Best Cooling Pillow for Hot Flashes - Get Back to Cool, Restful Sleep

There are few bedroom experiences as frustrating as having a sleep repeatedly stolen from you by the discomfort of hot flashes, which is why today we'll be reviewing the best cooling pillows for hot flashes.

Excessive body heat can not only keep you from falling asleep, and it can even wake you up in the middle of the night sweating and uncomfortable. But with the right pillow, you can get cool, uninterrupted sleep even in the grip of hot flashes or night sweats.

A good cooling pillow needs to be able to disperse heat and wick sweat and humidity away from your head while sleeping. To achieve this effect, it's vital that the pillow has a breathable cover material, heat dispersing fill material, and be well ventilated throughout its structure.

Memory foam and latex are common fill material choices for cool pillows because they don't insulate as strongly as down, but they can still become dense heat sinks if not adequately ventilated and combined with a breathable, moisture-wicking cover. Some people also dislike memory foam or latex pillows because of their hefty weight and faint chemical smell.

Our review will help you pick the best cooling pillow for your needs, budget, and preferences, so you can get back to sleeping soundly.

Best Cooling Pillows that Stay Cool All Night

The Cool Pillow-Adjustable by Nest Bedding

The Cool Pillow is the only product in our lineup to have an outer cover made from phase change material, which is the cream of the crop when it comes to temperature control. Phase change material works by taking on body heat until it reaches a particular temperature, at which point it stops retaining heat. This unique property allows phase change material to maintain a very consistent temperature.

This temperature regulating pillow was specifically designed for cool sleepers, and reviewers reported a noticeable cooling sensation when using it. It contains both shredded foam and cooling gel for even more cooling power, and the fill level is adjustable to your personal preference.

Some minor downsides to the Cool Pillow are that it's relatively expensive, some dislike the slippery texture of the phase change material, and using your own pillowcase with this pillow will greatly diminish its temperature controlling capabilities.

The Saatva Pillow

The Saatva pillow is a unique offering in this lineup. Rather than just an outer cover and internal fill, the Saatva pillow has an additional middle layer. This extra layer is filled with microdenier fiber that replicates the lofty feel of goose down and makes the pillow cushier.

The latex in this pillow is high-quality American Talalay latex and is shredded for maximum breathability and heat transfer. The middle microdenier layer may help to contain some of the latex's inherent odor because reviewers noted that the Saatva pillow has a less prominent smell than most latex pillows. The Saatva was also said to hold its shape with prolonged use better than many other pillows in this lineup.

The Saatva pillow is the most expensive on our list at a price of $149, but with all the unique features it brings to the table, it could well be worth it. This may be the best pillow for hot sleepers who don't like the smell or unyielding firmness of latex.

Kool-Flow Pillow by Xtreme Comforts

Of the three bamboo-rayon products on our list, the Kool-Flow pillow is the cheapest coming in at only $54.99. In fact, this pillow contains exactly the same fill material as the Snuggle-Pedic pillow despite the fact that it's slightly cheaper.

As with the Snuggle-Pedic, some of the downsides of this pillow are that the cocktail of materials in its cover, combined with the memory foam interior, release an odor that some users find unpleasant. Some people also dislike the slippery, stretchy texture of rayon.

Benefits of this pillow include the fact that it's eco-friendly, has great moisture wicking and fast drying capabilities, and the microventing in the cover help to increase air circulation. If you're a heavy night sweater and want to save money on a moisture-wicking rayon pillow, the Kool-Flow pillow would be a great choice.

Layla Kapok Memory Foam Pillow

The last pillow on our list is also a very interesting and unique one. It's stuffed with a mixture of soft, fluffy Kapok tree fiber and firm, supportive memory foam. Supposedly this mix gives the pillow a very unique and comfortable feel.

The cover is made using CuTEC copper infused yarn. The addition of copper is supposed to reduce odor, replenish facial skin, and conduct heat away from your body while you sleep. There are even claims that the copper infusion can increase blood flow in those with pure circulation.

Minor downsides of this pillow include the fact that it is expensive and, like many other shredded foam pillows, is prone to settling and compacting over prolonged use. Overall reviewers were highly pleased with this pillow and its slew of advanced features.

TEMPUR-Cloud Breeze Dual Cooling

The TEMPUR-Cloud Breeze pillow is based on the same memory foam technology as the famous Tempur-Pedic mattress. As befits its reputation, Tempur has delivered a pillow with solid construction and high-quality materials that doesn't flatten out and lose its shape over time like other memory foam pillows.

This pillow comes with double-sided Tempur breeze cooling gel, which is meant to make up for the fact that it's made from a single piece of unventilated memory foam. Unfortunately, several reviewers found that the cooling effect of the gel lasted only the first fifteen minutes of sleeping on the pillow and that it would heat up after prolonged use.

The Tempur pillow is also shaped much more like a traditional down pillow with tapered edges, rather than a solid block like most memory foam pillows. Some users felt this shape caused the edges of the pillow to be lacking in support for certain sleeping styles.

