A firm contour pillow — also known as a cervical pillow or an orthopedic pillow — is one that’s designed with curves to enhance support. These pillows facilitate optimal spinal alignment so your body can rest in an ideal manner to reduce issues like neck pain and back pain.
A contour pillow allows your head to rest in alignment with the rest of your body while also supporting your soft tissues. Some contour pillows, however, are made of softer materials that sink when you lay your head on them. While such soft contour pillows may be more comfortable, they don’t favor spinal alignment and may cause neck pain.
That’s why you should ideally look for firm cervical pillows. In this article, we discuss the need for a firm cervical pillow and we give you an overview of the best contour pillow of 2021.
Do Contour Pillows Help Neck Pain?
Neck pain can occur for several reasons, but the most common reason for neck pain is poor spinal alignment due to improper posture and bedding. Contour pillows are ideally suited to rectify that issue.
As mentioned previously, a contour pillow is designed with ergonomically rounded and elevated sides meant to facilitate spinal alignment. Some contour pillows, for example, have elevated corners on which you can rest your neck.
There are a lot of different types of contour pillows. You should purchase a contour pillow that’s suitable for your sleeping position. But yes, if you choose them correctly, they can help neck pain.
Do I Need a Cervical Pillow?
Whether you need a cervical pillow depends on whether you need better support for your spine. As mentioned previously, a cervical pillow holds your head at such a position so as to take the pressure off your neck and back.
Do you suffer neck problems from pillow? Do you wake up with neck pain or back pain? If so, you should definitely invest in a cervical pillow. In fact, pain specialists and doctors often recommend cervical pillows if you suffer from neck and back pain.
You should ideally go for a firm contour pillow because they’re a lot more likely to retain their shape. A firm contour pillow won’t give away when you lay your head on it and it will support your head without letting it sink. That’s crucial to ensure spinal alignment.
Best Firm Contour Pillow 2021
Elite Rest Contour Sleeper — Best Contour Memory Foam Pillow
Elite Rest Contour Sleeper is one of the world’s best firm contour pillows. This pillow has some of the best qualities people look for in contour pillows for neck pain. This is a memory foam pillow with ergonomically rounded and elevated sides.
As a contour memory foam pillow, it conforms to the shape of your body and head perfectly. The pillow bunches under your neck to offer support and relieve pressure. This pillow measures 12 inches in width and it has a loft height of 4 inches at the highest contour and 2.75 inches at the lowest contour.
You can rest your neck on the rounded contour to support your head. This helps cover the distance between the mattress and your head, making it perfect for side sleepers and back sleepers. However, this firm contour pillow is not suitable for stomach sleepers because it has a relatively high loft.
This cervical pillow is also extremely firm and you can rest assured that your head won’t sink into the pillow when you’re sleeping. It keeps your head elevated and neutral to ensure spinal alignment. It also comes with a highly-breathable 100% cotton cover.
Core Products Cervical Support Pillow — Best Cervical Pillow
Core Products Cervical Support Pillow is the best cervical pillow on the market. This is known as a tri-core cervical pillow, which means it has three rounded ergonomic sides — sort of like a valley surrounded by gentle hills. You can rest your neck on the rounded corners while cradling your head within the concave center. This provides optimal support to your neck and shoulders.
This cervical pillow is also extra-firm to enhance its therapeutic value. However, you do get three variations on the firmness — gentle, standard firm, and firm. If you’re suffering from neck pain or back pain, you should choose the standard firm or firm versions.
This pillow is made of 100% virgin polyester fiberfill. This material is extremely firm and stable so you don’t have to worry about stability or readjusting the pillow regularly. The cover is made of cotton and polyester — while it doesn’t provide the kind of air circulation that Elite Rest Contour Sleeper does, it’s still suitable for those who don’t live in extremely hot areas.
TEMPUR-All Purpose Pillow — Best Head and Neck Support Pillow
TEMPUR-All Purpose Pillow is the best head and neck support pillow and it also happens to be extremely portable. This pillow is designed in the shape of a peanut so you can use it for neck support or lumbar support while sitting or sleeping. As such, this is an extremely versatile firm contour pillow.
You can place this pillow behind your neck if you’re suffering from neck pain. And you can also place this behind your lower back if you have to sit still for long periods of time because it can realign and straighten your back.
This pillow is made of a special pressure-relieving material that’s been formulated by NASA and it has a highly-breathable cotton cover. As such, this cervical pillow is durable and it also keeps you cool and prevents night sweats.
There are numerous benefits of using firm contour pillows — they can provide spinal alignment, relieve neck pain and back pain, and they can improve your sleeping posture. However, different pillows are suitable for different types of sleepers so be sure to purchase the firm contour pillow most suitable for your needs.