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You’ve gone through some sleep struggles lately and found yourself Googling ways to get your body comfortable enough to actually catch some ZZZs and landed on this page. Welcome! I’m a 22 year old stuck in a 35 year old body who also has gone through some body changes post pregnancy and found myself needing extra support to have a restful sleep. Whether you have a stubborn back, you’re growing a baby, or you just need something to squeeze between your knees – the days of stacking 4 pillows that inevitably fall off the bed in the middle of the night are over!
I’ve done the research and categorized my top recommendations for body pillows for side sleepers based on individual needs. Today we’ll break down what to consider before purchasing a body pillow, which pillow fits your budget, and which shape is the best for you. Consider this your one-way ticket to Snoozeville. All aboard!
What Makes a Perfect Body Pillow
I almost guarantee you searched “body pillow” on Amazon and felt overwhelmed by options before you made your way here. There are so many choices and they’re all made up of different shapes, sizes, materials, fills, and the list goes on. So do yourself a favor and read the list of considerations below to figure out what is best for you before hitting “purchase” instead of letting your new pillow collect dust in the corner of your room.
Alignment/Support
This might be obvious to some readers because of a surgery or injury of the spine, knees, or hips but others may just have full body aches and pains. If it’s not painfully clear to you, think about where you are pushing your standard pillows in the middle of the night, just to wake up and rearrange them. That is where you need the support.
Fill/Firmness
Ahh, the great debate of firm versus soft pillows. I personally love an ultra soft feather pillow and my husband will always opt for the firmest pillow he can find. Memory foam will be the most firm, giving the most defined support. A down-alternative or high-loft fill will be your softest option and may take a few nights to break in to get you the support you need. So this category is very personal, but important to highlight, nonetheless.
Temperature Regulation
Some of us out here are peri-menopausal (not me, I swear) and can’t maintain a cool temperature with a $30 body pillow made from memory foam because they tend to trap heat. Others that don’t have that problem may find memory foam is exactly what they need. Factor in how your temperature runs at night when deliberating the cover and fill of your dreamy body pillow.
Size Relative to Height
Lay down and measure your shoulder to your knee. This measurement is the number you’ll want to keep in mind when looking through your options. Otherwise, you may end up with a body pillow so oversized, it acts as a body double in your bed and could end up asking it to pay rent because it’s taken over your bedroom. On the flip side, most body pillows measure 50-59” and very tall folks may want to consider an even larger one to support their head to their toes!
The Importance of the Shape
Shape deserves its own headline section because it’s the piece of the puzzle that is the most complex. You will see so many various shapes online, touting that this is “exactly what you need.” But no one knows what your body needs but you!
So let’s talk about shapes and what they actually mean in terms of a pillow.
Straight/Standard
Your standard body pillow sounds so basic, right? Sometimes basic is what’s needed. A standard or straight body pillow is actually perfect for someone who doesn’t really have a need for a specific support. A straight pillow can be an excellent tool for someone who shifts around in their bed and has the pillow move along with them. As a side sleeper, you can find support here between your knees while squeezing with your arms, you can lean against it to support your back, or even align it with your hips.
The Coop Sleep Goods Original comes with my highest recommendation in this category with three options on pillow shape. It has an adjustable cross-cut memory foam and microfiber fill so you can personalize your firmness. It even comes with additional fill, if needed. If you are more of a softer loft seeker, reach for the Cushion Lab Jumbo Side Sleeper as it has their CloudFiber fill as a softer option and also has a cooling nylon-spandex cover for an extra luxe snooze.
Straight/Standard is the option that gives you a little bit of everything. This pillow shape has you do the work, folding or creating the perfect support you are looking for. Given that this is a straight pillow, if you are looking for something to wrap around you, keep scrolling… because we have a lot more to cover!
J-Shaped
The J-Shaped body pillow is designed for one reason only… To support your neck, torso, hips and knees in one line so you aren’t stacking pillow over pillow to cover your bases. It has a fixed curve (like the bottom of a J), then a straight line that works like a spine to keep everything aligned while you’re lying on your side. This is an attractive shape for sleepers who stay in one spot and don’t roll around much at night.
If you lean towards the J-Shape, I would point you towards the Medcline Therapeutic Body Pillow because it has a patented fixed curve that specifically targets to hit the neck, torso and knees simultaneously. Bonus perk: it has three options (just to make your head spin a little more before checking out!) They offer their “classic” J design, an upgraded “cooling” material for hot sleepers, and a “pregnancy” U-shaped version which we will dive into next!
U-Shaped
U-Shape is all about supporting you. This shape fully encompasses your body and will eat you up if you aren’t ready for a seriously large pillow in your bed. This U-Shape is great for a sleeper who flip-flops through slumber and needs support all around their body at once. Think: front of body to wrap arms and legs around while simultaneously keeping your back straight and hips aligned.
The Plufl Hugl Cooling Body Pillow wins my praises for this shape, though it does run a tad firm based on the reviews. The firmness trade off would be beneficial for a sleeper who runs hot because of their viscose bamboo and self-cooling polyethylene fabric cover. The fill is microfiber/memory foam mix, which is where it tends to be firmer, but their website does say it is adjustable. I love that they offer two sizes: “Standard” for 5’8” and below, “Large” for 5’9” and above. Bonus: Their cover is anti-microbial and machine washable so you can breathe easy knowing your cover is clean!
