Last updated: January 12, 2017
Every tool in your sleep apnea therapy arsenal has the potential to increase your success in treating your condition. Having the best CPAP pillow is just as important as having a great CPAP machine or the best CPAP mask. Keep reading to see our recommendations for the best CPAP pillows that will help you get a comfortable sleep.
If your conventional pillow is pushing your mask off of your face, even a little bit, then you aren’t getting the proper therapy. That’s when it’s time to add a CPAP pillow to your repertoire in your battle against sleep apnea.
Having all these great tools won’t do much if something as simple as your pillow is throwing a wrench in your therapy.
If your pillow has been causing your mask to come off at night, or you tighten your mask too much to compensate and end up with sores on your face, then read on.
Below is a review of the best CPAP pillows on the market. Whether you are a back sleeper, side sleeper, stomach sleeper, or all-over-the-place sleeper, you will find a recommended CPAP sleep pillow for your needs.
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Product | Price | Features | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
  CPAPfit CPAP Pillow | $$$$ |
| |
  Contour Products CPAPMax Pillow 2.0 | $$$$$ |
| |
  | $$ |
| |
 Core CPAP Pillow | $$ |
|
Table of Contents
Best All Around CPAP Pillow
CPAPfit CPAP Pillow
- Bamboo Cover
- Easily Adjustable
- Great airflow to keep you cool
- You can add extra filler for more support
- Comes with six gallons of filling
Best Overall
Whether you sleep on your back, your side, your stomach, or all of the above, you will find this CPAP pillow delivers in many ways. Its thoughtful design and focus on functionality as well as comfort make this a must have for CPAP machine users.
It is filled with a combination of buckwheat hulls and shredded memory foam. This filling allows the pillow to be shaped any way you want it, and it will keep it’s shape until you move it since it is not memory foam or fiber filled. It’s almost like a bean bag but obviously much more comfortable.
Your pillow arrives with a zippered and padded pillow cover. Six gallons of buckwheat and shredded foam are in a separate plastic bag. Instructions are also included.
When I said this pillow is unique, I meant it. It actually has a learning curve that takes a few days of customizing to find your perfect comfort level. One option is to add a little of the filling and then sleep a night to see how it is. Keep adding more filling until you find the right level. Another option is to start out with it filled all the way and remove filling as needed.
What you will find when you sleep on this CPAP pillow is that you can use your hands to make indentations for your mask and hose as well as your shoulder, ears, and head. You don’t need any cutouts on the side of the pillow to accommodate your mask. The pillow will form around your mask and won’t push up against it.
Buckwheat hulls don’t absorb heat and keep your pillow nice and cool during the night. They also resist dust mites and are hypoallergenic.
There is no need for a special pillow case for this pillow. Any standard pillowcase works. That’s great on your wallet, and you aren't stuck with a white pillow that doesn’t match your bed linens.
Best CPAP Pillow For Side Sleepers
Contour Products CPAPMax Pillow 2.0
- Ergonomic design for CPAP use
- Two-sided pillow
- Memory foam for great support
- Height is adjustable to your needs
Best For Side Sleepers
Since everybody sleeps differently, it helps to have a pillow that can be customized.
Memory foam molds around the contours of your head for maximum comfort. Usually, this can lead to overheating, but the ventilation of the Contour CPAP Max pillow keeps the air flowing so you stay cool.
This pillow becomes customizable since any of the layers can be removed. If you like a low profile pillow, you can remove layers to get it down to 2.25 inches thick. If you like a higher pillow, keep all three layers making it 5.25 inches thick.
The pillow case also provides some personalization. One side has 3D mesh to keep you cool at night. Your body heat is wicked away and spread out so it doesn’t reflect back onto your face causing you to sweat. The other side has more of a traditional pillow feel since it is padded with plush fiber fill if you don’t like the feel of memory foam. The cover is removable and can be washed in a washing machine.
The shape of the pillow itself is ideal for CPAP users. In the middle of the pillow is a concave space where your head rests comfortably. A crescent-shaped cutout leaves space for your shoulder when sleeping on your side. Then, on either side of the pillow are two cutout areas where your mask will be. That way, the mask doesn’t touch any part of the pillow and won’t be pushed around leading to leaks.
A nice touch is the hose tether to keep your hose from getting tangled as you move. When you sleep on your side and turn from one side to the other, the hose is kept nicely in place.
You can sleep on your back or stomach with this pillow, but it is the cutouts and shape of the pillow that make it a great choice for side sleepers.
Because of that customizability, it doesn’t matter how you sleep. You will be able to shape and maneuver this pillow in any way that works for your sleeping style.
Best CPAP Pillow For Stomach Sleepers
TruContour CPAP Pillow
- Great for stomach sleepers
- Also works great for side and back sleepers
- Memory foam provides nice support
- Cutouts provide room for your CPAP mask
For Stomach Sleepers
CPAP Pillow for Stomach, Side and Back Sleepers By TruContour
Though this pillow is meant to be an all-around CPAP pillow for side, back, and stomach sleepers, it works best for stomach sleepers.
Its unique design is great for those that find the cutout sections of other CPAP pillows lacking. This pillow has four different shaped cutouts. Looking down at the pillow, the left one is one size and the right is asymmetrical. Turn the pillow over, and there are two other asymmetrical cutouts that are totally different than the ones on the other side.
If you sleep on your stomach, you can find the cutout that best matches up with your mask and position on the pillow. With four different sizes, and possibly eight since the pillow can be rotated, you are sure to find the right one for you.
You can also adjust the height of the pillow since it has a removable foam pad.
The memory foam used is hypoallergenic and resists dust mites. Because you have plenty to think about already when it comes to your CPAP therapy, not having allergies to consider with your pillow is a nice relief.
Best CPAP Pillow For Travel
Core CPAP Pillow
- Design gives masks space
- Fits easily inside suitcase
- Quilted edges won't collapse
- Includes fitted pillowcase
- Soft yet supportive
Best Pillow for Travel
If you are a back sleeper, you probably don’t have any issue with mask leaks from a traditional pillow when traveling.
For side sleepers, traveling and sleeping in hotels puts a wrinkle in their sleep apnea therapy. It is especially difficult in hotels where the pillows tend to be deep and plush as side sleepers often have their masks pushed off multiple times during the night.
Carrying your favorite full-sized CPAP pillow from home is not an option. Here is where a smaller pillow can really be a life saver.
It isn’t just the convenient size that makes it a wonderful travel companion. It also delivers comfort and reduces the risk of mask leaks.
The sides are quilted so they won’t squash down and leave you with a flat pillow, as often happens with down. The pillow is also machine washable since it isn’t real feather down.
Final Thoughts About The Best CPAP Pillows
You have probably spent a bit of money getting your sleep apnea therapy under control. From the CPAP machine, to the hose, mask, mask holder, and more, you may feel like you just don’t want to open that wallet again. That is understandable.
Your pillow might be the weakest link in getting your ideal sleep apnea therapy.
You could be reading this because you are tired of your mask being pushed off. Or, you could be tired of the sores on your face caused by a tight mask that is compensating for the leaks your pillow is causing.
If either of those things are the case, then the money spent on a CPAP pillow is money well spent.
Don’t let something as simple as your pillow get in the way of the therapy that you need.
Best Pick: CPAPfit CPAP Pillow
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