An estimated 1 in 5 people sleep on their stomachs every night despite how tricky it can be to wrestle their pillow into submission.
Too hard and dense pillows might crank your neck in odd shapes and you’ll wake up with all sorts of neck pains, but too soft and fluffy pillows may swallow your face and make it super hard to breathe.
Waking up with a crick in your neck may be irritating, but most people don’t think anything of it other than a slight inconvenience.
However, this can actually lead to multiple issues concerning the neck and spine in the future, so the right pillow for your sleeping position is very important.
You choose your mattress firmness depending on your sleeping position and preference, so why not your pillow?
The right pillow can positively affect your posture, quality of sleep and therefore your mood.
We’ve chosen the top five pillows for front sleepers that the market offers and outlined why they’re going to change your life. Seriously – try one of these pillows and watch the magical effects take form!
In a hurry? This is our winner!
- 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐒: Improve sleep & relieve discomfort in your neck, shoulders, and back with our contour pillow. Ergonomically designed, our pillow fills negative space to support sleep posture & reduce stress in the cervical spine. 92% felt less neck tension in 1 week.
- 𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓: Standard contour pillows force your head and shoulders into an unnatural straight position. By responding to your weight and contours, our foam aligns your head and neck, keeping airways open. The 2-tier design suits side, back and front sleepers.
- 𝐄𝐍𝐉𝐎𝐘 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐔𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐏: Our memory foam offers firm, comfortable support. featuring our responsive tech, it recovers in under 8 seconds for uninterrupted sleep. Other pillows take over 60 seconds to recover when you move, disrupting your sleep cycle.
Looking for a pillow to use while sleeping on your front can be a difficult task, especially when a lot of pillows will work better for some people than others.
This can be frustrating and difficult to decide on one in the fear of wasting money. This said, why not invest in one that’s designed by doctors themselves?
Our favourite front sleeping pillow is the Supportiback Contour Pillow with Cooling Gel because it is just that – made by specialists.
A few reasons we love this one are:
- The bamboo cover is both breathable and resistant to irritants such as dust particles.
- There are two different contours which are different heights, meaning you can choose between a low loft and a medium one.
- You can use this pillow in all sleeping positions if you feel like switching it up once in a while.
Best Pillows for Front Sleepers – Comparison Table
Best Pillows for Front Sleepers – Reviews
𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐* Orthopedic Neck Support Pillow - Memory Foam Pillow for Neck and Shoulder Pain with CoolGel® - Cervical Pillow for Neck Pain, Anti Snore Pillow, Groove Pillow, Contour Pillow
When you’re looking to get a pillow for back or neck pain, what better design to choose than one created by a doctor?
It aims to reduce neck and back pain by keeping your spine aligned throughout your whole sleep, as well as preventing tension headaches and stiffness to keep you waking up on the right side of bed every morning!
The memory foam material used means there’s no need to continuously fluff it up or turn it throughout the night to get comfortable.
Every morning it expands back to the ergonomically contoured shape so it’s ready to support you again for the following night (and the next night, and the next…).
Supportiback combat the claims that memory foam retains a lot of heat by using a CoolGel technology underneath a breathable bamboo cover.
The cooling pad removes most of the heat from the memory foam, however in case there’s any that sneaks past this technology, the breathable cover is sure to remove it before you even notice.
- Hypoallergenic and dust resistant bamboo cover
- Suitable for all sleeping positions
- Two different lofts to choose from on one pillow – 3 and 4 inches
- Outer cover may snag on other materials such as eye masks
- You may have to air it for a few hours to remove the packaging smell
PureComfort Curved Pillow - Adjustable Side Sleeper Pillow for Neck and Shoulder Pain - Cervical Contour Pillow for Sleeping - Memory Foam Loft Pillow for Back or Side Sleepers
The main selling point for the PureComfort Pillow is the fact that you can adjust the loft height thanks to the shredded memory foam filling.
Many memory foam pillows tend to be one big block of foam, however PureComfort shred theirs first so you can remove as much as you need, or even add some more, to adjust the height of the pillow.
This means that there is no set loft and you don’t have to worry about potentially wasting money on a useless or counterproductive pillow.
The shredded foam also gives more breathability to the pillow which helps keep you cool throughout the night, and is a nice benefit considering memory foam is typically the least breathable material to use.
A different shaped pillow to others on our list, one side is curved to prevent your neck and spine reverting to it’s typical poor posture.
