The last good thing in your day.

Most nights, the hardest part is not falling asleep. It is letting the day go. Beside is a scented hugging pillow made to hold, giving that transition a softer shape.

  • Scent that stays through the night
  • The hug your body waits for in bed
  • Nightly cue your body remembers
$129$149

Early supporter price

Limited-time $20 OFF • Start shipping on July 31st • Priority in line

Bedtime needs more than a moment

People use rituals to help the body leave the day behind: a bath, a stretch, a journal, a short meditation. None of that touches the stretch after, when the room finally goes quiet and your head can remain loud.

Beside keeps the ritual going, from lights out to morning.

Illustration of repeated bedtime cues helping the body learn a sleep ritual

Rituals help your body learn

Research suggests repeated bedtime cues can help your body get ready for sleep.*

Illustration showing common bedtime rituals ending before sleep fully arrives

Most rituals cannot stay

A bath drains. A journal closes. Meditation stops. But you may still be awake, and once sleep comes, the ritual does not stay with you.

* Source: Richard R. Bootzin, 1972, “Stimulus Control Treatment for Insomnia,” Proceedings of the 80th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

Three-step Beside bedtime ritual: tear open the scent, tuck it into the pillow, then hold the pillow through the night

Where scent meets softness, and the ritual begins.

Beside turns a small bedtime ritual into comfort that stays with you after the lights go off, in three simple steps.

  1. 01 Tear

    Tear open the scent that fits tonight’s mood, and let the day fade.

  2. 02 Tuck

    Tuck the scent insert inside the pillow, close to your body and your breath.

  3. 03 Hold

    Hold the pillow through the night, with soft support and a quiet scent around you.

Built for the nights you actually live in

From the scent insert to the washable cover, every detail is designed for nightly use. Easy to start, comfortable to hold, and simple to keep clean.

Scent insert shown with the Beside pillow pocket for one fresh insert per night

Scent that stays through the night

  • One new insert per night, four scents to choose from
  • Lasts through 8 hours of sleep, with each turn releasing a gentle wave of scent
  • Sealed inside the pillow pocket. No liquid, no leaking. Safe to breathe all night.
Side sleeper holding Beside with pressure relief and spine alignment comparison

Shaped to support side sleeping

  • Full-length design cradles your shoulder, hip, and knee
  • Keeps your spine aligned and reduces lower back strain
  • Relieves full-body pressure for deeper, more restful sleep
Beside pillow materials showing supportive fill, breathable fabric, and easy care details

Cool and easy to care for

  • Breathable cover and fill help prevent heat buildup
  • Removable, washable cover keeps nightly use clean and simple
  • Resilient fill holds its shape. No flattening, no clumping
Person holding Beside with scent insert shown as optional

Comfort with or without scent

  • Add a scent insert for a quiet, all-night ritual
  • Use the pillow on its own for pure, full-body comfort

Early testers love Beside

Built around real sleepers. Refined through rounds of honest feedback until Beside truly fit.

50+
Interviewed
17
Early testers
4
Prototype Iterations

“After a full day on my laptop, I usually bring all that tension into bed. Hugging this gave me something simple to settle into.”

Amara Osei, Product Manager, 29

“After getting two kids to bed, my brain is still running. Putting the scent piece in gives me a small moment where the day feels more finished.”

Maya Chen, NICU Nurse and Mom, 38

“Your Sweater is my favorite. I am using them faster than I planned, which is probably my fault.”

Yuki Tanaka, Graphic Designer, 31

“My husband hates pillow sprays because the smell goes everywhere. This stayed more on my side of the bed, so nobody complained.”

Priya Nair, Pharmacist, 36

“For the first few nights, it was just a nice smelling pillow. After about a week, I started to miss it when I forgot to use it.”

James Whitfield, Urban Planner, 42

“I used pillow sprays for years, but I would still pick up my phone right after. With this, I end up holding the pillow and pressing the small ball instead.”

Sofia Reyes, Former Sleep Spray User, 34

“Between Breaths is a bit strong right when I open it. After a few minutes, it gets softer. I like it better that way.”

Tariq Hassan, Architect, 39

“After long runs, I am very aware of my knees and hips at night. The pillow helped me get comfortable faster, and the scent made it feel less like recovery gear.”

Claudine Mbeki, Marathon Trainee, 33

“I travel a lot for work. Last week I packed a few scent pieces for a hotel stay without thinking much about it. That probably says enough.”

Danny Chung, Sales Manager, 37

“It is not that deep. I sleep better with it, so I keep using it.”

Rosie Fitzgerald, Nurse, 45

Beside Vs. Candle

Beside Candle
Safety

Nothing to extinguish.

Open flame.

Scent Duration

Every time you shift, a fresh release. Your movement resets it all night.

Your nose stops noticing it in 20 minutes.

Intensity

Close to you. Gentle. Only where you sleep.

Fills the whole room.

What’s included in the starter kit

01

Beside hugging pillow

41" × 12" full-body side-sleep support.

02

Removable pillow cover

Extra pillow covers can be purchased separately, with three color options.

03

30-night scent inserts

Your pick of four scents.

