Bear is the brand behind several beds, like the flagship Bear mattress, that are cooling mattresses specifically designed for athletes. In this review, I’llbe taking a closer look at the Bear pillow, which, much like the mattresses, sports some cooling technology. I’ll go over what this pillow is made of, how it feels, and who it’s best suited for to help you decide if it’s the right pillow for you. But if you just want the highlights, you can skip to the end for my review summary.

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Is the Bear Pillow a Good Pillow for You? 

Every sleeper has different needs and preferences when it comes to pillows, so let’s go over who I do (and don’t) recommend the Bear pillow to.

Who should try the Bear pillow

• Back sleepers should find the Bear pillow quite comfortable, as it has both a medium firmness and medium loft — ideal characteristics for back sleeping.
• Hot sleepers will likely appreciate the Bear pillow’s perforated foam (which allows for airflow) and cool-to-the-touch cover.
• Sleepers who like a bouncy and elevating feel from their pillow should find the Bear quite comfortable.

Who should not try the Bear pillow

• Most stomach sleepers will probably find the Bear pillow to be too lofty to sleep comfortably. Too high of a loft can lead to stomach sleepers’ necks craning. See our best pillows for stomach sleepers for better options.
• Sleepers who prefer a classic memory foam feel in their pillow may not like the bouncy, latex-like feel of the Bear pillow. If you love sinking into memory foam, check out the Tempur-Pedic pillows.
• If you’re looking for an adjustable pillow, the Bear is likely not the best option for you, as it is not adjustable.

What Does the Bear Pillow Feel Like? 

Let’s discuss what the Bear pillow feels like, including its firmness, loft, and how it’ll work for different sleep positions. Keep in mind that you may have a different experience with this pillow than I did, particularly if you are larger or smaller than I am.

Bear Pillow Firmness

When it comes to firmness, I generally recommend a soft pillow to stomach sleepers, a firm pillow to side sleepers, and a pillow in the middle to back sleepers. That’s to ensure proper spinal alignment in each position. When I first laid on the Bear pillow, I immediately thought, “This doesn’t feel like a normal memory foam pillow.” And that’s because it’s not — it’s made with Bear’s proprietary Loft-X foam, which has a feel that I found much more similar to latex foam than memory foam. This pillow feels super bouncy, buoyant, and elevating, but still offers a little contouring around your head and neck. Overall, I found the Bear pillow to have a medium firmness, making it ideal for back sleepers. 

Bear Pillow Loft

Like firmness, each sleeping position generally maintains spinal alignment best with a different loft of pillow. Loft refers to the height of the pillow and I recommend a low loft for stomach sleepers, a medium loft for back sleepers, and a high loft for side sleepers. At five and a half inches tall in the standard size (just five inches for the king), the Bear pillow has a medium loft.  Now let’s go over my experience with this pillow in different sleeping positions. Side — While the Bear pillow isn’t quite a perfect side sleeper pillow, I actually found it to still be comfortable for side sleeping. The loft is high enough that I felt my neck was still in line with my spine and the foam’s elevating feel kept my head from sinking down too far. Taller side sleepers may want to find a loftier pillow to fill the space between their neck and shoulder better, but for sleepers of my height, I thought it worked well. Back — The Bear pillow is ideal for back sleeping, in my opinion. The medium firmness and medium loft are just right for keeping back sleepers propped up enough to maintain their spinal alignment, but not cause their necks to crane. As a back sleeper myself, I loved the Bear for sleeping in this position! Stomach — I didn’t find the Bear pillow to be comfortable for stomach sleeping, as the loft was too high and caused my neck to crane. I would definitely opt for a lower loft, softer pillow to prevent any neck strain as a stomach sleeper.  Under the Arm — I think the Bear pillow is decently comfortable to sleep with under your arm, but I generally prefer a pillow that’s a bit more moldable for this position. A more moldable pillow will conform around you as you hug it, whereas this block foam won’t. Between the Legs — The Bear pillow could work for sleeping with between your legs, but I would opt for something that allows your legs to sink in a bit more than this pillow does. Additionally, the shape is a little awkward for this position, in my experience.

What is the Bear Pillow Made Of? 

Cover: The cover of the Bear pillow is made of Bear’s Double Ice Fabric, which has a cool-to-the-touch feel. It’s made from a blend of cotton and cool yarn and has two mesh panel corner accents to allow for additional airflow.  Core: The pillow’s core is a block of Bear’s Loft-X foam, a polyurethane foam which they call a “hybrid foam” between latex and memory foam. This foam is perforated to prevent body heat from being trapped. The Bear pillow is available in a standard size and a king size. Additionally, Bear says the materials are hypoallergenic and antimicrobial, keeping out dust mites, bacteria, and allergens.

Is the Bear Pillow Good for Hot Sleepers?

I thought the Bear pillow was an excellent choice for hot sleepers. The Double Ice fabric used for the cover feels cool to the touch, which is fantastic for keeping hot sleepers comfortable. Additionally, I think the breathability of this pillow helps, as the perforations in the foam allow air to flow instead of being trapped in the core.  For more cooling pillow options, check out our best cooling pillows. And don’t forget to round out your breezy, breathable bed with some of our best cooling sheets.

Bear Pillow Sizes and Prices 

Wondering how much the Bear pillow costs? Here’s a breakdown of the prices, by size. Price listed will be before discount or offer for each size.