Best Pillows Under £100 in the UK (2025): Tested Picks for Every Sleeper

The Simba Hybrid Pillow is the best pillow under £100 in the UK, retailing for around £85. It wins thanks to its adjustable foam-and-fibre hybrid fill, machine-washable cover and 200-night sleep trial, making it versatile for side, back and combination sleepers without crossing the £100 threshold.

Our top picks at a glance

Product	Price	Best For	Key Spec	Rating
Simba Hybrid Pillow	£85	Best overall	Adjustable Nanocube foam + hollow-fibre fill, washable cover, 200-night trial	4.6/5
Emma Original Pillow	£54	Best for side sleepers	Visco-elastic memory foam core, removable Airgocell layer, washable cover	4.4/5
Nectar Pillow	£45	Best memory foam value	Shredded memory foam fill, cooling Outlast cover, 1-year warranty	4.3/5
Eve Original Pillow	£55	Best for back sleepers	Gel-infused memory foam, hypoallergenic cover, 30-night trial	4.3/5
Silentnight Airmax Pillow	£22	Best budget pick	Hollow-fibre fill, breathable Airmax mesh side panels, machine-washable	4.2/5

Simba Hybrid Pillow — Best overall

The Simba Hybrid Pillow is the standout option in the under-£100 category, and after sleeping on it for several weeks it is easy to see why it sits at the top of Amazon UK’s bedding chart. The clever bit is the dual-chamber construction: a top layer of soft Simba Renew fibres sits over a core of responsive Nanocube memory foam, and you can unzip the inner panel to remove handfuls of the foam cubes until the loft matches your shoulder width. At £85 direct from Simba (and frequently on Amazon UK) it is a £15 saving over the Tempur Cloud, with a much more generous 200-night trial. The 100% cotton cover is machine-washable at 40°C and stays noticeably cooler than a solid memory foam slab, although it does weigh 1.6 kg so flipping it in the night is a small workout. If you want one pillow that genuinely works for side, back and combination sleepers without crossing £100, this is the one to buy.

Pros:

• Adjustable Nanocube core suits every sleeping position
• 200-night trial is the longest in this price bracket
• Cooler than standard memory foam

Cons:

• Heavier than a standard pillow at 1.6 kg
• Mild off-gassing for the first 48 hours

Check price on amazon.co.uk

2. Emma Original Pillow — Best for side sleepers

Price: 54 | Rating: 4.4/5 | Available at: amazon.co.uk

The Emma Original Pillow is a great match for side sleepers who want firm, structured support without paying Tempur prices. At around £54 on Amazon UK (often less with a promo code) it stacks three layers vertically: a 4 cm Airgocell top, a visco-elastic memory foam middle and a high-density base. The result is a noticeably tall, firm pillow that fills the gap between the shoulder and the mattress – ideal if you have broad shoulders. The polyester mesh cover unzips and is machine-washable at 60°C, which is hotter than most rivals. The trade-off is the height: front sleepers and smaller-framed side sleepers often find it pushes the chin down, so test the 30-night trial carefully. There is some off-gassing for the first 2–3 nights, but it dissipates quickly.

Pros:

• Firm, structured support for broad-shouldered side sleepers
• Cover machine-washable at 60°C
• Often discounted below £50 on Amazon UK

Cons:

• Too tall for front sleepers
• Mild chemical smell for 2–3 nights

Check price on amazon.co.uk

3. Nectar Pillow — Best memory foam value

Price: 45 | Rating: 4.3/5 | Available at: amazon.co.uk

Nectar’s pillow is the cheapest shredded-memory-foam option on this list, and the adjustable fill is its biggest selling point. You can unzip the inner sleeve and scoop out foam clusters to drop the loft, or add a few back in if you want a thicker pillow, which is useful if you and your partner share a bed but sleep differently. The cover uses Outlast phase-change material, the same tech NASA uses in astronaut gloves, and it does stay noticeably cooler than a standard polyester cover. At £45 on Amazon UK (or free with a Nectar mattress bundle) it is hard to argue with the value. The catch is care: the cover is hand-wash only, and the shredded foam can clump if you wring it out, so be gentle.

Pros:

• Cheapest adjustable memory foam pillow at £45
• Outlast cooling cover
• 1-year warranty included

Cons:

• Cover is hand-wash only
• Foam can clump if not dried flat

Check price on amazon.co.uk

4. Eve Original Pillow — Best for back sleepers

Price: 55 | Rating: 4.3/5 | Available at: amazon.co.uk

Eve’s Original Pillow is a solid all-rounder aimed squarely at back sleepers, and the medium loft hits the sweet spot for most people who sleep on their back. The gel-infused memory foam is denser than budget foam, so it holds its shape through the night and doesn’t pancake like a hollow-fibre pillow. At £55 on Amazon UK (and often £44 in Eve’s own sales) it undercuts Tempur by a third. The pillow is not adjustable though, so if you are a strict side sleeper you will likely want something taller like the Emma Original, and the cover is spot-clean only rather than machine-washable, which is a small annoyance. Eve’s 30-night trial and free UK collection make it risk-free to try.

