The best pillows for side sleepers we tested
Best pillow for side sleepers: Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper Pillow
Best memory foam pillow for side sleepers: Casper Hybrid Pillow
Best pillow for side sleepers on a budget: Beckham Hotel Collection
Best body pillow for side sleepers: Buffy Wiggle Pillow
Resting your head on the best pillows for side sleepers is key to getting a good night’s rest and waking up without body aches if your preferred sleep position is on your side.
Side sleepers have different pillow needs than those who sleep on their back or stomach. The best pillows for people who sleep on their sides, according to Josh Tal, Ph.D., of Josh Tal & Associates Sleep and Health Psychotherapists, are the ones that provide support for the head, shoulder and neck, and allow for proper spine alignment. As a result, Dr. Tal says, “side sleepers usually prefer a pillow with more loft to cradle the head, paired with an indentation to comfort the shoulder and a potentially elevated bump in the bottom of the pillow to support the neck.”
With loft, firmness, fill, shape and breathability as our primary considerations, we dedicated several weeks of naps and shut-eye to test 20 pillows designed for side sleepers. After all the blissful (and some not-so-blissful) slumber, we whittled down the long list of pillows for side sleepers to our four top picks.
Highly adjustable and incredibly cooling, the crescent-shaped Easy Breather Side Sleeper from Nest Bedding is the most comfortable pillow we’ve tested yet. It offers comforting and supportive slumber while its curvature minimizes the pressure on the shoulder.
The squishy yet supportive Casper Hybrid pillow offers a better balance between softness and support than other memory foam pillows we tested, and it is well-ventilated so you won't overheat.
The affordable Beckham Hotel Collection pillow is just right — not too soft or too firm. The dense fill kept our heads and necks supported through the night. It’s also one of the least expensive pillows we tested.
Side sleepers who are fond of cuddling will love the coziness the Buffy Wiggle Pillow delivers. Worthy of its name, this long, bolster-type body pillow offers a nice balance of support, flexibility and comfort, making it a great value.
Best pillow for side sleepers: Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper Pillow
We’ll be honest: testing several excellent pillows for side sleepers made choosing one for the top spot a little tricky. For a while, two contenders were closely vying for the prize. This was, therefore, a hard-fought win for the Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper Pillow, which has many things going for it in performance and design.
One of those things is its size and crescent shape. At 18 by 26 inches, this pillow is very spacious — specifically two inches more spacious than our other favorite, the Sleep Number ComfortFit Pillow Ultimate — and comes with a curved bottom edge to give your shoulder more room, which minimizes the pressure on it. That curvature is even the best we’ve seen of all the crescent pillows we tested. It’s not too deep, so there’s a lot of room for your head and enough support for your neck but still deep enough to work as intended.
The Easy Breather pillows are shipped generously overstuffed because Nest Bedding made them highly adjustable. Our review sample came standard at 7-inch thick, which was too lofty for our neck length and frame, but we took some of that fill out for our second night of testing and it was perfect. However, we found its fill to be firmer and less squishy than that in the Sleep Number ComfortFit line, so slightly underfilling it might be key. You can refill it back up anyway since it comes with a bag to store extra fill for later use.
One of the biggest reasons this dethroned our previous number one, the Eli & Elm Cooling Side Sleeper, is its cooling capability. Though its certified virgin foam fill is very breathable, its outer cover gives it an edge. This is made? of 49% Icecore which according to the information that Nest Bedding provided is a “performance yarn technology that adapts to its environment and regulates temperature by managing heat and moisture.” We tested this pillow on several hot summer nights and can confirm it stays unbelievably cool and dry.
While the surface of the outer cover is a little shiny, it’s still soft to the touch and our head never slipped out of place during sleep. However, a bit more care is required during cleaning. Nest Bedding recommends washing the cover in cold water on a delicate cycle and drying it on low heat; otherwise, it could warp and shrink.
The Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper Pillow will set you back $119, which sounds expensive if you’re used to cheap pillows on Amazon. But based on our experience, spending a bit more for quality, ache-free sleep is truly worth it. And this price tag is about on par with its rivals.
