Pillow height calculator: the loft range for your position and mattress

Calm Eden sleep deskUpdated September 2026Method published below. General information, not medical advice
Tali puupuu

This calculator returns a range, not one number. For a 172 cm side sleeper on a medium mattress with 40 cm shoulders, the recommended compressed loft is about 11 to 13.5 cm (4.3 to 5.3 in). Back and front sleepers need less. No published standard defines an ideal pillow height, so verify the range in your own bed.

Pillow height depends on your shoulder, your mattress, how much your pillow compresses and which position you actually spend the night in. The published research disagrees with itself about what is optimal, which is why this page gives you a range and a test.

Work out your loft range

Four inputs, one range. The result is the compressed height you want under your head, not the height the pillow shows on the shelf.

Without shoes. 1 inch is 2.54 cm.
Fua i tua o tou tino mai te pito o te uma ki te pito o te suā uma, kae ke malolo ou lima. A te 36 ki te 46 cm e fetaui mo te tokoukega o tino matua.

Ko te mea tenei e fakatoka i fika mo fuaga, kae se se fakatonuga faka-fomai. Kafai e tiga faeloa tou ua, io me e mate ou lima, ke fano o sala ki se fomai, kae se fesuai tau aluga.

E uiga ki te mea tenei mo ana gataga

Pogai: ke fesoasoani ki se filifiliga e tasi, mai i numela ne tuku mai ne koe.
E se tatau mō: so se filifiliga e uiga ki te soifua maloloa, tulafono, saogalemu io me te fakamaoniga.
Ituaiga o te auala: ko te fuafua o au numela, io me se tulafono o te kau faitusi telā e fakamatala mai i lalo. E se se fakatusa ne fakamaonia.
Tino e tauave: te kau faitusi o te fale oloa tenei.
Lomiga o te auala: 1.0. Siaki fakamuli: 2026-09-14.

E fai te fuafuaga i tou polausa. A te tusi fakatonu o te mea faigaluega tenei e se fakaputu io me ave ne ia au tali. A te iloiloga o te upega tafaala mo nisi galuega kehe e fakamatala i te matou tulafono e uiga ki mea fakalilolilo.

Mea e tuku Te uiga Numela e talia
Your height (cm) E fakaaoga tonu i te fuafuaga. so se numela, masani 172
Shoulder width (cm) E fakaaoga tonu i te fuafuaga. so se numela, masani 40
Position you sleep in most E fakaaoga tonu i te fuafuaga. Moe i toku itu, Moe i toku tua, Moe i toku alo
Mattress firmness E fakaaoga tonu i te fuafuaga. Malu (e goto koe ki lalo), Feoloolo, Maaō (e takoto koe i luga)

Fakaakoakoga ne fai

Mai i numela ne ‵tuku muamua i luga, e maua mai:

Fua tāua Moe i te itu: 10.0 ki te 12.5 cm
Te va eiloa e tasi i inisi 3.9 ki te 4.9 inisi
Te ogatotonu o te va Maualuga 11.0 cm mafai ko lomi
Te mea e maua mai i ei te ogatotonu Maualuga 172 cm x te fika o te tulaga moe 1, fakaopoopo ki fakatonuga i lalo nei
Fakatonuga mō te moega -1.2 cm mō se moega malu
Fakatonuga mō uma +0.6 cm mō uma e 40 cm

Siakiga o te fuafuaga

Mataupu Mea ne ‵kite
Numela i te gataga (numela ‵lasi kolā e talia) Moe i te alo: 13.5 ki te 16.0 cm
Numela sē tonu (numela e selō) Moe i te itu: 10.0 ki te 12.5 cm

A siakiga konei e fakaasi mai me e galue te mea faigaluega e pelā mo te mea ne tusi. E se fakamaoni ne latou me e tonu i te feitu fakafomai io me te saienisi.

Mea e se mafai o fakaasi atu ne te fua tenei. Se fuafuaga fua ne maua katoa mai i numela e tuku ne koe, e fakaaoga ei a fesokotakiga kolā ne fakamatala i te itulau tenei. E se fua ne ia tou tulaga, e se amanaia ne ia so se mea telā e se ‵tusi pelā me se mea e tuku, kae e se mafai o fakaasi ne ia me se a te oloa e tau o fakatau ne koe. Kafai e tāua te fua mō tou malosi, saogalemu, tupe io me se fakamautinoga, ke fai ne koe pelā me se kamataga kae ke siaki ne koe ki te puna fakamuamua telā ne fakasoko i te pito i lalo o te itulau tenei.

