We Lab Tested the Cult-Favorite Purple Pillow — Here's What We Found

Good Housekeeping

Thu, February 13, 2020 at 6:07 PM UTC

We Lab Tested the Cult-Favorite Purple Pillow — Here's What We Found — Your sleeping position is the most important factor to consider when choosing a pillow. If you use a pillow that’s not suited for how you sleep, you risk neck pain, discomfort and a lack of sleep, which can wreak havoc on your whole day. Back sleepers will require a different pillow than stomach and side sleepers, but if you switch positions all night – don’t fret! – we found the best pillows for you too.
The Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab is comprised of experts who test products for your best sleep ever. When testing pillows, we evaluate them in Lab and send them to testers based on their preferences (sleeping position and desired fill). All of the pillows featured were tested by back sleepers who gave us feedback on comfort, support, and much more. In Lab, we evaluate washability by laundering according to the care label and durability by applying weights to mimic real use. Here are the **best pillows for back sleepers** **we found after analyzing over 3,000 data points**:
**Best Overall Pillow for Back Sleepers:** Parachute Home Down Pillow
Best Value Pillow for Back Sleepers: Home Decorators Medium/Firm Down Alternative Pillow
**Best Pillow for Back Sleepers with Neck Pain:** The Purple Pillow
**Best Pillow for All Sleep Positions:** Coop Home Goods Premium Adjustable Loft Pillow
**Best Memory Foam Pillow for Back Sleepers:** Tuft and Needle Original Foam Pillow
Best Down Pillow for Back Sleepers: Riley Home Down Pillow
Best Down Alternative Pillow for Back Sleepers: L.L. Bean Down Alternative Damask Pillow
What to look for in a pillow for back sleepers
**The right pillow height:** While side sleepers need a high loft and stomach sleepers a low loft pillow, back sleepers should opt for a pillow somewhere in the middle. The perfect pillow for back sleepers will keep your spine aligned, so your neck and shoulders don’t tilt in any direction. Dr. Jaspal R. Singh M.D., co-director of the Center for Comprehensive Spine Care at Weill Cornell Medicine also warns not to put pillows behind your neck, "but instead support your upper back as well in order to maintain neutral cervical spine alignment."
**Don't forget to peek at the care label**: We tested pillows that cannot be machine washed at home — or at all. Some require a commercial sized front loading machine while others had just a washable cover. Always look at the care label before purchasing to avoid any surprises. We recommend washing your pillows about every four months and to always use a pillow protector to keep your pillow fresh.
To say goodnight to tossing and turning, shop the **best pillows for back sleepers** for your best sleep ever:

1) Down Pillow — **Parachute Home**
parachutehome.com
**$129.00**
Shop Now
Parachute’s down pillow received the overall top score out of all the back-sleeper pillows. It received a perfect durability score, as it had no change in appearance or shrinkage after machine washing. Testers gave high scores across the board for comfort and support; every tester said they would continue using it! They especially loved that it maintained its shape after use, which we also found in our Lab testing.
**Care:** Machine washable
**Fill:** Down and feathers
**Sizes:** Standard and King

2) Medium/Firm Down Alternative Pillow — **Home Decorators Collection**
homedepot.com
**$22.97**
Shop Now
For just $23, testers loved this down alternative pillow from Home Decorators Collection at Home Depot. This pillow is designed for both back and stomach sleepers. The **polyester fill mimics the feel of down without the hefty price tag**. In our Lab testing, the jumbo size fit nicely in a pillowcase, looked great after laundering, and kept its shape after weights were applied. It also is a Good Housekeeping Seal holder, so we stand behind this pillow with a two-year warranty.
**Care:** Machine washable
**Fill:** Polyester
**Sizes:** Jumbo and King

3) The Purple Pillow — **Purple**
purple.com
**$89.00**
Shop Now
Although it doesn’t look like your typical pillow, all back sleeper testers gave this pillow rave reviews for being supportive and keeping its shape use after use. The Purple Pillow features a polymer grid that's heavy to lift, but **cradles your head and shoulders when sleeping on your back**. In our Lab testing, the pillow’s cover was easy to launder with no shrinkage or appearance changes. Purple also offers a higher loft version with a latex core too.
**Care:** Cover only machine washable
**Fill:** Polymer grid
**Sizes:** Standard

5) Original Foam Pillow — **Tuft and Needle**
tuftandneedle.com
**$75.00**
Shop Now
This memory foam pillow from Tuft and Needle had excellent Lab performance and feedback from real consumer testers. Testers loved that unlike other memory foam pillows, **this pillow actually kept them cool**, which is likely thanks to the pillow’s cooling gel. The pillow quickly bounced back to its original shape after weights were applied. We love that this was one of the most affordable solid memory foam pillows that we tested too.
**Care:** Cover only machine washable
**Fill:** Solid memory foam
**Sizes:** Standard and King

