The Best Firm Pillows for Extra Support

The Brooklinen Down Pillow boasts a straightforward design that should appeal to anyone who enjoys the lofty feel of down and feathers but needs extra support. You can choose from three firmness levels, including a firm option with two chambers. Strong feather clusters fill the bottom chamber, creating a strong base to minimize sinkage, while the top chamber contains plush down to provide cushioning for your head and neck.

After testing each version of the Brooklinen Down Pillow, our team found that the firm feel is best suited to side sleepers. The higher loft helps fill the gap between your head and downward-facing shoulder, which promotes even alignment and reduces pressure along the spine. If you’re a back or stomach sleeper, you may feel more comfortable using one of the softer pillows.

A shell composed of cotton sateen encases the pillow. This fabric is soft, smooth, and breathable, offsetting some of the down’s heat-retaining properties to keep you cool at night. Double-stitched edges protect the cotton from rips and tears that can allow the fill to escape. Daily fluffing is recommended to help the pillow maintain a full shape. Machine washing can damage the pillow, so you should only spot clean or dry clean as needed.

Standard and king sizes are available, both reasonably priced compared to the average down and feather pillow. You’ll also receive a 10% discount if you purchase two pillows, and a 15% discount if you purchase four. Each order includes a generous sleep trial that runs for 365 nights, ensuring you’ll have plenty of time to test the pillow and decide if it’s right for you. Those who keep their pillow receive an additional year of warranty coverage against structural and material defects.

The Brooklinen Down Pillow – Firm is filled with thick feather clusters, resulting in above-average support and thick loft. These qualities make the pillow a solid choice for side sleepers, as well as anyone who normally finds down and feather pillows too plush.

The Buffy Cloud Pillow – Firm offers many of the advantages of a luxury firm pillow at a more budget-friendly price-point. It combines support and moldability, so our testers could squish it to fit the shapes of their heads and necks without the pillow going flat.

The shell consists of a 300 single-ply thread count sateen weave fabric made from Tencel lyocell fiber. This fiber is derived from sustainably sourced wood, such as eucalyptus. The resulting fabric feels soft and cool to the touch. It also wicks away moisture, which our team members found kept them cool and dry.

The inner fill contains BPA-free recycled PET fill. This shredded fiber has a soft, fluffy feel similar to down alternative.

Our hands-on testers found that the Buffy Cloud Pillow – Firm provided exceptional support without feeling hard. The shredded plastic-based fill lifts the head to promote good posture, but it’s also more malleable than most firm pillow fill. Sleepers can scrunch the pillow based on their personal preferences and sleep position. This appealed most to our testers who sleep on their sides.

The Buffy Cloud Pillow – Firm is available as a single-, double-, or quad-pack in standard and king sizes. The standard size boasts 34 ounces of fill, while the king has 54 ounces. Buffy offers a seven-night home trial so sleepers can test the pillow before they commit. A 100-night return policy is also available. Shipping is free in the contiguous U.S.

The Buffy Cloud Pillow – Firm stood out to us for its ability to hold its structure under the weight of the head without sacrificing moldability. Given its cost-effective price, this model may be ideal for shoppers looking for a firm pillow on a budget.

Our testing team found that the Parachute Down Pillow – Firm felt plush despite its firm support. This balance of conforming and stability gave the pillow a luxuriously cozy feel that still maintained good structure under our testers’ heads.

The Parachute Down Pillow – Firm features a sateen weave cotton shell, which makes the pillow feel silky and smooth. A double-stitched piping seam fortifies the fill and cover. This combination gives the pillow a polished appearance and helps prevent the fill from escaping. The fill consists of 85% European white down and 15% down and feather fibers. With 750 fill power, the pillow should retain its firmness well.

