The Best Thin Pillows Money Can Buy

When it comes to pillows, everyone has their own preferences. What could be more personal than where we lay our weary heads at the end of a long day for a well-earned sleep? Some people prefer big fluffy pillows that they can bury themselves into. Others like something a little thinner that won’t strain their neck and will be dependable. While “thin” is often used as a negative term to describe an unsatisfying sleep solution, sometimes it’s exactly what the doctor ordered to ensure that you get the full and satisfying sleep that you deserve.

Here at The Sleep Judge, we have compiled a series of top reviewed thin pillows to help you best determine which supports you and your sleep position the best. Over the course of a few weeks, we have tried and tested these pillows to see how well they hold up to the claims they make, and you’ll find a detailed review of our findings below.

Everything you could possibly want to know about the finest thin pillows on the market can be found below. All you need to do is keep your eyes glued to this page and scroll away to find the thin pillow (and the satisfying sleep) you deserve!

A Thin Pillows Buyers Guide

There are many personal and specific reasons why many sleepers out there prefer a thin pillow to firmer alternatives. If you’ve ever wondered why this particular style of pillow seems to work the best for you, all the answers you’ve been searching for can be found below.

Back and Neck Alignment

Your overall health is highly influenced by your quality of sleep each night. How well your back and neck are supported is an important part of your overall comfort, and when your body is poorly positioned, it can result in a restless and sleepless night. These interruptions to your sleep keep you from progressing normally throughout the stages of sleep, which is vital for your mental and physical health. In other words, a poor night’s sleep can negatively affect pivotal parts of your daily life. This is why it’s crucial to determine your ideal sleeping position, pillow, mattress and bedding to suit your needs. Otherwise, this is greatly restricting you from living your best life!

As you sleep, your spine should be kept in alignment to avoid stress and strain on both your vertebrae and the soft tissue surrounding them. If your spine isn’t properly aligned and well-supported as you sleep each night, you could be on the road to a painful, long-lasting injury, so this is a huge responsibility to take seriously!

Sleep Position vs. Pillow Comfort

The sleep position that you naturally fall into each night should always be supported by your sleep product choices. Often overlooked and misunderstood by most consumers is the vital importance of pillow comfort and exactly how it keeps your head and neck supported. Many believe that a pillow is a pillow and one size fits all, but this belief couldn’t be further from the truth. We all have a specific style of pillow that we need to suit our sleep needs, and it’s important that we find the right pillow in order to get the sleep that we deserve.

Back Sleep Position Needs

Back Sleepers should look for a thinner yet firmer pillow that can support your neck and cradle your head. This position is ideal for cervical alignment and a restful sleep. Memory foam and down fillings are popular choices for back sleepers as they conform to your head’s shape and distribute the filling between the head, neck and shoulders.

Stomach Sleep Position Needs

Considered the worst natural sleep position you could fall into, if sleeping on your stomach is your unconscious comfort choice, then you should definitely make it as comfortable as possible. The problem with stomach sleeping is that your neck will never be in complete alignment due to having your head turned to one side or the other. As a result, ensuring that your back is in correct posture is incredibly important.

Sleeping without a pillow is the preferable choice, but since most people find this to be uncomfortable, choosing the right pillow for you is vital. A thin and contouring pillow with a low loft is best for stomach sleepers, as this will softly cradle your head and give you sufficient neck support.

Side Sleep Position Needs

Gusseted pillows with higher lofts are a favorite among side sleepers due to how much support is needed between the head and shoulders. Thick pillows that provide plush contouring and firm support is your best option if the side is your go-to sleep position. This is important in order to keep the soft tissues of your neck well supported and allow it to rest without placing additional strain on the spine.

Pillow Loft

As we’ve already touched on, pillow loft refers to how high a pillow sits when laying flat, and a thin pillow likely won’t have more than 2 to 3 inches of loft depending on the filling material. Occasionally, you may find a higher loft in a thin pillow, but generally the filling will be highly compressible and evenly distribute when pressure is applied to provide support where needed.

Many people wrongly assume that if a pillow is thin, that means it’s not very supportive. However, thin pillows often have great contouring and support where needed, and can be used in a variety of ways to support both your head (not to mention they can also be used for knee, lumbar, and hip support as well).

Pillow Size and Care

Pillow sizes are not one-size-fits-all, and being able to distinguish between what you currently have, what’s on the market, and what you need is part of the process of choosing what’s best for you. Most pillows only have an 18 – 36 month lifespan as well. To determine the expiry of your pillow, simply fold in half – if it doesn’t bounce back into shape, then it’s probably time for a new one.