Oloa mo te fiafia fakapisinisi. E fakatau atu ne te faleoloa tenei a oloa kolā e fakamatala i fakatonuga konei. E seai se taimi e sui ei ne fakamatalaga o oloa se fuafuaga. Ke lipoti mai se fakalavelave, fakaaoga te itulau mō fesokotaki kae tuku mai te URL o te itulau tenei, a numela ne tuku ne koe mo te fua ne fakamoemoe koe ki ei.

Te auala e fai ei te fuafuaga

  1. Ko te maualuga fakavae ko tou maualuga i senitimita fakatele ki te 0.068, telā e maua ei pelā me 11.7 cm mō se tino e 172 cm. E fakaaoga te maualuga o te tino ke fai mō fuaga katoa o te tino, me i fuaga o te ulu mo te ua e seki fakamaoni mai me e mafai o fakaasi mai ne latou se maualuga o aluga e malie ki ei.
  2. E fakatele te maualuga fakavae ki te fika o te tulaga moe: 1.0 mō te moe i te itu, 0.72 mō te moe i te tua, 0.5 mō te moe i te alo. A te moe i te itu e manakogina ei te maualuga e sili, me e fakatumu ne te aluga te va i te va o te moega mo te itu o te ulu.
  3. E fakaopoopo ne te fakatonuga mō te moega a te 1.2 cm mō se moega maaō kae e toʼo kesē a te 1.2 cm mō se moega malu. I se moega malu, e goto ifo te uma, kae e pono ei se vaega o te va kae fakaitiiti ei te maualuga e manakogina ne koe.
  4. E fesuai ne te fakatonuga mō uma te fakaiku ki te 0.3 cm mō senitimita taki tasi e silia io me e lalo ifo i te 38 cm, kae se silia i te 2 cm ki te itu e tasi io me te suā itu.
  5. Ko te fakaiku se va e 2.5 cm te lautele, ne fakatafa ki te vaega o te senitimita e pili atu. E se mafai o iloa tonu ne koe tou tulaga moe ki te milimita, kae e se nofo foki koe i te tulaga e tasi i te po katoa.
Mea e se iloa ne te fuafuagaE se mafai o lagona ne ia me e lomi pefea tou aluga, me ko malu pefea tou moega, io me e moe tonu koe i te tulaga telā e manatu koe e moe koe i ei. Se sukesukega ne tausi ei tulaga moe ne maua ei me e fesuai tino i te va o te moe i te tua mo te moe i te itu pelā me 24 taimi i te po e tasi (Cai, 2016). Tenā te pogai malosi ke fakatāgā ne koe se va o maualuga kae se talitonu fua ki se fika e tasi.

Te auala o te fuaga

Fai tenei mea mai mua o fakatau, kae toe fai i tua o vaiaso e lua mo se aluga fou. E pelā me minute e tolu kae e sili atu i siate katoa, fakatasi mo te siate tenei.

  1. Takoto i luga i tou moega, i tou itu, i te tulaga e masani o ala ei koe. Sē i luga i te fala o te fale koloa kae sē i luga i se moega fakaasiasi.
  2. Fakasolo se tino ke onoono ki tou ua, io me ke puke se ata mai mua i te maualuga o te moega. E tau o tonu te ua mo te ivi tua, kae sē fakatagaki ki luga ki se aluga maualuga io me e goto ifo ki se aluga mafolafola.
  3. Fakaulu tou lima i luga, ke fakatakoto te alofilima ki lalo, i lalo o te aluga i te koga e loloto. Kafai e ulu lelei tou lima kae sē sapai ei tou ulu, ko pili te maualuga. Kafai e tau o pusi ne koe te aluga ki luga, e mā‘ulalo. Kafai e seai se va, e maualuga ‘ki.
  4. Takoto i tou tua kae toe fai. E tau o lagolago ne te aluga te pioga o te ua kae ke malolo te tua o te ulu, kae sē pusi ifo te kauvae ki te fatafata.
  5. Toe fai mai tua o minute e sefulu. E lomi a te foam mo fulufulu manu i lalo o se mamafa tumau, tela la, ko te maualuga i te minute muamua sē ko te maualuga e moe koe i ei. Fakamasino i po e fa, kae sē ko te po e tasi.
Mea e lagona ne koe i te taeao Te mea e masani o fakauiga ki ei Te mea ke fesuai muamua
Ko maaō te ua io me e tiga i lalo o te ulu Ne sapai te ulu i luga io me i lalo o te tulaga tonu i te po katoa Fesuai ki te laasaga e tasi i te va ki te itu e tonu ei te ua
Mate io me ‘‘ki‘ki te lima io me te alofilima Lomiga tumau i luga i te uma io me te lima Siaki te lautele o te aluga mo te tulaga o tou lima, kae fakaitiiti te maualuga. Kafai e se mutu, ke sala ki se fomai
Tiga ulu i te taimi e ala ei E masani mai i te tulaga o te ua, kae i nisi taimi mai te ‘ue o nifo, te fiainu io me te mate o te mānava i te moe Fakatonu te aluga mō vaiaso e lua. Kafai e se mutu te tiga ulu, ke sala ki se fomai
Ala kae vevela, kae susu te aluga Te vevela ne pukepuke ne te fakatumu mo te gatu Fesuai te fakatumu io me te gatu, kae sē ko te maualuga
Ko mafolafola te aluga i te taeao Ko galo te maualuga o te fakatumu, kae sē ko se aluga sē tonu Fakaopoopo se fakatumu, io me fesuai te fakatumu i se aluga e mafai o fakatonu

