Best Pillows for Side Sleepers (2025) 

Most will advise that side sleepers stay away from down or down alternative pillows because they tend to be more fluffy than supportive. However, our tester Sosha Lewis is a dedicated side sleeper who loves the feel of down pillows. When it came to Peacock Alley’s Down Alternative Pillow, she said, “I knew we were going to have a great love story the minute I took it out of its packaging.”

After spending a few nights on this pillow, Sosha gave its soft-but-supportive feel an experience score of 5/5, contributing to the pillow’s overall high score of 4.7/5. She also called it her new “favorite pillow of all time.”

Sosha said that upon unboxing the pillow, her first thoughts were about how luxurious the pillow looked and felt. The cover of the pillow is made of 100-percent cotton for a “soft yet crisp” feel, as Sosha put it. “Although I am no seamstress, I thought the stitching was high quality,” she added.

The microfiber fill inside the pillow also mimicked the feel of down effortlessly. “It gave me the feel of down that I love without the pokiness or smell of down,” Sosha said. She found the pillows “fairly malleable while also being supportive.” With all this in mind, she rated the materials at another perfect 5/5 score.

As a dedicated side sleeper, Sosha found this pillow lofty enough to support her in this position. “It’s a higher pillow that allows just the right amount of sinkage to keep your spine aligned,” she said. Her husband, a back sleeper, also tried out the pillow and found it comfortable in that position, too, as it offered just the right amount of sink. She did note that it might be “a little too supportive” for stomach sleepers, who might prefer a lower loft.

Sosha’s glowing review was only helped by the price. “I was actually surprised they were under $100,” she said after giving these pillows another 5/5 score for value. She got two of the standard-size medium-feel pillows, retailing for $90 each. Peacock Alley also has a firm option, as well as king-size pillows, though these will push you to the $100 mark and over. 

The only downside I can find to these pillows is the policies that come along with it. Peacock Alley accepts returns within 30 days of receiving your product so long as it’s in good condition. However, there’s no warranty offered by the brand. This isn’t too odd for pillows, but since some other options on this list have warranties or longer sleep trials, it may be a deal-breaker for more indecisive customers.

Want a longer sleep trial and warranty? Check out the Coop Sleep Goods Adjustable Pillow.

Side sleepers may develop neck pain if they continue sleeping on a pillow that’s not shaped correctly for their needs. That’s where an adjustable pillow like the Coop Sleep Goods Original pillow may be helpful. My colleague Nicole Davis, someone with self-described chronic neck pain, took this pillow for a spin and loved it, giving it a high overall score of 4.3/5. You can add or remove fill to shape the pillow to your liking, ensuring it slots nicely in that gap between your neck and shoulder and reduces the risk that you’ll wake up stiff and achy.

Nicole found that the shredded foam fill provided a gentle contour alongside its support, regardless of how she manipulated it. She gave it a 4/5 for experience, with the only negative being that she had to re-adjust before she lay her head down every night. But every morning when she woke up, she was pain-free.

The adjustability is a boon for combination sleepers: If you switch between your back and side, for example, you can remove the fill until the pillow has a loft that can accommodate both sleepers. Nicole claimed that this pillow should work for “just about everyone” with the level of customizability. The only folks who might be let down are those looking for a firmer feel, like that of a latex or particularly dense memory foam pillow.

All of the moving parts to this pillow were “well-made,” per Nicole’s assessment. She found the act of unzipping the pillow to poke around inside was seamless, thanks to the quality of both the cover and the zipper itself. Everything felt “luxurious” and “heavy-duty.” She only docked a point in the materials department, as she couldn’t speak to the longevity after using it for a few weeks.

If you’re worried about how long this pillow will last, though, you should know that it’s backed by a 5-year warranty, one of the more generous pillow warranties I’ve encountered. Coop also offers a 100-night return period, so you have nearly 3 months to decide whether or not you like this pillow. We also appreciated the $85 price tag, which is on the lower end for a luxury pillow. Nicole called it a “good value,” and gave the pillow a perfect score in this category.

