Body pillows have grown a lot in popularity in recent years. People all sleep in their own unique position with their own preferences, and one pillow shape does not fit the needs of everyone! We’ve written our guide on the best body pillow to help you choose what is best for you. This isn’t just about personal preference though, and although some of us may buy a body pillow because we like the way they feel or to improve our sleep quality in general, they are positive among people who experience pain or discomfort in sleeping. Sleeping disorders are developed in uncomfortable nights, and many of those who experience neck or back pain or even those who are pregnant can struggle with sleep without a proper body pillow.
These types of pillow come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, so it is not a case of being able to just recommend one product for everyone. Our team have taken into account a wide variety of the features which the top body pillows tend to have in common, looking into the things that make a pillow great including the shape and size, the weight and filling of the products and even the warranty they come with. We also look into factors of ability to wash a pillow + case in a machine and features that can improve sleeping experience for the user. As a result, our Editor’s Choice is the Daitore 59-Inch U-Shaped Full Body Pillow.
More features: removable crystal velvet cover, two-piece set
Pregnancy puts extra strain on the back, hips and joints, and a full-size U-shaped pillow is the simplest way to take care of all of them at once. At 59 inches long and 29.5 inches wide, this one runs from behind the shoulders around to the belly, so you get back support and bump support without stacking up two or three separate pillows.
The crystal velvet cover is removable, and the pillow comes as a two-piece set that gives cushioning to both mother and baby. After the birth it works as a nursing pillow, which makes it easier to justify the room it takes up on the bed.
More features: removable double zipper cover included
This is another pillow, which is popular among expecting mothers, but it makes it into our list not just for this but for the fact that it is excellent for back pain, which is another reason a lot of people turn to body pillows. It is great for the shape of a pregnant mom, but it is also perfect for all variety of sleepers and body shapes, you certainly don’t have to be a pregnant woman to get the most out of it.
This is a really versatile pillow and the product description has numerous photographs of the pillow being used in different positions, you can use it for everything from improving your circulation to providing excellent head support and of course for helping you to get a good nights sleep with back pain, whether chronic or temporary.
The luxury velvet finish is nice to the touch, and an added bonus is the fact that it can be washed in a washing machine which some of the other velvet pillows on the market cannot. Once again it is just a simple zipper design which allows you to remove the cover and put it in the washing machine. It is also available in a number of different colors to suit the room in which you plan to use it.
A look at what other customers have said will show how widely respected this pillow is, it feels great and gives so much support for the user.
More features: jersey cotton cover, separate zippers on the outer and inner cases, machine washable
The INSEN curves around you from head to feet, so a side sleeper gets head, back, hip and leg support out of a single pillow rather than building a nest from three of them. The high-density fiber filling is designed to stay smooth instead of bunching up under your weight, which is what keeps the support consistent through the night.
The shape is flexible enough to fold into a wedge when you want to prop a leg up while reading or watching TV, and both the jersey cotton outer cover and the lining have their own zippers, so the whole thing is quick to strip and machine wash.
More features: CertiPUR-US certified, hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant, 40%/60% viscose bamboo/polyester blend cover
The Coop Home Goods Body Pillow is very different to a lot of the different products on our list, and has a very clever design. It is extremely adjustable, and the gel-infused memory foam material means you can shape it to the body type you have or the preferred shape to offer the most support for your body. This also means that if you have any sort of ailments such as back pain then you can easily create a shape which gives you support in the ideal places for your own body.
This is also created with interesting materials, with a Rayon derived from bamboo creating the feel of this pillow. It is also made to be hypoallergenic and even resistant to dust mites. The material is also economically responsible and renewable which not many of the other pillows can boast.
The other huge benefit is that the whole pillow can be put into the washing machine. Many body pillows have machine washable covers but not all of them can be thrown into the machine without having to worry about taking any covers off. Simply wash, take it out, let it dry and it is ready to go again.
The Coop Home Goods Body Pillow is very different to a lot of the different products on our list, and has a very clever design. It is extremely adjustable, and the gel-infused memory foam material means you can shape it to the body type you have or the preferred shape to offer the most support for your body. This also means that if you have any sort of ailments such as back pain then you can easily create a shape which gives you support in the ideal places for your own body.
This is also created with interesting materials, with a Rayon derived from bamboo creating the feel of this pillow. It is also made to be hypoallergenic and even resistant to dust mites. The material is also economically responsible and renewable which not many of the other pillows can boast.
