Bamboo pillows are one of the most popular pillows on the market today. The pillows boast a plethora of purported benefits, such as being lightweight, moisture-wicking, and breathable. Many also have adjustable fill, allowing sleepers to customize the firmness and loft.
While you’ll see many pillow models marketed as bamboo, the exact meaning of that term varies. First, it’s important to note that bamboo-derived fabric is typically a semi-synthetic rayon made of cellulose extracted from bamboo and reformed into fibers. Most bamboo pillows use bamboo-derived fabric in their shells with a different type of fill material, like memory foam, down alternative, or buckwheat hulls. However, a few also include bamboo-derived fill.
We’ll explore our top picks for the best bamboo pillows based on our hands-on product testing. We’ll also explore what bamboo pillows are, how they’re made, potential benefits, and how to choose the right bamboo pillow for you.
Sleep Doctor’s Picks
Down Alternative, Shredded Gel-Infused Memory Foam, Solid Gel-Infused Memory Foam
Adjustable
$120
Viscose from bamboo
Highlights
- Three types of fill for greater balance and adjustability
- Three inserts you can mix and match for the desired firmness and loft
- Gel-infused memory foam engineered for cooling
Ideal For
- Side, back, and stomach sleepers
- Those with changing needs or preferences
- Sleepers who prefer to customize their pillow
Why We Like It
The Luxome LAYR Customizable Pillow’s innovative design uses a combination of inserts with varying fill for a personalized experience. Since sleepers can mix and match inserts based on their needs and preferences, this pillow is well suited to nearly every sleep position and body type. The design includes a breathable viscose-from-bamboo cover and three inserts: a soft down alternative insert, a medium shredded memory foam and down alternative insert, and a firm solid memory foam insert. Sleepers can adjust the configuration of the inserts to create the right firmness and loft for them. To further tailor the pillow, you can add or remove filling from the inserts. We found the pillow worked well for our diverse team of testers. Due to the pillow’s customizable design, testers of all body types and position preferences found a configuration that was exceptionally comfortable for them. Our hot sleepers also noted little heat buildup thanks to the combination of breathable viscose and gel-infused memory foam designed for cooling. The Luxome LAYR Customizable Pillow is available in standard and king sizes in packs of one or two. Luxome offers free shipping in the contiguous U.S. and a 30-day return policy. With so many options built in, our testers found the Luxome LAYR Customizable Pillow appropriate for virtually any sleeper, including those who sleep hot.
Shredded Memory Foam
Medium
$100
Rayon derived from bamboo
Highlights
- Shredded memory foam fill molds well without trapping heat
- Adjustable fill for customized comfort
- Washable cover
Ideal For
- Sleepers with changing position preferences
- Those prone to overheating
- Value seekers
Why We Like It
The Sleepsia IK Bamboo Pillow offers many of the advantages of higher-end bamboo pillows at a more accessible price-point. The adjustable fill lets sleepers fine-tune the firmness and loft to enhance comfort and promote healthy spinal alignment. The pillow cover uses bamboo-derived fabric that lets air circulate so that heat can escape. This cover is also removable and machine-washable for easy cleaning. The pillow’s fill consists of plush shredded memory foam and polyester fiber. The foam is CertiPUR-US certified, verifying that it meets third-party standards for contents and emissions. Although the pillow initially arrives with a 5-inch loft, sleepers can remove fill to customize the height and firmness. Our testers reported that the budget-friendly pillow offered the necessary support for their heads and necks by conforming closely without going flat. At its full loft, the pillow performed best for testers who prefer to sleep on their sides. However, the back and stomach sleepers on our team removed some fill and quickly found the right balance of softness and support. We also noted that the pillow did not retain much heat, keeping testers cool and comfortable. This pillow comes as a two-pack in queen or king size. Shipping is free in the United States. The Sleepsia IK Bamboo Pillow provides comfort, support, adjustability, and breathability similar to more luxurious bamboo pillows without the high price-point.
Shredded Charcoal-Infused Memory Foam
Medium
$99
65% polyester, 35% viscose from bamboo with 100% polyester side panel
Highlights
- Easily remove or add fill to reach desired firmness
- Charcoal infusion engineered to wick moisture and resist odors
- 100-night trial period
Ideal For
- Side and back sleepers under 230 pounds
- Those with changing sleep styles
- Sleepers with sensitive skin
Why We Like It
While comfort is subjective, the Cariloha Flex Pillow’s customizable design makes it optimal for a wide range of sleepers. The removable, machine-washable quilted cover contains a blend of viscose from bamboo and polyester. Shredded CertiPUR-US certified memory foam fill encased in a solid memory foam envelope makes the pillow moldable and conforming without sacrificing shape retention. The foam is also infused with charcoal derived from bamboo, which is intended to wick moisture while resisting odor and allergens. Sleepers can remove shredded fill to adjust the firmness level. Because of its unique design, the Cariloha Flex Pillow was most comfortable for our testers under 230 pounds who sleep on their sides or backs. The pillow molded closely to relieve pressure points, but it also maintained its shape enough to support good posture. Our stomach sleepers and testers over 230 pounds also found the Cariloha Flex Pillow comfortable, though the solid memory foam envelope limited the extent to which they could adjust the firmness and loft. The Cariloha Flex Pillow is available in standard and king sizes. It comes with a 100-night trial period and a one-year limited warranty. With its combination of a solid memory foam envelope and shredded memory foam fill, the Cariloha Flex Pillow balances cushioning, moldability, and support.