This is great for front sleeping pillows as well as side and back sleepers, so you can use this design no matter what position you’re in the mood for.
- Hypoallergenic and dust resistant
- Five year warranty gives you great peace of mind
- Some users claim it is more effective than painkillers
- One user found it too hard for their neck
- Higher price point than other pillows on our list
BedStory 2 Pack Sleeping Pillows, Down Alternative Dust Mite Resistant & Hypoallergenic, Bed Pillow for Neck/Shoulder Pain/Allergy Sufferers and Back/Stomach/Side Sleepers Standard Size 42X70CM
How do you feel about a pillow with the same premium quality of down pillows, but are made with more eco-friendly materials?
We know we love it!
The 90% 3D and 10% 7D microfibre filling is not only super soft and bouncy, but it’s also very breathable to prevent getting too hot during the night.
They’re easily moulded to your individual shape but don’t have a problem bouncing straight back up the following morning, ready for another night of pure bliss.
The loft of these pillows is around 8.5 inches when fully plumped, however the luxurious poly fibre filling flattens underneath your weight so you’re sleeping on a compact part of the pillow with a much lower loft.
What’s more is that you get two pillows for a very attractive price, and you won’t be disappointed with the quality.
Everything from the 100% cotton outer to the hypoallergenic and dust resistant features, BedStory’s Down Alternative pillows give you a great night sleep and even greater support.
- Super soft thanks to cotton covering and fiber filling
- Great for front and back sleepers
- Two pillows for either extra support or to give to a fellow neck pain sufferer
- Not the firmest of pillows so you may need to use two instead of one
- Need to be fluffed up correctly to work effectively
Do4U Slim Sleeper - Natural Latex Foam Pillow,Thin Low Profile, Anti Snore Deep Sleep Stomach Sleeper,Great for Neck Pain,Headaches & Side Sleeping Luxurious Comfort Massage
The Slim Sleeper does exactly what it says on the tin – it’s super slim! The extra slim version’s loft is only 2.7 inches whereas the thicker alternative’s loft is still only 3.9 inches. These two options are sure to keep your neck and spine aligned perfectly, no matter if you need a low or medium loft.
If you want to really push the boat out and sleep on an even lower surface, the sides of the Slim Sleeper is only 1.7 inches. Bear in mind that this may put your neck on a decline, however, creating a counterproductive effect.
With such a thin pillow you may be concerned about how firm the pillow is, but the Slim Sleeper’s high quality gives it a medium firmness so your neck is stabilized completely.
The latex material is sourced from Thailand and is super breathable, and the pinhole design makes it even more durable to keep you cool throughout the night.
Hypoallergenic, mildew and dust resistant, and antifungal – this might just be the cleanest pillow you’ve ever used.
Not only will it help prevent back and neck pain, it’ll also prevent allergies and irritation.
- Prevents pain and headaches
- Super low loft
- Latex and pinhole design makes this very breathable and cooling
- Too low for some people
- Latex smell is quite strong when first coming out of the package
GREHOME Memory Foam Pillow(40 Density), 29 x 16 x 4.7/3.5 inch Ergonomic Cervical Orthopedic Pillow, for Neck, Shoulder and Back Pain Relief, with Washable Breathable Cover/Compressed Package
This memory foam pillow from GREHOME is shaped specifically to support the neck and keep it level with the spine for the whole night, no matter what your sleeping position. The memory foam is 40D and classed as slow rebounding.
This means that when your head hits the pillow, you won’t be thrust down towards the mattress, causing shock to your neck and spine. Instead you’ll be slowly lowered down to the optimal height without disrupting your muscles.
GREHOME has given you the option of two sized pillows, the smaller having a loft of 3.5 inches and the larger has a 4.7-inch loft.
This means they are both in the small loft category, however if you’d rather a medium loft you can simply turn it around and use the higher contour side, which has a loft of around 4 inches.
These will keep your neck nicely in line with your spine without straining it.
Not only will it greatly benefit your posture, but this pillow is also dust resistant and hypoallergenic so you won’t have to worry about allergies or being irritated by the material.
It’s also made of breathable memory foam which will prevent you from overheating during the night.
- Suitable for all sleeping positions
- Small to medium loft height
- Slow rebounding memory foam to adapt to your head with every slight movement
- Poor quality zipper
- Some have had trouble with their pillow not expanding to its full size
Best Pillows for Front Sleepers – Buyer’s Guide
Loft
A pillows loft is how thick it is, and this is very important for front sleepers as it depends on how much support you’re going to get from the pillow.
