The 6 Best Pillow for Side Sleepers of 2023

Best Overall Pillow for Side Sleepers

Honeydew The Scrumptious Side Sleeper

Machine Washable: Outer cover only | Fill: Copper infused foam

The Honeydew The Scrumptious Side Sleeper pillow is our favorite pillow for side sleepers. We loved the crescent shape, which provided plenty of room for shoulders, and pleasantly cradled our heads even when rolling around. This super wide model is just as comfortable at the edges as it is in the middle. The level of fill is adjustable, and it still feels full and reasonably firm even after we removed a decent amount.

The only thing we don't love is that it doesn't have an inner liner between the fill and the outer shell. Since the fill itself isn't washable, laundering the outer cover requires removing every piece of stuffing. A band of stiffer fabric runs around the side of the pillow that crinkles when folding the pillow. All in all, we love the Scrumptious pillow. It has a well-balanced firmness, is fully adjustable, and has a great shape. It's our favorite pillow we've ever slept on and the best pillow for side sleepers.

Best Bang for Your Buck

Coop Home Goods The Original

Machine Washable: Fully washable | Fill: Cross cut memory foam

The Coop Home Goods The Original is a comfortable and quality option for its price. At first glance, it's a standard rectangle pillow with foam fill. However, the shredded memory foam blended with microfiber is quite pleasant and can be adjusted to your desired thickness by inserting additional fill. It's one of the softer options we tested, but it still provides decent support even after removing some of the fill. We also love that it is fully washable — just chuck the whole thing into the washing machine and run it on delicate.

This pillow would rise to the next level if it were crescent-shaped like some of the other top contenders in this category. We also noticed that the double cover design, though nice for washing, leaves the corners of this pillow with less stuffing. Otherwise, this model is a solid choice for those who want a more conventionally shaped pillow for side sleepers.

Best on a Tight Budget

Snuggle-Pedic Adjustable Shredded Foam

Machine Washable: Fully washable | Fill: 80% shredded polyurethane foam, 20% polyfiber

The Snuggle-Pedic Adjustable Shredded Foam offers much value. It has a high-quality case and is fully adjustable. It even comes with a bonus tube of fill so you can immediately dial in the loft to just the right thickness. We love that the whole pillow is machine washable, and the thick, high-quality outer case is also removable for easy washing. In terms of comfort, we appreciate that the stuffing is evenly distributed across the whole pillow, so the edges provide just as much support as the center.

Compared to the rest of the category, this pillow doesn't quite reach the top of the pack. The lumpy filling doesn't make for the most comfortable experience. It also doesn't look or feel like the highest-quality material and can compress over time. However, if you are looking for a great value in a memory foam pillow, there's enough to like about this one to give it a try.

Best for Restless Sleepers

Sleep Artisan Luxury Side Sleeper

Machine Washable: Cover only | Fill: 85% Latex foam, 15% poly silk fiber

The Sleep Artisan Luxury Side Sleeper only lost to our favorite by a smidge; we love this pillow too. The long crescent shape rolled accommodatingly along with our lead tester, who tends to sleep with all the restfulness of a horizontal tornado. We really like the fill, which nicely fills the cover even when adjusted to be thinner. The sideband that helps keep its shape is also softer than the Honeydew pillow, which is a nice benefit. It can also be folded and tucked nicely if you want a firmer or thicker spot in the middle of the night.

The Sleep Artisan is made with high-quality filling, but only the cover can be laundered, and the filling has to be spot washed. Some testers also wished this pillow was a touch firmer when thinned down, but it is still one of our favorites. We recommend this model as a great pillow for side sleepers who are also restless sleepers, as it rolls with you.

Most Supportive Pillow

Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Ergo

Machine Washable: Cover only | Fill: Memory foam

The Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Ergo offers exceptional support. It is shaped to fit comfortably between your neck and shoulders. This solid-block memory foam pillow is plenty cool, which is all the more surprising given its firmness and density. Though it is not adjustable, it is available in different sizes and thicknesses. The material also rebounds quite easily, so fluffing is never needed. We also appreciate its removable and washable cover for quick cleaning.

This pillow has some annoyingly stiff piping sewn onto the edges of each side. You can feel it through the case, and it's uncomfortable. Some sleepers may also find the overall texture of this pillow too firm to be comfortable. Still, we recommend this one to sleepers who like a very supportive pillow or who have neck pain from pillows that aren't firm enough.

