Menu

Best Neck Roll Pillows

Corey Majeau

Neck roll pillows are neat little solutions for anyone with neck pain. These handy accessories can be used on their own or alongside your regular pillow to provide added support to the neck. Typically sized small and portable, neck-roll pillows are shaped cylindrically into a roll that assists in supporting your neck as you sleep. The natural curvature of the neck rests on the pillow as you sleep or sit upright for extended periods of time.

To help relieve neck pain as you go about your day or night, we’ve put together a complete buying guide on how to find the perfect neck roll pillow for your needs. But first, take a look at our top recommendations below for the best ones that are currently on the market.

1. Core Products Tri-Core Cervical Pillow – Editor's Choice

Check Price
  • Material: Polyester fiber, Cotton
  • Sizes: Two sizes (Medium and Full)
  • Care instructions: Hand-wash only

2. Dot&Dot Twist Memory Foam Travel Pillow

Check Price
  • Material: Memory foam, Cotton
  • Sizes: One size
  • Care instructions: Machine washable cover

3. Sachi Organics Buckwheat Cylinder Neck Pillow

Check Price
  • Material: Buckwheat, Organic cotton
  • Sizes: One size
  • Care options: Machine wash cover only

4. OPTP Original McKenzie Cervical Roll

Check Price
  • Materials: Low-density foam
  • Sizes: One size, 3.5″ diameter
  • Care instructions: Hand wash cover with mild detergent
k-ka-ua-neck-roll-pillow

5. K Ka Ua 6 Inch Neck Roll Pillow

Check Price
  • Materials: Memory foam, bamboo polyester blend cover
  • Sizes: 6 inch
  • Care Instructions: Machine wash cover on a gentle cycle

6. LitoTree Support Neck Roll Pillow

Check Price
  • Materials: Memory foam, Cotton/polyester blend
  • Sizes: Three sizes (18″ x 3.5″, 18″ x 4.5″, 18″ x 6″)
  • Care Instructions: Machine washable

Best Neck Roll Pillows

1. Core Products Tri-Core Cervical Pillow – Editor's Choice

Highlights

  • Material: Polyester fiber, Cotton
  • Sizes: Two sizes (Medium and Full)
  • Care instructions: Hand-wash only

Pros

  • Accommodates all sizes and body types
  • Hypoallergenic materials used
  • Can fit into a standard pillowcase
  • Suits most sleeping positions
  • Won’t off-gas like memory foam

Cons

  • Not considered a travel pillow
  • Not for side sleepers

This neck support pillow is perfectly designed for those suffering from neck pain and poor posture of the cervical spine. With a unique shape, the Tri-Core cervical support pillow will cradle your head as you sleep and properly align your head and neck. This pillow suits most sleep positions but isn’t ideal for side sleepers. The concave center is what helps improve your sleep posture, while the roll shapes around it to accommodate your sleeping position.

There are even smaller and larger neck support rolls on opposite sides that you can switch to, depending on your neck size. Mid-size and full-size pillows are also available to cater to any age and size. Because it’s an orthopedic pillow, it does need to be firm and this may take time to get used to. Gradually alternating between your old pillow and this one is recommended to avoid increasing neck pain. In order to make it firm and hypoallergenic, the Tri-core pillow is filled with 100% virgin polyester that’s resilient and bounces right back into shape. The pillow cover is a breathable, lightweight and made of a 50/50 polyester blend.

2. Best for Travel – Dot&Dot Twist Memory Foam Travel Pillow

Highlights

  • Material: Memory foam, Cotton
  • Sizes: One size
  • Care instructions: Machine washable cover

Pros

  • Quality materials
  • 5 colors to choose from
  • Not too firm or too soft
  • Bendable feature makes it perfect for any type of sleeper
  • Easy to clean and maintain

Cons

  • Can creak when adjusting too far
  • Wire can be felt in extreme positions

The Dot&Dot Twist Travel Pillow is the perfect solution for people who need to take a nap on the go. Be it a road trip or air travel, this pillow will work perfectly to adjust to anyone’s needs. What makes it so versatile and popular among customers has to be its primary feature: flexibility. The Twist Travel pillow is a bendable roll pillow thanks to a jointed wire at its core that offers personalized support for your head and neck.

While being as versatile as it is, the Twist Travel pillow is also very comfortable. Made with high-quality memory foam and covered with breathable cotton, you’ll be able to relieve those pesky pressure points easily. Customers love how the foam is neither too firm nor too soft, rather it falls perfectly in between. To add to portability, this pillow has a snap button closure on each end so you can secure the pillow around your neck, onto a piece of luggage or bag. This pillow is machine washable thanks to its removable cover, making it easy to keep fresh and clean. If you’re not satisfied with your purchase, there’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee.

