Quality sleep requires different elements: the mattress, of course, and the bed base, which must be perfectly compatible with the mattress in question.
And that's all ?
No !
You should also not neglect the pillow you use to sleep.
Today, the fashion is for memory foam pillows.
Models that meet this designation contain one or more layers of viscoelastic foam, designed to adapt their shape to the user's head, while offering the ideal density for good support all night long.
Unlike more traditional pillows, which may contain feather or other synthetic material,
memory foam pillows are meant to provide personalized support
.
They are generally recommended if you have headaches when you wake up, regular pain in your neck or shoulders.
It is true that a memory foam pillow can help limit pain, but you still need to find the right one!
Because there are hundreds of models on the market.
We put five of them to the test, to see the differences between the different references, and to help you choose yours.
It's time to go to bed!
Summary: the 5 best memory foam pillows
Memory foam pillow, Emma
Quilted memory foam pillow, Abeil
Ergonomic memory foam pillow, Zibroges
Memory foam pillow, Hypnia
Plant memory foam pillow, Dodo
The best memory foam pillows by test criteria
TEST Emma Original memory foam pillow: the best known
A classic shape for one of the best-known memory foam pillows // Le Parisien Buying Guide
This Emma pillow is for you if:
You have sensitive necks;
You sleep on your back, side or stomach;
You want to be able to adjust the thickness of your pillow;
You want to be able to wash the cover.
Where to buy it at the best price?
Emma
€69.99
See the offer
Houses of the world
€69
See the offer
ManoMano
€69
See the offer
Amazon
€69.99
See the offer
We no longer present the Emma brand, which has been established for around ten years in France.
Essentially known for its mattresses, Emma also offers beds, box springs and pillows.
The
Emma Original memory foam pillow
is the brand's best-selling pillow in France
, so it was impossible to miss it during our test.
Shape, design and material
The Emma Original is a rectangular model: it measures 35 x 70 cm.
It is a format that is relatively standard on the market, and it is therefore
easy to find suitable pillowcases
: the brand sells them if necessary.
It is made of 98% polyester and 2% elastane: here too, the proposition is quite standard on the memory foam pillow market.
In addition, Emma's Original is
OEKO-TEX standard 100 class 1 certified
.
This label is important, since it ensures that the materials used in making the pillow do not contain
products harmful
to health.
This is a very important criterion and, ideally, it is better to choose a pillow that has this certification.
The finish of the Emma memory foam pillow is very successful and the opening of the cover is very wide // Le Parisien Buying Guide
Use and functionalities
One of the most interesting points of the Emma Original pillow is that it incorporates
three layers of foam inside
: hypergel foam, hypersoft foam and finally viscoelastic foam.
These three layers can be rearranged and even removed, for example if you find the pillow too thick for your sleeping habits, or if you want to make it a little softer under your head.
In addition to the three layers of foam, this model has an elastic cover intended to
regulate humidity and temperature
.
It can be machine washed at 40°C, which makes it easier to maintain and maintains its whiteness.
The three layers of foam can be organized according to your needs // Le Parisien Buying Guide
Comfort in use
For the first night with Emma's memory foam pillow, we decided to keep the three layers of foam.
However, it soon became clear that the pillow, in this form, was too high for comfortable side sleeping.
It was therefore
necessary to adjust its height
from the first night.
Removing a layer of foam changed everything in terms of comfort.
Once the Emma pillow is properly adjusted, neck tension when waking up is gone in just two nights.
The
precision of the adjustment
is such that when sleeping with the pillow turned the wrong way, and therefore with the viscoelastic layer on top rather than the hypergel layer, you immediately feel the difference!
It is therefore essential to take the time to adjust the pillow to your comfort, but once the right configuration is found, the result is very positive.
With the three layers of foam, the alignment of the column is not perfect, but it is correct // Le Parisien Buying Guide
The Emma pillow
Deserves its success
Shape, design and material
Use and functionalities
Comfort in use
Where to buy it at the best price?
Emma
€69.99
See the offer
TEST Abeil quilted memory foam pillow: the classic
This is the most classic looking pillow in our selection of memory foam pillows // Le Parisien Buying Guide
This Abeil pillow is for you if:
You are attached to the 60 x 60 cm format;
You sleep on your stomach or back;
You are not looking for great firmness;
You like thin pillows.
Where to buy it at the best price?
Darty
€14.72
See the offer
ManoMano
€19.83
See the offer
Conforama
€20.34
See the offer
Fnac
€20.71
See the offer
Amazon
€21.02
See the offer
The Abeil brand is a reference in the field of French bedding.
It has existed since 1870 and is based in Aurillac, in Auvergne.
