Best Body Pillows for Side Sleepers: Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

If you sleep on your side, you might experience joint pain in your hips, pressure point pain, or even muscle aches in your chest and shoulders. Side sleeping makes the body rise higher than it does for stomach or back sleepers. That means you need extra support to lean on. When you don’t get this support, it can lead to all kinds of pain.

Thankfully, there’s a fix for this issue: the body pillow. Body pillows offer a cushion to lean on while you sleep, prevent your top arm from sagging and give you something to keep your hip joints in a neutral position. Below, we’ll talk about a few of the best body pillows on the market right now and how to tell which is right for you.

Best Body Pillows for Side Sleepers

	Body Pillow	Highligh	Price
	Zoma Body Pillow	Versatile and high-quality, supports any sleep position	$120
	Decroom Full Body Pillow	High-quality, budget friendly body pillow	$30
	Cheer Collection L-Shaped Side Body Pillow	Nice for stomach sleepers trying to change their sleep style	$40
	Leachco Back ‘N Belly Contoured Body Pillow	Great for fetal position sleepers	$99
	Leachco Snoogle Band It	Best body pillow for side sleepers	$65
	Queen Rose Pregnancy Pillow	Offers excellent belly support	$55

The Zoma Body Pillow is one of the best products on the market for side sleepers because it’s designed specifically to keep them propped in a healthy position. Its filling is highly adaptive, meaning you can move it around inside the pillow to adjust the shape and thickness. The Zoma’s filling can also smartly adapt to your body while you sleep, even if you shift your weight or sleep on a different side every night.

Best of all, the pillow is CertiPur-US® certified, passes the strictest VOC emissions standards, and is made without toxic chemicals—that means you know you’re sleeping on a safe, health-focused product.

2. Best Budget-Friendly Body Pillow: Decroom Full Body Pillow

Also a rectangular pillow, the Decroom full body pillow is designed with medium loft and firmness. It features a combination of a viscoelastic microfill insert with a cooling bamboo blend pillowcase to help you sleep comfortably and cool all night. Both the cover and the pillow itself are machine washable, making cleanup a breeze.

We think this pillow could be perfect for side sleepers looking for great quality at a great price. The Decroom pillow comes in at just under $30, but don’t let the price fool you—you’re still getting an amazing pillow with lots of features.

The medium loft allows for some give and some support for perfect contouring. The pillow’s flexible design allows you to fold it and use it while seated in bed as well as lying down. With all this, the Decroom pillow really offers a lot of bang for your buck.

3. Best Body Pillow for Sleepers Changing Sleep Styles: Cheer Collection L-Shaped Side Body Pillow

Cheer Collection’s microfiber-filled, L-shaped body pillow is designed with a high-loft, hypoallergenic down alternative fill to relieve pressure. It features a breathable zippered cover to help keep you cool and make washing easy. The mid-loft will give you firm support so you feel just as stable as you would sleeping on your stomach.

The unusual L-shape also allows you to configure the pillow to a position that encourages you to get off your belly. If you prefer to lean backward, you can rest your head on the short side and leave the long side behind you. If you prefer to hug the pillow, you can flip it around in front of you. And if you want to keep your current head pillow, you can turn the short side of the L to go between your knees.

Overall, this is a great pillow to encourage you not to flip back onto your belly while you sleep, offering you both a multi-configuration shape and supportive filling.

4. Best Body Pillow for Fetal Position Sleepers: Leachco Back ‘N Belly Body Pillow

The Back ‘N Belly body pillow features a contoured hourglass shape that follows the natural curve of the human body, has a 100 percent polyester fiber filling, and offers a choice between a 100 percent cotton fabric or blended polyester/cotton cover, both of which are machine washable. If you want a durable, wrinkle-resistant option, the polyester blend is the way to go; if it’s breathability you’re looking for, 100 percent cotton will be more your speed.

Though it’s technically a pregnancy pillow, the Leachco pillow is great for fetal position sleepers because the hourglass inner curve supports your lumbar region and offers an extra surface area for your knees and elbows. The body-hugging design is also great if you love the feeling of being snuggled on both sides while you sleep.