Mea e fakamalosi tonu ne sukesukega ne fakasalalau

Sukesukega Te mea ne fakamalosi ne ia
Kim et al., 2015, vaega o ivi o te ua mo te fatafata 10 cm i te moe i te tua, i tino matua e 16 ana tausaga e 20 ki te 30
Sacco et al., te malie i te moe i te itu 10 cm ko te maualuga e sili i te malie mō te takoto i te itu
Li et al., fuaga o te malie i te moe i te tua 7 cm ko te maualuga e sili i te malie mō te moe i te tua
Tian et al., 2024, tino e moe i te itu i luga i te foam latex Se maualuga feoloolo e fakatonu ki te tino taki tasi, ne fakatāgā i te 8, 10, 12 mo te 14 cm, ne sili i te lelei
Liu et al., 2016, te gāluega o te ulu mo te ua E seai se fakatonuga mō te lalolagi katoa, telā e fakavae ki fakamaoniga, mō te faiga io me te filifiliga o aluga
Ergonomic review, 2021, ten studies from 1997 to 2021 Many hypotheses, no firm conclusions about optimal height in supine or lateral positions
The statement this page owes youNo published standard defines an ideal pillow height. There is no ISO figure, no clinical guideline and no agreed millimetre range. The studies above tested small numbers of healthy adults in controlled positions, using comfort ratings, pressure mats or modelling, and a review of ten studies concluded that firm conclusions are still missing for both the supine and the lateral position. Anyone quoting one ideal number, including a shop, is quoting a marketing decision rather than a standard. Two further findings matter: optimal pillow height has been found not to correlate with measurements of the head and neck, and users tend to rate softer pillows as more comfortable even when a firmer pillow holds the spine better. Judge on four nights, not on the first one.

Adjustable fill beats a perfect guess

If you fall between two range figures, or your shoulders sit outside the 36 to 46 cm band, an adjustable pillow removes most of the guesswork: add or remove fill until the procedure above says the neck is level, then keep the spare fill for the day the pillow compresses.

Compare the options

Fesili e fai ne tino

Is a higher pillow always better for side sleeping?
No. Higher helps only up to the point where the neck is level with the spine. Past that, the head is pushed up and the neck is held in extension, and one study found that increasing pillow height raised pressure in both the cranial and cervical regions.
How do I know if my pillow is too high?
Three morning signs: a stiff neck or an ache at the base of the skull, a chin pointed towards the chest when you lie on your back, and a pillow that has not compressed by morning. The hand test in the measurement procedure settles it in about a minute.
Does the mattress firmness really change the pillow I need?
Yes, and it is the input most people leave out. A soft mattress lets your shoulder sink, which reduces the gap between the mattress and your head and so reduces the loft you need. Moving one pillow between a soft guest bed and a firm main bed can change the answer by a full centimetre.
How is pillow height measured?
Two ways, and only one matters. Shelf height is the pillow measured on a flat surface in a shop. Compressed height is what it measures with your head on it, usually about a third less. Measure compressed height, in your own bed, in your own position.
Can a pillow fix neck pain?
It can remove one daily cause of awkward neck position, and it cannot fix a disc, a joint or a nerve. Small studies on cervical pillows have produced mixed results, and one review criticised their quality and statistical power. If neck pain persists beyond two weeks, or comes with numbness in the arms, that is a clinician question.

Koga ne maua mai ei

  1. Liu SF, et al. Effect of pillow height on the biomechanics of the head-neck complex. PeerJ, 2016 — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5012320/
  2. Kim HC, et al. The effect of different pillow heights on the parameters of cervicothoracic spine segments. Korean Journal of Spine, 2015 — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4623167/
  3. Ergonomic consideration in pillow height determinants and evaluation: a review. Healthcare, 2021 — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8544534/
  4. Tian S, et al. The individualized optimal pillow height and neck support design for side sleepers. Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing, 2025 — pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39412632/
  5. Cai D, Chen HL. Ergonomic approach for pillow concept design. Applied Ergonomics, 2016 — pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26360205/

Faitau e soko

Compare pillows by compressed height

Every pillow page here lists the materials and the measured dimensions, so you can check the number before you buy.

Fakatau aluga