From cooling features to customizable fillings, today’s most popular pillows are all about serving unique needs. Discover the best pillows to transform sales.
With mattress sales sluggish to flat these days, sleep accessories like pillows are a critical part of an overall selling strategy to boost tickets. But they’re also an important opportunity to increase customer satisfaction and build brand loyalty. Research from the Better Sleep Council states that pillows should be replaced approximately every two to three years. So, asking shoppers when they last purchased a pillow is a good icebreaker for selling accessories.
designed to relieve aches and pains.
“Consumers often start their shopping journey by looking for a new mattress, but the trigger is usually a desire for improved sleep,” says Andrew Cizmar, director of Tempur-Pedic Accessories, part of Somnigroup International headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. “Consumers are looking for ways to improve their sleep, and pillows play a critical role. Pillows have become an increasingly important selling accessory within an overall sleep solutions selling strategy. Ideally, the pillow is perfectly paired with the mattress to match your sleep style and to ensure proper alignment.”
Jonah Nelson, senior director of brand experience for Farmingdale, New York-based mattress and accessories company Bedgear, agrees. “The pillow is really a critical part of your comfort and support. The mattress is about 70% of your comfort and support system when you’re sleeping, and the pillow is that other 30%,” he says. “When customers go home with 100% comfort, they’re going to be much more satisfied with their sleep quality and more likely to keep those products once they have them in home. That’s the power of pillows.”
Read on to review the latest product launches and learn what’s trending with shoppers in today’s marketplace.
The Cooling Revolution: Chill Pillows for Better Sleep
“Consumers are still looking for that cool-touch experience when it comes to pillows,” says Shannon Duffy, product development and sourcing manager at Richmond, Virginia-based Carpenter Co. “Recently, that has been paired with temperature-regulation treatments. Cool-touch fabrics give the customer an instant peace of mind that they will sleep ‘cooler,’ but adding temperature-regulating aids in the overall sleep experience, balancing your temperature while you sleep so you are not too hot, but also not too cold.”
At the winter Las Vegas Market, Carpenter debuted a line of mattress toppers and pillows with La-Z-Boy. Each group in the collection — Vail, Aspen, Everest — comes in various comfort levels, cores and fabrics. Most notably, the Aspen collection features a Tencel lyocell/recycled polyester knit cover with phase-change material for a cooling sensation and the company’s proprietary Serene foam.
Another chilly offering for shoppers is Mlily USA’s PowerCool pillows, featuring a bamboo charcoal memory foam core wrapped in a cooling knit fabric cover. The ergonomic design cradles sleepers’ heads.
“Mlily offers a wide range of pillow options to meet consumers’ needs and preferences, such as the Gel AeroFusion memory foam and ventilated bamboo charcoal memory foam pillows, designed to deliver cooling, contouring and enhanced airflow,” says Derek Leishman, national sales director at Knoxville, Tennessee-based Mlily USA.
Although Bedgear plans to turn over 25% of its pillow lineup this year, a figure that Nelson says is “pretty consistent on a yearly basis,” its top performers will stay. Currently, two of Bedgear’s bestselling pillows are its Storm Performance pillow ($200), followed by its Night Ice Performance pillow ($300).
Speaking of ice, Malouf, headquartered in Logan, Utah, recently relaunched its Ice Chill pillow ($135). Available in three lofts, it contains shredded memory foam on one side and solid memory foam on the other. With so many options in the market, it’s clear that consumers’ affinity for keeping cool isn’t changing any time soon.
Finding the Perfect Fit: Personalized Pillow Matching
Helping customers discover special features like cooling is only one aspect of guiding them to the right pillow; another is fit. At the winter Las Vegas Market, Magniflex debuted PillowFit, a measuring tool to help sales representatives match consumers to the best pillow. By measuring the distance from a customers’ ears to the end of their shoulders, the tool helps identify the ideal fit for proper head and neck alignment.
“Over 25% of body support when you rest at night comes from your pillow, and it’s important to get that right,” says Marco Magni, president of Magniflex. “The PillowFit tool ensures that no matter the type of shoulder anatomy a consumer has, we can provide them with a pillow that fits them. Using PillowFit, our sales representatives can accurately recommend not only pillow height but pillow type, and in doing so, realize our brand goals of providing products that promote healthy and restful sleep.”
