Better Sleep

Best Pillow with Ear Cut Out: 2020 reviews

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After a comfortable mattress, pillows are the next important part of a good night’s sleep. There are special pillows for different health conditions like a sore neck, backache or apnea. But you might be looking for something more unique: a pillow with [the] ear cut out.

Manufacturers have designed special pillows that cater to people who have issues related to their ears. Issues that prevent them from getting a good night’s sleep.

These pillows have holes cut out in them where a person’s ear can fit in. These holes form a snug resting place for the ear which then isn’t squashed flat. This often happens to people who sleep on their side. With a pillow like this, you are guaranteed not to wake up with an ear that aches from having been squashed during the night.

Why would anyone need an ear hole pillow?

Primarily, these pillows help with of chondrodermatitis nodularis (CNH). This condition is often caused by pressure on the skin of the ear when people sleep with headphones, a mobile phone, or hearing aids. It’s most common in older people and men.

There are many other reasons why you might need a pillow with a hole for your ear.

1. You have a child that suffers from earache

One of the things I remember most from my childhood is how my little sister suffered with earache. I remember her with bright red ears, screaming her head off. I’m sure a pillow with an ear hole would have consoled her and made her sleep more peacefully.

2. You always sleep on your side

If you are a committed side sleeper, you will be familiar with the sensation of a sore ear when you wake up. It has happened to me a number of times and it’s pretty painful. I find that a pillow with an ear hole reduces pressure on my ear because it prevents my ear from getting squashed while I sleep.

3. You are recovering from ear surgery

Standard pillows don’t offer the necessary protection your ear needs following surgery. A pillow with a hole for your ear to fit in provides an ideal protected healing environment.

4. You use headphones when you go to bed

If, like me, you like listening to music when you go to sleep, your headphones will be awkward to wear while you are trying to lie down comfortably. Many people also wear headphones to bed to lock out the noise from traffic or a partner’s snoring.

What you need to be comfortable is a pillow with a hole to support your ears while you’re wearing headphones.

5. You have ear piercings

There’s a whole range of ear piercings that can be very uncomfortable to sleep with if you don’t remove them at night. There’s the conch, industrial piercing, snug, rook, and more. Some of these piercings can take up to eight months to heal – that’s a long time to not be able to sleep on your side.

An ordinary pillow simply won’t do the trick. It will put pressure on the wound and irritate it. What you need is a pillow with the space for the ear cut out. This way, your ear and the piercing will stay protected during the night.

Three best pillows to protect your ear while you’re sleeping

1. The original pillow with a hole

The Original Pillow with a Hole relieves ear pressure if you are a side sleeper. It’s also ideal for those who suffer from earache as a result of CNH.

What does the Pillow with a Hole Work for?

The Pillow with a Hole is designed to let you sleep well whether you suffer from an ear condition or have some other reason why you sleep is not comfortable. It helps specifically for people who:

  • have earache
  • are recovering from ear surgery
  • sleep with headphone
  • wear permanent ear piercings
  • are side sleepers
  • need extra head support

Dimensions

The Pillow with a Hole is a regular size, measuring 50 x 35 x 8cm (20 x 14 x 2 inches). The ear hole is about 12cm (5 inches) from the pillow’s edge and measures 8 x 9cm (3 x 4 inches).

Benefits

Being stuffed with a hypoallergenic hollow-fiber, the Pillow with a Hole is ideal for people who suffer from allergies.

The pillow is lightweight with a soft feel.

The pillow is stuffed very firmly. You can adjust the firmness to suit your personal preference by taking some of the stuffing out. Later, when the pillow becomes flat, you can revive it with some of the reserved stuffing.

The Original Pillow with a Hole is a good buy for anyone who suffers from chronic ear pain for whatever reason. Importantly, it helps your ears to heal faster after ear surgery or ear piercings.

2.     PureComfort – Pillow with an Ear Hole

The PureComfort Pillow with an Ear Hole helps to take off ear pressure while side sleeping. It is ergonomically designed to relieve earache. Many patients who suffer from CNH find relief in using it. They report that their pain has stopped and that they can finally get a good night’s sleep.

Dimensions

The pillow itself is about 26×17 inches and the ear hole measures about 6×5 inches.

Benefits

The pillow is stuffed with a proprietary mix of visco-elastic shredded memory foam, which is breathable and machine washable. Memory foam is an ideal filling for pillows because it doesn’t go flat.

Another great benefit is the fact that the thickness of the pillow can be adjusted to your preferences. Just unzip the pillow and remove some of the filling to adjust the pillow for your optimal comfort.

IKSTAR Memory-Foam Pillow for Sleeping

This pillow is everything for everyone. It’s an ergonomically designed pillow for side sleepers, back sleepers, and those who habitually sleep on their stomach.

It comes in a special shape that supports the head, neck, and shoulders while providing a hollow for the ear.

Dimensions

The pillow measures 4.2 x 16 x 25 x 5.3 inches.

Benefits

The pillow has an ear hole and along the bottom edges of the pillow, there are cutaways that help the shoulders to fit better and relieve tension on the neck. The ear hole is big enough so you don’t feel your ear when you put down your head on the pillow.

The IKSTAR is an orthopedic pillow made of premium memory foam that is odorless. It comes with a breathable pillowcase that helps to dissipate heat. It’s the pillow I would choose if I had to have ear surgery.

Conclusion

Having the right pillow to sleep with is essential for a good night’s sleep. Having an ear hole pillow is ideal for those nights when you decide to go to sleep with your headphones listening to music.

Marc is the creator of Mindful Searching, a content site dedicated to providing actionable, unbiased tips to reduce anxiety, stress, and improve cognitive performance. He's struggled with social anxiety for many years. Over the last 5 years, Marc has been researching and testing lifestyle changes, products, and techniques to build a happier, healthier, anxiety-free life.