Side Sleeping best pillows

My personal favorite https://seatosummit.com/products/aeros-pillow-ultra-light Kinda pricey but worth it I think.

I also tried the exped ultralight pillow. It was not very comfortable at all. https://www.exped.com/en/products/pillows/ultra-pillow

Never used Klymit but they do not look comfy.

Side sleepers should measure from shoulder to head and the perfect pillow, should it exist, will support your head in a level plane to the ground. Good luck with that. :)

To be more helpful, the Aeros premium/ plush can’t remember is  pretty sweet at a weight penalty. 3 -4 oz range. If you’re gonna do all that get the pillow cover and really impress her.

+1 on the sea to summit aeros ultralite.  I’m a side sleeper and have used it for 3 years now and couldn’t be happier.

I shove a big sky dream sleeper into a stuff sack with whatever clothes I don’t have on. Blowing it up to fit.

shoes wedged under sleeping pad + clothes and minimal inflatable pillow (dreamsleeper or nemo fillo inner) inside stuff sack wrapped in a buff

I found my Hyperlite Mountain Gear Small Pack Pod filled with clothes and a buff for a pillow case works well for me.

I’ve used the exped UL pillow and it works OK. Is the sea to summit that much better? They look similar to me. If it is, I may have to try it.

 Is the sea to summit that much better?

I’ve used an Exped UL for years, and been happy with it.  However, I recently decided to “upgrade” to an Aeros Premium.  Turns out I can’t stand it, so I gave it to my son and kept the Exped.  I know I am in the minority, but just noting that, as with most things, there is a lot of personal preference involved in what is “better”.

Montbell has a pillow with 4.7″ of loft… https://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?p_id=1124730

David is not alone. I love the Exped UL. I found the Aeros very uncomfortable.

Over time found a pillow around 5″ thick works best for me. Used the Exped UL for  while, but the tapered thickness caused a stiff neck sometimes. The Aeros Premium proved to be most comfortable as I can let just a bit of air out so it cradles by big head.

My vote goes to the Big Sky Dreamsleeper Ultralight slipped into a buff.  I like that the material is a bit stretchy which seems to mimic a soft down or foam pillow. Last one lasted 3 years.  Cheap too!  Currently available for $18.75.

I use the X-large size Exped air pillow (burnt orange color) it is the thickest I could find. But I did an internet search for it and it appears that they have stopped making it. Darn! I find all air pillows are good at adding support, but they are hard as a rock to seep on. So, I have to cover the air pillow with something soft. I warp the air pillow in a fleece jacket and add a piece of open cell foam between the pillow and the fleece jacket. That way I get support, and at least some softness.

but they are hard as a rock to seep on

Ah, but that is where the dreamsleeper is different.  The stretchiness of the material makes it very soft and comfortable.

Where can you find a new Dream Sleeper? I’ve been unsuccessful with Big Sky International.

Update….looks like itis available on Amazon.

I am a side sleeper and I am still yet to find anything even remotely on the same plane of comfortability as my Small Thermarest Compressible at 7.5oz (216g).  I call it my luxury item and enjoy my great trail sleep.

I’m a side sleeper that also gets ear pain and struggle with pillows even at home. I’ve done pretty well with the Aeros, but only inflated probably 40% (with rain gear under pad to prop my head up). I also take a small piece of very light and fluffy fleece fabric I got from a fabric store and tie that onto the pillow with a bit of string, which provides the cushioning my ears need to make it through the night. It’s actually quite cozy.

I’m a side sleeper with diagnosed degenerative disc disorder in my neck. I am very picky about pillows. I purchased a Big Sky pillow from the link posted above which arrived yesterday and I slept on it very comfortably last night with a buff pulled over it on my bed at home. I’m impressed.

You might like this.

MYOG, 2.6oz Neck Pillow (74g) – Backpacking Light

I can’t seem to share a link but it’s a new post in Make Your Own Gear.

Matthew K – Hope you find the DS pillow as effective as I have.  Far and away the best pillow solution for me.

Tim, just copy the link, then paste it into your message

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/myog-2-6oz-neck-pillow/

or, you can click that link ikon, I wonder what that does :)

Thanks Jerry. I tried that and for some reason it wasn’t working.

Maybe I wasn’t holding my mouth right.

Side sleeper here. Been using an Exped air pillow for many, many years. At first I was unhappy with it (and others) because they moved around during the night — one very windy night when I was sleeping under the stars it blew away and I found it about 100 yards away.

Since then I use some cord and cord locks to secure it to my air pad — happy sleeper now.

Below is a picture (neither the pad nor the pillow is inflated)