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Your Toddler Is Probably Ready for a Pillow — Here Are the Ones We’d Buy

Cara Strickland
Cara Strickland
Cara Strickland is an award-winning writer specializing in food and drink, relationships, parenting, and books. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Salon, the James Beard Foundation blog, Slate, Southwest, Time Out, Atlas Obscura, JSTOR Daily, the Rumpus, and others.…read more
updated Mar 19, 2025
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Overhead shot of young girl laying in bed watching tv
Credit: Getty Images / Cavan Images

In the beginning, you’re not supposed to put anything in the crib with the baby while they sleep, and I internalized that rule so strongly that it was super odd to start thinking about toddler pillows. But when your little one has graduated from the crib to a toddler bed and is ready for all the toddler bed extras — a toddler bed mattress, mattress protector, toddler bed rails, and cute toddler bedding — of course it’s time for a toddler pillow as well.

Why Toddlers Need a Pillow

Kids need support for their growing necks, and as they become more bodily aware it’s also possible to add more comfort. 

When Toddlers Need a Pillow

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children don’t sleep with a pillow until age 2, to reduce the risk of suffocation. Once your child is 2, you can start looking for signs that they might need a little something extra to rest their head on for nighttime or naps. Here are a few things to notice:

  • Your child is waking often or seems restless during the night or naps.
  • They want to share your pillow or rest their head on something soft, like a stuffed animal.

What to Look for in a Toddler Pillow

While you could use a regular pillow, toddler pillows are designed to be smaller and firmer. Other things to look for include:

  • Safe, high-quality materials: Whether you opt for cotton, latex, down, or hypoallergenic down alternatives, look for certifications like GREENGUARD, OEKO-TEX STANDARD, GOLS, and GOTS.
  • Machine-washable: Not every pillow on our list is machine-washable, but it’s definitely a plus.
  • Trial period and warranty: Many pillows come with a 100-day trial period (a good idea if you have a picky toddler) and a 1-year warranty.

Ready to get shopping? We’ve rounded up some of our favorite toddler pillows to help send your little one off to dreamland in comfort. And even if your toddler isn’t ready right away, you can choose your favorite and keep it on hand so that when it’s time, everyone can get some sleep. 

The Best Toddler Pillows

Organic Toddler Pillow
$34$31

Best organic toddler pillow

You may be familiar with Avocado’s mattresses, and it makes sense they’d make great pillows to match. I love this child-size version for the natural look, backed up with high- quality materials (it’s filled with organic latex and kapok fiber and covered with organic cotton). It’s intended to be cooling and is nice and breathable for safety. It’s also a nice price point. My only quibble is that you have to spot-clean it, but it makes sense with the natural fibers.

$31 at Avocado
Keababies Toddler Pillow with Pillowcase
$22

This Keababies toddler pillow is small and not overly puffy; it's ergonomically designed for toddlers. Both pillow and pillowcase are machine-washable, which is a huge plus for me. We have one of these in the rainbow pattern, but they come in a truly dizzying array of patterns and solids to match your decor. My daughter and I both love how soft the pillowcase is.

$22 at Amazon
Coop Original Toddler Pillow
$39

Another one of our favorite toddler pillows, the Coop toddler pillow is hypoallergenic with a washable cover and is GREENGUARD Gold certified. Like other Coop pillows, you can adjust the memory foam filling to get the right fluffiness or flatness for your little one.

$39 at Coop Sleep Goods
Naturepedic PLA Pillow with Organic Fabric
$89$76

Naturepedic has long been a trusted name in sleep, so it makes sense that they have crafted a luxurious, safe toddler pillow (although it is on the high side, price-wise). They do have a year warranty, which should give you lots of time to test it out, and with an organic cotton cover filled with sugar cane, you don’t have to worry about toxins. The cover is machine-washable as well for easy care.

$76 at Naturepedic
Hydrocool Toddler Pillow Insert
$34

If the Parachute toddler pillow above is sold out (as it often is!), this OEKO-TEX STANDARD-certified pillow from Pottery Barn Kids is a solid alternative.

$34 at Pottery Barn Kids
Gooselings Touch the Sky Toddler Pillow
$125

I’ve long been a fan of the heirloom-quality, European-made designs from Gooselings, and their toddler pillows are no exception. Choose from a vast array of designs — I love this blue one for starry nights. It’s filled with down and meets European safety standards, comes with its own tote bag, and can be monogrammed. This is a big splurge, but has the potential to be a keepsake — especially when paired with matching bedding.

$125 at Maisonette

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