Dual Wave
The dual wave shape is full body support with different heights or waves, geared towards arms, waist and legs. This shape is more precise than a straight pillow, where those waves are located to match your body’s actual shape. A dual wave is great for someone who wants their pillow to contour to their body’s anatomy, without committing to the more extreme shape of a crescent shaped body pillow.
Mellow Sleep has two body pillows that do just this. They offer the Mellow BodyAlign (3-zone body support) and the upgraded BodyAlign+ (4-zone body support) that has a high loft polyester fill. Mellow has a strong following on social media with reputable products that fit into a more affordable tier.
Crescent
In my opinion, the ultimate shape for a side sleeper is the crescent. With the same shape as your favorite buttery breakfast pastry, the crescent shaped pillow is built to mimic the nuances of a side sleeper’s body in one continuous curve from shoulder to knee. Because of its tapered shape moving from narrow to wide back to narrow, that mid section of the pillow is large enough to wrap your arms around and squeeze, giving you an emotional component no other shapes here can do.
If you are ready to invest in your sleep support (physical or emotional), you need to look at MoonSleep’s body pillow: The MoonSpoon. It’s an incredibly soft and breathable moon that conforms to your body. I love the flexibility of being able to wrap your arms and legs around it or have it spoon you. Note that at 12 pounds and nearly 5 feet tip to tip, having this in your bed does take up more space than many others. It’s kind of like a weighted blanket in pillow form! The polyester fill is high quality and the eucalyptus-derived cover is extra soft and breathable giving off a cooling effect.
Fill and Firmness
For all of the peeps looking for a firmer fill, let me say it louder: you are going to love a memory foam fill. It’s going to hold that shape for you, night after night. The firmness matched with the right whole body pillow shape is going to have you counting sheep in no time. If you are the side sleeper who wants one point of contact per body point (ie. not a wrap around pillow), the MedCline Therapeutic Body Pillow is for you. Need the wrap around? Go for the Plufl Hugl Cooling Body Pillow.
A quick 180°, the high loft lovers are going to look towards MoonSpoon and Mellow, depending on your shape preferences. MoonSpoon is your all encompassing plusher and huggable option with their down alternative/high loft polyester fill. It’s large, but it won’t swallow you whole at night because the fill is moldable to your body. Mellow BodyAlign and BodyAlign+ are two other great options if you want the dual wave 3-4 point contact support.
And if you just can’t make your mind up on the level of firmness, you can personalize your experience with Coop Sleep Goods Original by adding or removing the fill. Just keep in mind, the shredded foam will hold onto heat, which brings me to my next point: hot sleepers.
Cooling Considerations for Hot Sleepers
If you can sleep fine with flannel sheets on a memory foam topper in the summer, go ahead and skip this section. But if you’re like me and can wring out your PJs in the middle of winter when you wake up, this is not a note to miss.
We need breathable materials, Hot-Siders (my loving name for those who run hot and sleep on their side!). Three brands you want to think about: MoonSleep, Plufl Hugl, and Mellow.
MoonSleep’s MoonSpoon comes with a breathable and deliciously soft TENCEL pillow cover from eucalyptus wood pulp that gives it a cooling effect. The lofty polyester fill doesn’t trap heat, either: win/win!
Mellow BodyAlign’s pillow cover is marketed as a “breathable cooling cover” that will aid in keeping you comfortable all night. Same as the MoonSpoon above, it has a high-loft polyester fill that doesn’t hold the heat.
Top marketing for a cool night’s sleep goes to Plufl Hugl, for their PE self cooling fabric. It’s a polyethylene and bamboo mix (technology developed by NASA!) paired with their adjustable fill which is a microfibre/memory foam mix.
Which Pillow is Right For You
There isn’t one magical pillow that is going to be perfect for every body, so take each brand’s marketing with a grain of salt. My top curated recommendations are highlighted below for each category within the side sleeping community.
| Best For | Body Pillow | Shape | Why |
| Budget/Entry Level | Coop Sleep Goods Original | Straight | Adjustable fill allows you to customize firmness without committing to a fixed shape Lowest risk price |
| Defined Structural Support | MedCline Therapeutic Body Pillow | J-Shaped | Full coverage support in one continuous line Ideal for sleepers who don’t move too much in their sleep |
| Hot Sleeper that Seeks Firm Support | Plufl Hugl | U-Shaped | Proprietary self-cooling PE technology Memory foam fill Wraparound coverage |
| Hot Sleeper that Seeks High-Loft | MoonSleep’s MoonSpoon | Crescent | High-loft polyester fill with TENCEL cover Soft and breathable Full shoulder-to-knee coverage |
| Contouring On a Budget | Mellow BodyAlign and BodyAlign+ | Dual Wave | 3-4 point contact at a fraction of the fully sculpted pillow |
Side Sleepers Rejoice
If you’ve been struggling to get a good night’s sleep because you have pillows flopping around all night, it’s time to trade in your stack for a whole body pillow. All of the considerations have been outlined for you above, now it’s time to invest in your sleep and get the support your body is craving.