Industry standard pillow sizes measure 20×26, 28, 30, or 36 inches for standard, super standard, queen and king sizes respectively. Most pillows are generally sold as a standard or queen size, but other sizes are used for different body heights, weights and shoulder spans to provide both personal comfort preferences and support.

Specialty pillows may deviate from these measurements depending on what they’ve been manufactured for. Contoured pillows or high-loft specialty pillows made for a specific purpose may have slightly different measurements and be sold as a one-size-fits-all pillow.

What to Consider When Choosing a Thin Pillow

If you aren’t 100% sure a thin pillow is for you, or if you’ve had trouble finding the ideal thin pillow in the past, we’ve outlined some of the best in the industry below. You should ask yourself the following questions while browsing through our top picks to determine exactly what your perfect match will be.

What is your natural sleeping position?

If you’re a back or stomach sleeper, then a thin pillow purchase is the route you should be leaning towards. However, if you sleep on your side (or are a combination sleeper), then you should consider a thin pillow carefully. Thin pillows often don’t offer enough support for side sleepers. You may want to consider a pillow that can be adjusted to your unique needs. Sure, you may have preferred thin pillows in the past, but if you’re a side or combination sleeper they’re scientifically not the correct pillow for you. In this case, you should try another pillow – you may be shocked at how much this change will positively impact your sleep and overall health.

Do you know the difference between a high and low loft?

Pictures don’t often do a product justice, and if a pillow’s loft is specified in its description, you should definitely know the difference between high, medium and low lofts. Low loft pillows often measure between 2 and 3 inches in height, with an average pillow height being around 5 inches. Anything higher than this may be considered a medium-high loft and will be a firmer pillow.

Do you sleep warm?

Certain materials have more breathability than others, and if a more dense fill is used in a pillow, it may sleep warmer than you’d like – especially if you’re already a warm sleeper. Memory foam is notorious for this issue, so many companies also use cooling type processes to help you achieve a more comfortable sleep. When searching for your best match, take note of your natural body temperature when you sleep so you can identify the type of pillow that will suit you perfectly.

Do you check your pillow’s expiry every 18 months to 2 years?

As previously mentioned, pillows don’t last forever (or at the very least, their comfort certainly doesn’t last forever). Over time, pillow filling becomes compressed and is less supportive. All materials wear down through consistent use, and pillows are no exception to this. Having said this, you can always put old pillows to good use as a second supportive pillow. Taking note of your pillow’s lifespan should begin after about 18 months of use, which is when their expiry will typically be. Although many can last much longer, this is a good habit to get into to watch for signs of poor support. Sleeping on a worn-down pillow won’t do you any good, even if the pillow was once a perfect fit for your sleep needs.

Conclusion

Choosing the right pillow will make a huge impact on the quality of your sleep and plays an important part in maintaining your overall health. Ensuring that you choose a pillow that supports your spinal alignment in relation to your sleep position is an incredibly important decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Keep in mind the types of pillows made specifically for back, side and stomach sleepers depending on your natural sleep position, then narrow down your choices to take a closer look at each.

Your comfort must always be prioritized, so choosing one best pillow is not always advantageous due to how personal and unique this decision is for everyone. This is why we’ve presented you with 9 different choices to closely compare each. As a stomach sleeper myself, I did find all the pillows to have positive, comforting aspects as detailed in each of their respective reviews, but preferred the Bluewave Bedding Ultra Slim Pillow as the most comfortable go-to. The only way to be absolutely certain that you’ve chosen the right pillow for you is to sleep on it.

We hope that the information and options provided here will steer you in the right direction towards finding the perfect pillow. The right pillow will immeasurably improve the quality of your sleep, which will in turn have a significant impact on your overall health. Treat this decision with the gravity that it deserves and look forward to bringing home the best thin pillow for you!

Recent Updates

January 20, 2023: Nature’s Pillows Sobakawa Cloud Pillow has been replaced by the Brooklinen Down Pillow, a better alternative for a customizable thin pillow. Original photography has been included after hands-on testing. Added FAQs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need a thin pillow?

If you’re a stomach sleeper, thin pillows should be a go-to for your sleep comfort needs. They provide the most optimal spinal alignment, as well as neck support to allow a more restful, relaxed night’s sleep.

What is the best thickness for a pillow?

On average, your pillow should measure about 3-6 inches in loft to give you enough head and neck support throughout the night. It’s even better to find pillows with adjustable lofts (where the filling can be removed, or more can be added depending on your preference).

Is it better to sleep on a thin or thick pillow?

This will largely depend on what sleeping position feels natural to you, but in general, stomach sleepers benefit from thin pillows, while side and back sleepers could use some more loft to comfortably elevate the head and neck.