5 Closest Things to a Soundproof Pillow You Can Buy

person with pillow over ears

When pitched the idea of a “soundproof pillow” many people imagine a pillow made from some special high tech material that blocks out all sound when you lay on it. Either that or people imagine a pillow that creates a magical invisible soundproof bubble around your head when you lay on it.

Unfortunately, these types of pillow don’t exist. If they did, believe me, I would be all over them.

However, until such an incredible device comes out, there are a few alternatives available that are the next best thing to the ideal soundproof pillow that we all want.

Although some of these devices don’t look like conventional pillows, they are still super effective at blocking out noise for better sleep, all the same.

The Ostrich Pillow

This accessory has got to be one of my all-time favorite travel pillows on the market.

At first glance, the pillow looks flat out bizarre. I am not afraid to admit that if I saw someone wearing one of these at work, I would be confused at first.

However upon further inspection, despite the strange appearance at first, these pillows do look incredibly comfortable. After all, with its 95% viscose – 5% elastomer fabric blend, the pillow feels incredibly soft to the touch.

Furthermore, this device is incredibly practical as well. The Ostrich Pillow not only acts as a sleep mask by blocking out light but it also covers your ears. As far as soundproof pillow-like devices go, this one does a really good job at shutting out the noisy world.

Given that this pillow your whole head, it is great to use at work for a quick nap or for travel. Simply slip it on, and rest your head against your plane seat, your desk or really any other sturdy structure and you are set to snooze.

At the end of the day, the appearance and style of the pillow are important, but how effective it is at helping you get to sleep matters the most. Right? I think so anyway, and if you agree, then this pillow might be right for you.

Bluetooth Sleep Eye Mask by TOPOINT

Most sleep masks are just flimsy pieces of silk the block out the light. This one, however, takes traditional sleep masks to the next level.

What’s so unique about this particular sleep mask is that it is equipped with headphones that can be hooked up with Bluetooth.

At this point, you might be thinking “wait… I want a pillow that will block noise. The last thing I need is one that creates noise”.

This is a fair point to consider. However, the beauty of sleeping masks such as these is that you can use them to play gentle white noise. The appeal to listening to white noise for sleep is that this background noise can drown out irritating sounds outside that might prevent you from falling asleep in the first place. For instance, listening to low pitch static sounds, or a recorded track of the pitter-patter of raindrops can help to drown out the noise of traffic right outside your bedroom. Furthermore, there are numerous white noise machine apps for your phone that can play these background sounds on your eyemask for hours on end.

Even without playing background noise, eye masks such as these are still somewhat soundproof. They won’t block out noise from the outside world completely but they will muffle this noise to some degree.

Travel Pillow by Wrap-a-Nap

This travel pillow is amazing because not only is it extremely comfortable but it is excellent for blocking out sound as well.

Wrap-a-Nap practically wraps around your entire head to enclose you in a world of pleasant sensory deprivation. The device is made to cover your ears essentially the same way that ear muffs do. 

In addition, given this device’s soft padding, you can rest on practically any surface comfortably. You can rest your head along the wall an airplane or the window or a car without any discomfort at all. If you need to, you can shift the pillow higher up on your head like a headband depending on the angle in which you want to rest your head. On the other hand, you can also wrap the pillow around your neck to essentially create a neck pillow. 

However, this pillow doesn’t need to just be used for travel. If you happen to live right next to traffic or noisy neighbors, pillows like these are perfect to use at home. Because this pillow isn’t super bulky, you should have no problem sleeping with it while resting your head on your traditional pillow. 

Over-the-head Relaxation Pillow by Sleep Crown

man sleeping with pillow over his head

Image source: thegrommet.com

Yep, that’s right. This pillow is designed to be placed OVER your head. Although at first glance, such a device might seem odd, it might just be the most practical soundproof pillow you can buy. 

The idea behind this concept is that having a pillow over your head provides gentle pressure for deeper relaxation and more restful sleep. There is even a cutout section of this pillow for your mouth and nose so that you don’t smother yourself. Additionally, the pillow is slightly curved in shape to fit comfortably over your head. It is also made with faux down fill which allows the pillow to retain its shape to your head after a few times of use. 

Extra comfort is one benefit of this pillow. However, it is also excellent for muffling sounds that can keep you awake or disrupt your sleep. Of course, a traditional pillow already muffles some sound when you are laying on your side. The only problem is that you can still hear the outside world with the other ear. Ultimately, this pillow fixes this dilemma. By laying on your side with this pillow over your head, you can block out noise from the outside world from all angles. 

Dream Catcher Anti-noise Sleep Mask Pillow by Dreamhelmet

Just like its title implies this sleep mask is essentially a cushy helmet that helps you sleep. 

It is made with soft cotton that gently presses against your eyes, forehead and the sides of your head as well. This device, of course, blocks light given that it covers your eyes, but the flaps on for the sides of your head are also designed to muffle noises from the outside world.

Although it is pretty to difficult to judge which noise-blocking devices are most effective at reducing noise, the manufacturer of this device goes as far to say that the dream helmet “muffles more sound than any other sleep aid”. This is a bold claim for sure. Some product reviews say that this product is as effective as the manufacturer claims while others beg to differ. However, even if it muffles noise better then half the sleep aids out there, it still would be doing a pretty good job. 

Ultimately, you can wear this device as tightly or as loosely as you would like. Some people find comfort in the feeling of fabric compression against their head while others prefer a bit more wiggle room. 

Final words 

Although the perfect soundproof pillow that casts an invisible soundproof bubble over your head doesn’t exist (yet anyway), there are definitely some super effective options available. 

However, a noise-reducing pillow is not the only thing can help to prevent noise from the outside world from keeping you awake. There are numerous methods for soundproofing your bedroom in ways that have nothing to do with pillows or sleeping masks.

For an in-depth approach to eliminating noise in your room, check out this ultimate guide to soundproofing your bedroom.