Most pillow complaints are loft complaints. Too high and your head tilts up and your neck aches; too low and your head drops and your shoulder takes the load. Loft is simply how tall the pillow is under your head once you are lying on it, and with a resilient material like Talalay latex, it is the single biggest decision you will make. Our Talalay Latex Pillow comes in two lofts, Low Profile at 5.5 inches and High Profile at 7 inches. This guide helps you pick the right one.
Why loft matters more with latex
A shredded foam or down pillow can be squashed, folded, or fluffed to change its height. A solid Talalay latex pillow cannot. It compresses under your head and springs right back, and it holds that shape for years. That resilience is what makes latex so supportive and long-lasting, but it also means the loft you buy is the loft you sleep on. Choosing correctly up front is the whole game.
One more thing to know: latex compresses more than memory foam. Lie on a 7 inch latex pillow and your head sinks in a fair amount before the foam catches you. So a 7 inch latex pillow sleeps lower than a 7 inch memory foam pillow would. Keep that in mind if you are used to a foam pillow of a certain height.
The goal: a neutral neck
Whatever your position, the right pillow keeps your head in line with your spine, the same posture you have standing up with good posture. The pillow has to fill the gap between the mattress and your head, and the size of that gap depends mostly on how you sleep and how broad your shoulders are.
Loft by sleep position
| Sleep position | Gap to fill | Recommended loft |
|---|---|---|
| Side sleeper | Large: the full width of your shoulder | High Profile (7 inch) |
| Back sleeper | Medium: the curve of your neck | Low Profile (5.5 inch) for most; High if you have a larger frame |
| Stomach sleeper | Small: almost none | Low Profile (5.5 inch) |
| Combination sleeper | Varies | Match your most common position; side-dominant sleepers go High |
Side sleepers
Side sleeping creates the biggest gap between the mattress and your head, roughly the distance from the outside of your shoulder to your ear. Most side sleepers need the High Profile, and anyone with broad shoulders definitely does. If you tuck your hand under the pillow when you sleep on your side, that is your body telling you the pillow is too low.
Back sleepers
On your back, you want the pillow to support the curve of your neck without pushing your chin toward your chest. The Low Profile does this for most people. If you have a larger frame, a very soft mattress that you sink into, or you simply like a taller pillow, High Profile can work; the latex compresses enough that it will not feel like a wedge.
Stomach sleepers
Stomach sleepers should use the lowest pillow they can tolerate, because any height twists the neck. Low Profile is the pick. Many stomach sleepers also do well putting the pillow under their chest or hips instead of their head.
Adjust for your body and your mattress
- Broad shoulders: go up a loft. This is the most common reason a side sleeper finds Low Profile too low.
- Smaller frame or petite build: the Low Profile is usually right, even for side sleepers with narrow shoulders.
- Soft mattress or a thick memory foam topper: your shoulder sinks into the bed, which shrinks the gap. Consider dropping a loft.
- Firm mattress: your shoulder stays on top of the bed, the gap is bigger, and you may need the higher loft.
- Heavier head and shoulders: more compression means the pillow sleeps lower; size up.
The shoulder cutout option
Our Talalay Latex Pillow with Shoulder Cutout has a contoured notch along the front edge that gives your shoulder somewhere to go. When you sleep on your side, your shoulder slides into the cutout instead of pushing the pillow away, so your head sits level and your neck stays straight. It is a real improvement for side sleepers, and it helps back sleepers who like to pull the pillow down snug against their shoulders. The cutout is available in both Low and High Profile. If you are a side sleeper choosing between the two, High Profile with the cutout is the combination that gets the most out of the design.
Queen or king?
Loft is height; size is width. Our latex pillows come in Queen (16 by 29 inches) and King (16 by 35 inches). The Queen suits most sleepers and standard pillowcases. Choose King if you have a king bed and want two pillows to span it, or if you move around a lot at night and want more pillow to land on. Loft is the same across both sizes.
Give it a few nights
Any new pillow feels different for the first few nights, and latex in particular has a springy, buoyant feel that surprises people used to memory foam. Sleep on it for at least a week before judging it. If you wake with a stiff neck on the side you sleep on, the loft is probably too low; if your chin feels pushed toward your chest, it is too high. And if you land on the wrong one, our 30-Night Happiness Guarantee means you can send it back free and try the other loft.
Find your loft
Side sleepers and broad shoulders: High Profile. Back sleepers, stomach sleepers, and smaller frames: Low Profile. Add the shoulder cutout if you sleep on your side. Shop our Talalay latex pillows, made from natural, Oeko-Tex certified latex, cut and covered in Phoenix, AZ, with free shipping to the lower 48 and a 5-year warranty.