The other huge benefit is that the whole pillow can be put into the washing machine. Many body pillows have machine washable covers but not all of them can be thrown into the machine without having to worry about taking any covers off. Simply wash, take it out, let it dry and it is ready to go again.
More features: 43% viscose of bamboo, 56.4% polyester, 0.6 % lycra cover included, fully machine washable, CertiPUR-US certified, hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant
The Snuggle-Pedic Body Pillow is another pillow which is excellent in terms of being able to mold to your body shape and in the process give the proper orthopaedic support whether you sleep on your front or your back. This orthopaedic support allows you to create a shield for targeted areas of discomfort, so if you have a pain in your hip you can find an adequate position to let you sleep in peace and get less discomfort than you otherwise would and even aid you with healing after hip surgery or long term pain.
This is another dust mite proof body pillow and is hypoallergenic so even if you suffer with allergies you can utilize this product. It is not only great for people who have experienced pain, it is comfortable for people who are looking for a body pillow for any reason, and can be a good option for pregnancy and just for giving a huge amount of support while you sleep and relax.
It is fully machine washable, so no messing around taking off covers and doing these separately, you can just throw the whole thing in.
The warranty the manufacturers offer is simply not rivalled in the industry, as a 20 year warranty and a 90 day money back guarantee means that you are protected when you purchase.
More features: removable crystal velvet cover, machine washable and dryer safe
The Daitore is a 70-inch U-shaped pillow, and that length is exactly why it earns a place on this list. Most of us only snore in one specific position, and for most people that position is flat on the back, so a pillow that closes around you from both sides makes it much harder to drift back there in your sleep.
The closed end supports your head, neck and shoulders while the two arms take your back and your legs, which means you settle into a side position and stay in it without having to think about it. At 7.18 pounds it has enough weight to stay put on the mattress instead of sliding off, and the velvet cover pulls off for a machine wash whenever it needs one.
More features: cool-to-touch cover, doubles as nursing and post-surgery support
The 60-inch U-shape runs the full length of your body, so there is room for you and a child or a partner to settle in on either side while reading or watching TV. The silky cover is cool to the touch and machine washable, which matters on a pillow that gets passed around the house.
Filling can be added or taken out through the zip in the cover, so you can firm up the side you lean on and leave the rest softer. It ships vacuum packed, so give it about 72 hours to fluff back up before you judge the support.
More features: hypoallergenic and machine washable cotton cover included
Now on to one very good option if you are on a budget. Though this may not have as many features as some of its competitors this has some advantages too. The Meiz Full Body Pregnancy Pillow is not just affordable but it is also one of the largest pillows on the market, great if you are taller than most.
Though it is marketed as a pregnancy pillow, plenty have purchased this just for helping with their sleeping, and the clever design is great for helping with side sleeping. The design is good for pregnancy and helps with back and spine positioning when you are carrying a baby.
Generally this pillow gets a big thumbs up in terms of its usability and flexibility, but it may not be as great for some of the shorter users out there. On top of this, many people have said that this is one of the tougher body pillows to clean, getting the cover off and then putting it through the machine before putting it back on can be really difficult, and when you compare this to some of the other products which are very simple, it is definitely a consideration.
More features: feather free filling, soft cover that will not itch
This is a novelty product first and foremost, but it is a surprisingly good pillow underneath the joke. The body is shaped like a torso with one arm stretched out, so you can tuck yourself into the crook of it and rest your head against the shoulder.
The filling is cotton fiber rather than feathers, and the soft T-shirt style cover is made not to itch against bare skin. It is a companion pillow rather than an orthopedic one, so if you need pregnancy support or help with a specific pain problem, one of the contoured picks in this roundup will serve you better.
More features: supports head, back, hips, belly and legs at once, also usable for reading, resting and nursing
The QUEEN ROSE Extra Long is built around the same idea as any good U-shaped pillow, which is that one piece of bedding should support your head, back, hips, belly and legs at once instead of you stacking three ordinary pillows to get comfortable. At 65 x 31 x 7 inches it is long enough for taller sleepers, and the U shape wraps around you from both sides so you can settle on either one.
The cover is 100% cotton sateen, breathable and soft against the skin, and it goes in the washing machine when it needs cleaning, which makes the pillow easy to use away from the bed as well, propped on the sofa for reading, watching TV or nursing. One thing worth knowing is that it ships vacuum packed, so allow it around 72 hours to loft back up to full size and shape after you unpack it.
