The 10 Best Ergonomic Pillows

Back and side sleepers who want a firm shape that holds steady should look first at the Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Ergo. It's one solid piece of Tempur's dense foam, carved with a raised roll for the neck and a shallow dip for the head. It comes in three heights, so broad shoulders and small frames can both find a fit. The knit cover zips off for the washer. It feels very firm at first, and most people need several nights to adjust.

You can set the height of the Royal Therapy Contour Pillow yourself: unzip the cover, pull out the middle foam layer, and it sits lower for a smaller frame or for sleeping on your back. The foam is CertiPUR-US certified, a program that screens foam for certain chemicals and emissions. Its wave shape has a raised edge under the neck that suits side and back sleepers. Like most solid foam, it holds onto body heat.

Anyone who dislikes foam can try the Core Products Tri-Core, which is stuffed with polyester fiber. A hollow in the middle cradles the head, with a larger neck roll on one edge and a smaller one on the other, so you can turn it to change the height. Core sells it in sizes matched to the sleeper's height, which takes some guesswork out. It runs firm, and the fiber can shift and need fluffing.

Stomach, back and side sleepers can all make the Nuzzle Adjustable Pillow work, because its fill comes in separate layers you add or take out to change the height. It's a regular rectangle rather than a carved shape, packed with springy coiled polyester fiber under a cover meant to feel cool. That makes it a gentler start for anyone who finds foam too stiff. It can feel lumpy until the layers are fluffed and settled.

You tune the firmness of the Mediflow Water Pillow a cup at a time. A sealed pouch sits under a layer of fiber, and you add water for more support or pour some out for less. The water moves as you turn, so the base follows your head through the night. It's made in the USA and carries a three-year warranty. Mediflow cites a neck-pain study, but that's the maker's claim, and the water base feels odd at first.

For a carved shape at a low price, the Cozyplayer Cervical Pillow has a butterfly outline with a hollow for the head and wings that hug the shoulders when you roll onto your side. One long edge sits higher than the other, and a removable foam layer drops it lower still. The case uses a cool-touch fabric. The maker is little known and sells the same pillow under several listings, and the hollow center splits opinion.

Stomach sleepers need very little under the head, and the Bluewave Ultra Slim keeps things low with a thin slab of gel-infused memory foam and air channels cut through it. Back sleepers with small frames may like it too. The zip-off cover goes in the washer, and Bluewave backs the pillow with a three-year warranty. It's too low for most side sleepers, who'd end up folding an arm underneath to fill the gap at the shoulder.

Raising the whole upper body, not just the head, is the job of the Kolbs Bed Wedge. Its slope lands in the six- to eight-inch range the National Institutes of Health mentions for people with nighttime reflux, and it also props you up to read or watch TV. A firm foam core sits under a softer memory foam top, and the cover zips off for washing. On slick sheets it can creep toward the foot of the bed.

Side sleepers who wake with sore hips or a stiff lower back often tuck something between their knees, and the Contour Legacy is shaped for that. Its curved sides fit around the thighs and knees so the top leg stays level with the hips, and holes through the memory foam let some air pass. The cover comes off for washing. It helps in one position only, so back and stomach sleepers will get little from it.

Long hours in a desk chair or a car seat are where the Everlasting Comfort Seat Cushion earns its place. A U-shaped cutout at the back keeps weight off the tailbone, and the memory foam spreads pressure across the hips. The cover washes in a machine, and a grippy base helps it stay put on the chair. With daily use the foam can flatten within months, and no cushion replaces getting up to move.