On your side, the pillow has to fill the space between your ear and the mattress, which is close to the width of your shoulder. Too little and your head tips toward the bed, while too much tips it up. Harvard Health quotes clinicians who say side sleepers usually need a firmer pillow than back or stomach sleepers.
Each pick is a pillow whose maker names side sleeping, drawn from the ranked pillows with at least 300 buyer ratings and sorted by our score, with no brand taking more than two places. Positions come from the maker, so read the height and firmness facts in each note before you trust the label.
The list
- SUPA MODERN Cooling Shredded Memory Foam Pillow (Best overall for side sleepers)
- Three Geese Adjustable Layer Goose Feather Pillow (Best feather and down)
- QUTOOL Bamboo Rayon Adjustable Pillow (Best-liked firmness)
- QUTOOL Firm Shredded Memory Foam Pillow (Firmest by the maker's word)
- Coop Sleep Goods Original Adjustable Pillow (Most-rated pick)
- JOLLYVOGUE Down Alternative Pillows, Set of 4 (Best value)
- Coop Sleep Goods Eden Pillow (Premium pick)
- Puredown Shredded Memory Foam Pillow (Cheapest shredded foam)
- Utopia Bedding Hotel Pillows, Set of 4 (Highest rated by buyers)
- JOLLYVOGUE Hotel Collection Pillows, Set of 4 (Cheapest king-size pillow)
| # | Photo | Model | Score | Fill | Adjustable | Stars | Ratings | Per pillow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
SUPA MODERN Cooling Shredded Memory Foam Pillow | 7.9 | Shredded memory foam | Yes | 4.3 | 23,026 | $19 |
| 2 |  |
Three Geese Adjustable Layer Goose Feather Pillow | 7.9 | Feather & down | Yes | 4.4 | 5,006 | $44.99 |
| 3 |  |
QUTOOL Bamboo Rayon Adjustable Pillow | 7.8 | Shredded memory foam | Yes | 4.4 | 1,546 | $19 |
| 4 |  |
QUTOOL Firm Shredded Memory Foam Pillow | 7.8 | Shredded memory foam | Yes | 4.4 | 819 | $19 |
| 5 |  |
Coop Sleep Goods Original Adjustable Pillow | 7.6 | Shredded memory foam | Yes | 4.5 | 64,006 | $89 |
| 7 |  |
JOLLYVOGUE Down Alternative Pillows, Set of 4 | 7.5 | Down alternative fiber | No | 4.5 | 595 | $9.25 |
| 9 |  |
Coop Sleep Goods Eden Pillow | 7.3 | Solid memory foam | Yes | 4.4 | 15,193 | $109 |
| 11 |  |
Puredown Shredded Memory Foam Pillow | 7.3 | Shredded memory foam | Yes | 4.4 | 697 | $13.50 |
| 12 |  |
Utopia Bedding Hotel Pillows, Set of 4 | 7.2 | Down alternative fiber | No | 4.6 | 16,598 | $7.62 |
| 13 |  |
JOLLYVOGUE Hotel Collection Pillows, Set of 4 | 7.2 | Down alternative fiber | No | 4.4 | 2,463 | $8.25 |
1. SUPA MODERN Cooling Shredded Memory Foam Pillow
The maker names side sleeping, and the loose fill lets you build the extra height a side position asks for, then take it back out.
Firmness is the question to watch on your side: 67% of the 1,269 buyers who raise it are positive, so expect a night or two of adjusting before it suits you.
7.9out of 10
- FillShredded memory foam
- Stars4.3 (23,026)
- Per pillow$19
2. Three Geese Adjustable Layer Goose Feather Pillow
Feather inserts stack to the height a side sleeper needs, and 75% of the 152 buyers who mention thickness are positive.
At $44.99 a pillow with no published trial or warranty, you carry the risk if the stack never suits your shoulders.
7.9out of 10
- FillFeather & down
- Stars4.4 (5,006)
- Per pillow$44.99
3. QUTOOL Bamboo Rayon Adjustable Pillow
Medium by the maker's word, with fill you can leave in for a side position and a cover that zips off.
It has the most positive firmness share on this list, 80%, and 86% of the 50 buyers who mention support are positive.
7.8out of 10
- FillShredded memory foam
- Stars4.4 (1,546)
- Per pillow$19
4. QUTOOL Firm Shredded Memory Foam Pillow
Harvard Health's clinicians point side sleepers toward firmer pillows, and this is the firmest here by the maker's own word, extra firm.
Of the 33 buyers who mention neck support, 79% are positive, a small count from a pool of 819 ratings.
7.8out of 10
- FillShredded memory foam
- Stars4.4 (819)
- Per pillow$19
5. Coop Sleep Goods Original Adjustable Pillow
Coop says an extra bag of fill comes in the box, which matters on your side, where height runs short first. The product page lists the pillow at 8 inches thick before you add any.
Of 3,582 buyers who mention support, 83% are positive. The price, $89, is the catch, and the 100-day trial covers direct purchases only.
