Examine Our Picks
{Photograph}: Molly Higgins
Others Examined
Pillow Dice Facet Dice for $66: This isn’t technically a physique pillow, but it surely’s particularly designed for aspect sleepers (and I find it irresistible), so it’s included on this listing. This cuboid pillow is designed for the aspect sleeper, and goals to assist with complications and again and shoulder pains by way of its distinctive form and delicate, but structured, filling. It has a breathable, soft-and-stretchy quilted aspect case that is detachable with a zipper, and the AeroPluff foam core is cozy, regulating temperature to maintain you sleeping coolly. I can sleep solely on my aspect, and one of many issues I often have is a sore neck from the hole between my shoulder and my head. This sq., 90-degree-angled pillow completely fills that hole and sits at a manageable head pillow measurement of 24 inches lengthy, 12 inches huge, and 5 inches deep. The breathable cowl and delicate density even helped with ear strain.
Leacho Snoogle for $50: Although out of inventory in the intervening time, this versatile physique pillow is marketed for pregnant folks due to its versatility and stomach, hip, and knee help. Resulting from its distinctive form, it may be contorted into many figures. With a detachable cowl made from a polyester/cotton mix and a polyester filling, this pillow is much more breathable than related massive physique pillows on the listing. Due to its distinctive form for a lot of positions, the pillow isn’t overstuffed, and I discovered that the fill tended to sink to the decrease foot portion of the pillow when sleeping on it. General, this pillow is breathable and very customizable in form, though I’d’ve most well-liked one thing with a bit extra filling.
White Noise Reminiscence Foam Physique Pillow With Hypoallergenic Zippered Protector for $50: I completely love the fill of this 50 x 14-inch pillow—the shredded foam is the proper mixture of construction and softness. If it had been wider, 20 or so inches relatively than 14 inches, this pillow can be good. However as a result of I’m a side-only sleeper, I like to carry the physique pillow and wrap my legs and arms round it. Since it’s so slender, my knees knock collectively on the opposite aspect. I might be able to overlook the flaw of its narrowness as a result of the pillow has a super-comfy fill, however I wouldn’t suggest it for larger folks with longer limbs.
Eli & Elm Reminiscence Foam Physique Pillow for $130: In my residence, we name this one “the 7 pillow” as a result of … nicely, take a guess. This lengthy, L/7-shaped pillow is marketed as a being pregnant pillow, but it surely’s nice for anybody who sleeps on their aspect. The brief part matches neatly beneath your head, whereas the lengthy finish can attain down to suit between your legs. It comes with its personal customized pillow case, which is nice, as a result of it is not such as you’ll have a ton of spares on this form in your linen closet. —Eric Ravenscraft
Eli & Elm Facet Sleeper for $116: The Eli & Elm Facet Sleeper pillow is likely one of the firmest pillows proper out of the field of any we have examined. You possibly can take away a number of the extra fill if you wish to scale back that firmness, however in case you’re the kind of one that likes feeling like they’re sleeping on a really delicate rock, that is the pillow for you. It is not fairly large enough for a number of folks to cuddle up with, like our Honeydew decide, however for a single individual, it is an excellent choice. —Eric Ravenscraft
Bearaby Cuddler for $229: Bearaby is finest identified for its weighted blankets, eye masks, and stuffed animals, but it surely makes different sleep merchandise like heated pads, throw blankets, and the physique pillow I examined, the Cuddler. At 75 inches lengthy and eight inches in diameter, with a filling of plant-based Melofoam, an all-natural foam constituted of rubber-tree sap, it is not like another pillow fill I’ve slept on. It is heavier than a stuffed pillow however lighter than reminiscence foam and has a rubbery, bouncy high quality. Its springy fill, skinny physique, and extraordinary size made it match awkwardly on the mattress, however its bouncy high quality and talent to evolve into many shapes could make this a beautiful decide for some aspect sleepers.
Not Beneficial
{Photograph}: Molly Higgins
Alwyn House Butcher Fiber Plush Pillow for $56: This 90 x 19-inch pillow disappoints. It’s egregiously lengthy, which might be useful for people who find themselves taller or those that like extra all-around physique help. Nevertheless, it simply doesn’t have sufficient stuffing to fill 90 inches. The batting inside looks like typical fluffy batting present in home made pillows, but it surely bunches all through the pillow in clumps, leaving gaps the place no filling reaches. These gaps typically occur the place your limbs relaxation, thus defeating the aim of getting a physique pillow for help. The pillow is just about 2 inches deep and didn’t appear to ever spring up after I took it out of the field. I needed to shake and knead the fiber to assist make it extra uniform all through the within of the pillow, but it surely did little to assist.
As a aspect sleeper, you’ll desire a pillow that’s lengthy sufficient to offer help between your arms and strain factors like between the knees. Whereas firmness and softness are a matter of private choice, you typically desire a physique pillow that strikes the appropriate stability, to offer help with out being too heavy or agency for the limbs that relaxation beneath the pillow. In the event you’re simply in search of a pillow to hug whilst you sleep, one thing lighter and softer is finest. However when you have joint or spinal ache, one thing a bit extra agency with extra help is finest. You’ll additionally wish to take into consideration which pillow form will help which a part of your physique finest, relying in your wants. I’m a strict aspect sleeper, however I toss and switch between each side, so pillows with help on both aspect had been examined too. I additionally have a tendency to twist right into a extra fetal place, so I needed one thing that had sufficient width to completely wrap my legs and arms round.
Whereas many head pillows and mattresses favor reminiscence foam, relying on the froth’s denseness, it may really feel too heavy for a aspect sleeper whose limbs go beneath the pillow. Polyester or different artificial filling is usually essentially the most plush and malleable however could not present sufficient help. Many have a mix of each or shredded reminiscence foam, which might present construction whereas nonetheless being delicate sufficient to sink into. This will depend on private choice and wish, however fill sort is one thing to concentrate on when in search of the proper side-sleeper physique pillow.
A regular physique pillow that is lengthy sufficient to offer full-length help for the physique is good, giving sufficient room to stretch out or cuddle in numerous positions. Physique pillows in U or C shapes can present extra total help and are perfect for pregnant folks or these with again or leg points, however can typically make the sleeper run sizzling due to the entire surrounding materials. However in the end, the popular form is basically depending on what elements of the physique you need most supported within the side-sleeping place.
I examined (slept with) every of the pillows for no less than every week whereas sleeping, lounging, and sitting to see how the fill modified and moved over time. I contorted them in lots of shapes, and measured how supported I felt in numerous positions. I eliminated and added fill if I used to be in a position, and eliminated and washed covers to see how they had been affected by cleansing and examined the variations with or and not using a cowl.
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