On your back, your head rests on the middle of the pillow and the work happens under your neck, not beside it. For back sleepers, Mayo Clinic advises a pillow that keeps the neck in line with the chest and back. Too thick and your chin drops toward your chest. With too little, your head tips back.
Each maker here names back sleeping for its pillow, and the ten picks come from the ranked pillows with 300 or more buyer ratings that do, sorted by our score with two per brand at most. Seven of the ten let you take fill out, so the right one for you depends less on the box and more on how far your mattress gives.
The list
- SUPA MODERN Cooling Shredded Memory Foam Pillow (Best overall for back sleepers)
- Three Geese Adjustable Layer Goose Feather Pillow (Best feather and down)
- QUTOOL Bamboo Rayon Adjustable Pillow (Best-liked firmness)
- QUTOOL Firm Shredded Memory Foam Pillow (Firmest by the maker's word)
- Coop Sleep Goods Original Adjustable Pillow (Most-rated pick)
- JOLLYVOGUE Down Alternative Pillows, Set of 4 (Best value)
- Coop Sleep Goods Eden Pillow (Premium pick)
- Puredown Shredded Memory Foam Pillow (Cheapest shredded foam)
- Utopia Bedding Hotel Pillows, Set of 4 (Highest rated by buyers)
- JOLLYVOGUE Hotel Collection Pillows, Set of 4 (Cheapest king-size pillow)
| # | Photo | Model | Score | Fill | Adjustable | Stars | Ratings | Per pillow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
SUPA MODERN Cooling Shredded Memory Foam Pillow | 7.9 | Shredded memory foam | Yes | 4.3 | 23,026 | $19 |
| 2 |  |
Three Geese Adjustable Layer Goose Feather Pillow | 7.9 | Feather & down | Yes | 4.4 | 5,006 | $44.99 |
| 3 |  |
QUTOOL Bamboo Rayon Adjustable Pillow | 7.8 | Shredded memory foam | Yes | 4.4 | 1,546 | $19 |
| 4 |  |
QUTOOL Firm Shredded Memory Foam Pillow | 7.8 | Shredded memory foam | Yes | 4.4 | 819 | $19 |
| 5 |  |
Coop Sleep Goods Original Adjustable Pillow | 7.6 | Shredded memory foam | Yes | 4.5 | 64,006 | $89 |
| 7 |  |
JOLLYVOGUE Down Alternative Pillows, Set of 4 | 7.5 | Down alternative fiber | No | 4.5 | 595 | $9.25 |
| 9 |  |
Coop Sleep Goods Eden Pillow | 7.3 | Solid memory foam | Yes | 4.4 | 15,193 | $109 |
| 11 |  |
Puredown Shredded Memory Foam Pillow | 7.3 | Shredded memory foam | Yes | 4.4 | 697 | $13.50 |
| 12 |  |
Utopia Bedding Hotel Pillows, Set of 4 | 7.2 | Down alternative fiber | No | 4.6 | 16,598 | $7.62 |
| 13 |  |
JOLLYVOGUE Hotel Collection Pillows, Set of 4 | 7.2 | Down alternative fiber | No | 4.4 | 2,463 | $8.25 |
1. SUPA MODERN Cooling Shredded Memory Foam Pillow
A medium pillow with fill you can remove, which is how a back sleeper reaches the middle height, and the top pick on this list.
Of 458 buyers who mention sleep quality, 86% are positive, and the cover zips off for washing at $19 a pillow.
7.9out of 10
- FillShredded memory foam
- Stars4.3 (23,026)
- Per pillow$19
2. Three Geese Adjustable Layer Goose Feather Pillow
Pull an insert or two out of the outer case if a full pillow lifts your chin. Of the buyers who mention neck support, 84% are positive.
It costs more than any pick but the two Coop pillows, and Three Geese publishes no trial or warranty.
7.9out of 10
- FillFeather & down
- Stars4.4 (5,006)
- Per pillow$44.99
3. QUTOOL Bamboo Rayon Adjustable Pillow
Medium by the maker's word, with a 35% bamboo rayon cover that zips off for the wash, and 94% of the 34 buyers who mention sleep quality are positive.
Take fill out until your chin stops lifting. It is sold in queen and king only.
7.8out of 10
- FillShredded memory foam
- Stars4.4 (1,546)
- Per pillow$19
4. QUTOOL Firm Shredded Memory Foam Pillow
Extra firm by the maker's word, with removable fill and a 9.5 for value.
Harvard Health's clinicians lean the other way for back sleepers, toward thinner pillows, so choose this one only if you know you like a pillow that does not give. Of its firmness mentions, 30% are negative.
7.8out of 10
- FillShredded memory foam
- Stars4.4 (819)
- Per pillow$19
5. Coop Sleep Goods Original Adjustable Pillow
The product page lists it at 8 inches thick, and Coop says an extra bag of fill comes with it, so on your back plan on taking fill out at first.
Its 4.5 stars come from 64,006 ratings, and 95% of the 3,666 buyers who mention sleep quality are positive.
