Likely match
Lift
Higher support for everyday side sleepers
- Loft @ 50 N
- 110 mm
- Firmness (IFD25)
- 65–75 N
- Family
- side
Next pick if Lift feels off: Lift Plus.
Custom pillow · Side sleeper
A custom pillow tuned to how side sleepers actually sleep.
Higher loft to fill the shoulder gap, supportive enough to hold height through the night, and matched to your mattress feel — not a generic side-sleeper label.
Measured pillow heightMade in Canada90-day fit trial
Quick answer
Most side sleepers sit between 100 mm and 125 mm of measured pillow height under a 50 N load (about the weight of an average head). The exact number depends on shoulder width, mattress softness, and whether you sleep with an arm under the pillow. Maple's fit logic uses those signals to land on a specific profile rather than a vague "side sleeper" recommendation.
The problem
Why most pillows fail side sleepers
Side sleeping creates the largest gap between your head and the mattress of any sleep position. A generic medium pillow either collapses overnight (your head drifts toward the mattress) or stays too tall (chin pinned forward). Both end the same way: shoulder pressure, neck stiffness, and an arm slipping under the pillow as a workaround.
- Goes flat after the first hour — no support left when it matters most
- Too low for broad shoulders — the head drops, the neck twists
- Too tall for soft mattresses — the head is propped above the spine line
- Adjustable fills shift overnight and need re-shaping every few days
- Soft mattress → less loft (your shoulder sinks, head sits lower)
- Firm mattress → more loft (the shoulder doesn't sink, gap is wider)
- Broad shoulders → +10 mm of recommended height
- Arm-under-pillow habit → typically signals you're already 6–8 mm too low
- Combination side/back → bias toward a profile that holds shape across position changes
Fit logic
How the recommendation actually changes
Maple's fit logic doesn't just file you under "side sleeper." Six inputs change the recommended height: micro-position, shoulder breadth, mattress firmness, neck length, body frame, and any current habits like arm-under-pillow.
Recommended profile
Recommended profile
The Lift profile is Maple's everyday side-sleeper match — taller loft, balanced firmness, and a measured height that holds across the night rather than collapsing by the second hour. If you're broader through the shoulders or sleep on a firmer mattress, the Lift Plus profile adds height in 8 mm increments.
Profile: Loft: medium-high · Feel: medium-firm · Best for: dedicated side sleepers and side/combo sleepers who want consistent shoulder-gap fill
See the Lift profileWhat to avoid
What to avoid
- Down or down-alternative pillows that lose half their loft within an hour
- Adjustable shredded-foam pillows if you don't want to re-fluff every few days
- Cervical contour pillows shaped for back sleeping — the contour won't track on your side
- Stacking two pillows — neither is structurally right and both shift overnight
Frequently asked
Side sleeper questions, answered.
What pillow height do most side sleepers need?
For an average-shoulder side sleeper on a medium mattress, the Maple fit target lands around 100–110 mm of measured height under a 50 N load. Broader shoulders or a firmer mattress push that target up to 118–125 mm. Narrower shoulders or a softer mattress push it down to 90–100 mm.
I always put my arm under my pillow. What does that mean?
It almost always means your current pillow is too low for your sleep position. Your arm is filling a gap your pillow should already cover. The Maple quiz treats arm-under sleeping as a +6–8 mm signal toward a taller profile.
Should side sleepers use a firm or soft pillow?
Firm enough to hold the loft you need overnight — soft enough that it conforms to the head and isn't a hard block under the ear. Maple's side-sleeper profiles target IFD25 in the 65–90 N range, which feels supportive without being rigid.
Does mattress softness affect which side-sleeper pillow I need?
Yes — and this is one of the least obvious things about pillow fit. A softer mattress lets the shoulder sink more, which raises the head relative to the spine. That changes how much height the pillow needs to provide. The fit quiz adjusts the recommended profile by ±8 mm depending on whether you sleep on a soft, medium, or firm mattress.
Ready to confirm the fit?
The fit quiz takes about 60 seconds.
Eight inputs, one specific match, a 90-day fit trial if it isn't right.