Having the right pillow is critical for not only a good night’s rest—but to also maintain healthy spine alignment, reduce head and neck aches, and relieve pressure throughout your body. However, many pillows can run your wallet dry. Is it possible to get a good quality pillow without a large price tag attached to it?
Top 5 Most Affordable Pillows
The answer is yes, absolutely. I’ve been sleeping on pillows for awhile, and they’ve ranged from 20 bucks to nearly $200 and everything in between. While more expensive often equates to a really nice product, there are budget-friendly pillow options that also get the job done when it comes to serving your body well.
Below are my six picks for the most affordable pillows that still provide solid support. Note: Not all of these pillows will be cheap. Rather, these are the best deals considering the quality of the pillow: the materials used and the design implemented to ensure it’s doing the job.
Best Memory Foam Pillow | ||
COOP Home Goods Original Pillow  | COOP Home Goods Original Pillow The COOP Home Goods Original pillow is made from a memory foam microfiber blend fill that is removable for easy adjustment. | Doesn't expire |
Best Pillow for Combination Sleepers | ||
Allswell Down Alternative Pillow  | Allswell Down Alternative Pillow The Allswell Down Alternative pillow has the cozy, moldable feeling of down, without the hefty price tag. | Doesn't expire |
Best Cooling Pillow | ||
Eli & Elm Ventilated Memory Foam Pillow  | Eli & Elm Ventilated Memory Foam Pillow The Eli & Elm Ventilated Memory Foam pillow is made with a cooling gel infusion to help keep you cool all night long. | Doesn't expire |
Best Firm Pillow | ||
Puffy Pillow  | Puffy Pillow The Puffy pillow has a soft yet firm feel that sleepers after added support should really like. | Doesn't expire |
Side-Sleepers | ||
Beyond Down Gel Fiber Side Sleeper Pillow  | Beyond Down Gel Fiber Side Sleeper Pillow Sleepers of all styles can enjoy this feathery, fluffable, down-alternative pillow! |
Why These Top Picks?
I wanted to provide a variety of pillows that were good deals and could also be for all different types of sleepers. From memory foam to down alternative, water, and gel-fiber fillings, hopefully there’s a pillow for any type of sleeper with a particular price range in mind. Read on to learn about these different, affordable options.
Best Memory Foam Pillow
COOP Home Goods Original Pillow
Are you a fan of memory foam, but don’t like the idea of a pillow that’s just a big block of the stuff? Then you could really like the COOP Home Goods Original pillow, which is made from a blend of microfiber and shredded memory foam. This pillow blends the moldable, squishable feeling of down with the contouring and pressure relief of memory foam.
Another great feature about this memory foam pillow is that it sleeps cool. Unlike a solid block of memory foam, which can tend to trap heat, this pillow’s shredded fill lets air flow through the pillow, helping to prevent overheating.
This pillow has a medium-firm feel that’s best for side sleepers and back sleepers. Side sleepers will likely do best will the fill level the pillow comes with, but back sleepers might want to remove a bit of the fill to get their desired loft.
The COOP Home Goods Original pillow is made from a memory foam microfiber blend fill that is removable for easy adjustment.
Best Pillow for Combination Sleepers
Allswell Down Alternative Pillow
Sleepers looking for a more affordable version of a down pillow should really like the Allswell Down Alternative pillow. Made with a 100% polyester fabric fill, this pillow is both hypoallergenic and antimicrobial, so sleepers with allergies should do especially well here.
Personally, I’m a fan of down alternative because it mimics that moldable, squishy feeling of down, but you don’t have to worry about any feathers poking out over time (something I’ve noticed with many down pillows I’ve tried, even some of the pricey ones).
I also like that this pillow comes with a 100% cotton cover. That means it’s nice and breathable, and will also wash easily. In fact, you can throw this whole pillow in the washing machine (on a cold and gentle cycle), which makes cleaning a breeze.
The Allswell Down Alternative pillow has the cozy, moldable feeling of down, without the hefty price tag.