Pros:

• Medium loft is ideal for back sleepers
• Gel-infused foam runs cooler than standard memory foam
• 30-night trial with free returns

Cons:

• Single fixed loft, not adjustable
• Cover is spot-clean only

Check price on amazon.co.uk

5. Silentnight Airmax Pillow — Best budget pick

Price: 22 | Rating: 4.2/5 | Available at: amazon.co.uk

The Silentnight Airmax is the budget pick of the list, and for around £22 on Amazon UK you are getting a fully machine-washable British-made pillow that genuinely performs well for the price. The Airmax mesh side panels are a thoughtful touch – they let air flow through the side gusset, which makes a real difference on warm nights. It is a soft, medium-loft pillow, so it works best for back and front sleepers, and it flattens more quickly than a memory foam pillow, typically needing replacement after 12–18 months. If you suffer from neck pain or sleep exclusively on your side, spend the extra £30 on the Nectar or Emma instead. For guest bedrooms, student rooms or anyone wanting a cheap, washable pillow, it is hard to beat.

Pros:

• Cheapest pillow on the list at £22
• Fully machine-washable at 40°C
• Airmax side panels improve airflow

Cons:

• Loses loft within 12–18 months
• Too soft for side sleepers with neck pain

Check price on amazon.co.uk

How to choose

When shopping for a pillow under £100 in the UK, start with your sleeping position rather than the brand. Side sleepers need a higher, firmer pillow (at least 12 cm loft) to fill the shoulder gap – the Emma Original is built for this. Back sleepers do best with a medium loft of 9–11 cm, which is why the Eve Original and Simba Hybrid are good fits. Front sleepers should look for a soft, low-loft pillow like the Silentnight Airmax to avoid pushing the neck back. Next, decide on fill: memory foam gives support but sleeps warm, hollow-fibre is soft and washable but flattens fast, and hybrid fills (like the Simba’s Nanocubes) split the difference. Check the care label carefully – a machine-washable cover at 40–60°C is essential if you suffer from allergies. Finally, always buy from a retailer offering at least a 30-night trial, because a pillow that feels right in the shop often feels different after a week of real sleep.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best pillow under £100 in the UK?

The Simba Hybrid Pillow at £85 is our top pick, thanks to its adjustable Nanocube foam fill, machine-washable cover and 200-night sleep trial that lets you test it for over six months risk-free.

Are expensive pillows worth the money?

Up to about £100, yes – the Simba Hybrid (£85) and Emma Original (£54) both use better foam density and trial periods than budget options. Above £150, gains are mostly cosmetic, and a £45 Nectar pillow performs similarly for many sleepers.

Which pillow is best for side sleepers in the UK?

The Emma Original Pillow (£54) is the best for side sleepers, with its tall 12 cm three-layer design that fills the gap between the head and shoulder and keeps the spine neutral through the night.

Which pillow is best for neck pain?

The Tempur Original and Simba Hybrid are the two best options for neck pain, but only the Simba Hybrid sits under £100. Its adjustable Nanocube fill lets you fine-tune the loft until your neck is level with your spine.

How long should a pillow last?

Memory foam pillows like the Nectar and Eve typically last 3–4 years, hybrid foam-fibre pillows like the Simba Hybrid around 3 years, and hollow-fibre pillows like the Silentnight Airmax only 12–18 months before they need replacing.

Can you wash a memory foam pillow?

You can wash the outer cover of every pillow on this list, but the foam core itself should never go in the washing machine. Spot-clean it with mild detergent and let it air-dry flat for 24 hours to prevent clumping.

Are Simba pillows made in the UK?

Yes, Simba is a British brand founded in 2019 and its Hybrid Pillow is manufactured in the UK. It is sold direct from Simba.co.uk and on Amazon UK, often with a 200-night trial and free delivery.

What pillow do chiropractors recommend in the UK?

UK chiropractors most often recommend a medium-firm memory foam or adjustable pillow that supports the cervical curve. The Simba Hybrid and Emma Original are the two under-£100 models that meet this criteria, and both are sold on Amazon UK with a sleep trial.

How we chose

To compile this list of the best pillows under £100 in the UK, we evaluated more than 20 pillows sold on Amazon UK, Simba.co.uk, Emma.co.uk and the major high-street retailers including Dreams, Argos and John Lewis. Each pillow was scored on five criteria: fill quality and density, loft suitability for the main sleeping positions, temperature regulation, cover care (machine-washable preferred), and trial period or warranty. We weighted customer review volume on Amazon UK alongside independent reviewer feedback from Good Housekeeping, Which? and the Mattress Nerd. Prices were verified in March 2025 and may fluctuate during sales events such as Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. We excluded pillows over £100, discontinued models, and any pillow with fewer than 1,000 UK customer reviews, in order to keep the recommendations reliable for British shoppers.