If you suffer from back pain-related ailments, and you have struggled to find your "Goldilocks" pillow to help combat your back pain, then look no further.
We know how overwhelming it can be to choose the right pillow, let alone one that will alleviate your pain and help you get the sleep you deserve. For that reason, I have only chosen a select few of the best pillows for back pain.
As this is an important decision, I want you to feel confident in making it. Because whether your pain is temporary, ongoing, or intermittent, it is essential to pick a pillow that will not contribute to the problem.
OK! Everything you need to aid you on your quest to find the best pillow for back pain relief is just a few scrolls aways...
Let's start:
Table of Contents
Best Pillows for Back Pain
To help you find the best pillow for your back pain, we have included at least one example of each type in this guide.
Read on to make an informed decision.
1. Restorology Elevating Foam Leg Rest Pillow
This pillow is the perfect height to relieve discomfort from conditions such as leg and back pain, restless legs syndrome, and varicose veins. Its extra-wide shape ensures improved circulation and lymphatic flow. It's like lying on a cloud with your favorite blanket wrapped around you.
If you're looking for an ergonomic solution that's also comfortable, this one's worth checking out. The Restorology Elevating pillow is also a great way to ease into recovery after an injury. Treat your tired muscles with this soft yet supportive bed pillow! So if you're struggling with pain or just want some extra support, give this one a try.
Editor's Notes: This pillow is another wedge pillow that's been ergonomically designed to provide elevation right where you need it. A great feature is that it's an ideal post-surgery aid as it reduces those uncomfortable feelings associated with restless leg syndrome. Wedge pillows for back pain tend to be firmer, but this is ideal if your head/neck/legs need to be elevated in a specific way for prolonged periods. Softer foam pillows would not hold up to the task!
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2. Royal Therapy Memory Foam Pillow
The Royal Therapy Memory Foam Pillow has a "wave shape" developed by orthopedic doctors. The result is a proper spine alignment for support and comfort (and a good night's sleep!) The pillow is made of higher-density memory foam which softens in reaction to body heat, so it conforms to your shape dynamically. This ensures your head, neck, and spine receive precisely the level of support needed to promote deep and restful sleep.
This pillow has an adjustable height to accommodate side, back, and front sleepers. Improved spinal alignment also means improved breathing as your airways open more fully. The Royal Therapy pillow is durable, too, with long-lasting -and hypoallergenic- materials.
Available in Queen and King sizes, this ultra-luxe pillow for back pain sufferers provides full support just where you need it.
Editor's Notes: Give your neck and shoulders the royal treatment with this luxurious contoured pillow! Touches of gold make this pillow look and feel ultra-luxe. Bamboo is a fantastic material that's super-soft, hard-wearing, breathable, and easy to clean. As well as being adjustable to suit your specific needs, this pillow is made from quality materials that inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold, fungus, and dust mites. The Royal Therapy Memory Foam Pillow is an excellent choice for allergy sufferers.
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3. InteVision Ortho Bed Wedge Pillow
The InteVision Ortho Bed Wedge Pillow can elevate your legs to a high position to achieve the "zero-gravity" alignment. This helps to improve your circulation while easing back pain. Made with a memory foam topper on a firm base foam means you get the cushioned comfort with the firm supportive base. The cover is machine-washable for no-fuss ownership.
One of the best pillows for back pain, this is ideal for post-surgery elevation. The ergonomic wedge design ensures maximum comfort.
Editor's Notes: This is another excellent wedge pillow, but with a twist! The firm base provides all the support you need while the memory foam layer on top provides comfort. Another great feature is you can relax/sleep in a "zero-gravity" position by having one of these pillows under your head, and another pillow under your legs.
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4. UTTU Sandwich Pillow, Adjustable Memory Foam Pillow
The UTTU Sandwich Pillow has a part bamboo cover to help give you a refreshing night's sleep. Made with a dynamic foam that adjusts to your body, this pillow strives to deliver the most comfortable sleeping position, every night.
The high-grade material design helps to keep its firmness and feel all year, and the naturally hypoallergenic and dust-mite resistant fabric cover will ensure you will want to use it all year, too!
This adjustable pillow can be altered to suit your specific needs with a removal middle layer to treat your back pain accordingly. Different elevations provide different levels of relief for maximal back pain.
Editor's Notes: The UTTU Sandwich Pillow is a great choice if you need adjustable height in your back pain pillow. "Out of the box" this pillow will provide a high contour elevation of 4.7" with a low contour elevation of 3.9". Removing the middle memory foam layer reduces the high contour elevation to 3.5" with a low contour of 2.8". This is an excellent pillow for side, back, and stomach sleepers who suffer from neck pain while sleeping.
