Pillows: How to Choose the Right One, by Type and Sleep Position

What Happened to the Nestwell Pillow Line

Nestwell was a Bed Bath & Beyond house brand that covered sheets, comforters, towels, and pillows. When Bed Bath & Beyond closed its stores after the 2023 bankruptcy, the Nestwell retail line was discontinued along with the rest of the store brands. You will not find new Nestwell pillows at Target, Walmart, or the current Bed Bath & Beyond website, which is now an online-only operation under different ownership.

The same style of double-brushed microfiber and down-alternative bedding is sold on Amazon under the Nestl brand. Nestl is an independent company, not the Nestwell brand revived, but its pillows and sheets are the closest everyday equivalent you can buy right now, usually at a lower price. If you want the full background on the brand change, read what happened to Nestwell sheets.

How to Choose a Pillow by Sleep Position

The right pillow keeps your head, neck, and spine in a roughly straight line. The amount of loft you need depends mostly on how you sleep, so start there before worrying about fill type. For the full breakdown of loft, fill types, cooling, and sizing, see our pillow buying guide. And if you want smoother hair and fewer face creases from the case itself, our silk pillowcase guide covers silk vs satin and what momme weight means. Washing a pillow depends a lot on its fill, since memory foam cannot go through the machine the way a synthetic pillow can; our guide to washing bulky bedding covers each type.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers have the widest gap to fill between the head and the mattress, so they usually need a higher, firmer pillow. The goal is to keep your nose in line with the center of your chest instead of letting your head tilt down toward the mattress or up toward the ceiling. An adjustable shredded-foam pillow helps here because you can add fill until the loft matches your shoulder width. A body pillow is also worth considering to support the top knee and keep the hips level.

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers need a medium loft. Too high and the chin is pushed toward the chest, too flat and the head rolls back. A pillow you can adjust is useful because you can remove a little fill until your head rests in a neutral position. Look for something that cradles the natural curve of the neck rather than propping the whole head up.

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers need the least loft, often a soft, thin pillow, because a tall pillow forces the neck to crane upward all night. If you buy an adjustable pillow, take fill out until it is quite flat. Many stomach sleepers are more comfortable with the softest option they can find, which is one reason the soft-and-firm combo set above is a safe starting point.

Fill Type and Temperature

Down-alternative and polyester fills are soft and budget-friendly but can trap heat. Gel-infused and shredded memory foam are firmer and more supportive, and the cooling versions are designed to move heat away from your head, which helps if you wake up warm. If you run hot at night, a cooling memory foam pillow is usually the better match.