More features: machine washable, reinforced stitching, hypoallergenic non-toxic materials, suitable for ages 3 and up
This 47-inch plush fox is aimed squarely at kids, and it is long enough to actually do the job of a body pillow rather than just sit on the bed as a toy. The cover is an ultra-soft polyester plush over a PP cotton fill, so it is soft the whole way round with nothing firm inside for a child to bump against.
Unlike a lot of novelty pillows, this one is machine washable and the seams are reinforced, which matters a great deal in a kid’s room. Just keep in mind that a plush fill is about comfort rather than support, so an adult looking to fix hip or shoulder alignment will be happier with one of the shaped pillows elsewhere on this list.
There is not necessarily one single best body pillow, and certainly not one which will be as effective for everyone who tries it. Depending on the purpose for which you plan to buy a body pillow, some models will suit you better than others. What works for a short pregnant woman may not be what is best for a tall man, for instance. There is a big difference in all of our bodies and body pillows should be designed to perfectly compliment your body and help you to sleep with the best possible posture.
It is scary how many people don’t get the right amount of sleep, and the one they do have lacks relaxation and comfort. There are many ways you can try and change this, but one of the most effective is undeniably a body pillow. Many people do very little research about how exactly they sleep, and this can lead to a lot of different aches and pains further down the line.
There are a few ways to sleep which are superior and advisable to certain people. However, we all have our different preferences, naturally reverting to the position we are comfortable with during sleep, a body pillow can be both firm and flexible, and keep you in a position to allow for the best quality sleep and for minimal pain.
Health benefits can be surprising to some, too. You may wonder just how much good a certain sleeping position could possibly do for your body, but the truth is that it can do a remarkable amount for the ailments you would expect it to help with, but also some you may not expect.
For instance, it may not be surprising that body pillows can help you a great deal with back pain, hip pain, aches to do with pregnancy and other general aches and pains, but did you know that sleeping in certain positions can help with sleep apnea or with problems such as poor digestion or even acid reflux issues.
Without an understanding of the science behind it, it can be hard to assume that body pillows give you any sort of help with back pains at all, but they truly can make a massive impact. This is not just because they are comfortable and feel nice, the support they offer can help to fix many of the issues within your back, which can be a very complex area of the body to fix any sort of pain within.
One way body pillows can do this is by allowing something to rest between your legs while you sleep. This way, the posture you are in is far more natural for the back and allows for better weight distribution and a balance between the discs within your back. On top of that, the right position can help with circulation and relaxation, and the knock-on effects of this can allow you to experience some respite from back pain, which can be an absolute killer when it comes to trying to get some sleep. Back pain can be debilitating and many people don’t realize that their relief from it could well come in the form of a body pillow.
As you will see if you read through our list of top rated body pillows, there are such a huge amount of choices when it comes to choosing a body pillow. Not only are there a variety of shapes but there are different fillings and materials, all of which will give a slightly different feel and have other advantages. Reading through our reviews is one of the best ways to see if an individual pillow can be the one to suit your individual needs. Options around shape include U-shapes and L-shapes or even the traditional pillow shape but just larger. These all have different benefits for different types of ailment.
In terms of the material, it may come down to what preference you have in terms of what feels nicest, but it is also worth giving some thought to the cleaning process too. The pillow needs to be cleaned periodically and nobody wants the extra stress of washing a pillow or pillow cover which simply gives too much hard work.
Too many people neglect their pillows after purchasing them! This is true of all sorts of different pillows.
When you sleep, not only does your skin shed, but oil and grease from your skin and hair may get onto the pillows, you may drool and your pillow may be susceptible to lots of different environmental factors which can actually make it a hotbed for germs to thrive. This is something that can be very damaging, but you wouldn’t necessarily realize it.
Taking care of a body pillow is no different, and in fact, because it is bigger you could argue that it needs a little more maintenance. It is common for at least the cover of your pillow to be machine washable, and this can take a lot of the hassle out of the process. In an ideal world, the whole pillow would be machine washable, and this is true of some products on the market, but often these don’t have as much filling or support, as these are the aspects that can suffer in the wash.