Its products are manufactured in Cantal and they meet the quality standards that one has the right to expect for bedding accessories.
On paper, it's really good.
It remains to be seen what the quilted memory foam pillow offered by this manufacturer is worth.
Shape, design and material
With its dimensions of 60 x 60 cm, the Abeil memory foam pillow does everything not to disrupt the habits of millions of sleepers for whom
square models
are the norm!
It is therefore extremely likely that you already have pillowcases suitable for this size.
Its composition includes a microfiber polyester cover while inside we find a polyurethane viscoelastic foam with shape memory.
This Abeil model is certified OEKO-TEX standard 100 class 2, which is the basic class for bed linen.
This means that the
pillow does not contain any toxic or allergenic substances
, so it can be used without risk to health.
So much the better for a pillow!
The quilted side is pretty, but quite incidental to use // Le Parisien Buying Guide
Use and functionalities
We're not going to beat around the bush: the Abeil memory foam pillow is ultimately a very basic pillow.
Even to the touch, it is not necessarily easy to affirm that it is indeed a model with shape memory.
It is when you place your head on it that you feel a gentle resistance which confirms that it is a pillow of this type.
This Abeil pillow offers
firm comfort
that cannot be adjusted.
As a result, it is (in theory) mainly aimed at people who are used to firm pillows, and who are satisfied with this type of proposition.
The quilted side of the pillow is quite pleasant under the head, but it is softened when slipped into a pillowcase.
Finally, the pillow cover is not removable, but it is
machine washable at 90°C
.
The pillow is fully sewn, so the cover cannot be removed // Le Parisien Buying Guide
Comfort in use
The Abeil pillow left us perplexed because of its thinness.
In addition, its firm side is quite relative to the touch.
These fears were confirmed when sleeping with it: although it is correctly adapted to sleeping on your back or stomach, it is, however,
not very suitable if you sleep on your side.
During the night, it was necessary to fold it in half to benefit from sufficient thickness to correctly align the head and spine.
The shape memory aspect is also relatively limited.
Although it is clear that the pillow seeks to conform to the shape of the head and neck,
the density of the foam is not sufficient
to ensure good stability throughout the night.
However, the Abeil pillow is not a bad pillow, but it is not the wisest choice in the memory foam category, especially if you sleep on your side or if you suffer from neck.
The Abeil pillow is not so firm once your head is placed on it // Le Parisien Buying Guide
The Abeil pillow
An improved classic pillow
Shape, design and material
Use and functionalities
Comfort in use
Where to buy it at the best price?
Darty
€14.92
See the offer
TEST Zibroges ergonomic memory foam pillow: the original
A pillow with a design that questions how to use it // Le Parisien Buying Guide
This Zibroges pillow is for you if:
You sleep on your back or side;
You move little at night;
You have neck pain;
You like very firm pillows.
Where to buy it at the best price?
Amazon
€148.37
See the offer
Cdiscount
€322.59
See the offer
You don’t know the Zibroges brand?
We can't blame you: it's a Chinese brand which is little known in France, but which can nevertheless be found among the best sellers of various online merchants.
Its pillows have the particularity of having an unusual shape.
This is why they are called “ergonomic”.
And it may not suit everyone.
Shape, design and material
The Zibroges memory foam pillow measures 61 x 41 cm: it is a size which is far from standard and which can, therefore,
complicate the use of a classic pillowcase a little.
For the test, we had to slip it into a larger pillowcase, which is not really problematic in use, but aesthetically not very elegant.
Zibroges pillows are Oeko-Tex 100 and CertiPUR-EU certified.
You can therefore buy them with
complete confidence
regarding compliance with European standards.
The composition of the model tested includes 35% tencel, an ecological fiber made from wood pulp, and 65% microfibers.
The cover is rather easy to remove, but a little more complicated to put on // Le Parisien Buying Guide
Use and functionalities
The look of this pillow can be disconcerting, but also attract curiosity.
Concretely, where most memory foam pillows aim to take the shape of their user's head, this Zibroges model displays, basically, a shape that is supposed to be ergonomic.
The head rests in a specific place
and different zones are present on the different sides to support the sleeper whatever their position.
In theory, this memory foam pillow is suitable for sleeping on your back or side.
It is possible to turn the pillow to raise the head or, on the contrary, lower it.
If the support is too high,
a piece of foam can be removed to reduce the height
, which shows a minimum of 7.5 cm and a maximum of 11.5 cm.
In addition, the areas which accommodate the neck are equipped with light nubs intended for massaging.
Finally, regarding maintenance, the cover is machine washable.
We had to contact customer service to get the right washing temperature: 40°C.
It's written on the label inside the cover.
