I'm a Spencer Institute-certified Sleep Science coach and have been testing mattresses and sleep products for more than five years, so I can say with some authority that one of the biggest mistakes many people make when evaluating their sleep space is overlooking their pillows.
In other words, your pillow could very well be the key to sleeping better, so let's not discount it—unless we're talking sales. Amazon Big Deal Days are officially here, but this is one sale that you'll need to go straight to the source for. (And it's only available through our direct link below; the deal will show up in your cart.)
Photograph: Julia Forbes Lagoon Sleep the Fox Pillow (sale price in cart) $140 Lagoon Sleep
Lagoon, founded by former All-American swimmer and US Olympic trial competitor Ryan Hurley, is known for its Performance Pillows, repped by multiple professional marathon runners and an official team partner of USA Bobsled/Skeleton.
The pillows are all named after different animals that would make you go “aww” while watching National Geographic: Otter, Fox, Chinchilla, Puffin. Each is fine-tuned for various sleeping positions, adjustability, and optimal support—you can take a quiz based on your preferences to see which is right for you.
The medium-soft Fox pillow is my personal favorite, and its CertiPur-US certified memory foam fill has really tamped down my neck pain. I deal with a lot of “coat hanger” pain due to chronic illness, which is intense neck aches and pains that can radiate to my head and torso. With the pillow, I find that it helps me maintain cervical alignment without feeling obtrusive. Rather, it's able to softly cradle my head and neck like a down alternative pillow would.
The Fox pillow (as well as every other option in Lagoon Sleep's fleet) is fully adjustable for a custom loft. All pillows come with a small bag made of the same fabric as the pillow, as well as an extra bag of memory foam fill. This gives you the option to add or take out the fill as you see fit, plus somewhere to store it. Adding more increases the firmness and loft, while taking out foam makes it thinner and softer. So if you're a stomach sleeper who wants a minimal loft as not to cause back pain, you can achieve that in the same way a stomach sleeper can add fill to promote heightened cervical alignment.
I've been following this brand for years, and have always appreciated its attention to detail and the sheer coziness of the pillows themselves. Each one has been a superstar (I've tried them all at one point or another), but The Otter is the brand's bestseller. No matter which you choose, each one is 20 bucks off in this special Prime-adjacent sale happening now.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that's too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.