7.6out of 10
- FillShredded memory foam
- Stars4.5 (64,006)
- Per pillow$89
6. JOLLYVOGUE Down Alternative Pillows, Set of 4
A fixed medium fiber pillow, so on your side you get the height in the box, with no fill to add if it sits low.
At $9.25 each in a king four-pack, a second pillow to stack costs little, and 71% of the buyers who mention firmness are positive.
7.5out of 10
- FillDown alternative fiber
- Stars4.5 (595)
- Per pillow$9.25
7. Coop Sleep Goods Eden Pillow
Coop names side sleeping, and the Eden's foam and microfiber fill can be topped up from the extra bag Coop says it ships with. Its gusseted edge, the maker adds, gives support from edge to edge.
Comfort draws 85% positive from 3,313 buyers, but at $109 it is the dearest pick here.
7.3out of 10
- FillSolid memory foam
- Stars4.4 (15,193)
- Per pillow$109
8. Puredown Shredded Memory Foam Pillow
Soft by the maker's word, which can leave a side sleeper short of height, so keep all of the fill in at first.
Of the 73 buyers who mention firmness, 38% are negative. At $13.50 a pillow, it is the cheapest way onto this list with fill you can adjust.
7.3out of 10
- FillShredded memory foam
- Stars4.4 (697)
- Per pillow$13.50
9. Utopia Bedding Hotel Pillows, Set of 4
Plush fiber with no fill to add is a gamble on your side: 52% of the 159 buyers who mention flatness are negative.
It still holds the best star average here, 4.6, and at $7.62 a pillow you can afford to stack two.
7.2out of 10
- FillDown alternative fiber
- Stars4.6 (16,598)
- Per pillow$7.62
10. JOLLYVOGUE Hotel Collection Pillows, Set of 4
Thickness is its weak point for side sleepers: 77% of the 30 buyers who mention it are negative.
The product page lists it at 5 inches thick, and at $8.25 a pillow in a king four-pack it is the cheapest king size here.
7.2out of 10
- FillDown alternative fiber
- Stars4.4 (2,463)
- Per pillow$8.25
Height
Measure the gap your pillow has to fill
Lie on your side and the distance from ear to mattress roughly matches your shoulder width, minus whatever your mattress lets your shoulder sink. A narrow frame on a soft bed needs far less pillow than broad shoulders on a firm one. Cleveland Clinic carries a chiropractor's related point: a firmer mattress usually calls for a thicker pillow and a softer one for a thinner pillow.
Researchers who reviewed the evidence on pillow height found no firm answer on the best height for side sleepers, which is why we match loft to the person instead of quoting one number. Adjustable fill makes that matching your job, not the maker's guess. Seven of these ten pillows let you take fill out, and the other three arrive at the height you keep. Our loft guide has a two-minute check you can do at home.
Firmness and fill
Firm enough to hold the height
A soft pillow that measures right on the shelf can sink under your head. On this list the extra-firm QUTOOL draws 70% positive firmness mentions, while 52% of the Utopia Bedding buyers who mention flatness are negative.
Shredded foam lets you top up height when it settles, which fixed fiber cannot do. Feather in separate inserts, like the Three Geese pillow, gives you the same control with a softer feel. See shredded memory foam and down and feather for how each fill behaves. For the rest of your body, Mayo Clinic's advice for side sleepers adds a pillow between the knees.
Price
What side sleepers pay for height control
Adjustable pillows on this list run from $13.50 a pillow for Puredown to $109 for Coop's Eden, and the fixed fiber sets from $7.62 to $9.25. The gap buys control over height, the thing your position asks for most, so it is the upgrade worth paying for if you sleep on your side every night. Compare Coop and QUTOOL to see what the extra money changes.
Value is one of six parts of the score, so price alone does not decide the order. The SUPA MODERN at $19 ranks first because it pairs a low price with a 9.0 for fit range, while the two Coop pillows hold their places on buyer satisfaction and a 10.0 for materials and proof.
Questions
Questions buyers ask
How high should your pillow be if you sleep on your side?
High enough to fill the gap between your ear and the mattress with your neck level, which depends on your shoulder width and how far your mattress gives. Researchers have found no single best height, so adjust instead of buying by a number. An adjustable pillow such as the SUPA MODERN Cooling Shredded Memory Foam Pillow lets you set it at home.
Should you use a firm pillow as a side sleeper?
The clinicians Harvard Health quotes say yes, as a rule: side sleepers usually need a firmer pillow than back or stomach sleepers. Our firmest pick by the maker's word is the QUTOOL Firm Shredded Memory Foam Pillow, sold as extra firm at $19 a pillow.
Is a feather pillow good for you if you sleep on your side?
A layered one can work, because you can stack the height you need. On the Three Geese Adjustable Layer Goose Feather Pillow, 84% of the buyers who mention neck support are positive. Plan on replacing it: Harvard Health puts the life of a feather pillow at a year or so, because the feathers collapse.
Do you need a pillow between your knees as a side sleeper?
Mayo Clinic's advice for side sleepers includes a pillow between the knees along with the head pillow. A cheap fiber set such as the JOLLYVOGUE Hotel Collection Pillows gives you four at $8.25 each, enough for both jobs.
