There is a lot you can do to improve your quality of sleep- starting with the pillow you use. However, many orthopedic pillows are made from memory foam which is known for trapping heat, and for hot sleepers, this translates to sleepless nights rather than comfort. A cooling memory foam pillow, on the other hand, is a perfect compromise between coolness and support.
These pillows usually rely on cooling gel and a ventilated design, to combine air circulation and temperature regulation to offer you a breezy feel at all times. Of course, the cooling design is benefited by the ergonomic properties of the memory foam, ensuring proper spinal alignment and relieving pressure from your neck. This makes cooling memory foam pillows an ideal solution for side, back, and stomach sleepers alike.
| Rank | Product | Highlights |
| #1 |  WEEKENDER Ventilated Cooling Memory Foam Pillow
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| #2 |  SENOSUR Orthopedic Cooling Pillow
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| #3 |  Qutool Cooling Bamboo Pillow
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| #4 |  Sealy Essentials Standard Memory Foam Pillow
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| #5 |  GhostBed Luxury Memory Foam Pillow
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| #6 |  Classic Brands Reversible Cool Gel and Memory Foam Pillow
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What Are the Main Advantages of a Cooling Memory Foam Pillow?
Cooling memory foam is material that combines the best of two worlds to deliver an experience that is both supportive and comfortable to any sleeper. While memory foam is very popular in the sleep industry for its contouring and orthopedic properties, it’s not without its faults- the main one being its poor temperature regulation. Regular memory foam is not very breathable and will trap heat inside the pillow. That’s why cooling memory foam pillows were developed. By infusing cooling gel beads into the foam during the manufacturing process, the pillows become suited for use by hot sleepers and in warm weather. The gel beads draw the heat away from your body and have a cooling effect, which counteracts the foam’s tendency to overheat. As a result, you get to enjoy both the cradling, pressure-relieving comfort of memory foam without having to deal with an uncomfortably warm pillow.
Better breathability
Most cooling memory foam pillow designs rely on a perforated, ventilated core, often in a two-sided honeycomb pattern. This feature is perfect for increasing airflow, which itself has several great benefits. The most important one is heat dissipation, which is the major contributor to the cooling effect. On the other hand, the increased airflow helps keep mold and mildew at bay and prevents the accumulation of harmful bacteria inside the pillow.
Temperature regulation
Most cooling pillows rely on cooling gel or similar gel particles, which are designed to draw away heat from your body. As such, it is the ideal solution for perfected temperature regulation, a major aspect of the cooling effect. Some designs even boast a Thermo sensing technology, through which the gel adapts and dissipates heat. This is ideal for a balanced cooling effect that lasts throughout the night.
Moisture-wicking properties
One major advantage of the cooling memory foam pillows – especially those with the ventilated design – is their ability to wick away moisture. Everyone perspires during sleep, especially in the hot months of the year. As a result, this perspiration can accumulate and greatly reduce the hygiene of the pillow, leaving stains, smells, and buildup of bacteria. Quality ventilated cooling pillows will not suffer from this – with the ability to wick away moisture, the life span of your pillow is greatly increased, as is the overall hygiene. And since memory foam can’t be washed, this makes it a very important feature for anyone that wants to get the most out of their pillow.
Best Cooling Memory Foam Pillows
WEEKENDER Ventilated Cooling Memory Foam Pillow
Specs:
- Dimensions: Standard, Queen, King
- Type: Gel Infused Memory Foam
- Feel: Medium/Firm
Editor’s choice
This memory foam pillow boasts a specific design that incorporates a temperature-regulating gel infusion that helps you feel cool and comfy, especially during the hotter months of the year. Furthermore, the ventilated design with perforations helps with air circulation, which in turn keeps mold and mildew at bay, as well as prevents bacteria from making your pillow its breeding ground. This cooling memory foam pillow is perfectly supportive and cradles your head and neck in a perfectly natural way.
The mid-loft makes it suited for all sleeping positions, so side sleepers, back sleepers, and stomach sleepers can all enjoy this pillow. To boot, it also features a Certi-PUR US certificate, which ensures its quality and use of safe materials. For improved hygiene and convenience, the pillow cover is removable and machine washable.
