Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow review: Hotel-level luxe but a bit thin for every night

There's nothing more luxurious than the feeling of laying your head on a hotel pillow. Now, imagine having that premium feel and comfort at home. Enter, the Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow.

This deep-walled pillow has been designed for side-sleepers. It uses hollow fibre - a synthetic polyester material made from hollow thin strands - for a plush feeling and pillow that springs back into shape when you lift your head. What's more, it's anti-allergenic, machine washable, and can even be tumble dried - and this practicality is exactly why you’ll find this pick of the best pillows for side sleepers in hotels.

It's also one of the more affordable options in our round-up of the best pillows overall. At the time of writing, it was £19.99 for one and £29.9 for two pillows - even more of a bargain. Having tested this pillow for several weeks, here's what I learnt.

Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow review

Specifications

• RRP: £19.99, two for £29.99
• Size: 38x64x17cm
• Sleep position: Side, back
• Filling: Hollow fibre
• Firmness: Firm
• Trial: None
• Guarantee: 1 year

First impressions of the Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow

When I first opened the Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow, I immediately noticed that it was boxier than other side-sleeper pillows I've had before. Luckily, it still fits in a standard pillowcase without too much of a struggle, but it's deep-filled with hollow fibre, making for a thick, bulbous pillow, perfect for side-sleepers like myself.

I was impressed with the eco-credentials of this pillow too, being made in Lancashire in a zero-to-landfill factory.

The pillow has a deep-wall construction, meaning it has all flat edges rather than one seam joining the top and bottom cover, giving it a cuboid shape. This felt super plush from the moment I put it on my bed but usefully, for appearances if nothing else, when you push it down with your head or hand, it bounces right back up again. So, no need to spend ages fluffing your pillows in the morning.

What's it like to use?

The plush feel of the Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow certainly evokes posh hotels - but I was initially disappointed. The first two nights I used it, I woke up feeling sore in my upper back between the shoulder blades. As a side sleeper, it felt like the pillow wasn't fat or firm enough to keep my spine in a straight line.

It’s guilty of that classic pillow problem: one pillow’s not enough and two’s too many. For me, it didn’t feel quite right for side or back-sleeping.

That said, after day three, the ache was gone and I settled into liking the pillow. I didn’t love it - hence my 3.5-star review. Some pillows, you lie on them and you just don’t want to have to get up (trust me, this is a challenge when testing pillows). This isn’t one of them - but I did warm to it at least.

My favourite thing about this pillow is its plush feel. With the 230 thread count cotton cover (sustainably sourced through the Better Cotton initiative), it's rightly billed as a 'hotel' pillow. It feels luxurious: posh, plump and premium.

Practically, it’s also great that the whole pillow is machine-washable at 40° and can be tumble-dried. Plus, being hollow fibre, the materials in the pillow are unlikely to cause allergies to any visiting guests in your home.

How does the Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow compare?

By the end of my third night, I had few complaints about this pillow but everything it offered was done a bit better by the Dreams Side Sleeper Pillow, which is a similar style and can be found for a similar price. Of the two, I'd go for the latter.

It's also worth considering the Slumberdown Super Support Firmer Pillow. This one is squishier though, so you need one if you’re a back-sleeper and two if you’re a side-sleeper.

If your budget is bigger, my absolute favourites are the Simba Hybrid Firm Pillow and the Bensons for Beds iGel Side Sleeper Deep Pillow for their luxurious feel and support to match. It was a 5-star experience from the first night with these pillows.

Should you buy the Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow?

In my opinion, the Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow will be a worthwhile buy if you find a thinner pillow works for you as a side sleeper. There's also no denying it feels hotel-level luxe and is a versatile buy for different sleeping positions, making it a great buy for the guest bedroom.

If you're on a limited budget or looking to give your guests a decent option, the Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow is worth buying. Although, I found this pillow to be a bit thin for strict side or back sleepers so I'd only recommend it to those who vary between the two positions.