The Back N’ Belly’s unique design can help reduce your need to stretch out or squeeze the pillow to get enough arm and hip support, and it eliminates the need to move the pillow to switch from side to side, making this the perfect pillow for anyone who sleeps curled up in the fetal position.

5. Best Body Pillow for Yearner Position Sleepers: Leachco Snoogle Body Pillow

Another Leachco product, the Snoogle body pillow features an elongated C-shape and a flexible, medium-loft insert. Like the other Leachco product on this list, you have the option of cotton or cotton/polyester for the cover, depending on whether you want durability and breathability. And the pillow comes with a 100 percent polyester fiberfill. Also, like the Back N’ Belly, the covers are removable and machine washable.

The shape of this pillow is great for side sleepers who sleep with their arms out and legs straight. The elongated C curves around to go between your knees even if you don’t bend them, while the top of the pillow curls tightly to cradle your head and neck.

The flexible design also gives you the option to bend or straighten the pillow in a manner that suits you. You can curl it around and make it almost like an O or stretch it out to form a J, which is great for yearner sleepers of all heights.

6. Best Body Pillow for Pregnancy: Queen Rose Pregnancy Pillow

The Queen Rose pregnancy body pillow features an adjustable polyfill stuffing and a contoured U-shape to cushion both your lumbar region and belly. It’s also extra wide at the bottom to elevate your ankles as well as your knees, which can help reduce swelling and discomfort. Plus, it has a removable, 100% cotton outer cover.

Pregnant women looking for extra belly and back support should check out this pillow. The polyfill insert is flexible, allowing you to reshape the pillow and add extra support and loft where you want it.

You can reposition the pillow for both lying down and sitting up, making it great for belly support while you’re still expecting and equally great for breastfeeding once your baby comes. The shell is machine washable as well, so new moms don’t have to worry about hand washing or dry cleaning.

Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Body Pillow

There are lots of factors to consider when purchasing a body pillow. The most important things to think about are temperature, fill, firmness, and shape.

Body Pillow Temperature Regulation

Certain filling materials are better at temperature regulation than others because they allow different levels of air circulation. For example, all-natural cotton fibers don’t retain a lot of heat and they also allow for tons of airflow. That means a cotton pillow will sleep cool. By contrast, memory foam tends to hold in more heat and doesn’t allow for much airflow, so it sleeps warmer.

The pillow’s cover material also impacts its temperature regulation. Again, cotton will be the coolest, cotton/polyester blends are still fairly cool, while natural fleece is warm and cozy.

Last but not least, the shape also has an impact on a pillow’s temperature. C-shaped and U-shaped pillows will sleep warmer because they wrap around you and hold in your body heat. Rectangular pillows only sit on one side of your body, so they let a lot more heat escape.

Body Pillow Fill

When it comes to filling, you have lots of options. Some body pillows are cooler and some warmer, some are supportive and others are squishy. Let’s look at a few of the most common ones.

Latex Foam

If you want a cushioning foam pillow, but you’re looking for a springier, all-natural foam, latex may be for you. It’s also great if you want a cooling pillow since natural latex doesn’t retain heat like a lot of synthetic pillow fills do. However, if you want contouring, latex can’t compete with memory foam, which is unbeatable when it comes to conforming to your shape to provide custom support.

Memory Foam

For those who want a pillow that perfectly contours to their shape, look no further than memory foam. Memory foam pillows can compress under the heavier parts of your body and rise to meet the lighter parts, keeping your whole body supported. Memory foam is also great for people with allergies because it resists common allergens like dust, dust mites, and pollen.

While memory foam retains more heat than latex, newer memory foams are often infused with gel beads to keep them cool. Also, shredded memory foam helps increase air circulation, so it’s easy to get a memory foam body pillow that won’t sleep too hot.

Cotton

Cotton is great if you want a cool, all-natural material that’s a little squishier than foam but not as squishy as down. Also, cotton is machine washable, unlike most foam and natural down fillings.

On the flip side, one of the biggest issues with cotton is it tends to lose its loft (height) over time, meaning your pillow might flatten out after a year or two.

Down

Down is super squishy and soft, so it may not be the greatest for you if you sleep on your side. If all you’re looking for is a warm, soft cushion to hug while you sleep, down might be up your alley. However, if you want firm support to really hold up your body weight while you rest on your side, you’re better off with foam.

