Ultimate Guide to
Cooling Pillows

Everything you need to know about the benefits
of using a cooling pillow.

Ultimate Guide
to Cooling Pillows

Everything you need to know about the
benefits of cooling pillows.

Getting to sleep when it’s hot (or you’re hot), is a real challenge for millions of Brits.

In this guide, we’ll be offering some top tips to help you improve your sleep environment, and show you how you can regulate your body temperature, cool down and stay cool while sleeping.

Why is sleeping when it’s warm so difficult?

Your circadian rhythm (also known as your body clock) lowers your core body temperature by as much as 2 degrees during the night.

Your body starts to cool about 2 hours before you head to bed and prepares your body for sleep. Your body then dips to its lowest core temperature about 2 hours after you turn your lights off.

So, for a good night’s sleep, keeping cool is crucial until it starts to naturally warm up, preparing you to wake up.

If you struggle to stay cool throughout the night, then getting and staying asleep may be a struggle.

How to stay cool

In order to reach deep sleep, your core body temperature needs to drop by around two or three degrees centigrade. This happens most efficiently if the room temperature is set to between 16 and 18 degrees. If this drop in temperature doesn’t occur, your brain struggles to know if you’re awake or asleep, which has a direct effect on your quality of sleep.

1. Invest in the right bedding and pillows

Whilst mattresses are an expensive and infrequent purchase, your bedding has a big part to play in how well you sleep, especially during the hotter months. These days there’s a wide selection of pillows on the market, all using different cooling technology and materials to keep you cool, which we’ll explore later in this guide. Using a cooler summer duvet with a lower tog rating can help hot sleepers stay cool, especially those made from naturally-cooling materials such as cotton, silk and bamboo.

2. Get yourself a good fan

Choose a decent sized fan, such a tower fan, which will cool you down enough to nod off. Many come with an oscillating feature so will spread the cool air around the room, and you can save your electricity bill by putting them on a timer too.

3. Closing windows and curtains

Keep curtains and blinds shut during the day as this will help stop the sun’s rays glaring in through the window and making the room feel hot. In the evening, open the windows to get a nice cooling breeze through your room. If you live on a noisy street and prefer sleeping with your windows closed, consider using a pair of noise-reducing ear plugs during those sweltering nights.

4. Cut the booze and drink plenty water

Drinking alcohol before bed isn’t a great idea at the best of times, but it affects your sleep even more in hot weather. Boozy drinks will dehydrate your body which can have serious consequences. Make sure there’s plenty of cool water in your bedroom within easy reach.

Different types of cooling pillows

(and what to look for)

Looking at the inside of the pillow and the filling, cooling gel inserts are very popular as these work to regulate your body temperature and provide a constant cooling sensation.

Pillows filled with hollowfibre are lightweight and made with breathable open fibres that are often hypoallergenic. The open cell structure allows air to be better circulated and hot air to disperse out of the pillow.

Memory foam pillows tend to absorb heat and should be avoided, although some pillows have tiny “air holes” in the memory foam which does help with airflow. Mesh side walls are another popular innovation, again to help expel hot air.

Just as important as the inner technology is the material of the outer pillow cover. Opting for natural 100% cotton is always a good idea.

Tencel is a soft and breathable fabric that is 30% cooler than cotton, wicks away moisture and provides a silky texture which is cool to the touch.

It’s all well and good having a pillow to cool you down, but that shouldn’t come at the expense of comfort. Making sure the pillow you’re buying is compatible with your sleeping position will not only keep you comfortable and asleep, but will reduce any chance of waking up with neck pain. As a rule of thumb, side sleepers require a firmer, loftier pillow whereas front sleepers are better off with a flatter, softer pillow.

Hot sleepers who sweat excessively during the night will naturally need to wash their pillows more often. Look out for pillows that are entirely washable or have washable outer covers.

Looking at the inside of the pillow and the filling, cooling gel inserts are very popular as these work to regulate your body temperature and provide a constant cooling sensation.

Pillows filled with hollowfibre are lightweight and made with breathable open fibres that are often hypoallergenic. The open cell structure allows air to be better circulated and hot air to disperse out of the pillow.

Memory foam pillows tend to absorb heat and should be avoided, although some pillows have tiny “air holes” in the memory foam which does help with airflow. Mesh side walls are another popular innovation, again to help expel hot air.

Just as important as the inner technology is the material of the outer pillow cover. Opting for natural 100% cotton is always a good idea.

Tencel is a soft and breathable fabric that is 30% cooler than cotton, wicks away moisture and provides a silky texture which is cool to the touch.

