17 Best Pillows for Side Sleepers (2023)
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The side-sleeping position is by far the most popular position among adults, so it’s only natural that we’ve been investigating what the best pillows for side sleepers look and feel like. And though there are many reported benefits to sleeping on your side—like reduced sleep apnea—when done improperly, it can cause neck and shoulder strain, potentially leading to nerve pain and soft tissue issues in the spine.
Pittsburgh-based Premier Chiropractic Clinic owner and chiropractor Dr. Brian Meenan regularly advises his over 1.6 million followers on TikTok and treats patients for sleep-related pain everyday. According to him, the right pillow for a side sleeper should put the least amount of stress on your spine and neck. “You want your neck mostly in neutral, not bending too far to the right or left when lying on your side,” he says.
To help you achieve a good night’s sleep, we’ve rounded up the 17 best side-sleeper pillows we could find—including recommendations from Dr. Meenan, top-reviewed online faves, and high-quality bed pillows my colleagues at Architectural Digest and I have tried ourselves. Read on to discover our top picks!
- Tempur-Neck™ Pillow
- Sleep Number PlushComfort Pillow
- Honeydew Scrumptious Side Sleeper Pillow
- Side Cube
- Parachute Down Side Sleeper Pillow
- Brooklyn Bedding Talalay Latex Pillow
- Purple Harmony Pillow
- Layla Kapok Pillow
- Brooklinen Down Pillow
- Boll & Branch
- Original Casper Pillow
- Nest Bedding Easy Breather Pillow
- Saatva Latex Pillow
- Coop Home Goods Original Loft Pillow
- Eli & Elm Ultimate Side Sleeper Pillow
- Elviros Cervical Memory Foam Pillow
- MedCline Reflux Relief System
Dr. Meenan’s ideal pick for a side sleeper is Tempur-Pedic’s Tempur-Neck pillow, which has a curved shape also ideal for back sleepers. “I always recommend a hybrid of back and side sleeping,” he says. “What this means is that the individual would lie more on the back of the shoulder instead of directly on the side of it.” Tempur-Pedic’s pillow has a dual-curve construction, with the larger curved surface being the best option for most side sleepers, per Dr. Meenan’s recommendation.
“I like pillows that have some sort of contour to them,” Dr. Meenan admits. Sleep Number’s PlushComfort curved bed pillow is another pick from the chiropractic practitioner, filled with hypoallergenic microfiber and contoured for enhanced comfort and support. “Because we’re all shaped in such different ways, people just have to use trial and error to find which pillows are most comfortable to them,” he says.
Over 500 Amazon reviewers gave Honeydew’s medium-firm, crescent-shaped side-sleeper specialty pillow five stars, describing it as the kind of pillow that’ll keep you in bed all day. In addition to breathable, CertiPUR-US-certified, copper-infused memory foam filling that make this one of the best cooling pillow options to try out, its adjustable loft level also promotes proper alignment to help you sleep comfortably through the whole night.
Dr. Meenan also suggests it’s best to find a taller, firmer pillow—like the memory foam Side Cube—to support the head and neck. The brand itself has some lofty claims, namely that its sleepers will “fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up happier”—and who wouldn’t be intrigued by that? After sleeping on the mattress material-like pillow myself, I can happily report that this “tiny bed” did wonders for my achey shoulder and the neck pain I had. And though I’m not quite sure about the faster, longer, and happier sleep promises, I do know that I’ll have time to fully test out these claims because the pillow feels like it will last me for years to come.
Also worth mentioning: If you sleep hot, this pillow is also available in a cooling version (fittingly called the Ice Cube). It has all the support and comfort of the Side Cube, but with the added benefit of breathable fibers that regulate temperature and prevent overheating. This is a pillow designed to stay cool all night long and will never need to be flipped.
If a firm pillow really isn’t your cup of tea, or you’re not ready to let go of feather pillows just yet, I’d recommend Parachute’s Side Sleeper pillow, which comes in both down and down alternative pillow options. Designed with a 3.5-inch gusset to take the strain off your neck and shoulders, this is a great hotel-style pillow option that feels luxuriously lightweight but still densely-filled. Though I usually layer it with another pillow underneath to reach my desired height, the quality is superb, and I reach for it quite a bit when I want a fluffier cushion at night.
Latex pillows that hold their shape are another good choice for side sleepers or those with back pain. Although Brooklyn Bedding’s very bouncy Talalay latex pillow is a great firm-support option for the neck and shoulders, I personally think it’s ideal for extra back support. “If you prefer sleeping on your side, it helps to place a pillow behind the upper back to kind of prop you up so that you do not roll onto your back,” Dr. Meenan says. “This takes less pressure off of the shoulder joint.”
For any hot sleepers who prefer firm pillows, past editor Kelsey Borovinsky (a side and stomach sleeper) was impressed by how well Purple’s Harmony pillow holds its shape. And even though she found that the cool gel and Talalay latex pillow didn’t exactly suit her stomach sleeping needs, she told us it’s a great fit for anyone looking for firm support. “If you like a Tempur-Pedic–type pillow that’s really solid and supportive, or are in the market for one to support other parts of your body, this would be a great option.”
Layla’s Kapok Pillow exceeded the expectations of former editor and side sleeper Nora Taylor, who described the semi-firm, copper-infused pillow as a “supportive cake” and “not soft enough to be a cloud, but deliciously dense.” Made with fibers from the tropical Kapok tree that Layla claims are softer and airier than cotton or wool, the pillow delivered some relief to Nora’s knotty back, and she ultimately found it helped her sleep comfortably through the night. When we asked if it’s worth the price, she told us, “I would buy myself one in a heartbeat knowing what I know now.”
Brooklinen’s down pillow is another great not-too-firm option that got a raving “15 out of 10—would recommend” from Jacqueline Wladis, our past associate director of commerce partnerships. “They’re not so firm that you feel like you’re sleeping on a brick, but they cradle your head and provide nice back support,” she told us. Available in plush, mid-plush, and firm options, this down pillow is ideal if you’re trying to work your way up to something extra firm like latex, or even Brooklinen’s Marlow memory foam pillow. Brooklinen recommends the firm pillow for side sleepers, since it’s the most supportive of the three options.
Another one of the best bed pillows for side sleepers is undoubtedly the down chamber pillow from Boll and Branch, which is available in three densities: soft, medium, and firm. The soft density is recommended for stomach sleepers, the firm density is recommended for back sleepers, and the medium density is recommended for side sleepers.
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