportive and pressure-relieving. We laid out each of those pillows below, with information on exactly who those pillows are best designed for and the difference between each of them.
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Who it’s for: Back and stomach sleepers.
The Tempur-Cloud is the brand’s most popular pillow option for its adaptive support. It’s made with an extra-soft version of Tempur-Pedic’s famed memory foam that’s ultra-conforming to the neck and face and low profile, which means it allows the head to sink towards the bed in back sleeping positions, a desirable factor for back sleepers according to experts. This plush pillow comes in a removable and machine-washable knit cover and is easily compressed for easy travel.
It’s available in two sizes and is currently eligible for Tempur-Pedic’s bundle-and-save deal.
Who it’s for: All sleepers.
This dual-designed pillow is meant to offer support and alignment to every type of sleeper. The contoured side is gently arched to bolster the head and neck in back-lying positions, while the flatter side offers a more neutral level of support for those who sleep on their side or stomach. The Symphony is made with the classic formed Tempur-Pedic material that promises to be adaptive and pressure-relieving and comes zipped inside the brand’s signature hypoallergenic knit cover that’s removable and machine-washable.
This pillow is also currently eligible for Tempur-Pedic’s bundle-and-save deal, which offers a savings of $79 when you purchase two pillows.
Who it’s for: Side and back sleepers
This specially designed contoured pillow is made from an extra-firm version of Tempur-Pedic’s responsive memory foam material for optimal support for back and side sleepers, depending on which side of the pillow is used. Available in three sizes to best serve your specific anatomy and sleep positioning, this ergonomic pillow is meant to follow the natural curve of the head and neck to offer proper alignment and support and, like most of Tempur-Pedic’s pillow offerings, it comes with a removable and machine-washable knit cover.
Who it’s for: All sleepers, especially if you toss and turn.
We mentioned earlier that the Cloud Pillow is Tempur-Pedic’s best-selling design, however, it’s not the best option for side sleepers. This adjustable medium-soft version allows all sleepers to fluff, scrunch and fully customize the amount of fill inside the pillow to suit their positioning needs. Inside the stretchy inner liner is a proprietary blend of loose Tempur-Pedic fill, which contains a mixture of pressure-relieving foam, a pillowy soft material and high-density support foam that won’t go flat over time. The brand claims it’s the perfect balance of adequate support and cozy comfort, even if you’re prone to tossing and turning at night. It’s available in two sizes and the removable machine-washable cover is treated with an anti-allergen guard.
Right now, save up to $59 on the adjustable Cloud Pillow when you purchase two at a time with Tempur-Pedic’s bundle-and-save deal.
Who it’s for: All sleepers, especially anyone who runs hot.
This is another iteration of the popular Cloud Pillow, specially meant for those who run hot. This is because of an outer layer of cooling gel that absorbs excess heat on each side of the pillow. Sandwiched in between these layers of gel is Tempur-Pedic’s medium-destiny memory foam that the brand considers to be highly adaptive and suitable for all sleep positions. The removable and machine-washable cover is made from 100% cotton for added breathability.
It’s available in two sizes and, right now, you can save whenever you buy two cooling Cloud Pillows at once.
Who it’s for: All sleepers.
The Cloud Hybrid Pillow is an extra-plush design stuffed with not just a solid piece of the brand’s signature memory foam at the pillow’s center, meant to offer an adaptive and head-cradling feel. It also contains Tempur-Pedic’s proprietary fill blend, a mixture of pressure-relieving foam, a pillowy soft material and high-density support foam that won’t go flat over time. According to the brand, this combination can relieve aches and pains in areas like the neck and shoulders.
Find it in two sizes and save up to $119 when you take advantage of Tempur-Pedic’s current bundle-and-save deal.
Who it’s for: Side sleepers and pregnant people.
This 48-inch-long body pillow provides flexible support in key areas of side sleepers, like between the knees. Its huggable design is medium firm and filled with shapeable micro-cushions that easily conform to the shape and pressure of the body. It has a removable and machine-washable knit cover.
Right now, you can save nearly $110 when you purchase two of the Tempur-Pedic body pillows.
Who it’s for: Frequent travelers, loungers and sedentary workers.
Tempur-Pedic’s versatile and travel-friendly pillow has a clever cradling peanut shape, which allows it to offer the perfect dose of support in areas like the lower back, the neck, between the knees or even propping up a book while reading. It’s made with the brand’s exclusive firm memory foam material and features convenient carrying and a removable machine-washable cover for easy cleaning.
Right now you can save $29 whenever you purchase two of these pillows at once.
Who it’s for: Frequent travelers and commuters.
Anyone who has tried to get some sleep on a flight or long-distance road trip without one of these ergonomic neck pillows handy knows how uncomfortable and pain-inducing it can be. But unlike the traditional horseshoe-shaped neck pillows that are bought at the airport, this one is made with the brand’s iconic medium-firm memory foam pillow that can support and cradle the head. It has a removable machine-washable cover for easy cleaning.
Right now, you can save $49 whenever you purchase two Tempur-Pedic travel pillows at once.