The 12 Best King-Size Pillows of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Slumber Cloud Core Down Alternative Pillow

4.8

View On Slumber Cloud

Our Ratings

• Quality
  5/5
• Airflow
  5/5
• Effectiveness
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

Our top choice is the Slumber Cloud Core Down Alternative Pillow, a supremely fluffy yet supportive sleeping companion available in two firmness levels. The soft-to-medium option may be best for those who doze on their stomachs, while the medium-to-firm is ideal for side and back sleepers. If you do not opt for a king size, a standard size is also available.

One of this pillow's star features is its temperature-regulating capability. Each side of the pillow is lined with a NASA-approved fabric that captures heat and releases it throughout the night as your temperature changes. While this wasn't a major concern of our tester, she still found that this pillow noticeably improved the quality of her sleep. "I was worried a new pillow would be too bulky or fluffy, [as] I am used to using a very flat, firm pillow," she noted. "However, this one feels much more comfortable than what I currently use, and I simply didn't know what I was missing."

Filled with 100% down alternative fill, this pillow offers a down-like feel at a more affordable price. The shell is made with 300-thread count cotton, which provides a soft and breathable feel, and it is also Oeko-Tex certified for peace of mind.

Price at time of publish: $84 for a King

_{King Dimensions: 36 x 20 inches | Fill Material: 100% down alternative fiber fill | Shell Material: 100% cotton | Care: Machine wash, low}

Best Budget

Beckham Hotel Collection Bed Pillows, Set of 2

View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Target

Beckham Hotel Collection makes a great budget option. These affordable king pillows come in sets of two, each measuring 36 x 20 inches. The ultra-plush design features a down-alternative fill, and the cotton shell is perfectly soft, breathable, and Oeko-Tex certified for chemical safety.

While these pillows might be a little too shapely for stomach sleepers, they have a nice bounce that supports the head and neck. We also appreciate that they're machine-washable and dryer-friendly.

Price at time of publish: $65 for a set of two kings

_{King Dimensions: 36 x 20 inches | Fill Material: Down-alternative fibers | Shell Material: Cotton | Care: Machine-wash, tumble-dry}

Best Splurge

Saatva Latex Pillow

4.3

View On Saatva

Our Ratings

• Quality
  5/5
• Airflow
  4/5
• Effectiveness
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  3/5

If you're willing to invest in the best of the best, you can't go wrong with Saatva's Latex Pillow. This premium option is filled with shredded latex fibers for adaptable support, plus a removable, down-like inner pillow for extra loft. Side sleepers can keep the loft as-is, while back, stomach, and combination sleepers might want to remove the inner pillow.

During testing, we were the most impressed by the quality of this pillow: out of all the options we considered, it felt the most luxe and expensive. It has a nice weight that makes the pillow stand tall and maintain its shape, and our testers felt comfortable and supported in all sleeping positions. The super-soft shell is woven with Fair Trade Certified cotton to help you maintain a comfortable temperature—and when laundry day comes around, you can simply toss the pillowcase in with the rest of your wash.

Price at time of publish: $185 for a king

_{King Dimensions: 34 x 18 inches | Fill Material: Shredded latex and microdenier fiber | Shell Material: 100% cotton | Care: Machine wash}

Best Memory Foam

WEEKENDER Ventilated Gel Memory Foam Pillow

4.7

View On Amazon View On 1stopbedrooms.com View On Walmart

Our Ratings

• Quality
  5/5
• Airflow
  3/5
• Effectiveness
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

If you like a contoured feel, this one's for you. Boasting a full five inches of the brand's gel-infused polyurethane foam, the Weekender Gel Memory Foam Pillow has a soft yet supportive feel that our tester rated medium-firm. It maintains its shape while responding to the weight of your head, making it an especially great option for side and back sleepers.

This memory foam pillow has a ventilated design, which is intended to promote airflow and prevent heat from getting trapped in the foam. During testing, this pillow kept our tester cool and comfortable throughout the night. "I have had a gel foam pillow before, but this one has definitely outperformed it," she said. Just note that it's on the narrower side: 16 inches in width, versus 20 inches for most kings.

Price at time of publish: $40 for a king

_{King Dimensions: 35 x 16 inches | Fill Material: 100% Polyurethane foam | Shell Material: Polyester, polyethylene | Care: Machine-wash cover}

Best Foam

Tuft & Needle Original Foam Pillow

4.5

View On Amazon View On Wayfair View On Walmart

Our Ratings

• Quality
  4/5
• Airflow
  5/5
• Effectiveness
  5/5
• Durability
  4/5
• Value
  4/5

For those who like the buoyancy of foam but not necessarily memory foam, we recommend Tuft & Needle. This pillow is made of squishy, supportive foam infused with gel and graphite to keep you comfortably cool all night.

Since the fill isn't shredded, you can't adjust the loft—and although 5 inches is likely too thick for stomach sleepers, back and side sleepers will appreciate the support. Our tester, who's a combination sleeper, found this pillow to be comfortable in virtually any position. "I used to wake up repeatedly throughout the night, tossing and turning, fluffing pillows, turning them over, rearranging them," she said. "Now I mostly sleep soundly throughout the night and don't recall having to squish or fluff my pillows."

We also love that this king-size pillow is CertiPUR-US certified, so you know it's low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other potentially harmful chemicals.