The only things that might set it back are its shorter trial period of 30 days and the off-gassing smell that persisted a couple of weeks after unboxing. It is neither too strong nor too noticeable to render the pillow unusable; however, we can smell it whenever we put our noses against it and breathe deeply.
Best memory foam pillow for side sleepers: Casper Hybrid Pillow
Casper describes the Casper Hybrid Pillow as “feeling like a marshmallow” and we couldn’t agree more; that’s exactly what this pillow feels like. The squishy yet supportive Casper Hybrid pillow has a synthetic fill core surrounded by an outer layer of memory foam, which offers the perfect balance between excellent support and comfortable plushness, unlike some other foam pillows which we found too firm or too soft in our testing. The ventilation holes in the foam layer also give the Casper Hybrid an advantage over other memory foam pillows — it never left us feeling overheated while sleeping, so it’s a great choice if you are a hot sleeper.
While the Hybrid Pillow is sold for general use, we liked it for sleeping on our side because of its rectangular shape and substantial side gusset, which helped keep our head elevated in a comfortable position but didn’t dig into our shoulder or neck. It also kept its shape throughout the night.
The Casper Hybrid Pillow comes with a removable and machine-washable cover and Casper offers a 30-night return policy on most pillows, although at time of testing the low loft version is on final sale.
Best budget pillow for side sleepers: Beckham Hotel Collection
The Beckham Hotel Collection pillow has a denser fill compared to most down alternative pillows, giving it a firmer feel but enough give that it cradled our heads comfortably as we slept on our sides. The Beckham pillow’s support didn’t fade over the course of the night, as the firm fill doesn’t fall flat, unlike some other pillows we tested.
We appreciated that it could be machine-washed, however, the instructions state it should be dried flat which is less than ideal and takes at least half a day depending on the temperature inside your living space. We did machine-dry it, however, to see how it fared and it held up without any noticeable changes, but we suspect over time machine-drying could potentially cause the pillow to degrade faster.
This was one of the most budget-friendly pillows that we tested and it’s far more comfortable than you might expect given the low cost, so if you don’t want to splurge on a more expensive pillow this is a great pick.
Best body pillow for side sleepers: Buffy Wiggle Pillow
It’s hard to beat the Buffy Wiggle Pillow in comfort and versatility. Body pillows come in different shapes and sizes, but this cozy bolster-type contender is the one that ticked most of the boxes for us during testing.
Buffy designed this pillow so it’s soft, squishy and very flexible — it’s lighter and a tad longer (82 inches long) than the Bearaby Cuddler we tested, and it has enough fill to be supportive but not too much to be unwieldy. We loved wrapping it around our back and over our waist for a comforting cuddle and twisting it like a pretzel for a self-soothing hug.
More importantly, the Buffy Wiggle Pillow catered perfectly to our nighttime side-sleeping habit. It’s 8 inches in diameter but since it’s not overfilled and sits at the soft-to-medium on the firmness scale, there’s plenty of room for the fill to “wiggle” around and spread out. As a result, we could adjust it so it contoured to our head, kept our neck in a neutral position, alleviated the pressure on our shoulder and arm and offered plenty of support for our leg during the night.
Buffy guarantees the fill is 100% recycled PET plastic and BPA-free so it does not contain bisphenol A (BPA), a harmful industrial chemical, and there was no off-gassing smell after unboxing. However, some hot sleepers might find it a little warm during use since it’s fill is 100% polyester. Polyester is extremely breathable but it is a synthetic material that tends to trap heat and moisture. We wouldn’t consider ourselves hot sleepers but we still noticed this pillow running slightly warmer than the Bearaby Cuddler whose fill is 100% hevea rubber, which is more breathable.
That said, the Buffy Wiggle Pillow is still very comfortable to sleep on (or in if you prefer the full cuddle or partial swaddle experience). It comes in an outer shell made of lyocell, a material that naturally adapts to temperature changes. It’s not the most luxurious feeling but it is soft and comfortable enough to rest your cheeks on when you’re sleeping on your side. We slept on the pillow without the additional pillow cover and it didn’t cause any irritation on our face.