Snuggle-Pedic Bamboo Pillow

This unique pillow has a cover made from 56.4% polyester, 43% rayon made from bamboo, and .6% lycra. In addition to making the pillow more sustainable and eco-friendly, the bamboo rayon gives the pillow a stretchy, cool, and moisture-wicking texture. It will dry quickly from sweat, just like moisture-wicking sports clothes.

The Snuggle-Pedic Bamboo pillow contains shredded memory foam as a fill material, and the zippered cover allows you to add or remove bedding from the pillow to achieve your desired thickness. Snuggle-Pedic will even send you additional foam for free if you want to make your pillow extra firm.

The combination of a micro-vented cover and a shredded foam interior means this pillow is incredibly breathable and should shed heat more efficiently than more solidly constructed options.

If you dislike the slippery texture of rayon, this may be a bad pillow choice for you. Additionally, the combination of rayon, lycra, and memory foam give this pillow a unique smell, which may be unpleasant to those with sensitive noses.

All Natural Latex Pillow by OrganicTextiles

The All Natural Latex pillow is exactly what the name says: It's made of entirely organic cotton and 100% all natural latex. While the latex body of the pillow is one piece, it's full of "pin core" ventilation, or tiny holes all over that allow for more air circulation.

Reviewers found this pillow to be very comfortable and supportive. Some latex pillows can take some getting used to because they are so firm, but this pillow seems to have struck the right balance between firm and cushiony.

However, despite its comfortable make, several reviewers noted that the pillow didn't sleep hot, but also didn't sleep any cooler than regular pillows. If your hot flashes are keeping you up and you're badly in need of a pillow that stays cold, not just cool, this may not be the best choice for you.

Premium Shredded Foam Pillow By Brooklyn Bedding

Instead of just one or the other, this pillow has both the cooling gel and shredded memory foam for excellent cooling power and breathability. The shredded foam also gives you the option to add or remove foam if you want the pillow to be thinner or thicker.

The company claims that the product's cover is "moisture wicking and antimicrobial", but the cover material itself is not listed anywhere on the product page. Considering the inexpensive price of $44, my best guess would be that the cover is made from polyester.

While memory foam is known for having a bit of an odor to it, especially when it's new, but several reviewers noted that this pillow was particularly pungent and took much longer than usual for the smell to off gas. There were also some complaints of fill leakage and a marked decrease in support after prolonged use.

Eden Shredded Memory Foam Pillow by Coop Home Goods

Here's another eco-friendly pillow made from sustainable bamboo rayon. Unlike the Snuggle-Pedic pillow, the Eden pillow doesn't contain any Lycra. However, it's still very moisture wicking and dries from sweat very fast. If your hot flashes leave you sweaty and gross feeling in the morning, then this might be a good pillow for you.

In addition to being CertiPUR-US certified, this pillow is also Green Guard Certified. The adjustable fill is shredded memory foam infused with cooling gel. All the materials of this pillow are hypoallergenic, making it a great choice for those with latex allergies.

As with many other bamboo rayon products, there were occasional reviewer complaints that the texture of the Eden pillow had a slippery or noisy texture. It was also said to compress over time and be difficult to fluff back up.

Dual Option Cooling-Gel Pillow by Perfect Cloud

The Perfect Cloud pillow comes as a solid piece of memory foam, but it's ventilated and has a cooling gel layer to deliver an extra punch of cooling power. Although single piece memory foam pillows are sometimes known to sleep on the warmer side, reviewers found this pillow to have a medium level of cooling sensation.

Interestingly, this pillow is only available in a standard size, so if you really need a king or queen sized pillow, you'll have to look elsewhere. The pillow also has a hard ridge of stitching around the edge that reviewers noted was uncomfortable to sleep on.

The company doesn't mention what the cover material is, which leads me to guess it's probably polyester. If that is the case, then this pillow is a little on the expensive side for having an inexpensive polyester cover.

Ventilated Gel Memory Foam Pillow by Weekender

The Weekender pillow is one of the two least costly on our list at only $39.99. It saves money with an inexpensive polyester cover, which has higher moisture wicking ability than cotton but also doesn't breathe as well and has been known to hold heat.

The single piece foam construction is broken up with ventilation holes for better air circulation, and there is a cooling gel layer to control heat even better. Reviewers noted that this pillow was lighter and thinner than most memory foam pillows, which often tend to be on the heavy side due to their density. If you're looking for a memory foam pillow, this might be the pillow for you.

Complaints included that this pillow doesn't come in king size and that a couple of reviewers had the cover shrink in the wash and then not fit on the pillow anymore. Users did find the pillow very supportive, even for its relatively thin dimensions.

Conforma Ventilated Memory Foam Cushion Firm Pillow by Classic Brands

The Conforma pillow is the ultimate budget option on our list at the reasonable price of only $31.59. The cover is polyester, which is known to trap heat, and it's formed from one piece of memory foam. While the foam is ventilated, there is no cooling gel layer as in many memory foam pillows on this list.