Price at time of publish: $120 for a king

_{King Dimensions: 34 x 16 x 5 inches | Fill Material: Adaptive foam, graphite, gel | Shell Material: Micro-polyamide, polyester | Care: Machine-wash cover}

Best Latex

Nest Bedding Easy Breather Natural Pillow

View On Nest Bedding

Our Ratings

• Quality
  5/5
• Airflow
  3.5/5
• Effectiveness
  4/5
• Durability
  4/5
• Value
  4/5

Latex is an excellent alternative to synthetic foam. We like the Nest Easy Breather, which contains 75 perfect natural shredded latex and 25 percent poly fibers. The result? Lightweight, plush support that doesn't trap air. What's more, you can adjust the fill to achieve your ideal level of firmness and loft.

The inner latex is OEKO-TEX certified, and the machine-washable cover is made with an organic cotton mixture. All things considered, we just wish the Easy Breather was a little more affordable.

Price at time of publish: $169 for a King

_{King Dimensions: 34 x 18 inches | Fill Material: Organic shredded latex, poly fibers | Shell Material: Organic cotton | Care: Machine-wash cover}

Best Down

Quince Luxe Goose Down Pillow

View On Onequince.com

As the name implies, Quince's Luxe Goose Down Pillow is filled with 100 percent natural down fibers from European white geese. It holds a Responsible Down Standard (RDS) certification, which tells you the material was ethically sourced from humanely treated animals.

Flaunting an impressive 700 fill power, this bed pillow is incredibly fluffy with a cloud-like appeal. You can choose soft/medium or medium/firm, though even the former may not be supportive enough for back sleepers. Unlike many down-filled bedding inserts, this one is conveniently machine-washable. The smooth cotton sateen shell is a nice bonus, as well.

Price at time of publish: $159.90 for a King (Soft/Medium), $189.90 for a King (Medium/Firm)

_{King Dimensions: 36 x 20 inches | Fill Material: European white goose down | Shell Material: Cotton sateen | Care: Machine-wash cold, tumble-dry low}

Best Down Alternative

Parachute Down Alternative Pillow

4.9

View On Parachute

Our favorite down-alternative king pillow comes from Parachute. This vegan-friendly, hypoallergenic sleeping companion is filled with lightweight, ultra-fine microfibers designed to mimic the loftiness of natural down.

It's available in three densities to cater to different sleeping preferences, but if you doze on your side, the gusseted version might be a better choice. Thanks to double-stitched piping at the seams, this durable pillow is machine-washable and dryer-friendly—and Parachute backs it with a three-year warranty.

Price at time of publish: $89 for a king (soft), $99 for a king (medium), $109 for a king (firm)

_{King Dimensions: 36 x 20 inches | Fill Material: Microfiber | Shell Material: Cotton sateen | Care: Machine-wash cold, tumble-dry low}

Best Adjustable

Marlow The Pillow

4.2

View On Amazon View On Brooklinen View On Marlowpillow.com

Our Ratings

• Quality
  4.5/5
• Airflow
  4.5/5
• Effectiveness
  4.5/5
• Durability
  4/5
• Value
  4/5

Marlow stuffs its signature pillow with an 80/20 ratio of chopped gel-infused memory foam and lightweight poly fibers. You can customize the support, firmness, and loft using its hidden zipper. In other words, it's easy to adjust without the mess of adding or removing handfuls of the fill.

Adjustability notwithstanding, our testers thought this pillow might be a bit too firm for stomach sleepers. Still, they were impressed with the design, noting its great airflow and temperature control. While it's not machine-washable, the price is reasonable, and it's backed by a two-year warranty.

Price at time of publish: $85 for a king

_{King Dimensions: 36 x 17.5 inches | Fill Material: Gel-infused chopped memory foam, poly fibers | Shell Material: Sateen cotton, polyester mesh | Care: Spot-clean}

Best Cooling

Coop Sleep Goods The Original Pillow

4.8

View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Target

Our Ratings

• Quality
  5/5
• Airflow
  3/5
• Effectiveness
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

The Eden Pillow is ideal for hot sleepers. It earned a 4.8 out of 5 overall score from our tester, who liked the luxurious exterior and plush core. The foam and poly fiber fill is adjustable, and it comes with an extra bag of foam if you want to make it even firmer.

This pillow's core is infused with gel to provide a cooling effect, while the bamboo-derived viscose shell encourages airflow and pulls sweat away from your skin. You might notice a slight odor upon unboxing the Eden, but it should dissipate quickly. And it's CertiPUR-US certified to ensure that the foam is low in VOCs.

Price at time of publish: $108 for a king

_{King Dimensions: 36 x 20 inches | Fill Material: Gel-infused shredded memory foam, microfiber | Shell Material: Viscose-poly blend | Care: Machine-wash cold, tumble-dry low}

Best Hotel-Quality

Sobel Westex Home Hotel Sahara Nights Pillow

View On Amazon View On Wayfair View On Sobelathome.com

If you're trying to create a five-star hotel vibe in your sleeping quarters, look no further than Sobel Westex. The Sahara Nights Pillow consists of a softly quilted cotton shell filled with a down-alternative blend of poly and gel fibers.

Boasting a super-plush feel with medium-soft firmness, the brand says it's ideal for stomach and back sleepers. (Side sleepers may want a thicker option, such as something with a gusset.) At 36 x 20 inches, this pillow will fill out a king-size pillowcase nicely. Owing to the durable design and reinforced seams, you can toss it in your washing machine and tumble-dry it as needed.

Price at time of publish: $65 for a king

_{King Dimensions: 36 x 20 inches | Fill Material: Microfiber, gel fibers | Shell Material: Cotton | Care: Machine-wash, tumble dry}