4) Premium Adjustable Loft Pillow — **Coop Home Goods**
amazon.com
**$59.99**
Shop Now
Testers who sleep in every position (side, stomach, and back) gave this Coop Home Goods pillow **high scores for comfort and support, alongside** **10,000 rave Amazon reviews**. The key is the adjustable fill that allows you to add or remove the shredded memory foam to find your perfect height. As your sleeping style or health changes, you can continue to adjust the pillow’s feel. Plus, we love that both the fill and cover are machine washable, unlike most memory foam pillows.
**Care:** Machine washable; wash cover and fill separately
**Fill:** Shredded memory foam
**Sizes:** Queen and King

6) Down Pillow — **RiLEY Home**
bloomingdales.com
**$129.00**
Shop Now
For the ultimate fluffy feel, Riley Home’s down pillows have a 100% down fill – many pillows we tested that advertise as down actually are a mix of down and feathers. After laundering, this entirely machine washable pillow had no shrinkage or changes in appearance. It also quickly returned to its original shape after weights were applied. **Testers loved how comfortable this pillow was for back sleeping with a plush feel and neck support.** One tester appreciated that it was “a bit puffier” than other down pillows, as it has a 750 fill power.
**Care:** Machine washable
**Fill:** Down
**Sizes:** Queen and King

7) Down-Alternative Damask Pillow — **L.L. Bean**
llbean.com
**$40.00**
Shop Now
For a more affordable option compared to traditional down, down alternative pillows mimic the feel at a fraction of the price. This L.L. Bean down alternative pillow received high marks from testers and had great in Lab performance. One tester especially liked that "this pillow didn't trap heat" for a cool feel all night long. Note that the medium height is designed for back sleepers, while the other firmness levels, soft and firm, are best for stomach and side sleepers respectively.
**Care:** Machine washable
**Fill:** Polyester
**Sizes:** Standard, Queen, and King

We Lab Tested the Cult-Favorite Purple Pillow — Here's What We Found

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Your sleeping position is the most important factor to consider when choosing a pillow. If you use a pillow that’s not suited for how you sleep, you risk neck pain, discomfort and a lack of sleep, which can wreak havoc on your whole day. Back sleepers will require a different pillow than stomach and side sleepers, but if you switch positions all night – don’t fret! – we found the best pillows for you too.

The Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab is comprised of experts who test products for your best sleep ever. When testing pillows, we evaluate them in Lab and send them to testers based on their preferences (sleeping position and desired fill). All of the pillows featured were tested by back sleepers who gave us feedback on comfort, support, and much more. In Lab, we evaluate washability by laundering according to the care label and durability by applying weights to mimic real use. Here are the best pillows for back sleepers we found after analyzing over 3,000 data points:

Best Overall Pillow for Back Sleepers: Parachute Home Down Pillow
Best Value Pillow for Back Sleepers: Home Decorators Medium/Firm Down Alternative Pillow
Best Pillow for Back Sleepers with Neck Pain: The Purple Pillow
Best Pillow for All Sleep Positions: Coop Home Goods Premium Adjustable Loft Pillow
Best Memory Foam Pillow for Back Sleepers: Tuft and Needle Original Foam Pillow
Best Down Pillow for Back Sleepers: Riley Home Down Pillow
Best Down Alternative Pillow for Back Sleepers: L.L. Bean Down Alternative Damask Pillow

What to look for in a pillow for back sleepers

The right pillow height: While side sleepers need a high loft and stomach sleepers a low loft pillow, back sleepers should opt for a pillow somewhere in the middle. The perfect pillow for back sleepers will keep your spine aligned, so your neck and shoulders don’t tilt in any direction. Dr. Jaspal R. Singh M.D., co-director of the Center for Comprehensive Spine Care at Weill Cornell Medicine also warns not to put pillows behind your neck, "but instead support your upper back as well in order to maintain neutral cervical spine alignment."

Don't forget to peek at the care label: We tested pillows that cannot be machine washed at home — or at all. Some require a commercial sized front loading machine while others had just a washable cover. Always look at the care label before purchasing to avoid any surprises. We recommend washing your pillows about every four months and to always use a pillow protector to keep your pillow fresh.

To say goodnight to tossing and turning, shop the best pillows for back sleepers for your best sleep ever:

We tested 70 pillows for your best sleep ever.

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