7.6out of 10
- FillShredded memory foam
- Stars4.5 (64,006)
- Per pillow$89
6. JOLLYVOGUE Down Alternative Pillows, Set of 4
If you want a plain medium pillow and no adjusting, four of these cost $9.25 each in king size and wash whole.
Fullness is the count to watch on your back: 36% of the 14 buyers who mention it are negative.
7.5out of 10
- FillDown alternative fiber
- Stars4.5 (595)
- Per pillow$9.25
7. Coop Sleep Goods Eden Pillow
Coop's dearer pillow, with gel-infused foam and microfiber you can add or remove. Like the Original, it is listed at 8 inches thick, so expect to take fill out for a back position.
Of 628 buyers who mention sleep quality, 92% are positive, but the price, $109, holds value to 3.0.
7.3out of 10
- FillSolid memory foam
- Stars4.4 (15,193)
- Per pillow$109
8. Puredown Shredded Memory Foam Pillow
Soft by the maker's word and adjustable, at $13.50 a pillow, the cheapest shredded foam on this list.
The catch on your back is smell, not height: 77% of the buyers who mention odor are negative, and Puredown prints no care instructions.
7.3out of 10
- FillShredded memory foam
- Stars4.4 (697)
- Per pillow$13.50
9. Utopia Bedding Hotel Pillows, Set of 4
Plush fiber is the pick for a back sleeper who likes a soft pillow, with the best star average here at 4.6.
Of 178 buyers who mention support, 73% are positive, but the label says spot clean only.
7.2out of 10
- FillDown alternative fiber
- Stars4.6 (16,598)
- Per pillow$7.62
10. JOLLYVOGUE Hotel Collection Pillows, Set of 4
King pillows at $8.25 each in a four-pack, with a whole-pillow wash and a listed height of 5 inches.
Height is the gamble on your back. Of 56 buyers who mention neck support, 73% are positive, while flatness draws 72% negative.
7.2out of 10
- FillDown alternative fiber
- Stars4.4 (2,463)
- Per pillow$8.25
Height
Fill the curve of your neck, not the space beside it
Your back already rests flat on the mattress, so the pillow only has to fill the curve under your neck and hold your head level with your body. Harvard Health quotes clinicians who say back sleepers usually need a thinner pillow than side sleepers. Researchers reviewing pillow-height studies found no firm answer on the best height for back sleepers, so treat any single number as a starting point.
A firmer mattress usually calls for a thicker pillow and a softer mattress for a thinner one, a point a chiropractor makes for Cleveland Clinic. Both Coop pillows are listed at 8 inches before you adjust them, so on a soft bed you will likely remove a good share of fill. Our loft guide shows how to judge the height at home.
Fill
Medium foam, plush fiber or feather inserts
Medium shredded foam leads the list because you can take fill out until your chin stops lifting. Plush fiber, like the Utopia Bedding set, costs a fraction as much and starts softer, though it flattens: 52% of the buyers who mention flatness on that set are negative. Our down alternative page covers how fiber loft holds up.
If you start on your back and roll onto your side in the night, you need a height that works for both. An adjustable pillow set to the middle of your range is the usual compromise. The side-sleeper list holds the same ten pillows, since every pick here names both positions.
Feather is the third route. The Three Geese pillow splits its goose feather into inserts, so you can drop one when the full stack lifts your chin and keep it for nights you spend on your side. It costs $44.99 a pillow, and the whole pillow goes in the washer.
Care
Washing a back sleeper's pillow
Your face and hair rest on the same patch of pillow all night, so care matters. Three of these ten wash whole, five have zip-off covers, Utopia Bedding's fiber set is spot clean only and Puredown gives no instructions. MedlinePlus advises washing bedding and pillows weekly at 130 to 140 F, and our washing guide sorts that advice by fill.
Questions
Questions buyers ask
What pillow height do you need as a back sleeper?
Enough to fill the curve under your neck and keep your head level with your chest, which is usually less than a side sleeper needs. Mayo Clinic's advice is a pillow that keeps the neck in line with the chest and back. An adjustable pillow lets you remove fill until you get there.
Is a firm or soft pillow better for you as a back sleeper?
Harvard Health's clinicians talk about height more than firmness here: back sleepers usually need a thinner pillow than side sleepers. Feel is personal. The QUTOOL Firm pillow suits you if you like a pillow that does not give, and the Puredown Shredded pillow, soft by the maker's word, if you do not.
Can you use a thin stomach-sleeper pillow on your back?
It is not on this list, but its maker names back sleeping too: the SUPA MODERN Thin Stomach Sleeper Pillow comes in three fixed heights, the lowest under two inches. On a soft mattress, the thinner end of that range is worth a look. With a firm one, start at the tallest or pick an adjustable pillow.
Should you buy one pillow or a set if you sleep on your back?
A set makes sense when you want spares at a low price: the JOLLYVOGUE and Utopia Bedding four-packs here run from $7.62 a pillow. One adjustable pillow makes more sense when height is the problem, because a set gives you four pillows of the same fixed height.