If you prefer a more appealing pillow cover, Buffy sells ones made of smooth linen or fluffy fleece in different attractive colors. We recommend the linen option for summertime use and the fleece one for the colder months if you have the budget to buy more than one.
At $109, it’s $10 more expensive than our previous body pillow pick, the Coop Sleep Goods Original Body Pillow, and $90 cheaper than the Bearaby Cuddler. You do have to shell out $95 for every pillow cover you buy and factor in the dry cleaning cost for keeping that insert clean and allergen-free. Buffy recommends dry cleaning only for the insert for best results, though the outer cover can be machine washed in cold water and tumble dried on low.
However, we can confidently say that the Buffy Wiggle Pillow sits right at the sweet spot when it comes to value, considering its great performance, versatility and affordable price tag. If you’re curious about it but not quite ready to commit, the brand offers a 50-day trial, so you can see if it’s right for you.
How we tested
After narrowing down our list to the most popular pillows and brands, we slept on each for a minimum of three nights, noting factors like construction quality and comfort. We evaluated each using the following primary criteria:
- Loft: Sleeping on each pillow for at least three nights, we ascertained if it has enough height to support our head and neck, and maintain our spine’s neutral alignment.
- Firmness: We looked at how firm each pillow is, how effective it is at providing support while promoting comfort and how well it maintains its shape throughout each use. We did this by laying on it every night for at least three nights and also pushed down on it with our hand to judge how much pressure we needed to apply to compress it down halfway.
- Fill: We checked the quality of fill material, fill density and adjustability. We also made a note of any off-gassing smell after unboxing.
- Size and shape: We noted each pillow’s advantages and disadvantages based on its shape, and how better or worse it is compared with other shapes. If it’s a body pillow, we assessed just how effective its size and shape specifically based on the sleeper’s body type and size.
- Breathability: We judged every pillow’s ability to dissipate heat and moisture, regulate temperature, and offer cooling.
For a fair assessment, we also considered the following secondary criteria:
- Price: Based on its performance in the primary categories above, as well as where its price tag sits compared to the competition, we decided on whether a pillow is a great value for most consumers.
- Trial and return policy: Since pillows are highly personal, we also scored each pillow brand on its trial policy, whether or not you could test it out and how many days you had to return it.
- Outside cover: We checked the quality of every pillow’s outside cover in terms of material and stitching, and how effective its special features, such as cooling properties and moisture-wicking, are.
- Care instructions: For each pillow, we scored it on how easily and if it could be cleaned, taking into account if it’s machine-washable, dry clean-preferred, spot clean-preferred or not washable at all.
How to choose a pillow for side sleepers
It’s important to note that every expert we spoke to told us that pillow comfort comes down to personal preference. According to Dr. Andrew W. Varga, neuroscientist and physician at The Mount Sinai Integrative Sleep Center, “There is limited, if any, scientific evidence regarding pillow types.”
However, sleep experts also have their recommendations to ensure optimal support and proper spine alignment during sleep. Pillow companies typically use those recommendations when designing their products.
So, while this doesn’t mean a pillow specifically marketed for side sleepers will work for you, it’s a good starting point when shopping for the best option. After testing dozens of pillows, we have found that the way pillows are labeled can give at least some indication of how the pillow will feel.
In general, pillows meant for side sleepers — like those for back sleepers — are often on the firmer and loftier side, which helps keep your head elevated properly when laying on your side. And some contoured or cutout designs may provide better comfort for some side sleepers.
Choose the right loft (pillow height or thickness)
A high loft, which is 5 to 7 inches, is recommended for side sleepers. However, keep in mind that everyone’s neck is different, so the type of contour or density of fill that achieves this will also vary from individual to individual. If you’re smaller, you may need a lower loft pillow; if you’re bigger, you may need a higher loft pillow to keep the neck aligned with the spine.