This foam wedge can be removed to lower the pillow // Le Parisien Buying Guide
Comfort in use
The Zibroges memory foam pillow is delivered vacuum compressed, but it returns to its initial shape very quickly.
Its use is not necessarily very intuitive: you have to turn it in both directions and possibly adjust its height if necessary.
The first contact with this pillow was a little disconcerting, because unlike other models, there is a precise location for the head: there is no question of putting it on the edge or putting the pillow sideways to sleep .
So it’s
a habit to get into.
We had to adjust the height to keep it to a minimum in our case.
If you tend to move during the night, and therefore move your head, using this pillow may cause brief awakenings.
The
shape of this model may hinder usual movements
the first nights.
Furthermore, the “shape memory” aspect is not very pronounced, because the pillow has a basic ergonomic shape, and it is ultimately up to the head to adapt to this.
Ultimately, the experience with this pillow is undoubtedly the least satisfactory of this test, because it resulted in nights interspersed with awakenings, and rather limited comfort, at least for sleeping mainly on the side.
The pillow remains quite high despite the minimum adjustment, and blocks the head in the center // Le Parisien Buying Guide
The Zibroges pillow
An atypical form
Shape, design and material
Use and functionalities
Comfort in use
Where to buy it at the best price?
Amazon
€148.37
See the offer
TEST Hypnia memory foam pillow: the adjustable
A memory foam pillow that corresponds to what we expect from such a model // Le Parisien Buying Guide
Cet oreiller Hypnia est pour vous si :
- Vous dormez sur le dos, sur le ventre ou sur le côté ;
- Vous désirez pouvoir ajuster l’épaisseur de votre oreiller ;
- Vous avez souvent chaud à la tête la nuit ;
- Vous souhaitez pouvoir laver la housse en machine.
Où l’acheter au meilleur prix ?
Amazon
55,99 €
Voir l’offreMaisons du monde
64,99 €
Voir l’offreBHV
64,99 €
Voir l’offreHypnia
69,99 €
Voir l’offre
Hypnia est une marque française qui fabrique l’ensemble de ses produits en Europe. Les oreillers sont notamment produits dans la banlieue lilloise. C’est donc de là que vient le modèle ergonomique à mémoire de forme que nous avons inclus dans ce test. Depuis 2020, Hypnia est la première marque française de literie en ligne, un statut dont elle ne se vante pas plus que nécessaire.
Forme, conception et matière
L’oreiller ergonomique à mémoire de forme d’Hypnia mesure 56 x 36 cm, un format rectangulaire qui rend un peu difficile l’utilisation de taies d’oreiller classique. On note qu’Hypnia propose ses propres taies d’oreiller à la vente en cas de besoin. Elles sont quand même un peu chères par rapport au prix de l’oreiller.
Comme tout oreiller qui se respecte, le modèle d’Hypnia est certifié Oeko-Tex 100. Sa composition comprend trois couches de mousse : une mousse infusée au gel rafraichissant, une mousse à mémoire de forme de densité moyenne, et une mousse à mémoire de forme de densité supérieure. La housse qui entoure le tout est, quant à elle, fabriquée en fibres de bambou, une matière hypoallergénique connue pour absorber l’humidité.
L’épaisseur de l’oreiller est importante lorsque les trois couches de mousse sont présentes // Le Parisien Guide d’achat
Usage et fonctionnalités
Tout comme l’oreiller Emma Original, le modèle d’Hypnia est ajustable en confort et en épaisseur. Il est possible d’enlever une ou deux couches de mousse pour le rendre plus adapté à vos besoins et habitudes de sommeil. Il est recommandé de garder trois couches lorsque l’on dort sur le côté, deux couches sur le dos et une couche sur le ventre. En pratique, les besoins varient, il est donc indispensable d’essayer et de varier les combinaisons de couches pour trouver la bonne.
La housse de l’oreiller se lave en machine à 40°C, ce qui en facilite l’entretien. Petit détail sympathique : Hypnia offre un sac de transport en tissu avec l’oreiller, ce qui est utile si vous comptez l’emmener avec vous lors de vos déplacements. La proposition globale est donc prometteuse en termes d’usage et de personnalisation du confort.
Les trois couches de mousse sont faciles à identifier // Le Parisien Guide d’achat
Confort d’utilisation
Dans le cadre de ce test, il a fallu enlever la couche de mousse de densité supérieure pour obtenir un résultat satisfaisant en fermeté et en hauteur, pour un sommeil essentiellement sur le côté. La marque préconise de garder trois couches dans ce contexte : c’est bien la preuve que la situation peut être différente pour chaque dormeur, et qu’il faut avant tout se faire confiance pour trouver la bonne combinaison de mousse.