Reviewers found this pillow to be less firm than typical memory foam. If you like a very firm pillow that could be a bad thing, but if you're not a fan of extra firm pillows, this could be a plus. Along with most of the memory foam options on our list, the Conforma pillow is known to be heavier than regular pillows and have a faint memory foam smell.

One plus for this product is that multiple reviewers commented on excellent customer service from the company.

If you're looking for a very inexpensive memory foam pillow and don't mind sacrificing some cooling power, or if you want a less firm memory foam experience, this pillow could be a good fit for you.

Natural White Goose Down Feather Cool-Down Pillow by Puredown

The Puredown pillow is the only down or feather pillow option on our list. Down and feather pillows aren't typically used for hot sleepers or those experiencing hot flashes because those materials tend to increase insulation and heat retention.

This pillow at least has a much higher feather content than down content (90% versus 10%), which means there's much more ventilation from feathers than there is insulation from the down. Even so, several reviewers were of the opinion that this pillow slept on the hot side.

This pillow does have the benefit of being very soft and cushiony, though some people really dislike the unusual texture and crunchy sound of feather pillows. If you're drastically opposed to latex or memory foam pillows and want something with a more natural, traditional fill material, then you might enjoy this pillow.

Cooling Pillow - Comparison

Comparison of Cooling Pillows
	Cover Material	Fill Material	Fill Type	Cost (queen size)
The Cool Pillow-Adjustable by Nest Bedding	Phase change material	Cooling gel-infused memory foam	Shredded	Check Price
The Saatva Pillow	Cotton and microdenier fabric underlayer	Latex	Shredded	Check Price
Kool Flow Pillow by Xtreme Comforts	56.4% polyester, 43% polyester, .6% Lycra	Memory foam	Shredded	Check Price
Layla Kapok Memory Foam PIllow	Copper-infused cotton	Memory foam and Kapok tree fiber	Shredded	Check Price
TEMPUR-Cloud Breeze Dual Cooling	Quilted cotton	Cooling gel-infused TEMPUR memory foam	Single piece	Check Price
Snuggle-Pedic Bamboo Pillow	56.4% polyester, 43% bamboo rayon, .6% Lycra	Memory foam	Shredded	Check Price
All Natural Latex Pillow by OrganicTextiles	Organic cotton	Latex	Pin-Core ventilated	Check Price
Premium Shredded Foam Pillow by Brooklyn Bedding	Not listed	Cooling gel-infused memory foam	Shredded	Check Price
Eden Shredded Memory Foam Pillow by Coop Home Goods	60% polyester, 40% bamboo rayon	Cooling gel-infused memory foam and polyester microfiber	Shredded	Check Price
Dual Option Cooling-Gel Pillow by Perfect Cloud	Not listed	Memory foam with a gel layer	Single piece, ventilated	Check Price (standard size)
Ventilated Gel Memory Foam Pillow by Weekender	Polyester	Memory foam with a gel layer	Single piece, ventilated	Check Price
Conforma Ventilated Memory Foam Cushion Firm Pillow By Classic Brands	Polyester	Memory foam	Single piece, ventilated	Check Price
Natural White Goose Down Pillow by Puredown	58% polyester, 42% olefin	10% white goose down, 90% white goose feather	NA	Check Price

Bring Out the Big Guns – Smart Cooling Systems

Some people have far worse hot flashes than others, and if you're one of those people a passively cooling pillow may not be enough. You may be in need of pillows with cooling technology built into them.

There are a couple of air-cooled pillows on the market, like the Cool Buddy Deluxe, but these products haven't gotten good reviews, and we don't recommend them. The problem with air cooled products is that most of them have trouble controlling the temperature when the humidity and ambient temperature is high, which is precisely when we need cooling the most.

A water-cooled pillow that we do recommend is the Moona pillow. Water cooled devices are not impacted by ambient humidity or temperature, and can easily keep you cool and comfortable all night long. This electrically cooled pillow is currently in the preorder phase and should be shipping out sometime in August 2019.

Other options to cool your entire bed with smart bed cooling technology include the BedJet 2 climate comfort system, CUBE Sleep System, and Ooler Sleep System.

The Verdict

Overall the best cooling pillow for you will depend on many factors, including personal preference, the climate where you live, your budget, and the intensity of your hot flashes or night sweats.

If the budget is most important to you, then the Weekender, or especially the Conforma pillow, would be the best choice for you. They may not have as many unique cooling features as some other products, but they're inexpensive, and they will be colder than regular pillows.

If you're a very heavy night sweater and need a highly moisture wicking and quick drying pillow, then one of the bamboo rayon products would be a perfect fit. The Kool Flow pillow is extremely similar to the highly rated Snuggle-Pedic pillow but with a lower price, and is probably the best choice for a bamboo rayon product.

Finally, if you're looking for as much raw cooling power as possible and sparing no expense, then your best bets would be either the Cool Pillow, with its temperature controlling phase change material, or the Layla Kapok Pillow, with its copper, heat-conducting shell.