Dr. Siamak Yasmeh, an orthopedic surgeon at the Los Angeles Orthopedic Surgery Specialists & Advanced Orthopedics, explains, “The biggest mistake I see in people is sleeping with either a pillow that’s too high or several pillows that are stacked, cranking the neck too high. If you sleep on your side without a pillow at all, your neck is cranked downwards; the exact opposite is having too many pillows, which you want to avoid.”
According to him, the ideal loft for you is the one that allows “your neck to be in line with the rest of your body — so it should be in a neutral position.”
Choose the right firmness and fill
For side sleepers, Tal recommends a soft to medium firmness that allows the head, neck and shoulder to fall gracefully into the pillow, with enough support to keep the head and spine neutral. The level of firmness is influenced by the pillow’s fill material (memory foam, shredded memory foam, down, down alternative and latex are the most common ones) and density.
Choosing the fill material comes down to personal preference but know that each have advantages and disadvantages. For example, solid memory foam is the best at maintaining its shape but it’s not the best at temperature regulation. On the other hand, down pillows are the most breathable but they also compress down more, affecting the support they offer.
Fill material factors into deciding the fill density as well. If you prefer a material that compresses down considerably, you’ll want to choose a higher-density pillow. In addition, some pillows are adjustable, meaning you can customize the amount of fill inside. Just make sure to balance the amount of fill throughout the pillow to achieve the correct alignment when adding or removing fill — you don’t want a lumpy pillow.
Consider different shapes
We found that pillows for side sleepers come in more unique shapes than other types of pillows and can offer certain benefits such as allowing more room for your shoulder or more neck support:
- Cutout or crescent: Some pillows for side sleepers have a semi-circular curvature at the bottom. This allows more room for your shoulder when you’re lying on your side without the pillow getting in the way. We found this design let us lay our heads more comfortably on the pillow when sleeping on our side.
- Gusset: Gussets are extra rectangular side panels sewn into the edges of the pillow; these create a more structured feel than the flat sewn edges of traditional pillows. These gussets help the pillow maintain its shape and offer extra elevation to keep the head supported, which can be more comfortable when sleeping on your side.
- Contour: Some pillows are designed with an upper face meant to match the contour of your head, neck and shoulder. These curves and indentations support your neck and cradle your head. Most of these pillow types are made with firm foam so they keep their shape and don’t shift.
- Body: Designed to be cradled, body pillows are typically longer and narrower than a traditional pillow. They are ideal for providing full body support, offering pressure relief and promoting better circulation for side sleepers, therefore improving sleep quality.
Lay on the pillow for at least 15 minutes
Sue Gordon, research professor at the Flinders University College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Adelaide, Australia, who has studied the effect of pillow types related to sleep quality and their effect on waking back and neck pain, recommends laying on a pillow for at least 15 minutes to try it out. That’s the time it takes for the body to fully settle so you’ll know whether or not the pillow is right for you.
Check the return policy
Since one pillow will not work for everyone, make sure to check the brand’s return policy. Many brands offer a trial period or returns, but some brands do not allow you to return the pillow. You’ll want to choose a pillow with a good return policy in case the pillow does not work for you, unless you’re willing to take the risk of not being able to return it.
Choosing the right mattress and pillow combination
A soft mattress that contours snugly to the natural shape of your body so that it offers support while reducing pressure off your shoulder and hip when you’re on your side is ideal for side sleepers. However, if the pillow that you’re using is firm and has a high loft, the combination might not promote a neutral spine alignment during sleep.
If you have back issues, your options are limited. Yasmeh recommends a firm mattress instead. “People really like soft mattresses because they feel comfortable. The problem is that’s very short-term… The long-term effect, if you’re sinking in for 6 to 8 hours a night, people will wake up with neck and back pain,” he explains. “So firm is always better.”
Other pillows we tested
With three pillow inserts, you can quickly customize the ComfortFit Pillow Ultimate based on your loft preference. This is among the most supportive pillows we’ve tested for side sleepers. Its breathable lyocell cover is also a nice soft-to-the-touch addition.
