I Slept on 16 Ikea Pillows
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Of the dozens and dozens ofpillowsI’ve tested, many of myfavoritescost upwards of $100, so I’ve been on the hunt for inexpensive pillows that are actually worth recommending.I started my search at Targetand found several options under $50 that I thought were pretty good. Next, I turned to Ikea: The brand sent me a range of pillows stuffed withdown/feathers,down-alternative polyfill, andmemory foamfor review, and I ended up testing 16 options in all. I slept on each one for at least one night (with the exception of two that I napped on and wasn’t willing to sacrifice an entire night’s sleep over). Then I spent an extra two or three nights on the ones I liked best. After years of testing pillows, I have a pretty good sense of what I like and what I don’t, so while these are fairly quick judgments, I feel confident in my assessments. For reference, I’m a back and side sleeper and I’m about five-feet-five. I generally prefer a medium to medium-firm pillow with a medium loft.
Overall, I was less enthusiastic about the Ikea pillows I tried than the Target ones. I didn’t find any that I personallyloved— in fact, I’d wouldn’t recommend many of them because they were either flat and unsupportive or so lofty and firm that I couldn’t sleep comfortably. However, I did find a few that I liked well enough, and a few that I think would work well for people with different sleep preferences or body types.
My top three picks
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A comfy down-alternative pillow and one of the best Ikea pillows I tried.
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A supportive molded foam pillow that works for multiple sleep positions.
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Down-alternative pillows
A good $20 pillow, especially for stomach and back sleepers
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Fill type:Recycled polyester| Cover:60% recycled polyester, 40% Lyocell| Loft:Medium| Firmness:Medium-soft
The Skogsfräken is much more densely filled than some of the other down-alternative pillows I tried (complimentary). I slept fairly comfortably on it; though I did end up squishing the pillow under my neck to get the right level of support, I didn’t have many complaints. The Skogsfräken is softer than what I’d want to sleep on long term as a side sleeper, but its higher loft and plusher feel make it a decent pillow for its $20 price tag, particularly for stomach sleepers and some back sleepers.
Final verdict:Buy if you like plush, soft pillows.
A plush and springy pillow for stomach and back sleepers
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Fill type:Recycled polyester| Cover:55% Lyocell, 45% cotton| Loft:Medium| Firmness:Medium-soft
This is a pretty decent down-alternative pillow. It could benefit from a denser fill. But I slept quite comfortably on it, on both my back and side. I like the plush feel and the springiness — it has a quick bounce-back when you press into the fill. This pillow has mesh side paneling between the two piped seams, which is intended to allow for airflow; the Lyocell-cotton cover is also meant to be breathable. I didn’t notice the pillow feeling especially warm or cool while sleeping on it, so perhaps it is just breathable enough.
Final verdict:Buy if you like a plush feel.
One of the best Ikea pillows I tried
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Fill type:60% polyester, 40% viscose for pocket filling; 100% recycled polyester for core filling| Cover:55% Lyocell, 45% cotton for outer cover; 100% polyester for lining; Nonwoven polypropylene inner fabric| Loft:Medium| Firmness:Medium
The Senapsmott is the only down or down-alternative pillow that I tried from Ikea that is explicitly labeled as cooling. The cooling effect comes from a Lyocell-cotton cover and a polyester-viscose fill. The pillow does have an initial cool-to-the-touch feel, though the effect faded the longer I laid on it and wasn’t really noticeable through a pillowcase. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as a top-choice cooling pillow. However, as a down-alternative pillow, it was quite comfortable — probably my favorite of all the Ikea pillows I tried. It has enough filling to achieve a medium loft and medium firmness, which offered enough neck support for me to sleep comfortably on my back and side. Especially considering this pillow only costs $35, I think it’s one of the best pillows you can buy at Ikea.
Final verdict:Buy, especially if you’re a back sleeper.
Down- and feather-filled pillows
A decent down option for back and side sleepers who like soft pillows
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Fill type:90% duck down, 10% duck feathers for pocket filling; 90% duck feathers, 10% duck down for core filling| Cover:Cotton| Loft:Medium| Firmness:Medium-soft
While ultimately softer than I generally like, the Bergven was my favorite of the three down/feather Ikea pillows I tried (the other two weren’t great; more on those below). It has three layers to create a higher loft that helps keep the pillow from feeling too flat. There’s a firmer inner core that’s filled 90-to-10 with feathers and down, and then the outer two layers have a higher down-to-feather ratio. I liked the plush feel of this pillow, but since I’m a back/side sleeper, I found it too soft to provide enough support for my head and neck. Stomach sleepers or back sleepers who like a softer pillow might appreciate it, though. Since this pillow costs over $100, I’d point those shopping for down on a budget to one ofmy favorite down pillows,from Avocado, which costs just $120 and offers more support. Another budget-friendly option would beTarget’s Casaluna medium down bed pillow, which I liked just about as much as this one and only costs $45.
