We Tested Dozens of Pillows, and Here Are 9 That Could Help Your TMJ Pain

For head and neck support on a budget, you can’t beat the Sleep Number PlushComfort Pillow, which comes in at just under $50. You can choose from three shapes: classic (best for stomach or back sleepers), curved (best for side or back sleepers), and ultimate curved (customizable for all sleep positions). It comes in standard or king size. Our tester, health writer Raki Swanson, tried the classic in standard size and felt like her neck was thanking her. Though she doesn’t suffer from TMJ disorder, head and neck support is important for those with jaw pain.

“On my back, this pillow supports you where you need support, that being the neck,” Swanson says. “It doesn’t go soft or lose its support when being weighed down by your head.” She adds that the fill doesn’t squish upwards or to the sides like a down pillow does, and she likes that the pillow fill is adjustable if you want softer or firmer support. “I woke up without neck pain,” she says. “It’s just the right amount of support for your neck.”

Swanson liked this pillow so much that she’s considering buying another one in king size. She says that she does wish it had a cooling aspect and a bit more height, but was overall satisfied with her experience with this pillow.

With a wing design that keeps your spine level and evenly distributes pressure, this supportive memory foam pillow is suitable for both back and side sleepers. Spine alignment is an integral part of relieving TMJ pain. “The head and spine should be in a neutral position,” says Bakhtiari. “The negative space should be filled with a pillow, not overfilled or underfilled, so that it's so that the neck is neutral to the rest of the spine.”

Swanson felt the support when it came to testing this pillow out. “It truly, truly does help with neck pain,” she says. “It provides great support for your neck if you sleep on your back. I like the unique design of the pillow to help support your neck, and the groove in the body of the pillow to support your neck when lying on your back.” This pillow comes with two covers: a polyester Tencel knit cover and a cooling cover that wicks away moisture. 

Our tester, Amy Marschall, PsyD, a stomach sleeper with TMJ disorder, found this pillow helpful, as she was able to lie comfortably on her stomach with her mouth guard in — something not all pillows provide. “I think the softness was really helpful for this,” she says. “I have noticed a reduction in neck pain since using this pillow.” She liked the size of the pillow and felt it provided the perfect amount of support.

The pillow has a cooling effect, perfect for those who run hot, and its exterior is made of the company’s hypoallergenic Tencel Lyocell fiber, which helps sleepers maintain an ideal temperature and wicks away moisture.

Made of hypoallergenic, breathable latex, users will never have to fluff this pillow — it bounces right back into shape. That lends to its support and pressure-point relief. The company recommends that stomach sleepers (and back sleepers) choose a low loft, but a high loft is also available and suitable for side sleepers. 

With its unique GelFlex Grid, which ensures this pillow keeps its shape all night long, writer Malissa Rodenburg says the Purple GridCloud Pillow’s claim that it supports proper spine alignment feels true to her. The honeycomb grid is meant to cradle the head and neck and contour the face for pressure relief. The fill is a down alternative of silicone-coated fibers that help maintain the pillow’s fluff, and is adjustable for a higher or lower loft.

“The first night I tried it, I actually did not switch positions,” Rodenburg says. “I like that it doesn’t lose its shape.” She also adds that she likes the feel of the gel grid and that the height was right for her. The moisture-wicking stretch cover keeps you dry and cool, and is easily washable.

Rodenburg mentioned that the GelFlex material attracted her dog’s hair and that the zipper does snag at times. Still, these are minor complaints about a pillow she found overall comfortable and kept her from tossing and turning.

Ever wish you had a body pillow that didn’t take up the entire bed? Enter: The Clutcher Therapeutic Body Pillow. I had the chance to test this one personally, and I was surprised by how much of a difference this small pillow could make. It’s not just any body pillow. This one is meant to keep your spine in alignment all night long — a position ideal for those with TMJ disorder.

