You do not necessarily need an orthopaedic pillow from a specialist supplier (with a specialist price attached); broadly speaking, you just need something that maintains your body in good head, neck and back alignment. Because of this, the sleeping position you favour is important to your requirement:
if you sleep on your side, you will need a higher pillow than if you sleep on your back, and if you sleep on your front, you probably don’t need one at all.
If you sleep on your side, try to use something that supports your neck as well as your head (this is a feature of orthopaedic pillows, but you can achieve the same result with a bit of effort by tucking the pillow under your neck). If you are struggling to find a comfortable sleeping position for your neck, it may be worth seeing an osteopath in order to assess your vertebral alignment and posture.
Finally, the softness of the pillow is a matter of personal preference so long as the support is adequate.
The information on this website should not be used as a basis for diagnosis, choice of treatment or choice of medical practitioner.
[...] firm specialised in an extensive range of orthopaedic products. Having just written a blog post about choosing a pillow, Peter was interested in their pressure relief cushions. You can review the range on their website [...]