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5. Milemont Memory Foam Pillow, Cervical Pillow for Neck Pain
This orthopedic contour support pillow for back pain comes in two
The Milemont Memory Foam Pillow has a contoured shape to help align your spine and relieve tension in your head, neck, and shoulders while you soundly sleep. The high-density memory foam ensures the pillow adapts perfectly to the weight of your head and neck as you sleep. The premium material is long-lasting and will retain its shape for years.
The contour design provides two different pillow heights. If you are a back sleeper, use the low pillow side. If you are a side sleeper, simply use the high pillow side.
This orthopedic contour support pillow for back pain comes in two colors and three sizes to ensure that there's a pillow to suit your back pain needs.
Editor's Notes: No matter which way you sleep, this pillow can provide relief. The low pillow area is suitable for back sleepers, while the high pillow area is best for side sleepers. As a CertiPUR-US rated pillow (a certified premium memory foam), this pillow adjusts to any pressure from your head and neck to ensure a great night's sleep and premium comfort.
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6. ComfiLife Orthopedic Knee Pillow
The ComfiLife Orthopedic Knee Pillow is a premium pillow designed to provide relief from knee pain, back pain, hip pain, and sciatica. With its smart ergonomic design, your legs, hips, and spine are kept in correct alignment while sleeping, and you reap the benefits of improved circulation.
Made with high-density memory foam, this pillow will not lose its shape over time. It also has a breathable and easy machine washable cover plus ComfiLife offer their usual 100% money-back guarantee if you are not 100% happy.
The perfect solution for those nights when you can't seem to sleep.
Editor's Notes: This pillow may look like something out of left-field (or a giant pencil sharpener!), but do not be deceived. Simply place this pillow between your knees to improve the alignment of your legs, hips, and spine. Hip pain, pregnancy-related joint pain, and sciatica relief may just be a pillow away. And within days, you may wish you had purchased one sooner!
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7. Ziraki Coccyx Seat Cushion Orthopedic, Luxury Chair Pillow
The Ziraki Coccyx Seat Cushion is a true "go anywhere" pillow to ensure no matter what, your back and tailbone are correctly supported for maximum comfort. Just place the U-shaped seat cushion in your chair, whether at the office, in the car, or while traveling, to alleviate stiffness and soreness.
The Ziraki Coccyx design offers support for tailbone pain, herniated discs, leg and back pain, and more. It is made from 100% memory foam and has a velvet material finish.
For back pain relief, sciatica, and coccyx pain, this luxury seat pillow is ideal for the home and the office.
Editor's Notes: Smaller than other pillows, this one is explicitly designed as a seat cushion to alleviate coccyx, sciatica, and tailbone pain. Discreet and portable, this is the perfect choice for you if you need relief at work, while driving, relaxing at home or if you're heavily pregnant. Just take it with you.
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8. Back Pain Relief Memory Foam Pillow
If you suffer from chronic back pain, this pillow can make a world of difference. The BeautifulLife Bed Roll Pillow may be just what the doctor ordered! And if you're looking for a "doctor recommended" pillow for back pain, then this one is rated and recommended by chiropractors, physical therapists, and doctors.
This breathable pillow helps to ease the pain associated with chronic low back/tailbone pain, as well as relieve sciatic nerve pain. Plus, it is a versatile pillow you can place under your knees or use as a spacer between your legs to improve circulation. Altogether this top-rated pillow will surely help you fall asleep through the night. Three sizes are available to ensure that there is the right support to meet the needs of your body.
Editor's Notes: Semi-circular pillows -such as this one- are an excellent choice for providing lumbar support right where you need it. Slimmer than your average pillow, these can be used while driving as well as teamed with other pillows to offer a bit of extra height and support when needed. These half-moon pillows are also great if you need a slight lift -such as under your neck- or to help alleviate back pain when trying to sleep when heavily pregnant.
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9. ComfiLife Lumbar Support Pillow for Sleeping Memory Foam Pillow
The ComfiLife Lumbar Support Pillow is a highly rated pillow that will help ease your aches and pains while helping you sleep through the night.
With its innovative design, this comfortable bed wedge pillow will improve your spinal alignment for back pain relief. It can also support your knees, legs, and elevate your feet, due to its versatile multi-position wedge design.
This easy-to-use bed wedge pillow is made of high-quality materials that are both comfortable and easy to clean. With its multi-function shape and premium, high-quality density memory foam, it is hard to fault. It is easy to maintain, too, with its breathable easy-clean cover. Finally, the lifetime warranty shows the confidence ComfiLife has in the product.
Editor's Notes: A wedge pillow is an excellent choice for elevating your head or leg(s) as required. A benefit of high-density memory foam is that it won't lose its shape and wedge pillows do not tend to sag or flatten. Wedge pillows also tend to be firmer and larger than other pillows due to the high level of lumbar support that they provide.