As far as pillows go, this one is even smaller than a standard pillow, but its ergonomic shape makes it comfortable to hold. I tried the small; it’s also available in medium size for those over 5 feet 7 inches tall. The fill is adjustable, but I found the full amount delivered the right mix of comfort and support.

I cuddled it while sleeping on my side, and I did feel like I was sleeping in proper alignment. I also placed it under my knees while sleeping on my back and found it very comfortable as well. Bonus: I really, really recommend getting the cooling cover, which is sold separately. It’s silky smooth and was one of my favorite parts of using this pillow. 

This easy-to-adjust pillow makes a big difference for those who sleep in all different positions throughout the night. All you have to do to get a more plush pillow is unzip it and feel the softness. Want your pillow back to firm? Just zip it back up. Or if somewhere in the middle works best for you, leave it half-zipped. Writer Mary Sauer said that it’s “super easy to adjust. They suggest both sides zipped for side sleepers, one side unzipped for back sleepers, and both sides unzipped for stomach sleepers.”

The pillow is filled with cooling-infused foam, so you’ll be thankful if you’re a hot sleeper. It’s also antimicrobial, to keep your pillow clean and safe, and hypoallergenic, to help you get the best sleep. “I loved it,” says Sauer. “It was soft but also held its shape really well. I also really like how supportive it is. I don't like an overly soft pillow, and this one was just the right balance of support and softness.”

Sauer’s only complaint was that while she tried the standard, she recommends going with a king. And note that, unlike most other adjustable pillows, users can’t actually remove any fill from this one. 

She loved how this pillow’s fill (T&N Adaptive foam infused with graphite and cooling gel) molded to her body and kept her from straining her neck. “I move around a lot in my sleep, shifting from side to stomach to side again, and with each movement, this pillow made me feel fully supported without feeling stifled,” Vargas says. “The pillow filled in the gap between my shoulders and head when sleeping on my side, and when on my stomach, my neck was in a more neutral position than if I were using a regular pillow, which would force my neck upwards. Overall, I felt significantly less tension in my spine and shoulders when using this pillow.” 

Writer Sadie Crouch, who tested this product, has TMJ disorder and says this pillow helped relax her neck, which was really helpful for her jaw position. “Something about the honeycomb gel had me feeling like my head was truly floating in the middle of the pillow,” she says. “My neck was way more relaxed, and my jaw didn't feel like it was pushing into anything. Just floating. I loved it.”

Crouch adds that she now knows exactly what this company means when it claims this pillow relieves pressure. That’s thanks to the Honeycomb GelFlex Grid, which contours the head and neck and lends support, all while never letting the pillow lose shape. She also loved the cooling effect the pillow had, saying, “Both sides were the cool side of the pillow.”

Crouch was shocked by how much this pillow improved her sleep quality. “I would definitely tell my friends to look at this pillow if they told me they were having any trouble with overheating or pressure and pain from TMJ or other types of head and neck body aches,” she says. The pillow comes in standard and king sizes, and buyers can choose from low, medium, and tall heights (note that not all of these options are available on Amazon). Crouch, who tried a standard medium, only wishes she had gotten the tall. She feels the medium height is a bit too low for side sleepers. 

This pillow is meant to address aches and pains, featuring pressure relief for the head, neck, and shoulders. Registered dietitian and writer Melissa Mitri liked that it molded to her as she slept, but she liked the pillow’s cooling feature best of all.

“I really liked the cooling outer layer that was removable, which was nice because I'm always warm when I sleep,” she says. “It felt cool to the touch right when I took it out [of the box] and stayed cool throughout the night. I'd recommend it to all of my friends in perimenopause or menopause who are dealing with hot flashes at night!”

The pillow is filled with the company’s proprietary Tempur-Material, a viscoelastic foam, which can be adjusted by unzipping the pillow and removing some of the filling. Mitri found the pillow a bit flat for her, as she suffers from allergies and prefers to be propped up a bit more. She said the fill took a couple of days to loosen up, but it eventually did become a bit softer. She plans to keep sleeping on this pillow, though she uses an additional backup to give her a little more lift.