Alternative Down

Down alternatives like polyester and rayon have less give than true down, making them more supportive. Also, if you like the squishy feel of down but not the warmth, alternative downs have a similar texture but sleep a lot cooler. One thing to keep in mind about synthetic down alternatives is they’re not as durable or long-lasting as natural down.

Body Pillow Firmness Level

Your sleep position can help you determine the right pillow firmness. If you’re a side sleeper, chances are you’re going to need a medium, supportive pillow to keep your body aligned. A thinner or softer pillow that collapses under your weight is not going to provide enough support, and it might also not keep your knees far enough apart to maintain proper alignment in your hips. For those reasons, the best pillows for side sleepers are medium to firm.

Body Pillow Shape

Body pillows can come in a variety of shapes, but the three most common are U-shaped, C-shaped, and rectangular.

U-Shaped

The U-shaped pillow is really more like a horseshoe shape because you lie on it with your head on top and your feet poking through the gap. These pillows are great for side sleepers who turn from the left to the right all night long and don’t want to move their pillows around while they’re doing it. They’re also good if you need support on both sides of your body.

C-Shaped

C-shaped pillows wrap around you in a big cuddle, leaving a gap at the side rather than the feet (like the U-shaped pillow). These are good for side sleepers who don’t like the feel of a pillow behind them but still want support under their head and between the knees. They’re also good if you want to have some control over the shape of your pillow since a lot of C-shaped pillows offer a more flexible design that lets you straighten or bend them to make a more elongated or tighter C.

Rectangular

Rectangular body pillows are just really long regular pillows. They’re great for sleepers who want a different pillow for their heads than for their bodies. They’re also good if you’re new to body pillows and not really used to the feel of something wrapping around you while you sleep.

Most rectangular body pillows measure 20 inches wide by 54 inches long. However, like most bed pillow sizes, body pillow dimensions can vary depending on the manufacturer.

FAQs

What’s the best pillow for yearner vs fetal position sleepers?

Every type of side sleeper needs a thicker body pillow, but sleepers who prefer the yearner and fetal positions might need different shapes. Fetal position sleepers can put the same length of the pillow between their knees that they put between their arms because they bend their knees, so they might want a U-shape or rectangular shape. Yearners keep their arms out and their knees straight, so a C-shape might be better for them because the curve will go between their straightened legs.

What’s the best body pillow if I sleep really hot?

Natural latex, gel-infused memory foam, and cotton pillows are all great if you get really hot when you sleep. Latex and gel foam fills resist heat retention, and cotton allows for increased airflow to wick away your body heat. If you want to avoid warm pillows, watch out for down and regular memory foam pillows without gel, and try to avoid fleece covers.

Can I use a knee pillow instead of a body pillow?

A knee pillow is great for aligning your hips, but it won’t do anything to support your arms. If you sleep on your side, you need extra support between your arms to keep an arm resting on top of your body from falling forward. Sleeping without arm support could lead to tight chest muscles and overextension in your upper back. The only real way for side sleepers to use a knee pillow is if they combine it with a small pillow between their arms.

What body pillow should I use if I’m a combo sleeper?

A U-shaped body pillow is better for you if you change sleeping positions a lot throughout the night because it offers equal support to both sides of your body, meaning you can roll from side to side without having to move your pillow. A U-shaped pillow might also help keep combo sleepers from rolling onto their bellies.

How much should I pay for a body pillow?

Body pillow prices range from budget-friendly to expensive. Usually, rectangular pillows are cheaper than curved ones, and U-shaped pillows tend to be the most expensive of all, especially if they have contouring. Expect to pay anywhere from $30 to $170 for a high-quality body pillow.

Can’t I just use a king size pillow as a body pillow?

King size pillows are normally 36 inches long, whereas your average rectangular body pillow is around 54 inches to accommodate the arms and legs. That means a king pillow really won’t be long enough to both support your arms and let you wedge it between your knees.

Bottom Line

If you sleep on your side, a body pillow can give you extra support to keep your spine aligned, hold your arms in place, and keep your hips neutral. Body pillows are also great for stomach sleepers looking to fix their sleep style, pregnant women needing belly support, and anyone who wants a little extra cushion while they sleep. Pretty much every side sleeper can benefit from the right body pillow.