It’s all well and good having a pillow to cool you down, but that shouldn’t come at the expense of comfort. Making sure the pillow you’re buying is compatible with your sleeping position will not only keep you comfortable and asleep, but will reduce any chance of waking up with neck pain. As a rule of thumb, side sleepers require a firmer, loftier pillow whereas front sleepers are better off with a flatter, softer pillow.

Hot sleepers who sweat excessively during the night will naturally need to wash their pillows more often. Look out for pillows that are entirely washable or have washable outer covers.

Our Cooling Pillows

Honeycomb Super Cool Pillow

£38.49

The Honeycomb super cool pillow contains innovative TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), which is designed in a 3D honeycomb structure, provides a cool surface and continuous airflow for optimum sleep.

The hyper-elastic TPE is soft and resilient, helping to support your head and neck throughout the night.

The pillow’s outer cover and inner filler pad are both washable and filled with quality hollowfibre for breathability and support.

Tencel™ Cooling Pillow

(Twin Pack)

£44.99

Did you know the ideal temperature for sleeping is between 16-20°c? This is why sleeping during a heatwave or through hot flushes can seem impossible.

The Kally Tencel Pillow is designed to keep you cool and comfortable all night, so you wake up feeling refreshed and well rested.

Sustainable, luxury Tencel™ absorbs and releases moisture quickly, preventing humidity build up throughout the night.

How they compare

Kally Cooling Pillow

Honeycomb Super Cool Pillow

Tencel™ Cooling Pillow
(Twin Pack)

Technology

Cooling foam core, mesh air-vent side walls

Cool-touch TPE (thermoplastic elastomer)

Cool-touch TENCEL™ material

Filling

Breathable hollowfibre

Breathable hollowfibre

Breathable hollowfibre

Sleeping Position

Side and back sleepers

Side, back and front sleepers

Side and back sleepers

Washability

Hand wash only

Whole pillow machine washable

Whole pillow machine washable

Firmness

6/10 Medium

5/10 Medium

4/10 Medium-soft

Size

70cm x 40cm x 10cm 850g

60cm x 40cm x 18cm 1200g (smaller than standard)

74cm x 48cm 900g

Offer

Buy one, get one half price

Buy one, get one half price

Price

£39.99

£39.99

£44.99

What our customers say

Kally Cooling Pillow

"Best pillows I’ve ever experienced! I was pleasantly surprised at just how fantastic these pillows are. I wish I’d bought them years ago! They were a fantastic price too."
"I have only been using these pillows for about a week but have already noticed the difference. They are just the right firmness and I am not waking up with pain in my shoulders and neck or sweating. Amazing what a new pillow can do, thank you."
"Night sweats be gone! Look no further, this is a fantastic cooling pillow by Kallysleep if you suffer from night sweats. Its super comfortable and cool to touch."
"Night sweats gone. My mum suffers badly with night sweats the pillow has allowed her to get a better nights sleep she doesn’t wake up with her hair wet any more it has really helped"
"Can’t fault this pillow. I can honestly say I’ve had some of the best night’s sleep in a very long time since getting the Kally Cooling Pillow."
"Excellent value, fantastic pillows We needed new pillows and selected these as my wife gets hot at night and finds it difficult to sleep. From the first night we both had the best nights sleep that we have both had for a long time."
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Honeycomb Super Cool Pillow

"Loved it! Bought this for my bf who is always over heating at night, he loves it!"
"Game changer A*** With osteoarthritis I can struggle to get comfortable and have terrible night sweats but this pillow has changed all that, my sweats have reduced massively and getting comfortable is SOOO easy."
"I've never seen anything quite like this! The material is slightly rubbery but really cold to the touch. It's super comfortable and definitely helps keep my head cool, reducing night sweats."
"I saw this pillow on TikTok and thought I’d try it with the 14 night sleep trial. Super comfy and definitely feels cooler than my old pillow. Doesn’t leave any imprint like I thought it might"
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Tencel Cooling Pillow (Twin Pack)

"Searched high and low for a decent pillow for a side sleeper and occasional back sleeper and I think I found it. Very soft, doesn't split. Very good night sleep."
"Excellent! I’ve been looking for a decent pillows for years! Would recommend these to others. The fabric is very cool to the touch"
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Still Unsure?

Time for our pillow finder quiz

Find your perfect pillow in just 2 minutes by completing our Pillow Finder Quiz. Once we know your sleeping position, preferred firmness and any sleep issues, we’ll be able to match you with your ideal pillow.