Finally, if you decide to buy this pillow and commit to it, you might be curious about how to care for it. Nicole rated the care as a 4.5/5 since the entire pillow itself can actually be washed in your laundry machine. The outer cover can simply be removed and tossed in, while the inner core’s zipper should be secured with a safety pin before doing the same. This is rare to see from pillows, especially adjustable ones, so kudos to Coop for making the pillow easy to clean.

Want a firmer pillow? Check out the Bear Contour Pillow.

What if you’re not a dedicated side sleeper? Well, if you’re a combination sleeper who switches between your back and side, you’ll want a pillow that works for both of these positions. My colleague Dan Caffrey tried out the Nectar Resident Pillow and found it worked in both; the pillow itself has an adjustable fill, so you can remove some to increase and lower the loft as needed. Dan rated his experience at 4.5/5, contributing to the pillow’s overall score of 4.3/5.

Upon arrival, the Nectar Resident pillow was stuffed to the brim. Dan found that this high loft right out of the box was perfect for side sleeping. When it came to back sleeping, he had to remove quite a bit of the loft for it to be comfortable in this position. Despite the extra labor, he was thankful for the option to customize his sleep experience. He added that this adjustability should make this pillow a comfortable option for all sleeping positions.

This customizability sweetens the deal even more when you consider the price of this pillow. A standard size costs $75, which is a respectable mid-range price that received no complaints from Dan. Dan also appreciated that the brand offered free returns within a 30-day trial window, which he claimed wasn’t always the case in his experience testing pillows. “I love Nectar’s customer service,” he added, so returning the pillow should be a fairly seamless process. It also comes with a 1-year warranty. Based on all this, Dan gave the pillow a value score of 5/5.

When it came to judging the actual construction of the pillow, though, Dan was mostly positive but had some concerns. The outer shell of the pillow felt cool-to-the-touch, and Dan described it as “beautifully textured.” The inner foam fill not only felt high-quality, but also “squishy but responsive.” 

The lining that contained the fill, however, was a bit “delicate,” in Dan’s words. He found the zipper wasn’t as sturdy as the one that secured the outside of the pillow, and it got stuck a few times when opening and closing it. He also did notice that during his first night sleeping on this pillow, the fill kept bunching up on one side—though this was resolved by the next. These issues are what brought down the pillow’s materials score down to 3.5/5.

Dan was also a bit annoyed that no part of the pillow could be washed in the laundry machine, though he noted that this is common for adjustable pillows. If you’re wanting to clean this pillow, it’ll have to be spot-cleaned. 

Want a more washable pillow? Take a look at Saatva’s Latex Pillow.

In order to keep your shoulders comfortable in a side-sleeping position, you’ll want a pillow that balances support with cushioning. One such pillow is Bear’s Contour Pillow, which features a curved bottom edge to contour to your neck and shoulders to keep the pressure off. It’s also got a double-sided cover: one side with a silky, smooth feel, and another with cooling fabric. My colleague Dan Caffrey thought this pillow was great for side sleeping, and his experience with the pillow resulted in it earning an overall score of 4.1/5.

Dan noted that this pillow had a firmer feel than he usually prefers for side-sleeping, but he still really enjoyed it. He said that the high loft was comfortable for his neck and spine, keeping both well aligned and staving off neck, shoulder, and upper back pain. He thought that the U-shape of the pillow added “a little extension” that you can tuck between your neck and shoulder for more targeted cushioning and pressure relief. 

That same U-shape acts as a gentle slope for your neck when you rest on your back. Dan also thought the pillow’s firmness made it easier to switch between side and back sleeping, as the pillow bounced back rather than leaving a divot like traditional memory foam. The actual fill is a mix of synthetic fibers, so it doesn’t have that same sink, something to note if you’re looking for a slow-moving, soft pillow.

Dan called this pillow “really sturdy.” He took special note of the detailed embroidery on the cool side, as well as the satiny-smooth weave on the other, finding both of a high quality. The cooling side also kept Dan’s neck and head from heating up as he slept. There’s no zipper to be found on the pillow, which should keep the inner core well-protected. Dan was confident this pillow should stay intact for a “long, long time,” and gave it a 4.5/5 for materials.

However, because you can’t unzip this pillow, there’s no outer cover to wash, which is the case for most pillows. Instead, this pillow is spot-clean only, and the fairly detailed cover might make it more difficult to do so. Dan lamented this, giving it a 3.5/5 for care. He also found the unique shape of the pillow meant it wouldn’t fit snugly into a pillowcase, which means it’ll be more exposed to the elements if you forgo one. 

If your pillow does end up with any damages or defects, it’s backed by a very generous lifetime warranty, a rarity for sleep accessories. Before you commit, Bear offers a 30-day return window as well. Be sure to take advantage if you’re still on the fence about the Bear Contour pillow.

If you want a more traditionally shaped pillow, you might like the Brooklyn Bedding Latex Pillow.

If you like the feel of a firmer pillow, you might like the Brooklyn Bedding Latex Pillow. I’ve slept on this pillow for years, and as a firm fan myself, the buoyant latex works great for side sleepers. My fellow tester Cait Giddings agreed, saying, “Out of all the pillows I’ve tested, this one is my favorite.” She gave the pillow perfect scores in materials, experience, and customer service, helping to earn its overall score of 4.6/5.

Cait is a side sleeper and found this pillow had the “ideal feel” that suited her tastes perfectly. She got the higher loft as is recommended for side sleepers. “It compresses easily under my head while also springing up against the hollow of my neck, so I feel fully supported,” she said. 

She also found that the pillow compressed enough to support back sleeping. She thought it might be still too thick for stomach sleepers, who may want to go for the lower loft, or a different pillow entirely. I occasionally sleep on my stomach, and I usually stick to the very edge of this pillow for this reason, so I could see how others might find it too supportive.

Every aspect of the pillow felt “well-crafted,” per Cait, who gave it a 5/5 score for materials. The Talalay latex is dense and thick, adding to the pillow’s durability. Cait also enjoyed the softness of the smooth knit cover, though Brooklyn Bedding has recently updated to a cooling cover. Even without the updated cover, Cait thought the pillow didn’t trap heat as she slept. The inside of the pillow remains the same, though, so the feel should remain relatively unchanged.

The cover is also machine-washable, so you can keep your pillow clean throughout its life. The inner latex core is spot-clean only, which is fairly common for this material. That’s why it earned a respectable 4/5 for care. 

With this level of quality and comfort, Cait found the $129 price tag “beyond reasonable,” and gave the pillow a value score of 4/5. However, it still may be a bit high for budget shoppers. Latex tends to drive up the price of an accessory, especially natural Talalay latex. The pillow comes with a 30-day trial period if you’re worried about committing to a larger purchase. After that, it’s backed by a generous 3-year warranty (for which Cait gave another perfect score in customer service).

Looking for a more affordable pillow? Check out the Brooklinen Marlow Pillow

Combination stomach and side sleepers have it the hardest. The first sleeping position fares best on a low-loft pillow, while the latter tends to prefer a higher loft. This is why we chose Brooklinen’s Marlow Pillow, a pillow with adjustable firmness. Fully unzipped, this pillow is thick and fluffy, while fully zipped, it’s firmer with a lower loft. My fellow tester Kenny Timper thought that each side worked great for side and stomach sleepers respectively. He’s a dedicated stomach sleeper himself, and gave the pillow a perfect score for his experience. It also earned an overall score of 4.2/5.

The fully unzipped setting should work great for side sleepers, as mentioned, but half-unzipped still gives you some loft and a more medium feel. Kenny didn’t notice a big difference between half-unzipped and full-zip, so it’s perhaps more like a medium-firm pillow. Kenny thought this setting could work for side sleepers who want a firmer feel, or for combination side and back sleepers, but it’ll still be too tall for stomach sleepers. The only issue for my fellow side-stomach combo sleepers is whether you’ll be lucid enough to zip or unzip your pillow in the middle of the night when you want to switch positions. 

Kenny gave this pillow another perfect score in the value department. A standard-size Marlow pillow retails for only $49 each, while a king-size is $69; there’s also a discount if you buy at least four. Even without quadrupling up on bed pillows, this is the most affordable option on our list. When you consider that you’re also getting a multi-functional pillow, basically three pillows in one, it’s an even bigger deal.

But cheap pillows usually means cheap quality, right? That’s not the case here. The Marlow has a hypoallergenic construction, made up of a mix of gel-infused memory foam and synthetic fibers to keep air flowing through it. While Kenny didn’t think the pillow was cool-to-the-touch, he didn’t overheat, and added that it “didn’t feel cheap.” He gave the pillow a 4/5 for materials, figuring it would last a long time even with its lower price.

If you’re worried that you won’t like this pillow, you can take advantage of Brooklinen’s generous year-long sleep trial; just make sure you purchase through its site. Unfortunately, the pillow isn’t backed by any warranty, but if it arrives damaged or shows defects during the trial period, Brooklinen might offer a replacement.

The main drawback to this pillow is its care, which is where Kenny gave the pillow its lowest score of 3/5. This pillow is spot-clean only. There’s not even a removable cover to hand-wash or dry-clean. Brooklinen does offer a bundle that includes a pillow protector, which can be removed and washed, but it’ll cost extra. This protector is also made with cooling elements, like breathable cotton and phase change material (PCM).

Want a pillow that already comes with a cooling, machine-washable cover? Try out the Helix GlacioTex Cooling Memory Foam Pillow.

Memory foam pillows are prized for their super-sink, contouring, and pressure-relieving nature. They can also back this up with some dense, reliable support, which makes them a great choice for side sleepers. If you’re looking for a good memory foam pillow for sleeping on your side, check out Helix’s GlacioTex Cooling Memory Foam Pillow. 

It’s offered in two lofts, low and high, with the latter catered toward side sleepers. Our tester Sosha Lewis thought the high loft was even too high for her liking, so you should pick based on your own stature and preference. Sosha thought this pillow felt “durable and sturdy” and rated both materials and experience at 4/5, helping the bed to earn its 4.2/5 overall score.

Sosha is a self-described lover of down pillows, so a solid memory foam block was out of her comfort zone. “I thought it was too high and too firm,” she admitted. Her husband, however, enjoyed the feel—especially on his back, so if you’re a combination back and side sleeper looking for firmer support, it could work great for you. 

Though the feel wasn’t for her, Sosha did appreciate the quality of the pillow’s construction, calling the materials “solid.” She described the cover as “slick but soft,” though noted it had more of a polyester feel than she’d prefer. “But that can be remedied with a pillowcase,” she added. The actual memory foam core had some heft, and she appreciated that it was perforated to allow for airflow, contributing to the pillow’s cooling capability and counteracting the natural heat-trapping effect of foams. 

The main cooling tech, though, is in the pillow’s cover, which is also where it gets its verbose name. The cover is woven with GlacioTex fibers, which are designed to absorb excess heat and pull it away from your body. More than that, this cover is also removable and machine washable, for which Sosha gave the pillow a care score of 4.5/5. The inner memory foam core isn’t washable, but this is fairly common, so she only docked half a point.

If you’re still on the fence about whether this is the right pillow for you, Helix offers a 30-night sleep trial, so you can snooze on it for a month before committing. After that, it’s backed by a one-year warranty. 

Helix’s customer service is also easy to reach and helpful; Sosha had a question when she noticed her cover looked different from the one on the site, and a customer service representative named Felix quickly answered her concerns. If you happen to notice it too, just know the brand has made some small changes to the cover, but per Felix at Helix, “The feel and support remains the same.”

Want a softer pillow for side sleepers? Check out the Peacock Alley Down Alternative Pillow, Sosha’s favorite.

If you’re a side sleeper who sleeps hot, you may want to invest in a cooling pillow that works for your sleeping position. Enter Nectar’s Tri-Comfort Cooling Pillow: This adjustable pillow is filled with shredded memory foam and microfiber to allow for more airflow, staying breathable and cool as it contours to side sleepers’ neck and shoulders. 

Our tester Sosha Lewis said she was a “big fan of this pillow” and particularly loved how it felt on its softest setting, as well as its cool-to-the-touch cover. She gave the pillow a perfect 5/5 score for her experience, and the pillow ultimately earned a total score of 4.4/5.

This pillow was so cool (literally and figuratively) that Sosha’s husband almost stole it after trying it out for a few nights. “I thought we were going to have to arm wrestle for the rights to it,” she said. They both tried out each of the adjustable firmnesses, too. Fully unzipped had a softer feel, which Sosha preferred for side sleeping. Her husband enjoyed it half-zipped, which is the medium setting. 

Neither of them enjoyed it fully zipped, which was the firmest setting. Though Sosha isn’t a stomach sleeper, she gave it a whirl on that setting and decided that it could be a better fit for these sleepers. Combination sleepers, however, might struggle with the bulk and heft of this pillow when they want to move around. “It is kind of heavy, and when I used it between my legs, I had a hard time switching it from side to side,” Sosha noted.

Aside from feeling cool, Sosha also thought that the pillow was high-quality. She called the cover “soft, smooth, and durable.” The shredded memory foam and microfiber fill created a balanced feel that also delivered on support. “It sank in just the right amount and kept my spine aligned,” Sosha said. Unfortunately, the fill sometimes got caught on the zipper through the pillowcase, which Sosha wasn’t a big fan of, so she deducted half a point in her materials score.

Though the cover has zippers, they’re more for adjusting, not removal, which can cause some difficulty when caring for this pillow. Nectar says that this pillow is spot-clean only, which can make maintaining freshness a problem. However, Sosha only docked a point because she didn’t foresee it becoming an issue. She thought the cover’s material seemed pretty conducive to spot-cleaning. “I also don’t think it would easily stain, especially if you got to the spill quickly,” she said.

Still on the fence? Nectar offers a 30-night sleep trial with this pillow. If you decide to keep it after the return window passes, it’s backed by the brand’s 1-year warranty.

Want a washable adjustable pillow? Check out Coop’s Original Adjustable Pillow.

Latex is a popular choice for eco-conscious sleepers looking for hypoallergenic, breathable, if a bit buoyant sleep surface. If you’re looking for a latex pillow for side sleeping that’s more traditional-feeling than firm and bouncy like the Brooklyn Bedding Latex Pillow, Saatva’s Latex Pillow is a great option.  My fellow tester Cait Giddings described it as “thick and fluffy” and thought it would work best for side sleepers. She enjoyed it so much that she gave it a perfect score for experience, and the pillow also earned a respectable overall score of 4.6/5.

The Saatva Latex Pillow is offered in two lofts, and Cait chose the higher one as a side sleeper, which comes out to 6 or 7 inches thick. “It delivers an ideal amount of support and pressure relief for those who like a high-lofted pillow,” she said. She did try it out on her back, too, and found it compressed enough to be comfortable for these sleepers, too. Stomach sleepers, though, should opt for the lower loft option, which is 2 inches thinner.

The pillow is made up of two layers, a cotton-swaddled microfiber fill and then a shredded latex core, which lends it its plusher, more luxurious feel. Cait found it added to the durability of the pillow, too. “I appreciate that the materials don’t separate and form a flat gap in the center like some other high-lofted pillows I tested,” she said. The microfiber fill layer is also adjustable, so the pillow comes with a clear bag if you choose to remove any of it. With all this in mind, she gave the pillow another perfect score for materials.

Cait also found the instructions for washing the pillow came across clearly. After unzipping the cover, you’ll have to remove the shredded latex core. You can then machine-was the outer cover and the outer fill layer. Saatva recommends air-drying the outer cotton cover. Aside from the brief Russian nesting doll situation, it should be a relatively painless process. Cait ultimately rated the care for this pillow at 5/5.

The main drawback to this pillow is the price tag. Saatva is a luxury mattress brand, so it’s no surprise that their sleep accessories follow suit. A standard size of this pillow costs $165 and a king costs $185, which is on the higher end, even for some latex pillows. Budget shoppers may want to look for more cost-friendly options.

We believe that the price is worth it if you can afford it, though; so, if you take the plunge, Saatva gives you 45 nights to decide if this is the pillow for you. It also comes with a 1-year warranty for any issues that might arise, but with its quality construction, we expect it to outlast that timeframe.

Want a cheaper pillow? Check out Nectar’s Resident Pillow.