Pros
- Ventilated foam for improved breathability
- Soothing and breathable ice-fabric cover
- Mid-loft suits all sleeping positions
- Removable and machine washable cover
- Comes in 3 sizes
- Certi-PUR US certified
Cons
- Too firm for some people
Who Should Buy This Pillow?
Weekender offers a reliable design that does everything by-the-book and pays special attention to the effects of the cooling design. With a mid-loft design and three available sizes, this comfy and supportive cooling pillow will suit most sleepers.
SENOSUR Orthopedic Cooling Pillow
Specs:
- Dimensions: Standard, Queen, King
- Type: Ventilated Active Memory Foam
- Feel: Medium/Firm
Runner up
There are certain properties that every pillow needs to have – memory foam or no. And an efficient orthopedic design is one that is often overlooked. SENOSUR, though, is a brand that paid special attention to this feature, delivering a highly effective design. Made with active memory foam, this pillow offers perfect cervical support. It also has a perforated honeycomb decompression hole design, which helps distribute weight evenly, and also adds to ventilation, keeping the pillow hygienic and fresh. However, one of its best features is the addition of cooling gel particles, which greatly add to its cooling aspect.
Perfect for those hot days, this pillow will always give you that cozy and cool feeling. SENOSUR also paid special attention to the pillowcase, relying on durable and breathable materials with a carbon-fiber weave method. This ensures great antibacterial properties, and best of all, it is machine washable and very durable. The mid-loft design of the pillow contributes to its versatility as this height and shape work best for a variety of sleeping positions.
Pros
- Reliable orthopedic design
- Honeycomb decompression
- Perfect neck support
- Antibacterial cover
- Cooling properties
- Helps with neck and shoulder pain
- Mid-loft suits most sleepers
Cons
- Can have a factory smell early on
Who Should Buy This Pillow?
Having some of that extra orthopedic support can make a life-changing difference in your quality of sleep, especially if you are prone to neck and shoulder pain. And when you combine that with a comfy cooling effect, it makes this pillow particularly great for anyone that requires a bit more support- but doesn’t want to compromise on temperature regulation.
Qutool Cooling Bamboo Pillow
Specs:
- Dimensions: 20” x 30”
- Type: Shredded Memory Foam
- Feel: Adjustable
Customer’s choice
This reliable and affordable memory foam pillow boasts all the great design aspects that ensure a good and comfy sleep. The secret is in the shredded gel-infused memory foam filling, which gives it that unmistakable cooling effect but also ensures that you get the right support. One of the great advantages of the shredded foam filling design is the fact that you can freely adjust the loft size to your liking. If you want a softer feel and a thinner pillow, simply remove a certain amount of filling. And if a fluffy big pillow is more to your liking, simply add more fill! This works well to capitalize on the great ergonomic properties of the memory foam itself.
In addition to protecting the pillow’s core, the protective cover also contributes to its cooling effect. It features a great blend of bamboo fiber and polyester and is also breathable. This will keep the pillow cool to touch and clean and hygienic at all times.
Pros
- Adjustable loft
- Affordable
- Great for side sleepers
- With adjustments to the fill quantity, it can suit stomach sleepers
- Machine washable and breathable cover
Cons
- Only one size available
Who Should Buy This Pillow?
It is a challenge for any brand to find the perfect balance between price, quality, and ergonomic design. This cooling memory foam pillow, however, comes very close to achieving this goal, with its adjustable loft and cooling properties that will suit any type of sleeper.
Sealy Essentials Standard Memory Foam Pillow
Specs:
- Dimensions: 24” x 16” x 5.75”
- Type: Memory Foam + Cooling Gel
- Feel: Medium/Firm
Best cooling memory foam pillow for side sleepers
With a set of truly advanced features, this memory foam pillow perfectly combines ergonomics, support, and a fantastic cooling effect. Its biggest advantage is a unique cooling gel layer right on the surface of the pillow. In combination with the high quality conforming memory foam, this layer serves to offer you the best cooling effect- both instantaneous and long-lasting. The pillow feels cool to touch but won’t lose its breeziness throughout the night which makes it ideal for hot sleepers. Thanks to its exceptional contouring properties, this memory foam pillow is a great choice for side sleepers, as it will re-shape to support your head and neck for pain-free sleep.
