A Guide to Choosing the Right Pillow vs. Mattress: What Matters Most?

The key to achieving perfect sleep is to have the right support for your body. But when it comes to prioritizing which sleep paraphernalia to upgrade, which matters more, your pillow or mattress topper for back pain?

It is a common dilemma to determine between a new mattress or a height-adjustable pillow. After all, both are important for ensuring a comfortable sleep. 

If you need help choosing between the right pillow or mattress, you’ve come to the right place.

An Essential Support: Pillows

The pillow is the first to come to mind when considering upgrading sleep gear. After all, you immediately see pillows when heading to bed and the ones whose impact you feel the most whenever you lay down.

A pillow’s primary purpose is to support your head, neck, and shoulder areas. A good pillow should be able to carry your head and shoulders comfortably, ensuring reduced strain and preventing chronic pain and soreness. 

One excellent factor about pillows is that you can use more than one to suit your preference. You do not have to replace the entire pillow when you feel uncomfortable; simply add more or remove some until you feel fine.

However, pillows do tend to deteriorate faster than mattresses. This means you’ll need to purchase a replacement pillow more often.

Make or Break: Mattresses

Perhaps the ultimate determiner of a good or bad sleep is your mattress. Many assume the mattress does not do much and only serves as a platform to rest on, but the truth is far from that.

Unlike pillows, mattresses support the whole body, particularly the spine. The mattress is essential for your sleep, ensuring your spine’s natural alignment is correct, and all points in your body are fully supported, reducing joint pains and soreness.

However, unlike a pillow, the comfort of a mattress is determined by its firmness, which comes in three levels: soft, medium firm, and firm. The firmness level will vary based on your specific needs. Choosing the wrong mattress will manifest throughout your body as aches and discomfort.

Fortunately, mattresses are more durable than pillows, typically lasting for years.

The Final Verdict

There is no denying that both pillows and mattresses contribute to your sleep comfort. The choice between which to upgrade first will based on these factors:

  • Your body’s needs – If your body generally feels fine, but your neck and shoulder areas are not, consider getting a pillow first. Otherwise, get a mattress.
  • Damage – As mentioned, pillows deteriorate faster, so you might need to prioritize pillows first before your mattress.

If you want to replace both, purchasing from a reliable manufacturer is wise. Visit AiR by Nishikawa today to experience ultimate sleep comfort with the help of their highly innovative mattresses and pillows powered by sleep science.