Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Compare our choices
-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Molly-Higgins.jpg)
Photography: Molly Higgins
Others tested
Pillow Cube Side Cube for $60: It’s not technically a body pillow, but it’s specifically designed for side sleepers (and I love it), so it’s included in this list. This cuboid pillow is designed for side sleepers and aims to relieve headaches and back and shoulder pain with its unique shape and soft yet structured filling. It features a breathable, soft and stretchy quilted side cover that’s removable with a zipper, and the AeroPluff foam core is comfortable and temperature regulating to help you sleep cool. I can only sleep on my side and one of the problems I have regularly is neck pain caused by the space between my shoulder and my head. This 90-degree angled square pillow fills that space perfectly and comes in at a manageable head pillow size of 24 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 5 inches deep. The breathable cover and soft density even helped reduce ear pressure.
Leacho Snoogle for $60: Although it’s currently out of stock, this versatile body pillow is marketed toward pregnant women because of its versatility and support for the stomach, hips, and knees. Thanks to its unique shape, it can be deformed into many figures. With a removable cover made of a polyester/cotton blend and polyester fill, this pillow is much more breathable than similar large body pillows on the list. Due to its unique shape for many positions, the pillow is not overstuffed and I found that the filling tended to flow to the bottom of the pillow’s foot when sleeping on it. Overall, this pillow is breathable and the shape is extremely customizable, although I would have preferred something with a little more padding.
White Noise Memory Foam Body Pillow with Hypoallergenic Zippered Protector for $35: I love the filling on this 50 x 14 inch pillow: the shredded foam is the perfect blend of structure and softness. If it were wider, about 20 inches instead of 14 inches, this pillow would be perfect. But since I only sleep on my side, I like to hold the body pillow and wrap my arms and legs around it. Since it’s so narrow, my knees hit the other side. I might be able to overlook the flaw of its narrowness because the pillow is very comfortable, but I wouldn’t recommend it for taller people with longer limbs. Temporarily unavailable.
Eli & Elm Memory Foam Body Pillow for $130: At my house we call this one “the 7 pillows” because… well, guess what. This long L/7 shaped pillow is marketed as a pregnancy pillowbut it’s ideal for anyone who sleeps on their side. The short section fits snugly under your head, while the long end can reach down to fit between your legs. It comes with its own personalized pillowcase, which is great because it’s not like you have a ton of spares of this shape in your linen closet. —Eric Ravenscraft
Not recommended
-SOURCE-Molly-Higgins.jpg)
Photography: Molly Higgins
Alwyn Home Butcher Fiber Plush Pillow for $52: This 90 x 19 inch pillow disappoints. It’s extremely long, which might be useful for taller people or those who like more full body support. However, there just isn’t enough padding to fill 90 inches. The batting inside looks like the soft batting typical of homemade pillows, but it bunches up throughout the pillow in clumps, leaving gaps where no filling reaches. These gaps often occur where your limbs rest, which defeats the purpose of having a body pillow to support you. The pillow is only about 2 inches deep and never seems to lift up after taking it out of the box. I had to shake and knead the fiber to make it more even inside the pillow, but that didn’t help.
As a side sleeper, you will need a pillow 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, one that provides support without being too heavy or too firm for the limbs resting under the pillow. If you’re just looking for a pillow to cuddle while you sleep, something lighter and softer is best. But if you suffer from joint or spinal pain, it’s best to opt for something a little firmer with more support. You will also need to think about what shape of pillow will best support which part of your body, based on your needs. I sleep strictly on my side, but I toss and turn between the two sides, so pillows with support on either side were also tested. I also tend to curl up into a more fetal position, so I wanted something that had enough width to completely wrap around my legs and arms.
Although many pillows and mattresses favor memory foam, depending on the density of the foam, it may feel too heavy for a side sleeper whose limbs go under the pillow. Polyester or other synthetic filling is often the softest and most malleable, but may not provide enough support. Many have a blend of the two or shredded memory foam, which can provide structure while still being soft enough to sink into. It depends on personal preferences and needs, but the type of filling is something to consider when looking for the ideal body pillow for side sleeping.
A standard body pillow long enough to provide support along the entire length of the body is ideal, providing plenty of room to stretch out or snuggle up in various positions. U- or C-shaped body pillows can provide more overall support and are ideal for pregnant people or those with back or leg problems, but can often make the sleeper hot from all the surrounding material. But ultimately, the preferred shape largely depends on which parts of the body you want to support the most in a side sleeping position.
I tested (slept with) each of the pillows for at least a week while sleeping, lounging, and sitting to see how the filling changed and moved over time. I contorted them into many shapes and measured how much support I felt in different positions. I removed and added filler if I could, and I removed and washed the covers to see how they were affected by cleaning and tested the differences with or without a cover.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reports that are too important to ignore. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe today.