Best Pillow to Keep You Cool

Hullo Buckwheat Pillow

Machine Washable: Cover only | Fill: Buckwheat hulls

The Hullo Buckwheat Pillow might be the cushion of your dreams if staying cool at night is one of your top priorities. A staple in many traditional Japanese households, this pillow for side sleepers is a simple but pleasant product incorporating an organic cotton case and American-grown buckwheat filling. Our lead tester, who sleeps warm, found that the buckwheat fill stayed cooler than foam pillows, maintaining a comfortable temperature all night long. It's also heavy. The standard size weighs nearly nine pounds, so it won't roll away from you at night, and it generally keeps its shape once you settle in. It's also adjustable, and Hullo offers replacement buckwheat if, for some reason, you need to refill it.

One noticeable drawback is the amount of noise the buckwheat makes. The shells are noisy when your ear is pressed against the pillow, especially when moving. If you're sensitive to noise at night, this might not be the best product for you or your partner. It's also considerably more firm than any other non-buckwheat cushion we tested and has a texture similar to a bag of beans, which some might find offputting. However, if you need a supportive pillow that keeps you cool and you like the idea of natural materials, we recommend trying the Hullo pillow.

Compare Products

Compare select up to 5 products to compare

	Score	Product	Price
	78	Honeydew The Scrumptious Side Sleeper	$150
	74	Sleep Artisan Luxury Side Sleeper	$170
	72	Coop Home Goods The Original	$72
	71	Nest Bedding Easy Breather	$107
	69	Saatva Latex	$165
	68	Eli & Elm Cotton Side	$145
	67	Casper Hybrid	$99
	65	Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Ergo	$109
	63	Snuggle-Pedic Adjustable Shredded Foam	$55
	61	Mkicesky Side Sleeper Memory Foam	$79
	60	Hullo Buckwheat Pillow	$109
	58	Xtreme Comforts Shredded Memory Foam Bamboo	$55
	56	EPABO Contour Memory Foam Pillow	$50
	53	Beans72 Organic Buckwheat	$60
	50	Beckham Luxury Hotel Collection Gel Pillow	$50
	33	Linenspa Shredded Memory Foam	$25

Why You Should Trust Us

Before purchasing the top pillows for side sleepers, we scoured the market, assessing dozens of models to determine the most promising ones to evaluate. We tested these pillows extensively, with thorough personal use and carefully designed evaluations. Our testers and their partners slept on these pillows for weeks, rotating through them to make comparisons and see how they performed. Our testing team also washed each model according to their instructions to see how they held up and put every pillow through multiple dryer cycles to accelerate the wear process to see how each fared.

We have divided our scoring of pillows for side sleepers across four different metrics:

• Comfort (40% of overall score weight)

• Features (25% weighting)

• Quality (20% weighting)

• Washability (15% weighting)

Leading this review are Ethan Newman and Ben Applebaum-Bauch. Ethan knows quality bedding as someone who owns and operates a small B'n'B. He is also an extremely light sleeper and sensitive to small changes in his sleeping environment. Ethan has picked through dozens and dozens of pillows, sheets, and mattresses to find the highest quality and value in his bedding for both himself and his guests. Ben has been testing products with GearLab since 2018. In that time, he has reviewed hundreds of home goods and camping products, including camping blankets, tents, and backpacking chairs, so he takes his sleep and relaxation seriously, no matter where he is.

Analysis and Test Results

We used four metrics to analyze the pillows for the most objective reviews possible. Each metric covers a different kind of performance for these products. We rated each pillow for comfort, quality, washability, and features for this review.

Value

When thinking about value, we are comparing the overall score of a product relative to its price. We want to determine whether an expensive item can justify its price with its performance. Similarly, we also look for models that punch above their weight class. Given a product's price point, that means a performance exceeding what we expect. The Coop Home Goods The Original has excellent overall performance at a reasonable price. The Snuggle-Pedic Memory Foam is a shredded foam pillow for side sleepers that can't be beaten when adhering to a tight budget. Yet, in some cases, products are worth their higher prices because they represent a sound investment. The Honeydew The Scrumptious Side Sleeper is that product. It's an all-star sleeper sidekick that cradled our heads in the utmost comfort and was unanimously loved by our entire testing team.

