Best pillows for side sleepers
On your side, the pillow has to fill the gap between your ear and the mattress, which is wider than for any other position. Height matters more than material, and a pillow you can adjust is the safest bet.
5 products ranked Updated
Our rankings are built from published testing by named outlets, not from our own lab. We earn a commission when you buy through our links, and it never changes the order.
The short answer
- 1 Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper Pillow Best for side sleepers $111.60 in a sale on 14 September; $124 list
- 2 Coop Sleep Goods Original Adjustable Pillow Best adjustable, longest trial $89 queen
- 3 Saatva Latex Pillow (High Loft) Best firm, high loft $165 standard/queen
- 4 Casper Hybrid Snow Pillow Best for hot sleepers $179 standard
- 5 Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow (2-pack) Cheapest $79.99 list for two queen pillows, often about $59.99, per Tom's Guide
Prices checked 14 September 2026. They move constantly — the retailer's own page is the authority.
Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper Pillow
4.5 / 5
Our reading of Tom's Guide — their best pillow for side sleepers , 2026
The one pillow Tom's Guide tested that is actually shaped for lying on your side: a curved edge tucks against your shoulder so your neck stays in line instead of being pushed up. You can add or remove the shredded foam fill until the height is right, and its cooling cover got full marks for temperature. It comes in one size, so it will look small on a king bed.
Pros
- Curved to fit around the shoulder
- Adjustable fill, with extra included
- Stays cool
Cons
- One size only
- 30-night trial
Where these findings come from
- Tom's Guide: best for side sleepers; the only pillow in their guide shaped around the shoulder, a crescent that keeps shoulder and neck aligned; adjustable shredded foam and fibre fill with an extra bag; cover scored full marks for temperature; 30-night trial; 2-year warranty
- Tom's Guide: no off-gassing for their tester; comfortable in all three positions; one size only, no king
Coop Sleep Goods Original Adjustable Pillow
4.5 / 5
Our reading of Tom's Guide — their best pillow overall , 2026
Tom's Guide's best pillow overall, and it suits side sleepers because you set the height yourself: it ships with an extra bag of fill for anyone who wants it taller. It stays medium-firm whatever you do, which keeps a side sleeper's head from sinking. The 100-night trial and five-year warranty are the best here. Expect a smell for the first few days, and a daily fluff.
Pros
- Adjustable height with extra fill
- 100-night trial and 5-year warranty
Cons
- Needs fluffing every day
- Off-gassing smell at first
- Can run warm
- Shape
- Classic; Coop also sells Crescent and Cut-Out versions for $10 more
Where these findings come from
- Tom's Guide: best overall; memory foam and microfibre fill you add or remove; extra half-pound bag of fill for side sleepers who want a higher loft; medium-firm however much fill; 100-night trial; 5-year warranty
- Tom's Guide: needs fluffing daily to keep its shape; strong off-gassing smell at first; memory foam can hold heat for hot sleepers
Saatva Latex Pillow (High Loft)
5 / 5
Our reading of Tom's Guide — their best luxury pillow , 2026
The only pillow here to get a perfect score from Tom's Guide, and TechRadar calls it one of the most comfortable pillows it has tested. Buy the High Loft version, which Saatva sizes at 6 to 7 inches for side sleepers and which Tom's Guide found firm. A shredded latex core keeps it springy and cool and means it holds its shape all night without fluffing. It is expensive, and if the height is wrong you cannot adjust it.
