If you sleep hot and don’t know your ideal pillow height, start with the Coop Cool+ Adjustable Pillow. Coop calls it its coolest pillow, recommended for the hottest sleepers, and you can add or remove the gel-infused foam fill to set the loft. If you’d rather buy a pillow at a fixed height, Purple Harmony wraps a Talalay latex core in a gel grid and comes in three heights. Layla’s Kapok Pillow is adjustable too, with kapok fiber mixed into the foam fill, and SHEEX’s Down Alternative Stomach/Back Sleeper Pillow is a softer pillow with a phase-changing fiber layer in its cover.

Nobody at Sound Sleep Gear has slept on these pillows. This list compares what each maker publishes about fill, size, adjustability and care, and every cooling claim below is the maker’s own.

The short answer

Your situation Pick Why
You run very hot and want to tune height Coop Cool+ Adjustable Gel foam fill; one firmer cooling side
You want a bouncy feel at a set height Purple Harmony Gel grid over Talalay latex; 3 heights
You want an adjustable pillow with natural fiber Layla Kapok Kapok and shredded memory foam fill
You sleep on your back or stomach SHEEX Down Alternative Soft polyester fill; 2 in gusset

Maker specs compared

Pillow Fill or core (maker) Adjustable fill Size (maker) Cover care (maker)
Coop Cool+ Adjustable Gel memory foam and microfiber Yes; extra fill included Queen 17 x 27 in, 2 in gusset Machine wash cold, gentle
Purple Harmony Talalay latex, gel grid wrap No; Low, Medium or Tall Medium standard 26 x 17 x 6.5 in Machine wash cold; air dry
Layla Kapok Kapok fiber and shredded foam Yes Queen 18 x 28 in Dry clean, or wash cold, gentle
SHEEX Down Alternative 100% polyester fiber No Standard/Queen 20 x 28 in Removable, washable cover

From each maker’s product page, checked October 9, 2026.

Where a pillow fits in a cooler bed

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute advises keeping your bedroom “quiet, cool, and dark,” and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests keeping the room at a comfortable, cool temperature. A pillow only changes what’s under your head and neck, so it works alongside the room and the rest of the bed, not instead of them. Each maker below builds its cooling story from different materials, and fit still matters: a cool pillow at the wrong height won’t be comfortable.

The picks

Coop Home Goods Cool+ Adjustable Pillow: best for hot sleepers who want to set their own loft

Coop recommends the Cool+ for the hottest sleepers and calls it its coolest pillow. The fill is what Coop calls its Oomph Cool+ blend: cooling gel-infused, plus-shaped memory foam mixed with microfiber. Under a cover Coop describes as cool to the touch, a heat-wicking inner liner holds a ventilated layer of gel memory foam with phase change material on one side. Coop says that side feels firmer and transfers heat away from the body, while the other side gives softer cushioning.

You can add or remove fill to change the height, and Coop includes extra fill. The Classic queen is 17 by 27 inches with a 2-inch gusset, and the foam is CertiPUR-US and GREENGUARD Gold certified. Coop says to machine wash the outer cover separately in cold water on a gentle cycle and gives separate instructions for the foam.

Check the Coop Cool+ Adjustable Pillow on Amazon

Purple Harmony Pillow: best for a bouncy latex feel at a fixed height

The Harmony wraps a ventilated Talalay latex core in what Purple calls a Honeycomb GelFlex Grid, inside a moisture-wicking stretch-knit cover. Purple says the grid boosts cooling and pressure relief, and that the grid, the naturally aerated latex and the mesh cover keep the pillow cool all night. It describes the feel as medium firm, airy and bouncy.

There’s no fill to adjust, so pick the height at checkout. Purple lists Low at 5.5 inches, often preferred by stomach and back sleepers; Medium at 6.5 inches and Tall at 7.5 inches, both often preferred by side or combination sleepers. The cover is 92% nylon and 8% spandex, and Purple says to machine wash it cold separately and air dry. The link below is the Medium height in standard size. For more on fit, see our Purple Harmony review .

Check the Purple Harmony Pillow on Amazon

Layla Kapok Pillow: best adjustable pillow with natural fiber

Layla fills this pillow with a mix of shredded open-cell memory foam and kapok, a fiber Layla says comes from the seed pods of the kapok tree. Layla says kapok pillows are naturally breathable and cool, and that the fibers create tiny air pockets for airflow. The cover uses a textured hexagon fabric with what Layla calls a lean-seam design, with no piping or gusset.

The pillow is overfilled, and you unzip the cover to remove or add fill until the height suits you. The queen is 18 by 28 inches, and Layla says all of its foams are CertiPUR-US certified. Care takes more attention than the others: Layla recommends dry cleaning the cover, or washing it cold on a gentle cycle and air drying or drying on low, and spot cleaning the pillow itself.

Check the Layla Kapok Pillow on Amazon

SHEEX Down Alternative Stomach/Back Sleeper Pillow: best for back and stomach sleepers

SHEEX made this pillow for back and stomach sleepers. The inside is a down-alternative polyester fiber fill, and a 2-inch gusset gives it what SHEEX calls consistent support. The cooling parts are in the zippered outer cover: SHEEX’s moisture-wicking Original Performance fabric (87% polyester and 13% spandex), quilted around a layer of Cell Solution CLIMA fiber, which SHEEX describes as phase changing and says helps regulate body temperature.

The hex-quilted cover unzips from the inner pillow for washing. The standard/queen size is 20 by 28 inches. If you want the matching sheets, SHEEX’s Original Performance set is on our best cooling sheets list.

Check the SHEEX Down Alternative Stomach/Back Sleeper Pillow on Amazon

How to choose a cooling pillow

Get the height right first. Purple’s own guide ties pillow height to sleep position: its lowest height is often preferred by stomach and back sleepers, and its taller heights by side and combination sleepers. If you don’t know your number, an adjustable pillow like the Coop Cool+ or Layla Kapok lets you change it at home. Our pillow size and fill guide and best pillow for side sleepers cover fit in more detail.

Know what’s doing the cooling. The makers use different materials: gel-infused foam and phase change material (Coop), a gel grid over ventilated latex (Purple), kapok fiber and open-cell foam (Layla), and a phase-changing fiber layer inside a moisture-wicking cover (SHEEX). Each maker describes its cooling in its own terms, so read these as descriptions of materials rather than results you can compare across brands.

Check the fill for allergies or preferences. Purple’s core is latex, which matters if you avoid it. Coop and Layla use shredded memory foam with certified foams, and SHEEX uses polyester fiber.

Plan the washing. Coop and Purple covers go in the machine on cold, Layla recommends dry cleaning its cover and spot cleaning the pillow, and SHEEX’s cover unzips from the inner pillow for washing.

FAQ

What makes a pillow “cooling”?

Each maker uses a different approach. Coop uses gel-infused foam and a phase change material layer, Purple uses a gel grid over ventilated latex, Layla relies on kapok fiber mixed with open-cell foam, and SHEEX puts a phase-changing fiber layer inside a moisture-wicking cover. These are the makers’ own descriptions; Sound Sleep Gear hasn’t measured them.

Which cooling pillow is best for side sleepers?

Purple suggests its Medium and Tall Harmony heights for side or combination sleepers. The Coop Cool+ and Layla Kapok let you add or remove fill until the height matches the gap between your head and shoulder.

Can you wash a cooling pillow?

Usually only the cover. Coop says to machine wash the outer cover cold on a gentle cycle, Purple says to machine wash its cover cold and air dry, SHEEX’s cover is removable and washable, and Layla recommends dry cleaning its cover and spot cleaning the pillow itself.

Sources