Long-Strand Mulberry Silk
Medium Soft
$299
Viscose from bamboo
Highlights
- Constructed with mulberry silk and viscose from bamboo
- Breathable design for superior temperature regulation
- 100-night trial and 10-year limited warranty
Ideal For
- Hot sleepers
- Side and back sleepers
- Stomach sleepers under 230 pounds
Why We Like It
The Cozy Earth Silk Pillow has a breathable design and plush feel to cushion and cradle the head while staying cool to the touch. This medium soft pillow uses a cover made of viscose from bamboo, which allows air to circulate while wicking away moisture. The fill consists of mulberry silk, further enhancing the breathability and durability while giving the pillow its luxurious feel. Our testers found this pillow well suited for side and back sleeping due to its combination of moldability and shape retention. While team members could scrunch up the pillow as needed, it didn’t go flat or need frequent fluffing to maintain its loft. The stomach sleepers on our team who weigh under 230 pounds also found it comfortable. Because this pillow contains silk, it requires more delicate care than some bamboo-based models. Owners should use a protective pillowcase and spot-clean or dry-clean the pillow as needed. The Cozy Earth Silk Pillow is available in standard and king sizes. It includes free shipping in the U.S., a 100-night sleep trial, and a 10-year limited warranty. With its breathable design and luxurious feel, we found the Cozy Earth Silk Pillow a great fit for back and side sleepers prone to overheating.
Shredded Memory Foam
Medium
$120
Rayon from bamboo
Highlights
- Adjustable fill for customizable support
- 101-night trial and limited lifetime warranty
- Cool-to-the-touch cover
Ideal For
- Side and back sleepers under 230 pounds
- Those who run hot
- Individuals with changing sleep needs and preferences
Why We Like It
The Puffy Pillow’s adjustable loft and strong shape retention are ideal for side sleepers in need of consistent cushioning and support. The breathable, cool-to-the-touch cover is made from rayon derived from bamboo. The cover is removable and machine-washable for easy care. The fill consists of CertiPUR-US certified shredded memory foam. Although the Puffy Pillow arrives with a medium feel, sleepers can add or remove the shredded memory foam fill to adjust the firmness and loft. Our team found the Puffy Pillow ideal for side sleeping. The zippable inner sleeve made it easy for testers to add or remove fill to reach a loft that aligned their heads and necks. The memory foam also provided ample support, moldability, and pressure relief. The Puffy Pillow comes in two colors: white and gray. It is available in standard and king sizes. Puffy also offers free shipping in the U.S., a 101-night sleep trial, and a limited lifetime warranty. We found the Puffy Pillow provided ample support for side sleepers, promoting good posture and enhanced comfort. Thanks to its adjustable loft, we expect most side sleepers will be able to make the pillow comfortable for them.
Why You Should Trust Us
The products we review undergo rigorous hands-on testing conducted by our diverse and experienced team of researchers. Our product testing team consists of sleepers of all body types and sleeping position preferences. Team members personally test each model against a standardized set of performance criteria, such as firmness level, breathability, and moldability. We tested dozens of bamboo pillows to determine our top recommendations.
What Are Bamboo Pillows?
Bamboo pillows contain at least some materials derived from bamboo. Rayon, modal, viscose, and lyocell often use bamboo as a fiber source in their manufacturing processes, so you may see pillows that contain any of these materials marketed as bamboo.
Most bamboo pillows consist of a bamboo-derived cover and another type of fill, such as memory foam, latex, buckwheat hulls, or down alternative. Some bamboo pillows feature bamboo-derived materials in both the cover and fill, though this is significantly less common.
Bamboo pillows recently rose in popularity due to their many potential advantages, including their breathability, moisture control, and resistance to dust mites and other allergens.
Some eco-conscious shoppers also prefer bamboo pillows because the bamboo plant grows quickly, making it more sustainable. However, the process of turning bamboo into a fabric generally relies on chemicals, bringing its overall sustainability into question.
How Are Bamboo Pillows Made?
