What is the Best Pillow to Keep You Cool This Summer?

by on

Last updated on July 24th, 2023 at 12:53 pm

Getting a good night’s sleep can be challenging as the temperature rises during the summer months. Sweaty and uncomfortable nights can disrupt sleep quality and overall well-being, leaving you tired and grumpy. A pillow specifically designed for hot weather can make a significant difference in ensuring a restful sleep experience – there are different types and materials available, plus a range of interesting features.

Understanding the cooling pillow concept

Cooling pillows are those which are specifically designed to regulate your body temperature and provide you with a comfortable sleep surface, even on those hot sticky nights. These pillows are generally made from materials and technologies that are moisture-wicking and promote breathability and heat dissipation. By preventing heat retention (something common in memory foam pillows) and promoting air circulation, cooling pillows help regulate body temperature. This ultimately leads to a much more refreshing sleep experience!

What are some factors to consider when choosing a cooling pillow?

When selecting a cooling pillow, it’s important to consider various factors that contribute to its cooling properties and your overall comfort:

Material

You should look for pillows made from breathable and moisture-wicking materials such as bamboo, cotton, or cooling gel-infused memory foam. The properties of these materials will help with that cool side of the pillow feeling we all crave on hot nights…

Loft Height

The loft height of a pillow is important for your comfort; generally the higher the loft the more comfortable the pillow. Your overall comfort will help you sleep better and stay cool at night.

Fill

The pillow fill is important, too. If a pillow is filled with feathers, it might be itchy and uncomfortable which won’t make sleep any easier; memory foam has natural heat retention, so it’s best to look for fillings which counteract this by adding in gel or other technologies.

Technologies

Cooling pillows are often set aside from normal pillows due to the technologies used in their construction: this might be the use of a gel layer within the pillow, or using a mesh frame with spaces to allow for airflow. These innovations are what helps make it a cooling pillow, as opposed to just a normal pillow.

Hybrid Bamboo Pillow Guy holding lifestyle image
Shop now

Types of cooling pillows

There are various types of cooling pillows on the market, each made slightly differently to help keep you cool on warm nights.

Latex Pillows

These are pillows filled with a shredded latex material; it is an alternative to down and offers a cooling effect, but it doesn’t work for people with latex allergies.

Bamboo Pillows

Bamboo pillows are hypoallergenic, naturally antibacterial, and inherently breathable and thermoregulating. Bamboo is a soft and comfortable material; bamboo-filled pillows are particularly squishy.

memory foam bamboo pillow foam test
Shop now

Hybrid Pillows

Hybrid pillow generally refers to pillows made from memory foam, which naturally retain heat but are tweaked to ensure a cooling effect too – by utilising open-cell technology, for example, and incorporating cooling fabric like bamboo or linen.

What are the pros and cons of different cooling pillow types?

As with all types of pillows, there are pros and cons to all of the various cooling pillows. It comes down to personal preference and what is best for you, so it is worth considering these.

Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pillow Lifestyle Image

Latex Pillows – Pros and Cons

The pros of latex pillows include being free from animal products, cooling, durable and soft. The cons are that latex is not suitable for those with a latex allergy, which is quite common, and they can also be quite heavy.

Bamboo Pillows – Pros and Cons

There are so many pros to bamboo pillows: they are naturally antibacterial, hypoallergenic, moisture-wicking and soft as well as being good quality and really durable. Some cons might be that they are generally not machine washable, and that it can take some time to adjust to the difference.

Hybrid Pillows – Pros and Cons

Some pros of a hybrid pillow include the ultimate comfort found from blending more than one material; they are also great quality thanks to the work that has gone into the design and construction. However, hybrid pillows can be more expensive than others.

What are some additional features to consider?

When buying a cooling pillow, look for additional features that might help you decide which one to purchase. Do you want a washable zip-off cover, for example, or do you need a pillow with orthopaedic-grade support for a bad back? Consider your budget, any allergies or sensitivities, and how eco-friendly different pillows are.

Keep cool this summer with a cooling pillow

Hot nights can really have an impact on your sleep quality, so looking at pillows which offer cooling properties is definitely important when purchasing a new one. Comfort and support are vastly important to provide a good night’s sleep, and staying cool helps matters even more. Consider your own personal preferences, as well as materials and technologies, when buying a cooling pillow.

Explore our range: