A pillow designed to maintain your head, neck, and shoulders in a neutral position while you sleep on your side is ideal for side sleepers. Because of this, many side sleepers require a pillow that is made of foam that is different from those made for stomach and back sleepers. We slept on 23 different pillows to determine the ideal one for side sleepers, however, there are likely hundreds available. There was a wide variety of pillows available, from those tailored to side sleepers to those made with many sleeping positions in mind. As part of our research into the greatest pillows available, we tested a number of these options. To learn more about the best mattress forms and materials for side sleepers, we also visited with medical experts, sleep researchers, and academics. Finally, we zeroed in on three terrific selections that should work for side sleepers.
- Eli & Elm Side Sleeper
- Best pillow for side sleepers overall
When you sleep on your side, the supportive Eli & Elm Side Sleeper pillow has a cutout in the shape of a U that makes room for your shoulder. It also did a good job of cradling our necks when we slept on our backs, making it an excellent option for anyone who changes positions while sleeping.Pillow with a Casper Hybrid DesignThe best pillow is made of memory foam for those who sleep on their sides
The squishy yet supportive Casper Hybrid pillow offers a better balance between softness and support than other memory foam pillows that we tested, and it is well-ventilated to ensure that you will not overheat while you sleep on it.Collection of Hotels Run by Beckham. The most cost-effective option for those who sleep on their sidesThe Beckham Hotel Collection pillow is the perfect balance of softness and firmness at a price that won't break the bank. Throughout the night, our heads and necks were supported by the dense filling in the pillow. It is also one of the pillows that we tested that has the lowest price. The supportive Eli & Elm Side Sleeper pillow has a curved cutout that creates room for your shoulder when you sleep on your side. This cutout is what sets this pillow apart from the others because it allows for more shoulder space. We found the additional space to be quite comfortable, and we especially liked how it allowed us to hold onto the edges of the pillow even when we were sleeping on our side, which made our arms and hands feel more at ease. A pleasant surprise for us was that even when we slept on our backs, we had the sensation of being cradled, making this mattress an excellent option for those who change positions frequently during the night. The filling of the pillow is made of a combination of latex and polyester, and it can be adjusted as well as removed. In a manner analogous to that of other adjustable pillows, you are able to remove as much of the filling as you see fit in order to get the precise height and level of firmness that is most comfortable for you.
We observed that the pillow already had a sufficient amount of filling for individuals who prefer a firm cushion; nevertheless, in order to make it more comfortable, we had to remove some of the fillings. You have the option to buy more fill from Eli & Elm if you'd like your pillow to be even more supportive. After some trial and error over the course of a few nights, we were able to determine the ideal volume of filling, and once we did, we discovered that the pillow was really pleasant. There are two minor downsides associated with the Side Sleeper. First, we discovered that the pillow becomes a little warm as you sleep on it. The heat was not intense enough to disrupt our sleep, but if you are sensitive, you might want to keep that in mind or prepare to accessorize with some of our suggestions for people who sleep hot. In addition, ordinary pillowcases do not work very well with their unusual shape. On the other hand, the cover can be removed and washed, so you can use it even if you don't have a pillowcase (which is what we did in testing). Should you find yourself in desperate need of a pillowcase, Eli & Elm also carries a bespoke pillowcase that may be purchased on its own. If the pillow does not meet our needs, we are grateful that the company has a return policy of 45 days. This pillow is described by Casper as having the "feeling of a marshmallow," and we couldn't agree more; that is precisely what this pillow resembles in terms of its texture.
The Casper Hybrid pillow has a synthetic fill core that is surrounded by an outer layer of memory foam. This provides the perfect balance between excellent support and comfortable plushness, unlike some other foam pillows that we found to be either too firm or too soft during our testing. The Casper Hybrid pillow is available in a variety of sizes, including standard, queen, and king. Because it did not cause us to feel warm while we were sleeping, the Casper Hybrid has another advantage over other memory foam pillows: it has air holes in the foam layer. If you are someone who tends to sleep hot, this pillow is an excellent option for you. Because of its rectangular shape and substantial side gusset, we found that the Hybrid Pillow was most comfortable for us when we slept on our side. This helped to keep our head elevated in a comfortable position while ensuring that it did not dig into either our shoulder or our neck. While the Hybrid Pillow is designed for general use, we found that it worked best for us when we slept on our side. In addition to that, it maintained its form throughout the night.
The Hybrid Pillow is available in two different heights: standard, with a gusset measuring 2 inches, and low loft, with a gusset measuring 1.25 inches. On the Casper website, you will find a questionnaire that you can take to help you discover the ideal loft height for your mattress. Casper suggested a low loft pillow for our tester's requirements, and we found that it was the ideal size for our more petite tester. However, if you have a larger frame, you may want to think about going with the standard loft size of pillow instead. At the time of this review, the low loft version of the Casper Hybrid Pillow was on final sale; however, Casper does provide a 30-night return policy on most of their pillows. The cover of the Casper Hybrid Pillow is also removable and washable in a machine. Tal suggests a medium to soft fill for people who sleep on their sides. This type of fill allows the head, neck, and shoulder to naturally fall into the pillow while yet providing enough balance to maintain the head and spine neutral. Memory foam, down, and synthetic replacements to down are all good examples of suitable fill materials for this purpose. You don't want a lumpy pillow, so if you're going to be adding or removing fill, be sure you balance the amount of fill across the pillow before you do so. This will help you attain the ideal alignment.