Bamboo pillows are made using the fast-growing grass plant, bamboo. While bamboo grows on all continents except Antarctica, it thrives in Southeast Asia due to the warm and moist climate. The plant needs little human intervention, requiring minimal fertilization, irrigation, and pesticides. Its ability to grow quickly and its ease of cultivation make it a sustainable crop for land restoration and an ideal plant for commercial use.
Before a bamboo pillow makes its way to your bed, the materials must first be harvested and processed. Farmers harvest the bamboo, which then goes through one of two processes to produce the necessary fibers. Mechanical processing requires machinery and a natural enzyme treatment to extract bamboo fibers. This process yields durable bamboo linen. Chemical processing is much more common. It utilizes chemicals to dissolve the cellulose in bamboo so that it can be reformed into fibers.
Mechanical processing is widely considered more eco-friendly but is rare.
Types of Bamboo Fabric
Manufacturing bamboo into fabric yields three main varieties, each with potential benefits and drawbacks.
- Bamboo Rayon: Rayon is the most common bamboo-derived fabric on the market. Crafted using chemical processing, bamboo rayon is an affordable semi-synthetic material often used in pillows. Common types of bamboo rayon include viscose and modal.
- Bamboo Lyocell: Chemical processing can also produce lyocell from bamboo, which is technically another type of rayon with a few distinctions. Lyocell production reuses chemicals in a closed-loop process, leading to less waste and enhanced sustainability. It also tends to be more moisture-wicking than other types of rayon.
- Bamboo Linen: Bamboo linen is lauded as the most environmentally friendly bamboo fabric option. Instead of chemical processing, it relies on a combination of mechanical crushing and a natural enzyme to produce the necessary fibers that are later spun into yarn. However, the manufacturing of bamboo linen requires more expensive processes, leading to a higher price tag. The resulting fabric also tends to be coarser and more prone to wrinkling.
Are Bamboo Pillows Good?
Bamboo pillows are a good option for hot sleepers and those with changing needs or preferences. Most bamboo pillows combine a bamboo-based fabric cover with varying fill materials, so there is a lot of variety in overall feel and performance.
Benefits of a Bamboo Pillow
Bamboo pillows have risen in popularity due to their many potential benefits. While the performance varies depending on the type of bamboo-derived material and the fill, most bamboo pillows on the market share a few similarities.
Breathability
Bamboo-derived threads tend to be extremely smooth, leaving gaps in the weave that air can flow through to help the pillow maintain a more neutral temperature. Many bamboo fabrics also actively wick moisture, keeping sleepers cooler and drier throughout the night.
Adjustaility
Many bamboo pillows are adjustable, allowing sleepers to change the pillow’s loft or firmness by adding or removing fill. This makes them flexible enough to accommodate changing needs and preferences.
Sustainable Natural Materials
Bamboo grows quickly with minimal human intervention, so raw bamboo is an eco-friendly resource. However, processing methods vary, so not all bamboo-derived fabrics are considered natural or sustainable.
Pillow Fill
Bamboo pillow fill varies. A few bamboo pillows contain bamboo fill, but most consist of other fill materials, such as memory foam, latex, buckwheat, or down alternative. The fill material plays a major role in the overall comfort and performance of the pillow.
Memory Foam
Memory foam fill is exceedingly common in bamboo pillows. This material may be solid or shredded, with solid options providing more consistent support and shredded excelling in moldability. Some memory foam pillows retain heat, though many now use technology designed for cooling. Memory foam models may also have an initial odor from manufacturing.
A bamboo pillow might use one of several types of memory foam.
- Traditional Memory Foam: Traditional memory foam pillows use a single block of memory foam, which provides support and pressure relief. However, these models are frequently less breathable and lack the moldability of more conventional pillow types.
- Open-Cell Memory Foam: Open-cell memory foam contains internal air pockets to promote air circulation. This material can be used in either solid or shredded memory foam fill.
- Gel Memory Foam: Gel memory foam includes a gel infusion designed to wick heat away from the sleeper’s body for improved temperature control. Shredded or solid memory foam pillows may use this material.
- Shredded Memory Foam: Shredded memory foam fill contains small pieces of memory foam. Because the pieces can move around, shredded memory foam pillows are traditionally more breathable and moldable.
Bamboo Fiber
Although bamboo fiber and bamboo fiber blend fill is not as common as memory foam, it offers its own array of potential benefits. Bamboo fill is usually highly breathable and moisture-wicking, making it a popular option for hot sleepers. It’s also less prone to manufacturing odors than memory foam.
Other Materials Used as Fill
Bamboo pillows can also use several other materials as fill.
- Latex: Bamboo pillows can contain solid or shredded latex fill. Both options perform well in our temperature readings. Solid latex pillows tend to be highly supportive with less hug than memory foam. Shredded latex pillows are traditionally softer, more moldable, and more breathable.
