Are contour 'cervical' pillows actually better for side sleeping?

It's split. Some reviewers and chiropractor-adjacent threads on r/Chiropractic argue that fixed contour shapes don't fit every neck and can cause new pain; others (including r/sleep threads on the Osteo-style pillow) say the cutout cradle finally fixed their alignment. The honest answer is that contour pillows work better when their notch height matches your specific shoulder width.