3. Best Organic – Sachi Organics Buckwheat Cylinder Neck Pillow

Highlights

  • Material: Buckwheat, Organic cotton
  • Sizes: One size
  • Care options: Machine wash cover only

Pros

  • All-organic materials used
  • High-quality assembly in the USA
  • Comes with plenty of firms and supportive filling
  • Adjustable

Cons

  • Cleaning the cover may be inconvenient as there’s no liner to place the buckwheat in when not in use
  • A bit lofty for stomach sleepers

The Sachi Organics Buckwheat Cylinder isn’t just a good organic neck roll pillow – it’s an excellent roll pillow overall. Made with unique and high-quality materials, it’s as sturdy as it is sustainable and comfortable. The 100% cotton canvas cover holds all the buckwheat in this Japanese style design that provides the right amount of supportive comfort. Buckwheat is a well-known filling material for its tendency to be very supportive and firm for pillows. Meanwhile, the cover is nice and bulky yet soft to the touch, so you can be comfortable knowing it won’t come apart at the seams.

Everything from the organic buckwheat to the cotton cover is naturally sourced and locally assembled in the USA. If you don’t quite like the amount of fill that’s in your cylindrical pillow, that’s no problem. You can adjust how lofty your pillow feels by simply unzipping your cover and adding or removing the buckwheat hulls to suit your preferences.

4. Best Value – OPTP Original McKenzie Cervical Roll

Highlights

  • Materials: Low-density foam
  • Sizes: One size, 3.5″ diameter
  • Care instructions: Hand wash cover with mild detergent

Pros

  • Tested to work
  • Perfect for small frames and people who sleep on their backs
  • Hand washable cover
  • Made in the USA

Cons

  • Not as firm as other pillows

This neck roll pillow from OPTP is a great narrower option for those looking for support as they sleep, but either sleep on their backs or have a frame too small for wider pillows. The McKenzie Cervical Roll pillow can help prevent neck or back pain in these sleepers, or work as additional support for others. Either way, you can find a use for this pillow in promoting healthy sleep posture and relieving pressure in the spine. Made with low-density foam, this pillow and its diameter align the upper spine, providing extra support to retain its proper curve when combined with your regular pillow. It’s narrow enough to be slid on top of your pillow and under the pillowcase.

This pillow features a removable and washable cover on its own, so you can keep it clean and fresh without any hassle. You can be sure you’re getting a quality product as the McKenzie Cervical Roll pillow has been tested by certified therapists and developed by renowned physical therapist Robin McKenzie. Recommended by therapists around the world, this pillow is made proudly in the USA.

5. Customer’s Choice – K Ka Ua 6 Inch Neck Roll Pillow

k-ka-ua-neck-roll-pillow

Highlights

  • Materials: Memory foam, bamboo polyester blend cover
  • Sizes: 6 inch
  • Care Instructions: Machine wash cover on a gentle cycle

Pros

  • Aids with back, knee and joint issues to relieve pain
  • Machine washable cover is easily removable
  • Solid, durable single-piece memory foam construction
  • Pillow won’t lose its shape over time

Cons

  • Only one size available (6 inch pillow)

Another popular neck roll pillow that’s currently available online is the Cervical Booster Memory Foam 6-Inch Pillow from K Ka Ua. This memory foam pillow was specifically manufactured to offer back, knee and joint support to any problem areas you may have. This pillow will give you targeted relief so you can relax on the couch or sleep soundly with optimal contouring and support. Given that this is a single piece of memory foam, this pillow is unlikely to lose its shape over time as other pillows might, so you can depend on this pillow for years to come.

The pillow’s cover is made of a soft bamboo and polyester blend, is removable and machine washable for your convenience (it’s best to do this on a gentle, cold cycle for optimal results and a longer lifespan of your pillow). The cover’s zipper also has a low profile, so it won’t stick out and bother you in any way.

6. Best Value – LitoTree Support Neck Roll Pillow

Highlights

  • Materials: Memory foam, Cotton/polyester blend
  • Sizes: Three sizes (18″ x 3.5″, 18″ x 4.5″, 18″ x 6″)
  • Care Instructions: Machine washable

Pros

  • Versatile sizing and uses
  • Perfect firmness: not too hard, not too soft
  • High-grade materials used
  • Low VOC emissions, no chemical smell or off-gassing

Cons

  • Finding a case may be difficult
  • Can be high for some back sleepers

The LitoTree memory foam neck roll pillow is a value pick for the comfort it offers at such a relatively low price. It offers what other pricier neck roll pillows do, but is more affordable. It features resilient high-grade memory foam that’s neither too firm nor too soft, with a majority of customers to back up that claim. It molds to your sleeping positions, supports your aligned spine and bounces right back when not in use. As well as a therapeutic solution for your neck and upper back, this round pillow doubles as lumbar support for sitting on a chair or sofa.

