Best Cooling Pillows in Canada

For years, we’ve followed the latest home, lifestyle, and sleep trends to help improve the lives of our fellow Canadians. From mattresses to small kitchen appliances, exercise equipment, and beyond, we’re committed to offering the best recommendations for your home and life. All our recommendations begin at our test lab, where we put each item through rigorous, customized testing. Then, we send each product to our team of testers for detailed feedback. Then, we compare both sets of data to arrive at our list of recommendations.

As we evaluated the best cooling pillows in Canada, we extensively tested the following features.

• Loft. Loft refers to the height of the pillow, or how tall it is. A loftier pillow might be denser, but it also raises your head off the bed to a greater degree than a low-loft option. This can affect how comfortably you sleep depending on your sleeping position. We looked for options with adjustable lofts or a range of options to help you choose. 
• Fill. The inside of the pillow matters. Whether it’s memory foam, shredded foam, or faux down, the interior can determine how breathable and cool a mattress is. We chose only the best fill materials to recommend to you.
• Cover Materials. The cover of the pillow can make the pillow more breathable or comfortable. We looked for a variety of cover materials, including cooling materials to help the pillow reduce heat throughout the night.
• Firmness. The firmness you prefer is personal, but it’s tied to your sleeping position. We looked at a variety of firmness options to try and present more options for you to choose from. 

How to Choose a Cooling Pillow for Canadians

Choosing a cooling pillow can help you sleep better, but it can be difficult. Here are some tips and options you should look for before you decide which pillow you want to purchase.

Pillow Loft

Loft and firmness are two of the most important factors to consider when choosing a pillow. Though they are different factors, they are tied together and can represent how comfortable you’ll find a pillow. The loft and firmness you should choose are tied to your sleeping position.

• Stomach sleepers need a low loft. Pillows for stomach sleepers should be soft and less dense than other types, as it helps keep stomach sleepers’ heads and necks in proper alignment.
• Side sleepers should go for a high loft, with a firmer feel. Dense pillows are more susceptible to heat, so make sure to choose wisely. If you need a dense, firm, high-loft pillow, choose one with the most effective cooling methods you can find. 
• Back sleepers should go for a medium loft and firmness. However, back sleepers tend to be a bit more choosy than other sleeping positions due to a variety of factors associated with back sleeping. Some sleepers may fall outside of these preferences. 

Firmness

Just like mattresses, pillows come in a variety of firmnesses to help sleepers get the best possible rest. Firmer pillows can be more supportive, but trap heat more than softer options. Soft pillows can be more uncomfortable if you don’t sleep on your stomach.

One of the best things you can do if you are unsure about your preferred firmness is to choose a pillow with adjustable fill. Some pillows come with some extra fill and can be zipped open to add or remove fill if you need to.

If you aren’t completely sure about your preferred firmness, you should look at adjustable pillows. Otherwise, choose the firmness that best aligns with your sleeping positions. As a reminder, those are:

• Stomach sleepers prefer soft pillows.
• Side sleepers prefer firmer pillows.
• Back sleepers prefer medium pillows. 

Fill Materials

The inside of the pillow matters a great deal when you’re considering which pillow to purchase. There are a few types of fill that can help reduce heat inside the pillow overall, but it’s important to choose the one that you think might work best for you.

Here’s a quick run-down of the types of fills you may discover as you search for a pillow.

• Memory Foam. Memory foam pillows are great for support. Like memory foam mattresses, memory foam pillows contour to your body and feel like they’re offering great support in all the right places. However, it’s usually very hot. Shredded memory foam is more comfortable on the whole, and it might be infused with materials that help neutralize heat (such as cooling gel). 
• Latex. Latex pillows are more breathable than memory foam options overall. However, this all-natural material can feel different. It’s more responsive than memory foam, creating a bouncier surface overall. 
• Down and Alternative Downs. Down and alternatives that are meant to act like down are breathable but can be a little warmer than you’d like. Down is soft and fluffy, but it’s also very good at insulating (which is why it’s used in so many comforters and duvets). Down-alternatives are usually less expensive and cooler than real down. These options are made with synthetic materials instead of animal products, too. 