Our testers of all weights found the Parachute Down Pillow – Firm well suited for side sleeping. Its 7-inch loft, firm feel, and ability to hold its structure under the head gave our side sleepers the support they needed to maintain good posture. The pillow’s internal down fill and sateen weave shell retain some heat, making the pillow comfortable for those who sleep cool. However, the firm feel also limits sinkage, so our temperature readings did not detect excessive heat buildup.

The Parachute Down Pillow – Firm requires dry cleaning or machine-washing on a delicate cycle. It is available in standard and king sizes. Parachute offers free returns within 60 days and carbon-neutral shipping. The pillow also comes with a three-year limited warranty.

Overall, the Parachute Down Pillow – Firm maintains a firm and supportive shape that promotes spinal alignment while feeling plush. This may be ideal for sleepers who appreciate cushioning but need support.

The Sweet Zzz Buckwheat Pillow uses a supremely supportive buckwheat hull fill. Sleepers can add or remove hulls to customize the pillow to fit their needs.

This model uses 100% organic certified buckwheat hulls, which are the outer shells of buckwheat seeds. These 3D hulls give the pillow a firm feel and enable the pillow to contour to the sleeper’s head, neck, and shoulders. The pillow comes with 5 pounds of buckwheat hulls and measures 7 inches thick when fully packed. Sleepers can remove fill to adjust the pillow’s height. Two zippered organic cotton covers encase the inner fill. The pillow also comes with an extra bag you can use to store removed hulls.

Our team found that the Sweet Zzz Buckwheat Pillow was comfortable for all sleep positions and weight groups. However, our back-sleeping testers in all weight categories and stomach sleepers under 130 pounds were the biggest fans. This versatility is mainly due to the pillow’s adjustability. The buckwheat hulls also permit ample airflow, making the pillow optimal for those who sleep hot.

This pillow is available in a traditional buckwheat pillow size, which measures 14 inches by 20 inches. Sweet Zzz provides free shipping and a 50-night return policy. The pillow also comes with a one-year limited warranty.

The Sweet Zzz Buckwheat Pillow is a breathable and adjustable firm pillow well suited for a range of sleepers, including those with changing loft needs.

The Avocado Molded Latex Pillow’s construction and materials provide ideal head support for many back and side sleepers. This design holds its shape and structure, so sleepers don’t have to worry about their pillow going flat during the night.

Assembled in California, the Avocado Molded Latex Pillow contains two components: the supportive inner core and the soft outer cover. The inner core consists of solid charcoal-infused latex. Our testers compared the latex’s contouring and responsiveness to a floating sensation. The charcoal infusion is intended for temperature-regulating, moisture-wicking, and odor-fighting effects.

Made of 100% GOTS organic cotton, the outer shell is soft and well suited for sensitive skin. It is also removable and machine-washable for easy cleaning. The pillow holds several certifications related to health-based and environmental standards, including eco-INSTITUT and GREENGUARD Gold.

After extensive product testing, our team found the Avocado Molded Latex Pillow does not compress under the head as easily as other models. It has enough give to contour evenly and relieve pressure, but it still retains its general structure and shape. This makes it optimal for individuals who need consistent support, such as side sleepers over 230 pounds and back sleepers over 130 pounds.

In our temperature readings, the Avocado Molded Latex Pillow also dissipated heat quickly. Our testers attribute this to the breathable cover, hole-punched latex core, and charcoal infusion. Even our hot sleepers remained cool and sweat-free throughout the testing process.

The Avocado Molded Latex Pillow is available as a single- or pair-pack in standard, queen, and king sizes. The pillow comes with free carbon-negative shipping in the contiguous United States, a 100-night trial, and a one-year limited warranty.

This pillow is great for sleepers interested in a shape-retaining pillow that stays firm without going flat or trapping heat. Eco-conscious customers may especially enjoy the natural materials.

Thanks to its three inserts of varying materials and firmness levels, the Luxome LAYR Customizable Pillow is versatile enough to accommodate sleepers of all weights, sleeping positions, and preferences.

