Dreams Side Sleeper Pillow review: A comfortable 4 stars

The Dreams Side Sleeper Pillow is a must-have if you sleep on your side with a premium feel and comfortable filling. Caramel Quin reviews for all you need to know.

Having one of the best pillows for side sleepers can make all the difference to your night's sleep in this position. But finding the right one among all the top-quality best pillows out there can be difficult - as I often find, one pillow is not enough and two is too many. Luckily, there are good options specially designed for sleepers like us.

The boxy shape of the Dreams Side Sleeper Pillow is reminiscent of the Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow. In theory, it costs a little more, but in practice, it was reduced from £25 to £15 online at the time of writing, so look out for bargains. It’s UK-made and very good value.

Dreams Side Sleeper Pillow review

Specifications

• RRP: £25
• Size: 40x60x10cm
• Sleep position: Side
• Filling: Hollowfibre
• Firmness: Firm
• Trial: None
• Guarantee: 1 year

First impressions of the Dreams Side Sleeper Pillow

My first impression of the Dreams Side Sleeper Pillow was one of surprise - at £25, it's not the cheapest pillow around but it's still undoubtedly a budget-friendly pillow (especially if you can find it in the sale). Yet, it has a real premium feel before you've even put it into a pillowcase.

The Dreams Side Sleeper Pillow is filled with hollow fibre, giving it has a light, springy, and cushioned feel. When pressed with head or hand, it softens under the weight but is firmer than other pillows I've tried designed for side sleepers, so your head ends up higher off the mattress. For me, a side sleeper, this was a good sign.

The pillow has a deep-walled design, meaning it's the shape of a cuboid with flat edges on every side. On seeing this, I was initially sceptical - my first two nights with the Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow still lingered in the back of my mind. I was pleasantly surprised when I woke up on the first morning.

What is the Dreams Side Sleeper Pillow like to use?

While sometimes I find it takes a couple of sleeps to get used to the feeling of a new pillow, that wasn't the case here. From the first night, the Dreams Side Sleeper Pillow felt firm, fitting nicely into the space between my head and neck. It offered enough support to keep my spine aligned while I was asleep on my side and kept its shape all night. What more can you ask for?

I'm also someone who pivots to sleeping on their back during the night sometimes - and I found this pillow was also perfectly fine for this too, supporting the back of my neck in the same way.

However, when I woke up in the morning, I did notice the pillow felt warm against my head. Given that I've been testing these pillows in the transitional period between summer and autumn, this gave me a good idea of how the pillow would fair in the warmer months - and 'not great' was the conclusion I came to. If you're a warm sleeper or struggle with night sweats in menopause, this may not be a good option for you. Instead, try one of the best cooling pillows.

How does the Dreams Side Sleeper Pillow compare?

My closest point of comparison is the Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow, which I tested a few nights before this one. Comparatively, this pillow from Dreams wins out. At 16cm in depth, it's thicker than the Snuggledown and much firmer, offering better support to keep my spine aligned during the night. Waking up on my first morning with the Snuggledown, I experienced some pain between my shoulder blades and it took a couple of nights before it became comfortable, so I consigned the pillow to the guest bedroom. Not with the Dreams Side Sleeper Pillow.

This is a good, affordable buy. If you like using a single pillow that works well for side-sleeping. It’s also worth considering the Slumberdown Super Support Firmer Pillow though, which is squishier, so you need one pillow if you’re a back-sleeper and two as a side-sleeper.

At £25, this isn't the cheapest pillow I've had, but it's relatively budget-friendly for what you get. If you're happy to spend a little more, my favourites are the Simba Hybrid Firm Pillow and the Bensons for Beds iGel Side Sleeper Deep Pillow.

If you suffer from neck pain, you might be better suited to a thinner option though - perhaps one of the best pillows for neck pain.

Should you buy the Dreams Side Sleeper Pillow?

Yes, the Dreams Side Sleeper is hard to fault. At under £30, it's an inexpensive option compared to others on the market offering similar quality and support. It's also very comfortable from the first night, thanks to the premium filling and 230 thread count cover.

There are hi-tech pillows you might love even more - and it’s a shame that the Dreams doesn’t come with a free trial period - but it’s great value and will work well for most people.