What is the Best Cervical Contour Pillow? Physician Advice
If you wake up feeling sore or groggy, it’s possible you may need a neck pillow that better supports your sleeping position. While there are various neck support pillows on the market, it’s hard to find the right pillow with ergonomic design. If you suffer from a stiff neck or neck pain, you should ideally look for a cervical contour pillow. A cervical pillow is a neck pillow with an ergonomic design to support your neck and maintain spinal alignment. A contour pillow is a neck pillow with a curved shape, either with elevated sides and neck rolls or a concave surface. This article’s goal is to help you find the best cervical contour pillow on the market.
Top 5 Neck Support Pillows
Contour Memory Foam Pillow By Elite Rest
Contour Memory Foam Pillow By Elite Rest is one of the best neck support pillows for side sleepers and back sleepers. This cervical pillow has an ergonomic design with a concave surface, i.e., it has higher sides and a lower center. Its loft height ranges from 4.5” at the sides to 2.75” at the center, so you can easily rest your neck on the elevated neck rolls. The memory foam filling ensures optimal comfort and neck support, and it comes with a machine-washable and breathable cotton cover. You’re sure to wake up feeling rejuvenated!
Elite Rest Shredded Memory Foam Pillow is the ideal neck pillow for those who toss and turn in their sleep. It doesn’t have an ergonomic design with curved sides or contours, but it doesn’t need such structural elements. This neck pillow is made of shredded memory foam filling, making it highly adjustable. You can add or remove the filling to adjust the loft height according to your sleeping position, and you can shift the fillings around at night to ensure optimal comfort whenever you toss and turn. It also comes with a machine-washable and breathable bamboo-cotton cover.
Mediflow Fiber is the world’s best water pillow, considered one of the best types of pillow for neck pain. Water can’t be compressed, so it offers a firm support level unlike all other neck support pillows. It comes with a hypoallergenic fiber filling and an insulated water pouch that ensures optimal comfort and prevents leaking. You can modify the water level to adjust the loft height and firmness, making it suitable for all individuals, regardless of their sleeping positions.
Core Products Tri-Core is the ideal cervical pillow for people currently suffering from neck pain, stiff neck, or spondylosis. This cervical pillow has a unique ergonomic design with elevated contours on all sides and a concave center. The shape holds your neck in place, minimizing involuntary movement at night, which allows your neck to heal, relieving pain and pressure. It’s available in three sizes, so you can find a pillow suitable for your specific needs.
EPABO Contour Memory Foam Pillow is a comfortable cervical pillow with a slight depression on one side. The ergonomic design allows you to rest your neck on the curved depression, designed to follow your cervical curvature. As a memory foam pillow, it conforms to your body’s shape for optimal comfort. It comes with a machine-washable, breathable, and hypoallergenic rayon/polyester pillowcase that feels silky and smooth. This cervical pillow is available in three loft heights, ranging from 3.9” to 4.8”.
Why do you wake up feeling sore with neck pain?
Most people who wake up feeling sore with neck pain have bad sleeping postures or pillows. When you sleep, your neck should be perfectly aligned with your spine, back, and hips. If your neck is elevated too high or low, it leads to spinal misalignment, leading to issues like stiff neck, neck pain, back pain, etc. However, the ideal sleeping position is different for different people, so you must listen to your body and get a pillow that supports your spinal alignment.
Which factors to consider when buying a cervical pillow?
- Material: The filling or material used to stuff the cervical pillow is crucial because it determines the level of support and comfort. Memory foam is widely considered the best material for neck support pillows because it conforms to your body’s shape, providing significant pressure relief. You may also consider a water pillow, i.e., a pillow filled with water, because it has been clinically proven to alleviate neck pain.
- Ergonomic Design: When choosing a neck pillow, you must consider its ergonomic design for pain relief. You should find neck support pillows that follow your neck and head’s curvature, ideally one with contoured surfaces or an inbuilt neck roll.
- Sleeping Position: Finally, you must consider your sleeping position to choose a pillow with the correct loft height. Side sleepers usually need high-loft pillows while stomach sleepers need low-loft or thin pillows. Determine your sleeping position, and choose a neck pillow that ensures spinal alignment, keeping your neck neutral.
Summary
If you’re prone to a stiff neck, neck pain, or other neck problems, you should consider getting a cervical contour pillow that suits your sleeping position. A cervical contour pillow is a neck pillow with an ergonomic design meant to support your neck and provide optimal spinal alignment. Contour Memory Foam Pillow By Elite Rest is the best cervical pillow with ergonomic design because it’s made of comfortable memory foam and has inbuilt neck rolls that provide spinal support. However, if you’re currently suffering from spondylosis or stiff neck, you can get an orthopedic pillow-like Core Products Tri-Core to hold your neck in place, minimizing involuntary movement, until you get better.