Using a pillow with the wrong loft will most likely not align your neck properly with your spine, resulting in a poor sleep or bad pain.
A poor loft can even make you more prone to snoring and other breathing difficulties, so it’s important that you choose the right one.
Front sleepers will more than likely need a pillow with a loft of less than five inches, so look for a pillow with either a low or medium loft.
High lofts, or above five inches, will lift your neck higher than your spine and make you sleep with it on an unnatural angle.
This puts you in a vulnerable position and will really impact your sleep. Even if you managed to get a full sleep with a high lift pillow, imagine how your neck would feel in the morning!
Having said this, pillows that are too thin can also cause this same adverse effect, so you’re going to want to look for either a medium loft, or a high quality low loft pillow.
Material
You’re going to want a pillow that not only keeps your neck and spine aligned, but also is comfortable enough to sleep on. What’s the point of buying a specialised pillow if you can’t actually get to sleep? While there are countless materials that pillows could be made out of, we’ve only detailed the best for front sleepers below.
Memory Foam
Memory foam has taken over the pillow industry in the past decade, and it just happens to be one of the best materials to fill front sleeping pillows with.
This is thanks to its mouldable ability while still maintaining support for the back. Memory foam perfectly moulds around your head and neck to give you a precise position without being too high or low.
It also bounces back once you stop laying on it, which means you’re not confined to one position for the rest of your life. Another big benefit is that memory foam typically has a lower loft which makes it very unlikely to cause a strain on your neck or spine. A higher quality pillow means a higher quality sleep!
Feather and Down
Duck feathers are considered premium quality in the pillow world thanks to their lightweight and super soft feeling. They are easily moldable to your head and neck and cushion you nicely, and the loft can be adjusted by your individual weight of your head to give you fully tailored support.
Down is material from duck underbelly which makes it super soft, much like feather. Down includes all the same benefits as feather pillows which gives them a low loft and therefore makes them very comfortable for front sleepers.
Latex
Latex pillows are often firm and very supportive of your head and neck. Much like memory foam, latex pillows adapt to your exact shape to keep you in the right position to prevent straining your body. Another thing latex pillows are good for is keeping you cool throughout your sleep to prevent you overheating and reducing the quality of your sleep.
Breathability
Sleeping on your front can be very confining and be easier to overheat, preventing a good sleep and leaving you flustered and uncomfortable. Luckily for front sleepers, many brands now incorporate cooling technology into their pillows which can prevent these annoying effects.
As we said earlier, latex is a particularly cooling pillow material, however as long as the material has enough breathability and space for air to circulate freely, you can find that any pillow can have these cooling effects.
Firmness
Not everyone likes a firm pillow, and just because it’s thinner than other pillows doesn’t mean it has to feel as though you’re lying on a slab of concrete. This is why it’s important to check the firmness and which material it’s made out of. Memory foam may be much harder than feather or down pillows, so it all depends on your personal preference.
Having said this, firm pillows will need to be the correct loft in order to keep your neck aligned whereas too soft pillows will also be counterproductive as they may lower your neck too much and cause more strain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are down pillows good for stomach sleepers?
Down pillows offer soft support which is excellent for front sleepers as it allows your head to rest in its most natural and comfortable position. This is most likely to keep your neck aligned with your spine nicely and prevent any straining or awkward angles.
Although high quality down pillows are harder to find, they’re great at taking the excess pressure off your back while you sleep, so it’s definitely worth the investment.
Is sleeping on your stomach bad?
Sleeping on your front is only considered bad when you don’t have the correct preventative measures in place.
The two main reasons that people consider it bad for you is that it puts extra pressure on the spine thanks to your bodyweight being pulled down into the mattress, and that it often causes neck pain.
Having said this, all of the pillows we’ve looked at above are great at preventing this added pressure and pain. However, if you want more support for your back and neck, you can always lay a flat pillow underneath your stomach and pelvis to further increase your proper alignment.
Is sleeping without a pillow bad?
Pillows are designed to keep your spine in a neutral position while sleeping, so sleeping on your back or side without one may make your neck pain and poor posture worse.
Having said this, many front sleepers get on with sleeping without a pillow better because it keeps their neck aligned with their spine nicely. However, this is not true for everyone and you should not continue to do this if it makes you feel worse than with a pillow.
In most cases it is more beneficial to invest in a pillow specifically designed for your sleeping position.