Key takeaways
- Side sleepers need more height than back or stomach sleepers, because the pillow has to fill the gap between neck and shoulder.
- The right loft depends on your body and your mattress. No single height fits everyone.
- The Yourzzz pillow arrives with extra filling. After delivery you take out the amount the calculator recommends and keep the rest in the storage bag.
Why do side sleepers need a different pillow?
When you lie on your side, your shoulder presses into the mattress and your head sits above it. The distance from the mattress to your ear is the height your pillow has to cover. Back sleepers need a much smaller gap filled. Stomach sleepers need almost none.
If the pillow is too low, your head tilts down toward the mattress. If it is too high, your head tilts up and away from your shoulder. In both cases your neck bends sideways for hours. A pillow that fits keeps your head, neck and spine roughly in one line.
You would not walk around in shoes a size too small. A pillow works the same way: a store that sells one size rarely has yours. Our tips on the best sleeping position explain more about how position changes what you need.
What makes a pillow right for a side sleeper?
Four things matter most.
- Height (loft). Wide shoulders need a higher pillow. Narrow shoulders need a lower one. Your height and weight give a good first indication of your build.
- Your mattress. On a soft mattress your shoulder sinks in, so the gap to fill is smaller. On a firm mattress your shoulder stays on top, so the gap is larger. The same pillow can feel too high on one mattress and too low on another.
- Support. The pillow should hold its shape under the weight of your head. Shredded memory foam moves with you and keeps its form when you turn.
- Room to adjust. Bodies and mattresses change. A pillow you can make higher or lower stays useful longer than one with a fixed height.
What does research say about pillow height?
We are careful here. Studies on pillows and sleep are mostly small, and they do not show one ideal height that works for every side sleeper. A pillow also cannot treat a medical condition. What we can say is that fit matters: a pillow that leaves a gap or a bend between your shoulder, neck and mattress gives your neck less support than one that fills that space.
If you wake up with numbness, tingling, pain that spreads into your arm, or neck pain that does not ease over time, see a healthcare provider. A different pillow will not replace a proper diagnosis.
How does the Yourzzz pillow work for side sleepers?
Yourzzz is one pillow that you adjust at home. It was developed by Dutch physiotherapist Thijs van der Hilst, who designed the algorithm behind the calculator. You order the pillow first. When it arrives, you tell the calculator four things: your height, your weight, your sleeping position (side, back or stomach) and your mattress firmness (soft, medium or firm). It then tells you how much filling to take out.
The pillow arrives full, so it starts at its highest. Taking filling out makes it lower and softer. Side sleepers usually keep more filling in than back or stomach sleepers, and the calculator takes that into account through your position and mattress. If you later find you want it higher, extra filling can be ordered separately.
What is in the pillow?
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Price | $89 per pillow; buy 2 pillows and get 10% off |
| Shipping | Free on all orders |
| Size | about 25 x 17 in (64 x 44 cm); fits a standard US pillowcase (20 x 26 in) |
| Filling | Premium memory foam flakes and polyester fibers |
| Inner cover | Polyester with a memory foam sheet: one firmer side and one softer side |
| Outer cover | Tencel and polyester blend, removable, machine washable at 40°C (104°F) |
| Not washable | Inner cover and filling |
| Extras | Storage bag for the removed filling, also used to travel with the pillow |
| Trial | 100 nights |
| Warranty | 5 years on material and production faults |
| Origin | Developed and produced in the Netherlands |
The inner cover has a firmer side and a softer side. Side sleepers can try both and keep the one that feels better under their head.
How do you adjust the pillow?
- Order the pillow. It arrives with all its filling, ready to adjust.
- Use the calculator. Once the pillow has arrived, open the calculator and enter your height in inches, your weight in pounds, your sleeping position and your mattress firmness.
- Take out the filling. Remove the recommended amount, using a kitchen scale. The calculator also shows the final weight of the pillow. Without a scale, a 200 ml (6.8 fl oz) glass holds about 50 g (1.8 oz) of filling.
- Keep the rest. Store the extra filling in the storage bag, so you can adjust again later if your mattress, your body or your preference changes.
You can read more about the pillow itself on the Yourzzz pillow page, or in the Yourzzz sleep guide.
What if it does not feel right?
Give your neck a few nights to get used to a new pillow. If it still does not suit you, you have 100 nights to decide. You can return the pillow for a refund to your original payment method, 5 to 7 business days after we receive it. There is no prepaid label, so return shipping is at your expense, and you need to include the return form. The FAQ covers the details.
Two limits are worth knowing. The warranty covers material and production faults, not normal wear or changes in firmness. And the inner cover and filling cannot be washed, so we advise replacing the pillow after 5 years at most for hygiene. Some people replace it every 3 years.
Ready to try a pillow that fits your side?
If you sleep on your side and have struggled to find a pillow at the right height, an adjustable pillow takes the guesswork out of buying. Order your Yourzzz pillow for $89 with free shipping, and try it for 100 nights.
After delivery
Once your pillow has arrived, open the calculator. It tells you how much filling to remove from the pillow you received, based on your height, weight, sleeping position and mattress firmness.