Additionally, the entire pillow is encased in a soft, mesh breathable cover which is both machine washable and dryable. This not only improves the cooling effect but also keeps the pillow clean and fresh at all times.
Pros
- Perfected temperature regulation properties
- Suited for side sleepers
- Breathable mesh cover
- Two-sided design
- Cervical support
- Designed & assembled in the USA
Cons
- Can be a bit too firm for some
- Only comes in standard size
Who Should Buy This Pillow?
Side sleepers that prefer sleeping on the cool side of the pillow will love this contouring, supportive, and breathable memory foam pillow. And with the whole top layer made from cooling gel, you can really feel the coolness from the second you put your head on the pillow.
GhostBed Luxury Memory Foam Pillow
Specs:
- Dimensions: 24” x 16” x 6”
- Type: Ghost Ice + Memory Foam
- Feel: Medium/Plush
Best cooling memory foam pillow for hot sleepers
All cooling memory foam pillows are designed to cater to hot sleepers, but if you feel that you need a bit of *extra* coolness to fall asleep, this is the pillow for you. It stands out for its impressive cooling properties that are ideal for anyone having night sweats, tossing and turning at night when the weather is warm, or is just a hot sleeper throughout the year. Its main secret is the thermosensitive technology that senses your body temperature and perfectly adjusts to give you the optimal breezy temperature. Its outer Phase Change layer is always cool to the touch and perfect for wicking away moisture. And at the pillow’s core is the aerated gel memory foam, whose ventilated design helps airflow, adding up to the overall cooling feeling, but also offering perfect orthopedic support and ideal spinal alignment.
The pillow is encased in an aerated Ghost Ice fabric cover, which is durable, breathable, and machine washable, but also cooling as well (hence the ice in the name). From start to finish, this supportive memory foam pillow is designed to keep you cool and comfy!
Pros
- Ghost Ice fabric for improved coolness
- Thermo Sensitive technology
- Great combination of support and cooling
- Aerated mesh scrim
- Suits most sleeping positions
Cons
- The embroidered logo might bother some people
- Strong smell
Who Should Buy This Pillow?
If you can’t fall asleep unless your pillow is perfectly cool, then this thermo-regulating memory foam pillow will help you get some shut-eye. The thermo-regulating properties allow the pillow to adapt to your body temperature and keep you perfectly cool at all times.
Classic Brands Reversible Cool Gel and Memory Foam Pillow
Specs:
- Dimensions: 24” x 16” x 5”
- Type: Gel Layer + Memory Foam
- Feel: Medium/Firm
Best reversible cooling memory foam pillow
If you only feel too warm during the hotter months of the year and don’t want a cooling pillow when the temperatures drop, this reversible design is the solution for your needs. This two-sided design boasts a layer of cooling gel right on the surface of the pillow, offering you a soft, ergonomic surface to cool down any hot night. It is perfect for regulating temperature and dispersing heat to keep you cool and comfy. And on the other side, it’s just memory foam you’ll be laying your head on, which will help keep you toasty in the colder months of the year.
Classic Brands opted for a medium plush quality memory foam to offer great support for your head and neck and relieve pressure and a 5-inch lift that will suit all sleeping positions. A quality breathable hypoallergenic mesh cover keeps the pillow protected from dirt and grime and as it is machine washable, it also makes sure your pillow is always clean to sleep on.
Pros
- All seasons reversible design
- Mid-loft suits all sleeping positions
- Supportive and comfy
- Affordable
- Machine washable cover
Cons
- Can be too firm for some side sleepers
Who Should Buy This Pillow?
For those of you that want a cooling pillow only when the weather demands it, this reversible memory foam pillow is a perfect choice: it will give you year-round comfort that will offer optimal temperature for every season.
Bottom Line
Tossing and turning, sweating and feeling uncomfortable when you sleep can all be a harsh reality during the hot months- and for some people, a year-round occurrence. But with a reliable cooling memory foam pillow, you can combine the best of both worlds, assuring great support for your neck and head, and also keep the temperature in bed at an optimal level. Cooling and supportive, a gel-infused memory foam pillow will make sure that you finally get that much-needed rest even without the AC turned on to the max.