Found your perfect Simba mattress? Then you’ll need to find a supportive pillow to match. Choose the right one, and you’ll be set with a sleep sanctuary you’ll dream all day about climbing into – but the wrong one can cause issues like neck pain or make pre-existing discomforts even worse. In this pillow buying guide, we’re sharing the best tips and tricks to help you find your ideal pillow, covering all from height and firmness to the materials that have you falling head over pillow.
Getting into position
Your sleep style can affect the kind of pillow you need, so it’s best to identify yours before you search for your perfect design. And since no pillow guide is complete without the best recommendations to suit your needs, we’ve included our top choices for your sleep position.
Back sleepers
Back sleepers, rejoice: this is one of the best sleeping styles for spinal alignment, since it supports the natural curve of your back. Pile your pillows too high, though, and you may find yourself with a crick in your neck come morning. This means you’ll need a pillow that gently cradles your head, reducing the need for neck craning. Not too firm, not too soft, you’ll want to opt for medium firmness that you can adjust whenever the need arises. Both our Hybrid™ and Hybrid™ Firm pillows have this feature, enabling you to switch up your firmness depending on your preference.
Simba pillow recommendation: Hybrid™ Pillow and Hybrid™ Firm Pillow
Side sleepers
If you sleep on your side, you won’t reap the full benefits if you don’t have a firm enough pillow: too soft, and you’ll place too much pressure on your neck and spine. Go for a firm pillow to ensure you get the support you need. You also might want additional support to help your whole body stay aligned. Placing a specialist design like our Body Pillow between your legs while you lie on your side can help you get exactly that, or our Hybrid™ Pillow. It’s got Nanocubes® you can remove and add to achieve your desired support.
Simba pillow recommendation: Hybrid™ Pillow, Hybrid™ Firm Pillow and Body Pillow
Front sleepers
Experts generally advise against sleeping on your front, since it can cause difficulties breathing and can put strain on your neck if you don’t sleep on the right pillow. If, however, you find this the best way to fall and stay asleep, you can make your sleep space more comfortable with a softer pillow. Our Stratos® pillow offers the lighter, airy fill you’re after, and our adjustable Hybrid™ Pillow can be made softer to suit you.
Simba pillow recommendation: Hybrid™ Pillow or Stratos® Pillow
Taking the pressure off
Your sleep style will influence how soft or firm your pillow is, but just like goldilocks, there will be certain designs that feel just right. For many people, the best pillows largely depend on health conditions – like neck pain, back pain, migraines and tension headaches. If you suffer with any of these, firmer pillows are usually recommended, since over time they encourage the correct alignment of your spine. Choosing one like our Hybrid™ Firm means you’ll have the added benefit of spring support, which responds to the shape of your neck and head for optimum contouring. Need more gentle comfort? Our Hybrid™ Pillow is fully adjustable, so you can create your ideal height and firmness.
A soothing sleep
Height and firmness aside, pillows can help sleepers with a host of the most common sleep problems. Wondering what is a good pillow if you run hot at night? Or you’re dreading when summer evenings finally turn balmy? There are selected pillows which feature built-in technology that help you stay fresh as you sleep, just like our pillow range. Materials can also make all the difference: allergy sufferers may want the luxurious feel of feather and down, but options with wool or cloud-like fill that’s designed to offer allergy relief may be better options, as animal-based pillows can aggravate allergies. Plus, pillows made with a naturally soothing material like cotton may offer extra relief – like the bed pillows in our Hybrid™ range. They’re designed to minimise midnight sneezes and promote the flow of fresh air through the pillow, reducing the buildup of allergens and improving overall air quality.
The wonder of Hybrids
Hybrid designs aren’t just great for alleviating neck pain or side-stepping allergies; they could also provide more tailored support than single-fill pillows. Sleep is incredibly personal, which means there’s never a one pillow fits all policy. Pure memory foam or microfibre might not meet your ever-changing needs – unless you have one which can be adjusted to suit various sleep styles, health conditions or comfort preferences. Combining innovative elements like springs and recycled fill, with unique designs that allow you to create your ideal support, means your sleep pillow is always a winner. Even if you like changing it up night after night, or plumping it up for a movie day on the sofa. You can do it by changing around the layers of our Hybrid™ Firm, or adding a few more Nanocubes® into your usual Hybrid™ Pillow.
Choosing the right size
Did you know that there are different pillow sizes to the usual ones we sleep on? To give you a rough pillow size guide, UK standard pillows are considered ideal for a reason: they’re designed to fit perfectly with all UK bed sizes (and then some!) Aside from European pillows, you can also get king size pillows that are slightly wider to fill the full space of king or super king beds. A perfect blend of practical and aesthetic, they offer the same level of comfort as your standard UK size pillow, all while elevating your space to feel a little more luxe – like a high-end hotel room.
Did you know…
- The first ever pillows (in around 7,000 BCE) were made of stone
- NASA invented the first memory foam pillow in the 1960s
- King Henry VIII once banned the use of pillows for everyone except pregnant women
Whatever you’re after, we’re confident our pillows suit every sleep style and lifestyle. Try yours out today for the sort of comfort that’ll leave you on cloud nine.