Comfort

First and foremost, pillows must be comfortable. Otherwise, why even buy them? Comfort is also essential for this specialized pillow for side sleepers review because, if you're here, you've likely already tried conventional pillows, and they just aren't comfy enough or don't suit your preferred sleeping position. Most pillows are designed for back sleepers, and a comfortable pillow for a back sleeper might be quite uncomfortable for a side sleeper.

We tested our comfort metric by using each pillow in our beds, with our lead testers and their partners using each one for multiple nights to evaluate them. We specifically evaluated comfort while sleeping on our sides, which is the natural sleep position of all our testers. We considered each model's head and neck support and assessed any neck discomfort we experienced in the morning or misalignment that would wake us up during the night. We also looked at the texture of the exterior as well as the interior fill. They scored lower if we had to do a lot of squishing and specific positioning for the pillow to be comfortable. The pillow scored higher if it felt nice with just the initial adjustment. Because comfort is so important for a side sleeper pillow, we heavily weighted their performance in this metric.

Our testing team found that crescent-shaped products, like the Sleep Artisan and Honeydew Scrumptious, are some of the most comfortable pillows for side sleepers. The curve provides room for your shoulders, while the wider part cradles your face nicely. These particular models are equally comfortable from edge to edge. The Sleep Artisan pillow fill is a touch softer than the Honeydew. The Eli & Elm Cotton Side has an even more pointed crescent shape with a deep concave center. The fill is springier than the Honeydew and offers a little more resistance.

For similar textures with a more standard shape, we like the Coop Home Goods The Original pillow quite a bit. Its fill is a pleasant blend of shredded memory foam and microfiber that can be adjusted to your desired thickness. It's one of the softer options we tried, but it still provides decent support even after removing some of the fill. The Saatva Latex is one of the plushest in the category. Its latex core and polyester outer layer offer a soft but supportive headrest in a traditional rectangle. The Casper Hybrid offers a similar level of support with a unique combination of a polyester fiber base with a layer of foam on top.

The foam fill of the Nest Bedding Easy Breather is nicely firm and springy but also allows your head to sink into the pillow. It is adjustable by removing some stuffing through a side zipper. The outer fabric is nicely textured and quite soft. The texture also helps keep it a touch cooler, as it allows for a bit of airflow. The Snuggle-Pedic Memory Foam is similar but with chunks of firmer foam, and it even comes with an extra tube of fill for even more support. The Linenspa Shredded Memory Foam uses the same strategy of incorporating shreds or chunks of fill rather than a solid mass of memory foam.

The Epabo Contour Memory Foam and Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Ergo are firmer, more supportive options designed to contour your neck. For a very firm pillow, the Hullo pillow is filled with buckwheat, which compresses less than foam and also keeps you nice and cool. The Beckham Luxury Hotel Collection Gel feels like a standard pillow. It has a nice gel fiberfill and smooth cotton fabric, though ultimately, it is way too fluffy to be a decent pillow for side sleepers.

Features

You might be asking, how many features can a pillow for side sleepers truly have? A surprising amount, we'd answer. The key feature for many of these is adjustability. Some pillows can be completely adjusted from overstuffed orbs of fluff to nearly empty bags with just a whiff of fill and every level in between.

The Sleep Artisan, Honeydew Scrumptious, Xtreme Comforts Shredded Memory Foam Bamboo, Coop, Hullo Buckwheat, Snuggle-Pedic Adjustable Shredded Foam, Eli & Elm Cotton Side, and Beans72 Organic Buckwheat are all completely adjustable by adding or removing their loose-fill materials. This customization is a great advantage for fine-tuning the fill level we want to fit our neck and shoulders. We especially appreciate that the Snuggle-Pedic comes with an extra tube of shredded foam for immediate adjustment. The Saatva Latex is unique among the fleet. It has a latex core in a separate case, surrounded by another layer of polyfiber fill in a separate compartment, all wrapped in another case. It's not technically adjustable in the same manner as the models with shredded foam, but you could remove the latex center if you wanted a much lower-volume pillow.

The buckwheat pillows involve the least amount of hassle to adjust. The buckwheat hulls are simple and quick to pour in and out of the case. On the other hand, shredded foam tends to get everywhere once it's out of the casing. As a bonus, buckwheat pillows typically feel cooler than foam pillows — a great feature for hot sleepers. We also like the Xtreme Comforts Shredded Memory Foam Bamboo for its excellent airflow and the Casper Hybrid, which both have a long-lasting cool-pillow feeling.

