When it comes to sleeping, everyone has different preferences. Some people prefer thick pillows for sleeping while some prefer thin pillows for sleeping.
Thin pillows are generally ideal for stomach sleepers or some back sleepers. Stomach sleepers should ideally not use a pillow at all. But if you must use a pillow, it should be a low profile pillow so your neck doesn’t arch up at an uncomfortable angle because that can lead to neck pain.
Back sleepers should make sure that their neck is in alignment with their back and hips. You must use a pillow with the right loft height — the one that keeps your neck stable and aligned. If your neck props up or arches down, you may wake up with a stiff neck.
You must need use flat pillows if you’re a side sleeper because they can’t cover the distance between the mattress and your neck, which will cause your neck to arch downwards, thus leading to neck pain.
So now that you understand why and when you need flat pillows, it’s time to figure out which is the best thin pillow for your needs. We’ve thoroughly vetted dozens of the best flat pillows on the market to create a comprehensive list.
In this article, we introduce you to the best low profile pillows for sleeping in 2021.
Elite Rest Ultra Slim Sleeper
Elite Rest Ultra Slim Sleeper is undoubtedly the best low profile pillow on the market because it’s a memory foam pillow with a loft height of only 2.5 inches. This pillow has ergonomic edges that are specifically designed to offer comfort while sleeping. It has a dual sleeping surface — the bottom is flat so it remains stable on the mattress and the upper part is curved for comfort and spinal alignment. The memory foam material further conforms to the shape of your neck and shoulders, thus facilitating spinal alignment. If you’re a back sleeper, you can also place this pillow under your lower back and it will serve as lumbar support, relieving pressure and helping you if you have back pain. This memory foam pillow also features a premium 100% cotton, removable, machine-washable cover that’s highly breathable, anti-fungal, and hypoallergenic.
Belly Sleep Pillow
Belly Sleep Pillow is a gel-infused memory foam pillow with a loft height of only 2.5 inches, making it yet another extremely low profile pillow. This flat pillow has been specifically designed to offer comfort to stomach sleepers. The curved edges reduce head and neck pressure, ensuring that your spine remains aligned and neutral. This flat pillow is made of memory foam, which is extremely supportive and hypoallergenic. It also conforms to the shape of your body and support your head and neck perfectly. The memory foam is further infused with cooling gel to prevent it from trapping your body heat. As such, this is also a great cooling pillow that remains cool and comfortable even in hot situations. This low profile pillow is medium-firm, which is ideal because it’s soft enough for your head to sink in but without ruining your spinal alignment.
Perform Pillow
Perform Pillow is one of the best thin memory foam contour pillows on the market. This memory foam pillow has a low profile ranging from 3.5 inches at the higher contour to only 2.25 inches at the lowest contour. As such, you can rest your head on the lower contour or the higher contour depending on your sleeping position. It also comes with a bamboo cover that’s resistant to bacteria and also facilitates air circulation to keep you cool. Contour memory foam pillows are generally used as side sleeper pillows but this is one of the few thin pillows that feature an orthopedic contour design.
Elite Rest Slim Sleeper
Elite Rest Slim Sleeper is a natural latex foam pillow with a loft height of 2.75 inches. This is an extremely thin and flat pillow ideally suited for stomach sleepers and back sleepers. The latex foam material is firm and doesn’t give away under pressure, which means it can keep your head stable. The natural latex foam also has a pin-hole construction, i.e., it has ventilation holes throughout the pillow, which helps with air circulation through the pillow to keep you cool. It also comes with a highly breathable 100% cotton cover that facilitates air circulation to further regulate the temperature.
Bluewave Bedding Ultra Slim Max Cool
Bluewave Bedding Ultra Slim Max Cool is a cooling gel-infused memory foam pillow with a loft height ranging from 2.5 to 2.75 inches. As such, this is an extremely low profile pillow suitable for stomach sleepers and back sleepers. One of its greatest features is the CarbonBlue coating infused with infused carbon graphite particles that regulate heat and lowers the temperature drastically, keeping you cool at night. It also comes with cooling gel to further dissipate the heat and a removable machine washable pillow cover.
Verdict
Low profile pillows, also known as flat pillows, are ideal for stomach sleepers because they help you keep your neck in alignment with your back and hips, thus preventing neck pain. They can also be used by back sleepers or they can be placed under the lower back for lumbar support. Elite Rest Ultra Slim Sleeper is the best memory foam thin pillow because it has a loft height of only 2.5 inches and it’s made of memory foam. This pillow also features a dual sleeping surface with a flat bottom and a curved top — this is important because the flat bottom keeps the pillow stable while the curved top offers comfort and spinal support.