Some pillows are required to be spot cleaned. This means you can simply use cold water and soap to get any stains out of the pillow, but this is not a long-term answer for keeping most pillows clean. Memory foam products can be machine washable, but it depends on each model. Either way, they take a long time to properly dry.
Pillows need to be completely dry once they have been through the machine, assuming they are suitable for machine washing. This is especially true of the models of the whole pillow which can be put through the washing machine, as these having any sort of moistness within can lead to the growth of mold and bacteria.
Even once you have followed all of the steps to maintain your body pillow and make sure it is not a hotbed for germs, you should still be wary that all pillows have a lifespan. Most experts recommend that after around two years it is probably time to get rid of your pillow and invest in a new one, certainly if it has seen extended use in that time.
So what features do you need to be looking out for to ensure you get the coziest, snuggliest body pillow which has the most benefits for your body, and any aches and pains you may be experiencing? Though some features will be specific to your own needs, there are also features which universally make for a good quality body pillow, as we’ve delved into with our guide below. The following are all crucial considerations and things that having a little bit of understanding on can help you to avoid any awkward issues or making the wrong buying choice. Body pillows aren’t always cheap, so they can be considered an investment that it is important to get right!
Size is first on our list of features to consider. It isn’t a case of ‘the bigger the better’ when it comes to body pillows, instead, you are looking for the pillow which is most suitable for your own particular body shape and size. Your height will be the key to establish which pillow to buy. Reading thorough body pillow reviews can also help you to work out what people of similar shapes and sizes have felt when using the pillows.
Many pillows are around the 50-inch mark in terms of size, this is between four and four and a half feet in terms of length. You whole body won’t necessarily be covered on the pillow, for instance, your feet might be out of the bottom, so you can use this a rough guide to judge based on your own height.
Larger pillows can even go up to around 65 inches in height, and these can be suitable for people who are six foot tall or even taller. People will all lay on their pillows in slightly different ways, and feel comfortable in different positions, so there is no exact and scientific way to work out your ideal size, but giving a little thought to your body size and trying to use this to find a pillow which will suit is a must.
If your family time includes cozily lying together telling stories or watching TV, the QUEEN ROSE 60-Inch Cooling U-Shaped Body Pillow will do the trick to comfortably support your family time.
Different shapes can have different advantages for your body type or just personal preference. This is what a lot of your decision will ultimately boil down to, deciding which you think you will prefer. The common shapes include “U-shaped” pillows which can surround your body and give a symmetry for laying on either side like the QUEEN ROSE Extra Long U-Shaped Body Pillow does, or there are some “S-Shaped” models and “C shaped” models like the INSEN C-Shaped Full Body Pillow which are all designed to give their own specific and unique method of support to the user.
The key here is working out what type of sleeper you are. Certain shapes will be far better for side sleepers, for instance. If you are a side sleeper with back pain, an S-Shaped model can mean you have the right support in both your neck and legs to allow your back to lay straight with good posture. Working out how you lay at night is a huge advantage in choosing your shape.
The shape is also something to consider if you are pregnant. A huge amount of the market for body pillows is aimed at pregnancy and as such, many of the products will give a great amount of support to your bump! This is why we’ve listed the best maternity body pillows above to help you to make the decision.
The shape of a pillow is inevitably going to come into play when you think about where exactly you are using your pillow, too. Hopefully you have loads of space to play with, but if you are in a smaller bed, and if you are sharing a bed, you may have to think about how a shape might affect the space that is available within.
We all know from other types of pillows how important the filling is. Many of us have our very own preference for what types of filling we prefer. These can vary slightly when it comes to body pillows, and naturally there is a lot more space to fill! It is less likely that you will see duck or geese feathers used in a full body pillow, for instance.
Common fillings are memory foam and poly fiber, these can offer loads of padding and give a really nice feel for resting your head, legs or other parts of your body on. They are also often quite easy to shape to exactly the way you want them to be. Some pillows will even encourage you to move the stuffing around or remove some if needed to get to the exact shape you prefer.
Some other fillings have started to come into the market such as latex and bamboo fillings which come from sap from trees which are turned into foam and other materials for filling. The bamboo-based products are great because they are also machine washable, but they may not give quite as much bounce back as the other fillings such as poly fiber.
If you are someone who suffers from allergies, you should also spend some time looking for hypoallergenic body pillows which are far less likely to cause you to have any sort of reaction.