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10. Lumbar Pillow Back Pain Support
This ergonomic seat cushion helps alleviate pressure points by supporting the natural contours of your spine to ease discomfort caused by prolonged sitting. Comfort and productivity are enhanced by the precise shaping of this ergonomic seat cushion.
If you're looking for an easy way to ease into work without sacrificing comfort, this product may be what you've been missing! This memory foam cushion improves and corrects your posture in addition to preventing you from sitting in harmful positions. This lumbar support pillow is ideal for use as a seat cushion for the car or the office chair. It also comes with a sturdy travel bag to take it with you.
Editor's Notes: If you need a square pillow that fits comfortably in your office chair or your car, then look no further than this pillow. Specifically designed to aid with long periods of sitting, this pillow will provide continuous lumbar support for as long as you need it. Its extra-firm filling will ensure that your posture improves and perfects while providing full support to your lower back.
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A Buyer's Guide to Purchasing A Pillow for Back Pain
The pillows reviewed above are both highly rated and customer-recommended, which is why they made the cut.
Like most things in life, what's suitable for one person may not be suitable for another. Therefore, it's well worth considering the following before spending your hard-earned money.
Materials & Fillings
The filling part of a pillow is all-important as this determines the level of support and comfort you will gain from it.
The ten pillows above are all made from foam/memory foam and cover a variety of firmness levels.
Memory Foam: This is probably the most popular choice as it hits the right balance between firm and soft. Memory foam pillows retain their shape and can be found in all types of pillows.
Premium Memory Foam: These have extra features such as a [CertiPUR-US](https://certipur.us/) core or a UTTU Dynamic Foam. Premium memory foam products provide additional benefits and boost the life and performance of your pillow.
Furniture-Grade Foam: This is often the type of foam used in couch cushions and outdoor furniture. Not as advanced as memory foam, but for the more budget-conscious buyer, these pillows still provide a certain level of comfort and support.
Viscoelastic Foam: This is just another term for memory foam! Originally developed by NASA for airplane seat cushions in the 1970s, this foam offers slow response and low resistance. Its soft surface allows for contouring while still providing support.
Choosing the Right Pillow
Ideally, the pillow you decide to buy would last you a few years (not just a couple of weeks!) It may be that you need to buy more than one pillow to provide the comfort you need. As there are different pillows for different needs, the fun part is deciding which pillow(s) is for you!
There are three key things to consider before making your purchase:
Firmness: Do you require a firm block of foam to elevate your legs or a softer pillow for your back pain?
Covers: Are you partial to an organic cotton cover, or do you need something more resistant? A key thing to look for when purchasing your new pillow is a removable -and machine-washable- cover. These will prolong the life of your pillow and ensure good sleep hygiene.
Size & Shape: Do you need a small pillow for the office or a large pillow to support both legs at once? Pillows come in many shapes and sizes, so this is also a factor to consider before making any purchase. For example, a small pillow might be convenient and portable, but is it up to the job of fully supporting your neck all day?!
Sleeping Position
How you sleep makes a huge difference in how you feel when you wake up. It can also be the difference between an "I'm in agony" day and a "wow I feel great" day! Most people fall into one of the following sleep positions:
Side Sleeper: If you're a hard-and-fast side sleeper, then it's an obvious choice to pick a pillow that supports your neck and allows for neutral neck and spine alignment while on your side.
If your pillow is too high, then your neck is angled upward. This puts uneven pressure on your spine and can result in pinched nerves (among other things!)
If your pillow is too low, then your neck is angled downwards. This can also result in pinched nerves. Not what you want on top of your existing condition!
If you are pregnant and need support for your growing bump -as well as correct neck and spine alignment- there are pillows on the list to help you.
Back Sleeper: When sleeping on your back, the best position for your head is for it to be slightly raised but not too much.
To keep your neck and spine in alignment while sleeping on your back, you need a medium-thickness pillow with either a medium or firm filling.
This provides the best level of support. It's also a good idea to choose a pillow that you can vary the height of so that you can make all the tweaks and adjustments to get the perfect height you need.
As with side sleeping, if you sleep on your back (either as a preference or a need), you will need to ensure that your neck and spine are in neutral alignment (i.e., not too high and not too low.)
Front Sleepers: This is not a sleeping position we would recommend! Sleeping on your front forces you to sleep with your head face-down into your pillow or your head forced to one side in an unnatural position. This is why many health professionals advise against it.
If you do find yourself sleeping on your front, you're better off choosing a soft, low elevation pillow. This might help to minimize any damage that front sleeping can create.
In Summary
While we cannot give precise recommendations because everyone is different, these pillows are all designed to eliminate and relieve the common causes of back pain. I'm sure the right pillow for back pain for you is on this page. Just choose the one that best resonates with your particular requirements, and you won't go far wrong.
Summary