Dans cette configuration, le confort est au rendez-vous et aucune douleur ne se fait ressentir au réveil. La couche infusée au gel rafraichissant fait également bien son travail, y compris à travers une taie d’oreiller. L’expérience est donc satisfaisante avec ce modèle d’oreiller à mémoire de forme Hypnia, qui s’adapte bien aux besoins de son utilisateur.
Les trois couches de mousse donnent un alignement similaire à l’oreiller Emma, en un peu plus ferme // Le Parisien Guide d’achat
L'oreiller Hypnia
Au top sur toute la ligne
- Forme, conception et matière
- Usage et fonctionnalités
- Confort d’utilisation
Où l’acheter au meilleur prix ?
Amazon
55,99 €
Voir l’offre
Test oreiller à mémoire de forme végétal Dodo : l’écolo
Avec ses inscriptions « Végétal », l’oreiller Dodo annonce la couleur // Le Parisien Guide d’achat
Cet oreiller Dodo végétal est pour vous si :
- Vous dormez sur le dos ou sur le côté ;
- Vous avez une fibre écologique ;
- Vous souhaitez pouvoir laver la housse en machine ;
- Vous cherchez un oreiller ergonomique.
Où l’acheter au meilleur prix ?
Conforama
79,99 €
Voir l’offreAmazon
94,90 €
Voir l’offre
Dodo est une marque française reconnue dans le domaine de la literie. Elle confectionne ses produits en France, dans une usine située en Lorraine. Les matériaux utilisés dans la conception des housses de couette et autres oreillers sont de grande qualité et rivalisent généralement avec d’autres grandes marques du secteur. Pour ce test, nous avons choisi un oreiller à mémoire de forme Dodo assez original.
Forme, conception et matière
L’oreiller végétal à mémoire de forme Dodo sélectionné ici est le modèle de 40 x 60 cm, mais il existe des variantes en 45 x 70 cm et 60 x 60 cm. Vous pouvez donc opter pour celui qui correspond à vos habitudes, ou bien aux taies d’oreiller que vous possédez. Dans tous les cas, l’oreiller végétal de Dodo se compose d’un bloc de mousse en polyuréthane avec un garnissage en polyester.
La mousse de l’oreiller est enrichie à l’huile de ricin, ce qui offre, en théorie, un meilleur confort. Enfin, la housse est en viscose de bois, autrement dit, elle est en cellulose. Dodo souhaite donc offrir une dimension écologique avec cet oreiller qui est certifié Oeko-Tex 100, comme tous ses autres produits. Reste à savoir ce qu’il en est à l’usage.
L’un des côtés est un peu plus élevé que l’autre, pour s’adapter à votre morphologie // Le Parisien Guide d’achat
Usage et fonctionnalités
The shape of the Dodo plant pillow allows you to immediately see that we are facing a rather original model.
The surface is
wave-shaped
, which allows the head to be positioned in the hollow, without it being very marked.
The maximum thickness is 13 cm.
The color is a little confusing: unlike Zibroges, which also uses wood viscose, Dodo preferred to keep a natural color.
The cover can be removed and can be machine washed at 30°C.
If the presence of
infused castor oil
appeals to you, know that it does not emit any odor.
As for whether it is really useful for improving sleep, difficult to say!
But it turns out that the pillow itself is quite satisfactory in use, which is the main thing.
The Dodo pillow cover is very easy to remove and put back on // Le Parisien Buying Guide
Comfort in use
Dodo's plant-based memory foam pillow is one of the good surprises of this test.
Its height of 13 cm may seem a little high, but it only concerns one of the two long edges of the pillow: the second is much lower and much more comfortable
for sleeping on your side.
On the back, the highest edge may be suitable.
In all cases, the head is well positioned in the center of the pillow, but it is not “locked” as with the Zibroges model, which is clearly more pleasant.
Upon waking up, no pain or headache.
The Dodo pillow took the shape of the head during the night, before returning to its initial shape in the early morning.
In short, it is a very pleasant memory foam pillow to use, all without the need to adjust the height.
You just have to overcome any possible prejudices linked to your color, which is not dazzlingly white like the others.
The alignment of the column is very good without the need for adjustment // Le Parisien Buying Guide
The Dodo plant pillow
The validated wave shape
Shape, design and material
Use and functionalities
Comfort in use
Where to buy it at the best price?
Conforama
€79.99
See the offer
The 5 best memory foam pillows on the market
Our recommendations
Shape, design and material
The Dodo pillow
Use and functionalities
The Emma pillow
Comfort in use
The Hypnia pillow
Also read: The top of the best memory foam pillows