Nasal strips vs anti-snoring pillow: which one fits your snoring?

Nasal strips and anti-snoring pillows go after two different causes of snoring. A nasal strip works on your nose: its springy band lifts the sides open so air moves through more easily. An anti-snoring pillow works on position: it tilts your head, keeps you on your side or raises your upper body. If your nose feels blocked or narrow at night, start with strips. If you snore mostly on your back, a pillow or wedge makes more sense. Plenty of snorers have a bit of both, and the two are easy to use together.

What does each one target?

Each one targets a different place where snoring starts. The NHS explains that snoring happens when parts of the airway in the nose, mouth or throat relax, narrow and vibrate as you breathe, and it matches treatments to the cause.

For snoring from blocked or narrow airways in the nose, the NHS lists nasal dilators or strips that hold the nose open, along with decongestants or nasal sprays. For people who snore on their back, it suggests sleeping on your side, with help from a special pillow or bed wedge, or the old trick of a tennis ball stitched to the back of your sleepwear.

Cleveland Clinic covers both routes too. It says back sleepers are more likely to snore than side sleepers, and that congestion from allergies and colds can block airflow. Its tips include a snore-reducing pillow that keeps your head in position, raising your head during sleep and wearing nasal strips, flexible bands that stick to the outside of the nose to help keep the nasal passages open.

So the question isn't really which product is better. It's which problem you have. Our guide to reasons you snore goes through the common causes.

What does the research say about nasal strips?

The research on nasal strips is clearest about what they do to the nose. In a 1998 study in Laryngoscope, researchers measured noses with and without an external nasal dilator in 51 people with healthy noses, 33 with congestion from swollen nasal linings and 28 with a deviated septum near the nasal valve. The dilator widened the narrowest part of the nose and lowered nasal resistance in all three groups, with the biggest effect in the deviated septum group. People with swollen linings measured better but didn't feel much clearer.

For snoring itself, the best evidence is in people whose noses are part of the problem. A 2000 randomized trial in the European Respiratory Journal tested a nasal strip in 12 nonobese people with chronic rhinitis who snored but didn't have sleep apnea. Nights with the real strip averaged about 173 snores an hour, compared with about 258 with a placebo strip. It didn't change how loud the snoring was or measured sleep quality.

Strips have also helped how people feel about their sleep. In a 2018 placebo-controlled trial of 59 people with chronic nighttime congestion and sleep difficulties, strips with springs improved some self-reported measures, including satisfaction with sleep at day 7 and symptoms on waking, compared with strips without springs.

The limits are worth knowing. A 2016 meta-analysis in Pulmonary Medicine found that nasal dilators improved nasal breathing but didn't improve sleep apnea measures, apart from a mild drop in the apnea index with internal dilators. In people with sleep apnea, it found no significant change in the snoring index either. See do nasal strips help snoring? for more on who tends to notice a difference.

What does the research say about anti-snoring pillows?

Anti-snoring pillows have a small but encouraging set of studies behind them. In a 2017 randomized crossover study in Sleep and Breathing, 22 snorers with a BMI of 30 or under, all screened to rule out sleep apnea, used a pillow that changes head position. Twenty finished the study. The sleep lab results showed a significant drop in the snoring index with the pillow switched on, and bed partners reported significantly less snoring. Every participant found the pillow acceptable. One author's listed affiliations include a company that distributes anti-snoring products, which is worth keeping in mind.

A 2024 systematic review in the Journal of Personalized Medicine pulled together studies on positional devices, including anti-snoring pillows and vibration alarms, and on raising the head of the bed. It found that both approaches can reduce snoring by widening the airway and making it less likely to collapse. It also called them cost-effective options that can be tried early. The review flagged two limits: some people find certain positions uncomfortable, and many can't tolerate having their head and trunk raised steeply for long. It noted that no studies yet compare positional devices with raising the head of the bed, and called for larger controlled trials.

Our full guide to anti-snoring pillows covers the different pillow types in more detail.

How do nasal strips and anti-snoring pillows compare?

Here's how the two compare side by side.

Who should start with nasal strips?

Nasal strips suit people whose snoring seems to start in the nose. Signs include a nose that feels stuffy or tight at night, snoring that gets worse with colds or allergies, and waking up with a dry mouth because you ended up breathing through it.

Strips also make sense if you snore in every position, since a strip works whether you're on your back or your side. They're easy to try on any night and easy to take with you. If that sounds like you, our pick is TitanAir Nasal Strips, covered below.

Who should start with an anti-snoring pillow?

An anti-snoring pillow suits people who snore much more on their back. Cleveland Clinic suggests bringing your partner to a snoring appointment for their insight, or using an app or a noise-activated voice recorder that tracks your snoring. If the snoring drops when you roll onto your side, position is a big part of your problem.

A wedge that raises the head and trunk together is closer to what the head-of-bed research tested than stacking extra pillows under your head. Start with a gentle incline. The 2024 review notes that inclines steeper than about 35 degrees may be hard to sleep on for long.

Can you use nasal strips and an anti-snoring pillow together?

You can use nasal strips and an anti-snoring pillow together, and for many snorers the combination makes sense. They don't overlap: the strip widens the front of your nose, and the pillow changes the position of your head and airway. If your nose is stuffy and you also snore more on your back, using only one leaves half the problem untouched.

No study has tested the two together, so treat it as an experiment. Change one thing at a time for a few nights, record your snoring, and see what each piece adds.

If your mouth also falls open while you sleep, mouth tape is a third piece that keeps the lips gently closed once your nose is clear enough to breathe through all night. Titan says its TitanAir Nasal Strips are designed to pair with its mouth tape. Try our nose test first, and read mouth tape and nasal strips together. We don't recommend mouth tape for children.

When should you see a doctor?

See a doctor if your snoring is loud and comes with other symptoms, or if nothing you try makes a difference. The NHS says to see a GP if your breathing stops and starts while you sleep, you make gasping, snorting or choking noises, or you always feel very tired during the day, since these can be signs of sleep apnoea. It also suggests seeing a GP if lifestyle changes aren't helping your snoring or it's having a big impact on your or your partner's life.

Snoring that only happens on your back can still be sleep apnea, so a pillow that quiets you down isn't proof that all is well. Our guides to positional sleep apnea and snoring vs. sleep apnea explain the difference. A nose that's blocked most nights, or always on one side, is worth having checked too. If you're pregnant and snoring or stuffy at night, ask your midwife or doctor before trying new products.

Our pick (paid partner): TitanAir Nasal Strips

For the nose side of this comparison, our pick is TitanAir Nasal Strips. We don't recommend a pillow brand, and we haven't tested or ranked nasal strips ourselves. This is our recommendation, based on how Titan describes its strips.

Titan describes them as drug-free external nasal dilators with flexible spring-loaded bands. They go just above the flare of the nostrils, on the soft part of the nose rather than the bony bridge, on clean, dry skin without moisturizer. To take one off, Titan suggests loosening it with warm water and peeling slowly from the ends inward. Titan says they're designed to pair with its mouth tape, so you can add tape later if your mouth falls open.

Titan says its strips are third-party tested and certified PFAS-free, and they come with a 30-night guarantee that refunds you if your sleep isn't better after 30 nights. They work alongside a positioning pillow or wedge if you snore on your back too.

Read next

• Do anti-snoring pillows work?
• How nasal strips work, and when they help most
• How to stop snoring

* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.