Being a side sleeper can be challenging. You have to constantly flip and flop for the right position and often use several pillows to support your body’s pressure points. Body pillows are the most obvious solution, long enough to cuddle fully while still supporting your limbs.
I chose body pillows in a range of shapes and styles, from traditional, long, rectangular body pillows to pregnancy pillows in a variety shapes to see which style worked best for a strict side-only sleeper like me. I tested each of the pillows for a week while sleeping and lounging to see how the fill changed and moved over time and which pillow worked best for a side sleeper’s unique needs. There are tons of choices—including different fill, firmness, and shape—but these are our picks.
Check out our many other sleep-related guides, including the Best Mattresses, Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers, Best Organic Mattresses, and Favorite Pillows.
Updated October 2024: We’ve added the Bedgear Body Pillow, Arctic Sleep Medium Comfort Cool Gel Memory Foam Body Pillow, Alwyn Home Polyester Medium Pillow, White Noise Memory Foam Body Pillow, Butcher Fiber Plush Pillow, Eli & Elm Side Sleeper, and Eli & Elm Memory Foam Body Pillow.
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What to Look For
As a side sleeper, you’ll want a pillow that’s long enough to provide support between your arms and pressure points like between the knees. While firmness and softness are a matter of personal preference, you often want a body pillow that strikes the right balance, to provide support without being too heavy or firm for the limbs that rest underneath the pillow. If you’re just looking for a pillow to hug while you sleep, something lighter and softer is best. But if you have joint or spinal pain, something a bit more firm with more support is best. You’ll also want to think about which pillow shape will support which part of your body best, depending on your needs. I’m a strict side sleeper, but I toss and turn between both sides, so pillows with support on either side were tested too. I also tend to curl into a more fetal position, so I wanted something that had enough width to fully wrap my legs and arms around.
While many head pillows and mattresses favor memory foam, depending on the foam’s denseness, it can feel too heavy for a side sleeper whose limbs go underneath the pillow. Polyester or other synthetic filling is often the most plush and malleable but may not provide enough support. Many have a mixture of both or shredded memory foam, which can provide structure while still being soft enough to sink into. This depends on personal preference and need, but fill type is something to be aware of when looking for the perfect side-sleeper body pillow.
A standard body pillow that’s long enough to provide full-length support for the body is ideal, giving enough room to stretch out or cuddle in various positions. Body pillows in U or C shapes can provide more overall support and are ideal for pregnant people or those with back or leg issues, but can often make the sleeper run hot because of all of the surrounding material. But ultimately, the preferred shape is largely dependent on what parts of the body you want most supported in the side-sleeping position.