The Sleep Number ComfortFit Pillow Ultimate got extremely close to securing that coveted top spot on this list, had it not been for its traditional rectangular shape. What makes this pillow so special is that not only is it adjustable, but it has a three-insert system that lets you adjust the loft faster and easier. No longer will you have to deal with fistfuls of loose fill — and the time, effort and flying lint involved; simply unzip, remove one or two inserts and zip back up. We appreciate the convenience of it.
Another thing to love here is its soft to medium firmness. Its fill, which doesn’t come with any off-gassing smell, offers plenty of sink to be squishy, cradling our head and neck like a cloud, yet a lot of support to ensure your spine’s neutral position. Meanwhile, its lyocell cover is breathable and soft enough to lay on without a pillowcase. Although it is slightly smaller than the other side sleeper pillows we tested at only 18 by 24 inches, there’s more than enough space for most people.
Sadly, apart from its higher $140 price tag, which we’re assuming is due to its multiple-insert system, the Sleep Number ComfortFit Pillow Ultimate is held back by the fact that it has a traditional shape. We’ve found that once you’ve enjoyed the benefits of a crescent-shaped pillow, it’s hard to go back to using this rectangular shape. This pillow is very comfortable and supportive, and we slept well on it but not having that extra space for our shoulder was evident. This would get a top spot had it not been for the lack of curvature.
When it comes to body pillows, the Bearably Cuddler prioritizes a snuggly slumber while keeping you cool with its highly breathable hevea rubber fill. Its high loft and medium to high firmness make it best for tall sleepers and those with a bigger body frame.
We applaud the Bearaby Cuddler Pillow for its ability to keep things cool. It has a Hevea rubber insert that is natural and breathable, and comes with an outside cover is 100% organic cotton. This bolster-type pillow is not just cool to the touch but also regulates its temperature throughout the night, making it a fantastic body pillow option for those who sleep hot. Factor in its size and shape, and it’s terrific for side sleepers who need full body support when sleeping or for those who need back and arm support when lounging on the couch.
As great as this pillow is, it’s hard to recommend to most people. Because of its type of fill, 7.5-inch loft and firmness, it’s only best for certain users — specifically those with a taller and bigger body frame and, therefore, longer necks and broader shoulders. During testing, we just could not get our head and neck in a neutral position with our spine, which made it difficult to be comfortable and get a good night’s rest.
Another downside is its price tag, which is $90 more than our current body pillow pick. Don’t get us wrong; the Bearaby Cuddler is a top-notch product. But when it comes to the best value for the money for most consumers, the Buffy Wiggle Pillow is just the superior choice.
The Buffy Cloud Side Sleeper Pillow is among the most comfortable pillows we’ve slept on, and one of the most affordable. Being adjustable and supportive, it guarantees a good night’s sleep for those who don’t need as much surface area for their head and neck.
We had high hopes for the Buffy Cloud Side Sleeper Pillow. It’s adjustable, relatively lightweight and comes in a soft-to-the-touch outer shell that makes a pillowcase unnecessary. We appreciate that it offers plenty of sink, allowing your head to be cradled yet supported when you hit the hay. We also like the crescent shape, as it alleviates the pressure from your shoulders.
While the middle section didn’t retain its shape well after three nights of testing, there was still a lot of bounce and we simply had to unzip the insert and redistribute the fill to put the pillow back in its original shape. And at $59, this pillow is more affordable than many of the others we tested — it’s half the price of the Nest Bedding Easy Breather Pillow and a fantastic budget pick!
Sadly, two big drawbacks made it fall off our top picks list. The top side of the cover, while soft and luxurious, tends to draw heat. We immediately noticed how much warmer it is than the Nest option — though to its credit, the rest of the pillow is pretty good at dissipating that heat. Also, the crescent side’s curvature is a lot deeper, which leaves less room for your head and takes an inch off which would have helped with neck support. If you have a shorter neck, you might find yourself slipping down and needing to readjust during the night.