The Luxome LAYR Customizable Pillow includes an outer cover made from bamboo viscose. This breathable material lets heat escape while wicking away moisture, which kept our testers cool and dry.

Three inserts make up the core: a soft insert made of down alternative, a medium insert crafted from gel-infused shredded memory foam and down alternative, and a firm insert made from 1-inch and 2-inch thick pieces of solid gel-infused memory foam. Sleepers can change the configuration of the inserts to fine-tune the firmness level and loft. In addition, sleepers can remove fill from the soft and medium inserts or remove one of the memory foam slabs from the firm insert to further customize the pillow.

This pillow stood out to our testing team due to its adjustability. Sleepers can easily personalize the pillow to suit their needs by combining different inserts or adding or removing fill. Side sleepers can combine all three inserts to reach a high loft, while back sleepers might mix the firm and medium inserts for a lower-loft, medium-firm pillow. Across weight groups and position preferences, all of our testers found a configuration they thought was particularly comfortable.

Both the pillow cover and the pillow insert covers are machine-washable. The Luxome LAYR Customizable Pillow is available as a single- or two-pack in standard and king sizes. Luxome offers free shipping to the contiguous U.S. and a 30-day return policy.

Because of its unparalleled adjustability, our testers found this pillow exceptionally comfortable regardless of their body type and sleep position. This customization may be especially important for sleepers with changing needs or preferences.

Two memory foam layers ensure the Saatva Memory Foam Pillow remains supportive for side sleepers, who typically require additional structure and loft.

The Saatva Memory Foam Pillow contains three layers: an organic cotton cover, a graphite-infused solid memory foam layer, and a shredded memory foam core. Since the cover is highly breathable, heat can escape the pillow. This cover is also removable and machine-washable.

All of the memory foam is CertiPUR-US certified, meaning it meets standards for content and emissions. The graphite-infused memory foam outer layer is designed to remain cool to the touch while contouring to the head and neck support. The shredded memory foam core helps maintain the pillow’s structure and shape. We found this two-layer construction enhanced the support and conforming.

Because side sleepers have a larger gap between their heads and the mattress, they require a pillow with a higher loft and consistent support. Our testers found the Saatva Memory Foam Pillow’s 8-inch loft and medium feel were well suited to this unique need. The pillow seamlessly fills the gap for most side sleepers while providing substantial support for their heads and necks. It does not compress excessively under weight for stable spinal alignment, but it also offers notable conforming.

The Saatva Memory Foam Pillow is available in queen and king sizes. Saatva offers free shipping in the contiguous United States, a 45-day trial, and a one-year limited warranty on the pillow.

After comprehensive product testing, we found that the Saatva Memory Foam Pillow is optimal for most side sleepers. Its high loft and supportive cushioning help promote spinal alignment while preventing pressure buildup.

The Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Neck Pillow is ergonomically designed based on the shape of the head, neck, and shoulders. This helps provide substantial support and relief for pain points.

The pillow consists of a removable, machine-washable polyester knit cover and a solid TEMPUR memory foam inner core. The TEMPUR material is extra firm to maintain its shape for consistent head and neck. However, it has just enough give to limit pressure buildup around a side sleeper’s ear.

The Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Neck Pillow is available in small, medium, and large to accommodate different body types and sleep styles. The small measures 3.5 inches thick, the medium is 4 inches, and the large is 4.75 inches. The length from your neck to shoulder and your preferred sleeping position determine the right size for you.

We found the Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Neck Pillow offered above-average support and relief to testers with neck pain. The contoured design fit the natural curve of their necks, allowing team members to relax their muscles while maintaining good spinal alignment. Our testers over 130 pounds who sleep on their sides or backs found the pillow most comfortable.

The Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Neck Pillow includes free shipping within the contiguous U.S. and a five-year limited warranty.

In general, the Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Neck Pillow is appropriate for side and back sleepers looking for steady, ergonomic support to relieve neck pain.