Keep in mind that some pillows (especially shredded memory foam ones) may be adjustable. This means that there’s a smaller bag within the pillow that holds the fill, and you can unzip the bag and change the fill level to your liking. If this is something you’re interested in, look for pillows with adjustable fill. Usually, these are shredded memory foam.

Cover Materials

The cover materials can change the way the pillow feels. Of course, most Canadians use pillowcases with their cooling pillows. We recommend using pillowcases, too. That’s because using a pillowcase can help reduce wear and tear on your pillow. Since most pillows can’t be put into the washing machine, you must protect the pillow from common issues like sweat and humidity.

However, cover materials can affect how breathable your pillow is. Some pillows use cooling mesh to produce maximum airflow, while others use comfortable cotton. Some companies even use proprietary materials to help their pillows feel cooler.

Take a close look at the cover materials when choosing a cooling pillow, as it can make quite a difference.

Cooling Methods

But how do cooling pillows cool you as you sleep? There are a few different methods that your pillow might use. The two most popular (and effective) cooling options include cooling gel pads and PCM, or Phase-Changing Material.

PCM is made to feel cool no matter what. Once it reaches a certain temperature, it works to wick away moisture and neutralize heat throughout the night. On the other hand, cooling gel pads can keep you cooler initially, but the effects tend to be less pronounced throughout the night. However, they are sometimes removable (or you may have the ability to turn the pillow over if it’s a little too cold).

Memory foam pillows usually use cooling pads. They work fine, especially if you move around a lot during the night.

 There are other cooling methods available, but these are the most effective. Some materials are simply more breathable, which may work if you’re only slightly warm during the night.

Size

There are a few different pillow sizes that might be available when you are purchasing your cooling pillow. There are standard pillows (usually 16” x 24”) or King pillows (usually 16” x 32”). Further, some pillows might have custom dimensions based on their construction. If you want to buy pillowcases for your pillows, make sure to check that the dimensions line up appropriately.

Care Instructions

It can be challenging to know how to care for your pillow. While some pillows are machine washable, many of the high-end pillows we recommended shouldn’t be submerged in water. Different materials, covers, and cooling methods might change the way you should care for your pillows.

However, different pillows may have different care instructions based on the materials used. Each pillow should have care instructions printed on the tag, or with the documentation that comes with the pillow. If you can’t find that information, checking online is always useful. Taking care of your pillow properly can ensure that they last a long time.  

Packages

While most of the pillows on our list come as a single pillow, there are a few that come in larger packages. Others may have the option to order two pillows in a combined package. Even if you usually sleep with two of the inexpensive pillows from big box retailers, it’s best to start with one memory foam pillow (or any of the other types of pillows on our list). That’s because the pillows are specifically designed to offer support and loft in a single pillow.

If you find that you need another, you can always purchase one once you’ve decided that you like it. Packages with two pillows are usually meant for couples, with one pillow for each person. Keep this in mind as you order, and make sure that you choose the correct package size before you check out.

Sleep Trials

Some sleep-focused companies offer a sleep trial that allows you to see how you like the pillow before you decide to keep it. While other retail companies may not offer sleep trials, companies that make mattresses, bed sheets, duvets, and bed frames usually offer some type of sleep trial. Since you can’t try the pillow before you bring it home, this allows you to test it to see if it works for you.

Sleep trials for pillows don’t last as long as those for mattresses. Usually, a sleep trial for a pillow can be up to 60 days. It takes about 30 days for your body to get used to a new pillow, especially if you’re switching from inexpensive retail store pillows. You should choose a pillow with the longest possible sleep trial, which will give you time to make sure that the pillow is right for you.