$129$149

Early supporter price

Limited-time $20 OFF • Start shipping on July 31st • Priority in line

Starter Kit with hugging pillow and scent insert box

Pillow-only and scent refill packs will be available at launch

Pillow-only product

Pillow-only

Full-length ergonomic hugging pillow with a cooling, skin-soft cover and airy fill.

Four scent refill pack boxes

Scent refill packs

Refill packs of 30 scent inserts. Four calming scents to match your mood.

For every night. In every room.

Couple in bed with Beside pillow

For couples

One pillow. Two scent options. No arguments.

Child hugging the Beside hugging pillow

For kids

Pick a scent, lights off. They actually go to sleep.

Gift-wrapped Beside pillow

For gifting

The thing to get the friend who can’t sleep.

Person holding Beside pillow at 2am

For light sleepers

It’s 2am. The scent is still there.

Beside pillow in a hotel room

For a new place

New room. Same pillow. You know where you are.

Beside pillow on couch during daytime

Not just for bedroom

For wherever you nap or relax.

Born from sleepless nights, made for the people closest to us.

I build products for a living, but for more than ten years, I struggled to find a way to sleep peacefully myself. I could hold it together all day, then lie awake at night — exhausted, wired, and unable to settle.

I started Beside because I wanted to make something quiet and physical. A hugging pillow you could reach for without thinking, hold close, and look forward to coming back to every night.

Biying Qu FOUNDER & CEO OF Beside Biying Qu, founder of Beside

Every detail refined, shaped by people who feel it too.

  1. Nov. 2025Design
  2. FebruaryPrototype
  3. AprilUser test
  4. MayIterate
  5. JunePre-order
  6. July 11thMass Production
  7. July 31stPre-order ship
  8. Late AugustRegular ship
Design sketchesComfort tested from the first shape.
Early prototypesFirst working forms refined through real use.
Sample choicesMaterials, support and scale refined together.
User testingFeedback decides what stays.

FAQ

Is this product available now?

No. Beside is still in development. By pre-ordering today, you help us plan production more carefully, lock your spot in line, and get $20 off during early access. Pre-orders are scheduled to ship on July 31st, with regular orders expected to ship in late August, subject to final testing and production timelines. If specs, pricing, delivery timing, or form factor change significantly, we’ll notify you before charging the remaining balance. If you don’t approve the changes, your deposit will be fully refunded.

Is the deposit refundable?

Yes. The $10 deposit is fully refundable. You can request a full refund any time before we confirm your balance order and charge the remaining balance. Refunds are processed within 3 business days.

Who’s behind Beside?

Beside is built by a small founder team. Our team includes graduates of the University of Virginia psychology program and Purdue University engineering program, with years of experience at Fortune 500 companies and well known innovative startups.

We started Beside from lived experience as side sleepers, a background in psychology and product design, and long conversations with people about how their bodies and minds actually feel in bed. We work with established bedding manufacturers who already produce for global brands, and we only charge the remaining balance after you’ve seen and approved the final specs and timing before shipping.

Is this only for side sleepers?

Beside is shaped for people who like holding a pillow at night, especially side sleepers. The scent insert also works as a small bedtime cue, so you can use it for reading, lounging, or winding down even if you do not sleep on your side all night.

Will this help me fall asleep faster?

Beside is not a sleep aid or medication, and it will not make you sleepy. It gives your mind something simple to settle on, a gentle scent and something soft to hold, while you relax and prepare for sleep. Some people may fall asleep faster. Some just feel calmer in bed. Neither is guaranteed.

Will it take up too much space in bed?

Beside is 41" x 12", so it is designed to provide full-body side-sleep support without taking over a queen bed. It works well for solo sleepers and can also fit comfortably in many shared beds.

Is there an extra cost for shipping?

Shipping details will be confirmed before launch. You will see the final shipping cost, delivery options, and estimated arrival time before placing an order.

How long does the scent last?

About 8 hours. The scent is strongest right after you tuck the insert in, then gradually fades to a lighter level. When you shift or turn during sleep, it briefly releases again. By morning it’s mostly gone, and that’s when you swap in a new one.

Is it safe to breathe all night? I’m sensitive to smells.

Yes. The insert sits inside the pillow pocket, not against your face. The scent that reaches you is low-level, designed for passive, all-night exposure, not a strong concentrated hit.

Do I have to use a scent insert every night?

No. The pillow works on its own. Use inserts on nights you want the scent, skip them when you don’t. There’s no minimum.

Is Beside a pregnancy pillow?

No. Beside is a straight, full length hugging pillow. It is not C shaped or U shaped. It’s made for anyone who sleeps better holding something. If you’re pregnant and considering it, all scent insert ingredients are listed on every pack. Check with your doctor before use.

Is it safe for pets?

Our launch scents don’t include known pet-toxic oils such as concentrated tea tree or certain citrus extracts. The full ingredient list is on every insert pack. Keep inserts away from pets, and don’t let them chew on the packaging.

Better sleep starts with a quiet cue your body remembers.

$129$149

Early supporter price

Limited-time $20 OFF • Start shipping on July 31st • Priority in line