Magniflex offers pillow heights from small (less than 3 inches) to extra large (more than 7 inches). According to a news release from the Prato, Italy-based company, PillowFit serves a dual purpose — helping customers make a more informed purchase decision and driving additional revenue for retailers.
In tandem with the launch of PillowFit, Magniflex released its enhanced Classico Pillow assortment. Available in small, medium, large and extra-large heights, all contain the company’s Memoform foam and viscose covers to dissipate heat.
Similarly, Bedgear’s Performance pillows come in what it calls profiles 0.0, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. At retail locations, sales associates will assist customers to find their best size. For those shopping online, Bedgear has a short “Find Your Fit” quiz on its website. “What we’re looking to do is personally fit you to your pillow solution,” Nelson says.
Simplicity Sells: Streamlining the Pillow Selection Process
Measurement tools provide novel ways to interact with customers and help them feel empowered while shopping. But effective storytelling is another way to connect with consumers.
Princeton, New Jersey-based Therapedic International recently unveiled its SleepWare pillow program, a three-model memory foam collection that includes the Support Gel, Pure Gel and Cool Gel pillows.
“That’s why we’re focused on equipping RSAs with the tools they need to educate customers on finding the best pillow for their sleep needs,” says Kyle Borreggine, vice president of specialty sales for Therapedic. “Therapedic’s SleepWare pillow program simplifies the selection process by offering three well-designed options that address a variety of sleep concerns. Instead of overwhelming customers with too many choices, this program makes it easier for them to find the right pillow for a healthier night’s sleep.”
Straightforward packaging showcases the materials and attributes of Therapedic’s SleepWare pillows, making it easy for consumers to understand the difference between each product without being overwhelmed by information. As a retailer, curation is as important as the products. Too few options leave consumers wanting more while too many can lead to decision fatigue.
Health & Wellness: The Pillow’s Role in Sleep Quality
Recently, Lubia Rodas, product manager at Talalay Global, says she has witnessed a shift in consumer preferences.
“Similarly to what has been occurring with mattress demand, we see consumers shifting toward pillows that promise better health and performance,” Rodas says. “The increasing amount of scientific/medical information on the importance of sleep and the direct impact it has on one’s health will only serve to continue this trend. As the world’s largest producer of Talalay pillows, which have strengths in both natural and performance attributes, we have been the beneficiary of this trend and continue to see significant growth in new programs.”
If you are only using health-related messaging to sell mattresses and not pillows, it might be time to start. Borreggine adds: “Consumers are looking for options that not only feel good but also support their overall sleep health.”
For example, Tempur-Sealy’s Tempur Adapt pillow collection. There’s the adjustable height Adapt ProAdjust, the 5-inch profile Adapt ProLo and the 6.6-inch Adapt ProHi, all designed to relieve pressure and reduce aches.
Future of Sleep: Emerging Pillow Trends and Innovations
“Beyond traditional pillows, innovations such as adjustable, massaging and temperature-regulating designs are gaining traction,” Cizmar says. “These products align well with the trend of customizable sleep solutions, particularly when paired with adjustable bases and advanced mattress technologies. As a result, the right pillow strategy not only drives additional revenue but also strengthens customer satisfaction and loyalty.”
Another trend? Beauty sleep. In the second quarter of 2025, Bedgear plans to launch Bedgear Beauty. According to the company, the Bedgear Beauty pillow ($220) has an ergonomic design that reduces friction and pressure on the skin and features a synthetic blend Hyper-Silk cover to “reduce overheating, morning wrinkles and inflammation.” Another bonus: The cover will not absorb skin care products, a perk for devotees of nightly routines.
“Most consumers purchase pillows within two weeks of a mattress purchase,” Leishman says. “Retailers who focus on selling complete sleep systems not only elevate their position by offering sheets, comforters, duvets and pillows that complement the mattress, but are also helping their customers achieve an enhanced sleep environment that boosts their overall well-being.”
By offering an assortment that is diverse in features, materials and price ranges, retailers are sure to connect consumers to the perfect pillow.