The ComfortFit Pillow Curved’s high loft is perfect for taller or bigger-framed side sleepers, especially when combined with its very soft, breathable outer lyocell shell, crescent shape, and squishy insert. It’s also more affordable than the Ultimate version.
The Sleep Number ComfortFit Pillow Curved is our second favorite curved pillow out of all the ones we tested. Much like the Sleep Number ComfortFit Pillow Ultimate, it boasts a squishy insert that hugs your head like a cloud and keeps your neck in a neutral position as well as an outer lyocell shell that is very soft and breathable. Sleep Number also offers a 100-night trial period, meaning you have plenty of time to make your mind up about it.
Like our top pick, the Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper Pillow, its curvature is only deep enough to offer plenty of space for the shoulder without taking that prime real estate for your head and neck. It also costs just as much and is almost as generously filled.
Where the Sleep Number ComfortFit Pillow Curved falls short is in the fact that it’s neither adjustable nor easy to clean. Its outer shell is not removable, and there’s no easy way to remove some of that fill. That means you’re stuck with that high, 7-inch loft, which is only ideal for users with a bigger frame, and you can only spot-clean.
As the rectangular version of our top pick, the Nest Bedding Easy Breather Pillow inherits many qualities we love about its crescent counterpart. If you want to keep things traditional, this comes with the same adjustability, cooling prowess and spaciousness.
The traditional version of our current top pick, the Nest Bedding Easy Breather Pillow is another appealing option, especially for side-sleeping folks who prefer a rectangular shape over a crescent one. This comes with many of the benefits of its curved version, including adjustability, spaciousness, cooling and moisture-wicking properties, and a relatively affordable price. Like the curved version, it is on the firmer and higher loft side. However, because you can easily take out as much fill as you need to customize it for your needs, this is a non-issue even for users who are on the smaller side.
That impressive and soft-to-the-touch Icecore outer cover, which is excellent at temperature regulation, is present as well, making this ideal for side-sleepers who slumber hot or sweat a lot. And it is conveniently removable so while you cannot throw the whole pillow in the washing machine or the dryer, you can do so with the cover — as long as you stick with cold water, a delicate cycle and low heat.
Unfortunately, it is at the same disadvantage as the Sleep Number ComfortFit Pillow Ultimate. Once you’ve tried side-sleeping on a curved pillow, it’s harder to get comfortable on a rectangular one.
The Eli & Elm Cooling Side Sleeper was our previous number one for several reasons. It offers a little extra room, is highly adjustable and comes with plenty of fill if you prefer a higher loft. It’s great for side sleepers who stay cool during the night.
The supportive Eli & Elm Cooling Side Sleeper pillow has a curved cutout that creates room for your shoulder when sleeping on your side, setting this pillow apart. We found the extra room quite comfortable and appreciated how it let us hold onto the edges of the pillow while sleeping on our side, keeping our arms and hands more comfortable, too. As a bonus, we loved that we felt like we were cradled when we slept on our backs too, so it’s a great choice if you shift positions often.
The pillow is filled with a blend of latex and polyester that is adjustable and removable. Similar to other adjustable pillows, you can take out as much fill as you want to achieve the exact height and firmness level that’s most comfortable. It came with plenty of fill for those who like a firm pillow, though we had to remove some to soften it. If you prefer an extra-firm pillow, Eli & Elm offers an option to buy extra fill. It took a few nights of trial and error before we figured out the optimal amount of fill, but once we did we found the pillow very comfortable.
But despite its name, we found that this “cooling” pillow sleeps slightly hot — not so much so it disturbed our sleep but if you are sensitive you may want to keep that in mind or plan to accessorize with some of our recommendations for hot sleepers.
We love an adjustable body pillow. The Coop Sleep Goods Original is a great choice if you want a body pillow that you can personalize according to your sleep needs. It’s a great alternative to the Buffy Wiggle if you don’t like the bolster design.