- Buckwheat: Buckwheat fill is an eco-friendly, supportive, and adjustable option. While buckwheat models are often ideal for maintaining good posture, they feel quite firm and may produce a rustling sound when you shift positions.
- Down Alternative: Down alternative fill usually uses polyester microfiber to mimic the plushness of down.
Choosing the Best Bamboo Pillow
Finding the right bamboo pillow for you is critical to comfort. The best pillow promotes spinal alignment and prevents neck and back pain. There’s a bamboo pillow model to accommodate virtually any sleep need or preference, but choosing the best pillow for you requires understanding your body type, sleep position, and habits.
- Sleeping Position: Sleeping position contributes to the ideal loft and firmness. Side sleepers typically need more support, so they often prefer a thicker pillow with a fill that doesn’t go flat, such as memory foam or latex. Back sleepers generally prefer a medium loft, and stomach sleepers usually need a thin pillow that doesn’t elevate the head excessively.
- Fill Type: The type of fill influences performance. Bamboo-derived fill, shredded latex or memory foam, down alternative, and buckwheat hull fill are typically breathable and moldable. Solid memory foam and latex retain their shape well for consistent support. Adjustable fill is the most flexible, allowing sleepers to customize the loft or firmness.
- Loft: Loft is how thick the pillow is. Usually, side sleepers need a high loft pillow to maintain good posture, back sleepers look for a medium loft, and stomach sleepers do well with a low loft. Many bamboo pillows have an adjustable loft with interior zippers that allow sleepers to add or remove interior fill according to their preferences.
- Support: The level of support is dependent upon the loft and type of fill. Materials that maintain their shape well generally offer more consistent support. Memory foam, latex, and buckwheat perform well in our tests. Down alternative and bamboo-derived fills vary more in their supportiveness, but you can often scrunch up pillows with these types of fill as needed.
- Firmness: The firmness level indicates the relative softness of the pillow. Many bamboo pillows are adjustable, allowing you to add or remove fill to change the feel. Firmness is largely subjective, so you may want to experiment with adjusting the fill and manipulating the shape until you find what feels right for you.
- Pressure Relief: Pressure relief also depends on the pillow’s fill. Memory foam-based pillows traditionally provide exceptional pressure relief by molding to the shape of the sleeper’s head and neck, redistributing their weight.
- Moldability: Moldable bamboo pillows are easy to manipulate into different shapes. Shredded memory foam or latex, bamboo-derived fiber, and down alternative fills are more moldable than solid memory foam or latex.
- Material Quality and Price: Although bamboo-based covers generally have long lifespans, a pillow’s fill often determines its overall durability. Any fill material may lose support over time. However, you may be able to restuff adjustable pillows when the fill degrades, extending their life expectancy.
Explore More Pillows
If you’re looking for a particular type of pillow, check out our other guides below.
Last Things to Know About Bamboo Pillows
When deciding whether a bamboo pillow is right for you, there are several additional aspects to consider, such as environmental impact, odor, and ease of cleaning.
Are Bamboo Pillows Eco-Friendly?
The environmental impact of bamboo pillows depends on the specific type of bamboo-derived material, so they may or may not be considered eco-friendly.
The bamboo plant is a natural and eco-friendly material due to its rapid growth, biodegradability, and minimal need for pesticides, fertilizer, and irrigation. However, the manufacturing processes used to create bamboo-derived fibers are generally not considered environmentally friendly due to their extensive use of chemicals. That said, bamboo linen uses a mechanical process to minimize the environmental impact, and lyocell relies on a closed-loop process to reduce waste.
When assessing a bamboo pillow’s sustainability, also consider the fill material. Check for certifications, such as CertiPUR-US and GREENGUARD Gold, which verify that the product meets certain health and environmental standards.
Do Bamboo Pillows Smell?
While bamboo-derived fabric does not typically have a discernible smell, some bamboo pillows may have an initial odor depending on their fill. Memory foam pillows usually have an off-gassing odor when they’re new, and natural latex pillows may have a slight rubbery smell.
Can You Wash a Bamboo Pillow?
Whether you can wash a bamboo pillow depends on its fill materials and construction, so follow the manufacturer’s directions. In many cases, bamboo-based covers are machine-washable.
With the exception of solid memory foam or latex models, most bamboo pillows should also be fluffed regularly to break up any clumps, reintroduce air, and redistribute the fill. Caring for your bamboo pillow in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions can help preserve its lifespan.
About The Author
Staff Writer, Product Testing Team
Garen is a health and lifestyle content creator. She realized the importance of sleep when her children made getting a good night’s rest more challenging. Garen is always learning something new about the wide world of sleep and sleep products. Married with two girls, ages 7 and 11, she is a book nerd and a lover of pop music, travel, and the Pacific Northwest.
- POSITION: Side Sleeper
- TEMPERATURE: Neutral Sleeper
- CHRONOTYPE: Wolf
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