On the pillows made of a solid piece of foam, include scoops to support the curve of your neck away from your shoulders. We liked the execution of this feature on the Epabo pillow. We didn't like it nearly as much on the Mkicesky Side Sleeper Memory Foam, as it felt like it pushed our shoulders awkwardly. The Mkicesky also has a hole cut through the middle to create a head cradle that seemed like a better fit for back sleepers than side sleepers, but we could kind of use it when trying to relax with earbud headphones in.

Quality

If you're going to plunk down the cash for a decent pillow, it should be well-constructed and made with quality fabrics and fill. We evaluated each pillow's quality by assessing its materials and finely combing over each pillow before and after use to find spots that might break down over time. We also washed each model multiple times according to the manufacturers' instructions to see how well they recovered from it and if they suffered any wear and tear.

The highest-scoring models impressed us from their unboxing through the end of our extensive testing: the Casper Hybrid, Honeydew Scrumptious, and Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Ergo. We especially appreciate the elasticity and the quality of the zipper on the Casper case.

The Nest Bedding Easy Breather has a thick and nicely textured case with a silk band to keep this pillow well-lofted for years to come. Both Buckwheat pillows, the Hullo and Beans72, are also quite durable, as the cotton covers held up to washing well, and the buckwheat fill is robust. Buckwheat hulls are also inexpensive and easy to replace if needed.

Runs in stitching, easily caught zippers, pilling fabrics, and lesser quality fills all made certain products score lower in this category. For example, the Xtreme Comforts and Coop pillows are fairly similar in style, but we found the Coop pillow to contain higher quality fill, which kept the pillow fluffier. The Eli & Elm Cotton Side looks luxurious and offers a comfortable night's sleep, but the fill has a lumpier texture than the Honeydew Scrumptious. However, the Sleep Artisan Luxury Side Sleeper has a ribbon around the perimeter that helps the fill to stay evenly distributed. Saatva Latex has an outer case that looks and feels like it has a high thread count and the separability of its three layers is a thoughtful construction.

Some pillows, like the Epabo, have softer fabrics but pilled up fairly quickly during our testing. Hidden under a pillowcase, though, this isn't a large concern for most folks. The Linenspa Shredded Memory Foam looks and feels like a lower-quality item than other top contenders (but you get two in a pack).

Washability

Like the rest of your bedding, pillows should periodically be washed. Pillowcases absorb the daily amount of skin oils and dirt, but eventually, any pillow not covered in a protector needs to be cleaned. A good washing not only cleans the pillow but also revives the fill to its previous levels of fluff and volume. The easier each product is to clean, the higher its score is in this metric.

Fully washable pillows include the Xtreme Comforts Shredded Memory Foam Bamboo, the Coop Home Goods The Original, Snuggle-Pedic Memory Foam, and Beckham Luxury Hotel Collection Gel Pillow, so they score the highest. They can all just be thrown into the washing machine and set on a delicate cycle, whereas, with the other pillows, only the cover can be machine washed.

Models like the Nest Bedding Easy Breather and the Honeydew Scrumptious technically have a washable case, but all of the fill must be removed to clean it because there is no inner case — a highly impractical step. The Beans72 Organic has a similar setup, but removing the buckwheat is easier than the other models' synthetic fill. On the far end of the spectrum, the Linenspa Shredded Memory Foam can only be spot cleaned as there is no way to separate the fill from the outer, which is completely sewn shut all the way around.

We are big fans of the zipper on the outer case of the Casper Hybrid. It unzips around two adjacent sides of the pillow, making it super easy to pull off and toss in the machine. Though it is air-dry only, we still found the process much simpler than many other wrestling matches we got into with other models to get the case back on. The Saatva Latex, Epabo Contour, and Eli & Elm Cotton Side all have removable outer cases that are easy to wash in a machine.

Conclusion

Everyone has different needs, so there is no single best pillow for side sleepers out there. However, good head and neck support are worth their weight in gold, so we have identified some options that are the best for your needs. Sleep quality is vital; it can affect everything from cognitive function to athletic performance to stress levels. With that in mind, we hope you are well on the path to the right pillow for side sleepers.