We loved the Coop Sleep Goods Original Body Pillow because it’s adjustable — you can remove or add fill to choose the level of support you need. This pillow comes generously stuffed for those who like a full, thick body pillow, but the fill can also be removed to create a softer, flatter body pillow.
The fill itself is a blend of pieces of memory foam and microfiber fill, and we appreciated that it conformed to our body much better than the plain fiber-filled pillows we’ve tried. With the Coop body pillow our limbs were supported but gently enveloped by the memory foam fill; with fiber-fill body pillows, we found that our leg simply rested on top of the pillow, which wasn’t as comfortable.
The outer cover material is Coop’s signature quilted fabric, making the pillow feel extra plush. An inner zippered cover holds the fill, so it’s easy to remove the cover for washing and keep the fill contained.
It was hard to find fault with this body pillow, though we wish Coop sold body pillowcases in various colors to match more bedding styles. We ultimately gave extra points to the Buffy Wiggle Pillow for its versatility and added “cuddle factor.”
Its unique shape makes the Pillow Cube Side Cube an odd choice, but it delivers substantial neck support, especially if you choose the right thickness — three options are available — for your body frame. This is best for side sleepers with broad shoulders.
You’ve probably seen the Pillow Cube Side Cube while you’ve been scrolling online, and it is indeed hard to miss with its distinctive rectangular shape. The company promises the unique configuration makes it the best pillow for side sleepers (and suggests it will give you the best sleep of your life, eliminating neck, back and shoulder pain). We’ve tested dozens of side and back sleeper pillows, and we were intrigued by this unique-looking pillow. We slept on it for a few days and, while we didn’t hate it, we still think the more traditionally styled pillows we recommend are more comfortable (and should work for more sleepers).
You can get the Side Cube in three thickness (4-, 5- or 6-inches thick). We chose the thinnest option, which is suggested for people 5-foot-3-inches’ and shorter (we are?5-feet, 2-inches tall, for reference). Unfortunately, even that still felt too thick for our taste, and there wasn’t a thinner option available (since we don’t have broad shoulders, we prefer to sleep on a flatter pillow).
We did appreciate the Pillow Cube’s substantial neck support. But after an hour or so, it felt too high, and this was so not only when we were on our side — we actually noticed it more when we rolled to our back since we’re a combination sleeper. The Pillow Cube may work for a predominantly side sleeper who has a bigger frame and broad shoulders. But ultimately, we would recommend Eli and Elm’s Side Sleeper Pillow, which has a lower profile, good support and a gentler, more versatile shape that should better fit a greater number of people. This is especially true for those combination sleepers who spend some of the night sleeping on their backs.
The Original Cutout Pillow offers a smaller curvature for folks who want the benefits of a cutout pillow plus plenty of space when turning from side to side. It’s highly adjustable and very soft, making it a great choice if you want that cloud-like sink.
Coop makes the Coop Sleep Goods The Original Cutout Pillow specifically for side sleepers with a cutout for your shoulder, a feature that makes the Original Cutout Pillow more comfortable than a traditional pillow and one of our favorite pillows for sleeping on our side. The Coop’s cutout is smaller than the ones used on several other side sleeper pillows we tested, which gave us more surface area to grab when sleeping on our side, which we found comfortable.
It may not be the best choice for someone who rolls onto their back occasionally since it’s not quite as roomy in the shoulder area as the Eli and Elm side sleeper pillow. And though the fill is adjustable, we couldn’t make it quite as firm as the Eli and Elm. Overall, we give the edge to the Eli and Elm. That said, if you sleep exclusively on your side or if you’re a side sleeper who prefers a softer pillow, then this pillow makes a great choice.
If you prefer wider curvature, the crescent version of the Original Pillow from Coop Sleep Good may be a better option. It’s just as adjustable and just as soft, which is great if you want a lot of sink.