Best Cooling Pillow
Eli & Elm Ventilated Memory Foam Pillow
If you love the feel of memory foam, but have found that it tends to overheat, then you’ll like the Eli & Elm Ventilated Memory Foam pillow. This pillow is aerated, which helps it release trapped heat, and its foam has a cooling gel infusion, which adds to its cooling power.
This pillow is also hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, and is made with CertiPUR-US® Certified foams, which means it’s free from harmful chemicals and pollutants.
For a pillow with all this cooling tech, and added benefits, it comes at a really solid price!
The Eli & Elm Ventilated Memory Foam pillow is made with a cooling gel infusion to help keep you cool all night long.
Best Firm Pillow
Puffy Pillow
Firm pillows are great for sleepers who like added support, or suffer from neck or shoulder pain. The Puffy pillow has a firm feel that should work best for back or side sleepers. This firmness level will help keep their neck and spine neutrally aligned, which is the best way to prevent and reduce pain in those areas.
An added bonus about the Puffy pillow is that it’s adjustable. If you find that the pillow is too firm for your needs, simply remove some of the fill until you reach your desired level. This makes the pillow a great option for nearly every sleeper out there.
The Puffy pillow has a soft yet firm feel that sleepers after added support should really like.
Best Pillow for Side Sleepers
Beyond Down Gel pillow
The Beyond Down Gel pillow is a great balance of softness and support. It’s advertised as a “luxurious synthetic down pillow” filled with micro-denier gel fiber that mimics the feeling of down. It gets extra loft and lift from a double needle corded edged gusset—an extra piece of material to give a pillow extra, boxy structure to help add structure—a good quality for side-sleepers.
I think this is a win-win, especially for side-sleepers who don’t like extra firm pillows. While firm usually equals “good” for side-sleepers, extra hard pillows often take time getting used to, and some people just miss that option of sleeping on a pillow that feels like a cloud! The Beyond Down Gel pillow does a good job at mimicking down fill, and has a gusset for extra lift for most side-sleepers. Plus, it’s $24.50. Skip buying lattes for a week and you have yourself enough money for this pillow! Learn more in my full Beyond Down Gel Pillow review.
Built with thick down alternative, the Beyond Down pillow is ideal for back and side sleepers.
Pillow-Fill, Explained
Since all of these pillows offer a variety of fill, I thought it would be helpful to break down the different types of pillows to choose from to give you a better idea of what would be best for you.
Shredded memory foam: Here is why shredded memory foam is different from, and maybe even advantageous to, normal memory foam. When the foam is shredded, this allows for more air flow in the pillow itself, keeping you cool at night. Also, shredded foam pillows usually come with zippered inner-cases so you can add or remove the foam and adjust the pillow to your exact level of firmness.
Down alternative/Gel fiber: Down alternative uses a synthetic filling made with polyester fibers that claim to mimic the feeling of down. (Gel fiber is often used.) They are typically easier to clean, are hypoallergenic, and a bit firmer, providing a pleasantly plush and fluffy feel, while still providing good support. However, they tend to wear down faster than down pillows. One main benefit is they are significantly more affordable!
Polyester: Polyester-filled pillows are the most common type of fill, and are generally the least inexpensive of the bunch. They’re lightweight and easy to clean, though also susceptible to clumping up and holding in heat.
Water: Water pillows are a great and popular option, thanks to how they provide firm, yet adaptable support, while promising to not collapse under the weight of your head, regardless of how much pressure is applied.
Other types of pillow filling not on this list include down, latex, regular memory foam, and buckwheat.
Remember, A Great Pillow Is A Good Investment
While these are all great pillow options for someone on a budget, remember that a pillow should be considered an investment in your health. Since you spend nearly 1/3rd of your life sleeping, don’t be afraid to find something that will give your body the correct support it needs so you wake up refreshed and without soreness every morning.
Still looking for a pillow? Check out my best pillows page for a great overview.
