How To Set Up Your Lift | Dial In Your Crown Lift® Height
Set Up Your Lift
A simple way to figure out how much lift feels right for you
There is no wrong way, you adjust the lift until it feels right "for you".
Feels too high? Change it
Don't like to feel it right beneath your head? Flip the pillow over.
Need more height? Add a lift.
The best part is that you're in control and you can easily change it whenever you want.
This is comfort guidance, not medical advice. If you're under a doctor's or physical therapist's care, follow their instructions first.
Want a personal starting point? Try the Crown Lift Fitting Studio. Answer 10 simple questions about how you sleep and the pillow you already own, and see a suggested starting setup. No email needed to see your result.
Watch A Quick Demo
What You'll Need
- 2–3 bath towels (or thin pillows)
- A ruler or tape measure
- Optional: a helper or your phone camera for a side photo
Step 1 — Start Flat
Lie on your back on a firm surface (a firm mattress, yoga mat, or carpet works). No pillow yet. Only do this if lying flat on your back is comfortable for you — bent knees are fine if that eases your lower back.
Notice: if your chin points up, you'll likely want more lift. If your chin tucks down toward your chest, you'll likely want less.
Step 2 — Build A Simple Test Support
Roll a towel into a loose cylinder, about 1–2 inches thick, and place it under your neck only (not under the back of your head). Close your eyes and take a few slow breaths.
Adjust: add or remove thin folds until your face feels level, not angled up or down.
Step 3 — The Comfort Check
Do a small, gentle nod. You're looking for a spot where your jaw and neck feel soft, not strained or held tight.
Step 4 — The Quick Photo Check (Optional)
Have a helper snap a side photo, or use your phone's timer.
- Your ear should land roughly over the middle of your shoulder.
- Your nose should point straight up — not tilted back toward the wall, and not tucked down toward your chest.
Step 5 — Measure Your Lift
Keep your towel stack exactly as it was in Step 3 — that's your comfortable starting point.
- Gently slide a hardcover book under the back of your head (not your neck).
- Measure from the surface you're lying on to the underside of the book.
That measurement is roughly the amount of lift that feels right for you.
Match Your Measurement To A Support Insert
| Your measurement | Try this |
|---|---|
| 0.5″–1.25″ | 1″ support insert |
| 1.25″–2.25″ | 2″ support insert, or a 1″+1″ stack |
| 2.25″–3.25″ | 3″ support insert, or a 2″+1″ stack |
| Over 3.25″ | 3″ support insert plus a thin topper, or a pillow with a deeper crown zone |
From there, fine-tune in small ¼″–1″ moves until your chin feels level and your neck feels like it can let go.
Crown Lift® isn't one insert you have to get right. It's a system you adjust until your pillow feels right.
The Crown Lift® System works with standard memory foam, down, and synthetic pillows. It's not recommended for solid latex or gel-grid pillows (like Original Purple or Saatva models) — those materials are usually too dense to let the support insert do its job.
This is general comfort guidance, not medical advice. If you're recovering from a surgery or injury, follow your surgeon's or physical therapist's instructions. Everyone's comfortable position is a little different — comfort and stability are what matter most.
Ready To Try It?
Already have your Crown Lift? See the setup guide →
We don't guess at what we think you might need, we base it on hundreds of pillow mapping data and then make that choice.
Think of head support in your pillow just like you support your body with fuel or your feet with supportive shoes.
Pillow Mapping
We believe understanding what's happening benath your head while you sleep is as improtant as your sleep itself.
Pillow Mapping
We believe understanding what's happening benath your head while you sleep is as improtant as your sleep itself.
