Tom’s Guide Sleep Awards 2025: Best Pillow for Side Sleepers

Side sleeping is the most common sleep position, so recommending the perfect pillow for all those who rest on their side isn't a task we've taken lightly. After careful consideration, we've awarded the Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper Pillow the sleep award for Best Pillow for Side Sleepers.

The winning pillow in this category had to give targeted support to side sleepers, and the Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper Pillow does just that, and more, which we discovered after extensive testing in our sleep lab and at home. In fact, we gave it 4.5 out of five stars, a nearly perfect score, in our review.

Having a pillow that is designed for your sleep style, along with one of this year's best mattresses, sets you up for a great night's sleep. And for side sleepers, this pillow will ensure you're supported and aligned throughout the night.

Here's why Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper Pillow won the Best Pillow for Side Sleepers in our Tom's Guide Sleep Awards.

Meet the pillow with a unique design perfect for side sleepers

There's a lot that makes the Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper pillow special, but let's start with its shape.

Unlike your average pillow, the Easy Breather Side Sleeper has a curved design, which is intended to cradle the head and neck while your shoulder nestles against it. When side sleeping, this helps your neck remain aligned. Our lead tester found this unique ergonomic design exceptionally comfortable and felt supported throughout the night.

Another big bonus is the adjustability of the Easy Breather Side Sleeper. The fill comprises of shredded 80% CertiPUR-US certified virgin foam blend and 20% polyester fiber. You can remove this fill or add more to change how your pillow feels and adapt its loft depending on your own preferences.

While side sleepers benefit from a taller, firmer pillow to prevent the side of the head from dipping toward the mattress and out of alignment with the spine, it's a delicate balance. A pillow that's too tall or firm can push your head in the other direction, and both issues can cause neck pain.

That's where the Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper gets some extra points; while it's designed for side sleepers and delivers for that position, it works just as well for different sleeping positions.

You also won’t have to worry about overheating with this pillow; along with polyester and spandex, the removable, machine-washable cover is made with the brand's Icecore material, which helps disperse heat. Not only did our tester find it cool-to-touch, it kept her temperature regulated throughout the night.

It is premium pillow, priced at $124 MSRP (though regular bedding sales bring that price below $100) and it has the look and feel you'd expect for the cost. We were impressed by the luxurious, silky cover and that the pillow retained its shape throughout the testing period. Right now, it's actually down to $93 in the Black Friday bedding sales.

Ultimately, the only downside was actually one of the pillow's plus points: it's unique curved shape. This means it can be a little tricky to fit into a pillowcase and could look a little out of place next to classic shaped pillows on your bed.

There's no winner without a runner-up or two, and the Purple Harmony Pillow was a close second for this award. While the Talalay latex fill and pressure-relieving honeycomb GelFlex grid made the Purple Harmony an ideal side sleeper pillow, it's more expensive (starting at $209 MSRP) you can't adjust the fill and we found it slept warm.

Being able to customize the more affordable Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper and its cooling abilities nudged this pillow into the winning spot.