In addition to having just the right firmness, the LitoTree Neck Roll pillow is extra soft to the touch. Made with a 75/25% cotton/polyester blend, the micro vented cover is luxurious and naturally soft, making it gentle and comfortable for sensitive skin. This pillow has three varieties of sizes to suit your needs, and is also compact enough to double as a travel pillow.

Let’s Discuss

The neck-roll pillow becomes a good choice for a sleeping pillow given its soft, comfortable support. They can also be used for finding relief from back pain, or be placed under the knees and ankles for a more comfortable sleep experience.

Even though all are used for placing the neck in the most comfortable position and reducing neck strain, there are a number of different ways you can use your pillow.

Uses of Neck Roll Pillows

Bed pillow: This is used for sleeping on, and many people use it along with their standard pillow. The smaller dimensions of the neck roll pillow allow users to place it under their regular pillow as the neck curvature rests on the neck roll pillow and the headrests on the standard pillow.

Some users like to place this cervical pillow on top of their existing pillow to add to the pillow’s loft. This helps them sit or lie down more comfortably as they read or watch TV in bed.

Underarm support: Side sleepers can use the neck roll pillow placed under their arm in a manner similar to using a body pillow. This position will provide support to the top side of the body and stop the sleeper from rolling over.

Orthopedic pillows: These orthopedic counterparts of regular neck roll pillows are designed to help correct postures that may be causing you pain. You can use these to support not only the neck and head, but also to elevate knees and support other body parts.

Travel pillows: Some versions of the neck roll pillow are designed smaller and with a curve to wrap around the neck as you sit upright. Typically known as travel pillows, these are compact and portable pillows that work well as you travel in a car or on an airplane.

Yoga bolsters: Larger variants of the neck roll pillow are known as bolster pillows that can be used for support during yoga or at home for decorative purposes. These bolsters also make for providing great armrests as you sit when reading, or propped up on your side.

D-core pillows: Although not shaped like a cylinder, these pillows have a V-shaped indentation in the middle to rest your head and a roll all around to support your neck.

Materials

– Foam

Foam is used to restore normal neck posture and provide relief from neck pain. The foam helps relieve pressure and is easy to carry around when needed as it’s typically lightweight.

– Soft fiber filling

If you’re looking for softer support for under the neck, then polyester fiber-filled pillows fit the bill. Fiber filling provides the right amount of support without being too firm, and can also be used to support the back and under the knees.

– Inflatable

These pillows can be inflated to the desired level. If you wish, you can use these on their own or place them under your standard pillow inside the pillowcase to enjoy customized support.

– Gel

Gel neck roll pillows are ideal for heat or cold therapy. These gel-infused pillows can go inside the freezer or the microwave and be used for treating neck pain and providing support at the same time.

– Memory foam 

These pillows boast all the benefits of memory foam with its contouring properties, excellent support and longevity. These are also ideal for use in injury recovery.

Therapeutic Benefits

Here’s what you can hope to achieve when using a quality neck roll pillow:

– Differentiated support

These cervical pillows offer differentiated support that’s optimal for the head, neck and shoulders.

– Correct body alignment

By correctly aligning the head, neck and shoulders, much of the strain is also taken off the spine. The ergonomic design works well for sleepers of different kinds, including those who sleep on their side or on their stomachs.

– Pain relief

Whether the pillow is devised with a cervical design, a D-core or a contour composition, all address the issue of pain relief. The particular shape of all these pillows with their raised ends on indentations allows users to assume a correct neck posture.

– Waking up refreshed

The correct posture, alignment and support given by neck roll pillows can help in getting a good night’s sleep and waking up feeling refreshed. Even studies done on the subject corroborate that the greater the degree of neck support, the better the quality of sleep. That’s why the best neck roll pillows show immense potential for improving the quality of sleep.

Conclusion

While many people blame their mattress for a bad night’s sleep, you should also take a closer look at the pillow you use. To improve your sleep experience or correct soreness, aches and pains after waking up, choose a neck pillow that addresses these issues diligently. With our recommended products, you can be sure to improve your sleep and eliminate sleep-related problems.

Recent Updates

October 4, 2021: A new product has been added to this roundup due to increased popularity among consumers, the K Ka Ua 6 Inch Neck Roll Pillow. Additional Resources and FAQs have also been included.

Additional Resources