Most pillows come at one fixed height. If that height is wrong for you, there is nothing to do but buy another pillow and hope. An adjustable pillow works the other way round: you change the height (the loft) yourself by adding or removing fill until it suits the way you sleep, on the mattress you actually sleep on.
This guide covers what an adjustable pillow is, how to tell what loft you need, and a simple step-by-step way to set it.
What is an adjustable pillow?
An adjustable pillow is a pillow with a fill you can change. The most common kind uses shredded memory foam inside a zippered inner liner. Open the zip, take out a handful of foam and the pillow gets lower and softer. Put foam back in and it gets taller and firmer.
That is the big difference from a solid memory foam pillow, which is one block of foam at a fixed height, and from most fiber pillows, which you can fluff but not really resize. With an adjustable pillow, one pillow can cover a range of heights.
Why pillow height (loft) matters
Loft is simply how tall your pillow is. The goal is to keep your head and neck roughly in line with your spine in the position you sleep in. If the pillow is too high, your neck bends up. If it is too low, your head drops down. Our guide to pillow loft and sleep positions goes into more detail, but here is the short version:
| Loft | Approximate height | Usually suits |
|---|---|---|
| Low loft | Up to about 3 inches | Stomach sleepers |
| Medium loft | About 3 to 5 inches | Back sleepers |
| High loft | 5 inches or more | Side sleepers, who need to fill the gap between the ear and the shoulder |
These are starting points, not rules. Your shoulder width, your mattress and simple preference all move the number, which is exactly why an adjustable pillow helps.
Which loft for your sleep position?
Side sleepers: go higher
When you lie on your side, your shoulder lifts your head well off the mattress. A higher loft fills that space so your head does not sink down out of line with your spine. If you sleep on your side, start with a fuller pillow and only take fill out if it feels too tall.
Back sleepers: aim for a happy medium
Back sleepers usually do best with a pillow that is neither too high nor too low, so the chin does not get pushed toward the chest. Many back sleepers remove a little fill from a full pillow. Many also roll onto their side during the night, which is another reason a middle setting works well.
Stomach sleepers: go low and soft
Lying face down, a tall pillow pushes your head up and back. Stomach sleepers usually want a low, soft pillow, which on an adjustable pillow means removing a lot of fill.
Combination sleepers
If you change position through the night, set the pillow for the position you spend the most time in, then fine-tune from there. This is where being able to adjust by a handful at a time really pays off.
Don't forget your mattress
Your mattress changes how tall your pillow needs to be. The softer your mattress, the further your shoulders and hips sink in, and the less pillow height you need.
- Soft mattress: you sink in, so remove some fill. A pillow that is too high on a soft mattress tilts your head up.
- Medium mattress: try the pillow as it arrives first, then add or remove fill as needed.
- Firm mattress: there is less "give", so you may need to add fill, especially if you sleep on your side.
It also means a pillow that felt perfect on one bed can feel wrong on another. With an adjustable pillow, you simply reset it.
How to adjust an adjustable pillow, step by step
- Let it expand first. Shredded memory foam pillows are often packed tightly for shipping. Unroll it and give it time to expand fully. This can take up to 24 hours.
- Air it out. A new foam pillow can have a "new product" smell. Unzip the cover and let the inner liner air out in a well-ventilated spot, away from direct sunlight and wet areas, until the smell is gone.
- Fluff it. A short tumble in the dryer on low heat (about 20 to 30 minutes) helps spread the foam evenly. If you don't have a dryer, fluff it by hand.
- Sleep on it as it is. Try at least one night before changing anything, lying in your usual position on your own mattress.
- Adjust one handful at a time. If it feels too tall or too firm, open the zipper on the inner liner and remove a handful of foam. If it feels too flat or too soft, add a handful. Small changes make a bigger difference than you'd expect, so don't take out half the fill at once.
- Keep the foam you remove. Store it in a bag so you can add it back later if your preference changes, you switch mattresses or the pillow settles over time.
- Give it a few nights. It usually takes a few tries to land on the right height. That is normal, and it is the whole point of an adjustable pillow.
Keeping an adjustable pillow in shape
- Fluff it daily when you make your bed.
- Every couple of weeks, a tumble in the dryer on low heat helps redistribute the foam.
- No dryer? Empty the fill into a clean box or large bucket, separate the pieces by hand and refill.
- Wash the cover, not the foam. Wet memory foam soaks up water like a sponge and is very hard to dry, so remove the insert and machine wash only the outer cover, following its care label.
- Top it up over time. If your pillow starts to feel flatter after a while, adding fresh shredded memory foam pillow filling can bring the height back. See our guide to pillow fill for how the different fills compare.
Who is an adjustable pillow for?
- Side sleepers who find most pillows too flat.
- Combination sleepers who switch positions during the night.
- Anyone who has bought pillow after pillow because none of them was quite the right height.
- People who move between beds or mattresses, since you can reset the height for each one.
The Sidney Sleep Bamboo Curve: an adjustable pillow for side and back sleepers
Our Bamboo Curve adjustable pillow is built around everything above:
- Adjustable shredded memory foam fill: a blend of 75% CertiPUR-US® certified memory foam and 25% polyester fiber, inside a zippered inner liner so you can add or remove fill.
- Arrives full: it comes generously filled (medium-firm out of the box), so most people adjust by taking foam out rather than adding it.
- Extra fill included: every Curve comes with an extra bag of foam in case you want it taller or firmer, plus a drawstring bag to store any foam you remove.
- Curved shape: the curve contours to your shoulders and centers your head on the pillow.
- Machine-washable bamboo-blend cover: the quilted outer cover comes off for washing.
- Three sizes: Standard (19 x 26 in), Queen (19 x 29 in) and King (19 x 36 in). For travel, there is also the Bamboo Curve Mini travel pillow (14 x 19 in) with the same adjustable fill.
Pillows ordered on sidneysleep.com come with a 100-night trial and a 5-year warranty, so you have plenty of time to find your setting.
FAQ
Are adjustable pillows good for side sleepers?
Yes, they are often a good fit, because side sleepers usually need more height than a standard pillow gives, and how much more depends on shoulder width and mattress firmness. An adjustable pillow lets you set that height rather than guess it.
How do I make my pillow higher?
On an adjustable pillow, open the inner liner and add fill a handful at a time. On a fixed pillow, your only option is to fold it or add a second pillow, which rarely stays put.
How much fill should I take out of a new adjustable pillow?
Start with none. Sleep on it as it arrives, then remove one handful at a time. Side sleepers often keep most of the fill; stomach sleepers often remove a lot.
Can you wash shredded memory foam?
We don't recommend it. Wet foam soaks up a lot of water and is hard to dry fully. Wash the removable cover instead, and air out or tumble-dry the foam on low heat to freshen it.
Why does my new adjustable pillow feel so firm?
Shredded memory foam pillows are often shipped fully filled and tightly packed. Give it up to 24 hours to expand, fluff it, then take out fill until it feels right.