Pros
- Firm, tall support that holds its shape
- Sleeps cool
- Washable cover and outer fill
Cons
- $165 for one pillow
- Height is fixed
- 45-night trial
- High Loft
- roughly 6 to 7 in, per Saatva
Where these findings come from
- Tom's Guide: best luxury pillow; shredded latex core under down-alternative fill; high loft is firm and meant for side and combination sleepers; their tester slept on the high loft; stays cool; holds its shape without re-fluffing; 45-night trial; 1-year warranty
- Tom's Guide: expensive; latex core is not washable; may be too firm for some; loft is not adjustable beyond the two versions
- TechRadar: one of the most comfortable and supportive pillows they have tested; cover and outer fill machine-washable
Casper Hybrid Snow Pillow
4.5 / 5
Our reading of Tom's Guide — their best cooling pillow , 2026
If you wake up with a hot pillow, this is the one. Tom's Guide gave it full marks for staying cool, from perforated foam, heat-drawing bands and a cool-touch cover. Its mid-height loft suits side sleepers, and it keeps its shape without fluffing. There is only one height, so broad-shouldered side sleepers who need more lift should look at the Saatva or an adjustable pillow.
Pros
- Top marks for cooling
- No fluffing
Cons
- One loft only
- Most expensive pick here
Where these findings come from
- Tom's Guide: best cooling pillow; 5 of 5 for temperature regulation; perforated foam outer layer around a fibre core; mid loft best suited to side and combination sleepers; holds its shape all night; 30-night trial; 1-year warranty
- Tom's Guide: one loft only, no adjustment; too high for some back and stomach sleepers
Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow (2-pack)
4.5 / 5
Our reading of Tom's Guide — their best affordable pillow , 2026
Two pillows for well under the price of one of the others. TechRadar calls it genuinely supportive for side sleepers, with a thick build that holds up all night. The outlets disagree on heat: Tom's Guide says the gel fill helps, and TechRadar's tester found it did not always sleep cool. You get no trial and no warranty. No photograph and a quoted price: Beckham sells through several similar-looking storefronts, so the link is a search.
Pros
- Two pillows for about $60 to $80
- Thick, supportive, machine-washable
Cons
- No trial or warranty
- Height is fixed
- No photograph or verified price
Where these findings come from
- Tom's Guide: best affordable; down-alternative fill; medium-firm; sold as a pair; machine-washable; OEKO-TEX certified
- Tom's Guide: no warranty or trial; takes up to 24 hours to reach full loft; loft and firmness not adjustable
- TechRadar: genuinely supportive and comfortable for side sleepers; thick build keeps its shape through the night; did not always sleep cool; good value
Height first
Lying on your side, your head sits a shoulder's width above the mattress. The pillow has to fill that gap so your neck stays level with your spine. Both outlets say side sleepers need a high loft, and TechRadar adds firm support, so the pillow does not collapse under your head.
Broad shoulders need more height. Tom's Guide noted that the Birch latex pillow worked for a narrow-shouldered side sleeper but would be too flat for wider ones.
You will not know the right height until you have slept on it. That is the case for adjustable fill: the Nest and Coop let you add or remove fill after a few nights.
Materials
Shredded memory foam is adjustable and supportive but can run warm. Latex is springy, cooler and lasts longer. Down alternative is soft and cheap. Tom's Guide suggests down alternative over feathers if you have allergies.
What to avoid
Flat, soft pillows. Tom's Guide rates the Tempur-Cloud as excellent for back and stomach sleepers, but too thin for side sleepers.
Where this comes from
We do not test pillows. This guide draws on Tom's Guide, which reviews each pillow in full, and TechRadar's round-up, which is older (last updated April 2024) and used here only to cross-check. Prices are from each brand's site on 14 September 2026.
What we are leaving out
Body pillows, wedges and cervical pillows, which solve different problems.
Where this comes from
We did not test these. These people did.
Every score on this page rests on the testing below. The ranking is ours; the measurements are not. How we research.
- Tom's Guide — Pillows slept on by testers in different positions and scored for support, comfort, temperature and build, each with a full review. Updated July 2026.
- TechRadar — Down, latex, synthetic and memory foam pillows, most with a full review. Last updated April 2024, so it is used here to cross-check picks, not for prices.
Questions people ask
How high should a side sleeper's pillow be?
Firm or soft?
I sleep on my side and my back. Which pillow?
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