We liked the Coop Sleep Goods The Original Crescent Pillow, which features a crescent-shaped cutout similar to the one used on our preferred overall pillow for side sleepers, the Eli and Elm. As with the other Coop pillows, the fill amount is adjustable, and we were able to find a comfortable amount of support with a little experimentation. It was edged out by the Eli and Elm side sleeper pillow since the Coop doesn’t have a gusset around the perimeter, so it didn’t keep its loft as well over the course of the night. As with the Coop Original Cutout Pillow, we found it softer overall than the Eli and Elm, and if that’s what you’re looking for, then you might prefer the Original Crescent Pillow.
A great down alternative option for side sleepers, the Garnet Hill Signature Down Alternative Pillow is an affordable pillow that delivers when it comes to plushness, support and keeping its shape. It’s better than most of the synthetic fill pillows we tested.
We loved the Garnet Hill Heirloom European White Goose Down Pillow, so it’s no surprise we also liked their down-alternative pillow as well. It’s more plush and supportive than most other synthetic fill pillows we tested and keeps its shape throughout the night. It’s washable and comes in three firmness levels. Garnet Hill also has a 90-day return policy.
A premium choice for splurging consumers, the boxy Parachute Down Side Sleeper has a three-inch gusset that offers a bit more structure to users. It’s incredibly well-made and machine washable for easy maintenance.
Down pillows can fall flat throughout the night, but the Parachute Down Side Sleeper pillow has a side gusset. And when we tested this pillow, it kept its shape fairly well. It contains some feathers as opposed to 100% down, which is not ideal, but we found the feathers didn’t poke through the material or make too much noise. It also comes in a down alternative version for those that are allergic to down or prefer synthetic fill.
Available in two lofts, this pillow from Saatva comes with gusseted sides for extra support. It’s very comfortable to sleep on and highly adjustable with its two layers, an outer layer with a microdenier fiber fill and a latex core. It’s worth the splurge.
The Saatva Latex Pillow has two components: an inner core filled with shredded latex that’s removable and a surrounding outer layer that’s filled with down alternative. This allows for some adjustability in how high and firm you want the pillow and makes it easier to adjust than other pillows, where you’re taking out bits and pieces of fill but it’s limited to two options. We found this pillow most comfortable without the inner core.
Its natural Kapok fill allows the Layla Kapok Pillow to be incredibly breathable and softer. Layla combines that with its signature honeycomb-patterned cover that offers a plushier feeling, delivering that cloud-like comfort that keeps you cool all night long.
Like many other adjustable pillows, the Layla Kapok Pillow can be adjusted by adding or removing fill to achieve a personalized height and firmness level. It’s filled with a combination of shredded memory foam and kapok fibers that come from a kapok tree and feel similar to a mix between cotton and wool. The honeycomb-patterned cover adds an extra layer of plushness and it can be removed and washed. We noticed a slight musty smell, though it seemed to get better over time as the pillow aired out.
A fantastic budget pillow for side sleepers, the Brooklinen Marlow boasts a special feature — two side zippers that let you easily adjust its loft. It also comes with a cooling-infused memory foam fill, which makes it ideal for budget-minded hot sleepers.
The Brooklinen Marlow pillow immediately caught our attention with its side zippers that let you adjust the firmness by opening or closing the zippers. We were intrigued by this unique system; however, we found only a slight difference in firmness when the zippers were closed versus open. We found it too firm for side sleeping. It may be better-suited for a larger-framed side sleeper as we, with our petite frame, found it too high. It only comes in one firmness level but does come in standard and king sizes.
With an ergonomic shape designed to contour your neck’s natural side curvature, the Tempur-Neck Pillow comes in four sizes, including a travel one. It’s on the firm side, which makes it ideal for users who need that high level of firmness and extra support.
Tempur-Pedic recommends the Tempur-Neck Pillow for back and side sleepers, saying its molded contoured design follows the curve of your body, supporting your head and neck. It comes in small, medium and large sizes and has a guide on its website to help you choose the correct size based on your body measurements. While we found the contour pillow supported our neck and allowed our head to lay in the dip, it was also extremely firm. It was much more firm than most Tempur-Pedic pillows we’ve tried, with little to no give. This is great for someone who wants an extra-firm pillow that won’t change shape at all, but it’s likely too firm for most.