Final verdict:Buy if you like soft pillows and want to shop at Ikea.
Memory-foam pillows
A tall shredded-foam pillow that could work for side sleepers
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Fill type:Shredded polyurethane foam| Cover:Recycled polyester| Loft:High| Firmness:Firm
This pillow could be a good choice for people who like a tall and lofty pillow, including side sleepers or people with broad shoulders. It was too tall and firm for me, but I think the feel of the pillow is comfortable. It’s filled with shredded foam, and when I pressed into the pillow with my hand, it took a significant amount of pressure to really make an indent, so unlike many other Ikea pillows, I think it will actually be supportive enough for many side sleepers. I wish this pillow were adjustable, as I think being able to remove some of the foam would have made it work for me.
Final verdict:Buy if you’re a side sleeper or like a lofty pillow.
A cheaper dupe of Tempur-Pedic’s Tempur-Neck
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Fill type:Polyurethane foam| Cover:99 percent recycled polyester, 1 percent elastane| Loft:High| Firmness:Firm
The Rosenskärm reminded me a lot of Tempur-Pedic’sTempur-Neck pillow— it’s a reasonably good (and much cheaper) dupe. I am not a huge fan of these types of molded pillows, personally, but I know many others, including some of my Strategist colleagues, who find them very helpful forneck pain, and I think it delivers on what it’s trying to do. The curved shape provides ample neck support, particularly for sleeping on your side. I didn’t really find this pillow comfortable while sleeping on my back — it felt a little awkward to lie on — but it’s worth a look for side sleepers who want a lot of neck support.
Final verdict:Buy if you’re a side sleeper.
A comfortable molded pillow that works for all sleeping positions
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Fill type:Polyurethane foam| Cover:Recycled polyester| Loft:Medium| Firmness:Medium-firm
The Isranunkel is also a molded foam pillow, but with a much less extreme curve and slightly softer foam than the Rosenskarm, so I definitely preferred it for myself. The pillow has a divot in the middle where your head is intended to rest — that way, your neck is supported by the slightly higher edge. I also liked how the rounded edges kept me from feeling like I was sleeping on a brick of foam, which is sometimes the case with memory-foam pillows. Overall, it was very comfortable on both my back and side. You can also use this pillow flipped over tosleep on your stomach; the divot becomes a space for your arm to rest under the pillow. I briefly tried this out, and I could see it being comfortable for someone who is used to sleeping on their stomach, but I rarely do.
Final verdict:Definitely buy.
A very tall pillow for side sleepers
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Fill type:Polyurethane foam| Cover:51.5% polyethylene, 48.5% polyester for top fabric; 99% recycled polyester, 1% elastane for back fabric| Loft:High| Firmness:Medium-firm
The Klubbsporre is definitely a side sleeper’s pillow, and a particularly tall one at that. It has a slight curve along the edge, which is meant to accommodate your shoulders when sleeping on your side. The medium-firm feel and high loft are also right on point for a side sleeper. I couldn’t really sleep on my back with this pillow due to its height; even on my side, the Klubbsporre was a bit too tall for me, but I was much more comfortable in that position. For someone with broader shoulders, it may work perfectly. The Klubbsporre also has a layer of cooling gel on one side, which I found moderately effective. It definitely feels cool to the touch, but the effect wanes the longer you’re lying on it. I wouldn’t buy this pillow solely for the cooling effect, but it’s a fine bonus if you like the pillow.
Final verdict:Buy if you’re a side sleeper, particularly with broader shoulders.
An adjustable pillow for dedicated side sleepers
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Fill type:Polyurethane foam slabs| Cover:56% recycled polyester, 44% viscose/rayon for top fabric; 99% recycled polyester, 1% elastane for back fabric; 100% recycled polyester for inner fabric| Loft:Adjustable| Firmness:Firm
This pillow is similar to the Klubbsporre, except it doesn’t have the curved shape and is made to be adjustable, with three memory-foam layers. I initially tried the Ramsloksmal pillow as is, with all three layers, and it was way too tall for me; Ikea recommends removing the thinner middle layer if you want to lower the loft, which did improve things, but overall it was still too tall. The pillow also has a very cubelike shape, which made it challenging to sleep on my back — I had to rest my shoulders on the pillow, otherwise my neck and head would barely be on it. Ultimately, though, these qualities make it a great choice for dedicated side sleepers. Like the Klubbsporre, the Ramsloksmal also has a cooling panel on one side, which I found moderately effective.
Final verdict:Buy if you’re a side sleeper.
The ones I’d skip
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Decent enough for a $25 down/feather pillow, but too soft and compressive overall.
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More supportive than the Pilspinnare, but ultimately still too soft.
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