When it comes to any sort of product that you’re using for sleep, such as a mattress, a normal pillow or a full body pillow, you need some level of flexibility! Many of the top body pillows allow you to sleep in four or five different positions, or can even be flexible enough to let you use them in sitting upright positions or elevate different parts of your body. If you have purchased your pillow for any sort of health reason then this can be another big plus point. Let’s say you are looking for the best body pillow for lower back pain, having the chance to alter and customize your pillow due to its flexibility can be the best method you have of getting the absolute most out of it.
Weight can be a consideration, and there is some level of ‘trade-off’ here. If you want a bulky and supportive body pillow, it is almost impossible to get this without having something that is a little bit on the weighty side. The reason many people need to pay this a lot of consideration is that the whole reason for purchasing a body pillow could be some form of injury, which may make it tough to move a big, bulky pillow around.
Bulk is another key term here, and something to remember. If you’re sharing a bed, and you plan to introduce a big and bulky pillow to it, you need to make sure there is room for you, your pillow and a partner!
With the knowledge in mind that most body pillows need to last around two years before we think about replacing them, durability needs to be at a level which means you aren’t going to get any issues before the lifespan has been served. A poorly stitched or poorly manufactured pillow can mean the stuffing coming loose, the pillow becoming misshapen or generally not being used anymore.
While we will go into more detail on warranties below, because of the fact that we use pillows quite closely, they don’t tend to be very long, so that means that if you don’t make the right choice in the first place you might not have a comeback after a few months when the product turns out to be a dud.
Some people can be very particular with which fabrics they want in contact with their skin, and this can be for all sorts of reasons, from allergies to just the comfort they provide. Many of the best options out there have a variety of different covers, and these can be different in terms of both design and in terms of fabric. Naturally, cotton is popular, but silk coverings and even more “out there” coverings such as fur have been known to be popular.
Some of the body pillows are designed to lock in your bodily heat. This can be a huge benefit for some people and even cut down on your need to heat your bedroom in other means, but it depends on the season, and whether you need your room to be heated! In the summer months, especially if you are not in an air-conditioned space, keeping all the heat sealed in is not something you are likely to want. This is uncomfortable for anyone, but if you are pregnant the heat may be affecting you in all sorts of ways and having to cuddle up to a warm body pillow can be less than ideal.
You can look for the best cooling body pillows, too, which are made of a material which is less likely to trap in any sort of excess heat and allow a little more breathability on sticky evenings.
Most body pillows do come with a pillowcase with them. You may not care at all what your pillow looks like, or you may think it needs to fit with the decor of your home or at least the decor of your room. Many manufacturers provide at least a few different options in this respect. They are often made of polyester, cotton or a bamboo blend, or even velvet or some other material to give a comfortable feel.
In some situations, it may be that other companies have created pillowcases which are compatible with the original pillow. It is worth looking on Amazon and other retailers, and searching by the size of your body pillow, to see if you can find cases which will fit, to provide you with more options. The Snuggle-Pedic Organic Cotton Body Pillow Case is a great example of a product which can be bought separately to fit a body pillow.
Most body pillows do not come with a very lengthy warranty. While some will give 90 or 100 days money back guarantees or warranties on the product to allow you to claim a replacement, it is hard for them to guarantee years of use. Naturally, body pillows deteriorate over time so they aren’t likely to come with long warranties. There is the odd exception on the market, but generally speaking, do not expect to get more than a few months of a promise from your manufacturer.
Feel free to add something you think is important and relevant, and please mention some of the products reviewed as examples in the buying guide, where appropriate.
Though it is very hard to pick out individual products, there are undeniably some which stand out when you start to do some research into the ranges of body pillow offered.
The Daitore 59-Inch U-Shaped Full Body Pillow really stood out for its qualities for pregnant women. The support it offers for a baby bump, combined with the excellent quality and flexibility it offers means that you can be comfortable all the way through (and beyond) your pregnancy.
If you’re trying not to spend a huge amount of money, the Meiz Full Body Pregnancy Pillow is the best body pillow if you are on a budget. It is very large and offers a lot of the features which far more expensive pillows do. The only downside is some difficulty cleaning it, which is why it hasn’t quite made our editors pick position.
Finally, if you’re looking for a pillow for your kids, than there’s nothing better than the Cuddle Paws Fox Plush Body Pillow. Not only it has a cute design, at 47 inches it is also long enough to hug from head to toe.
Doing a little extra research and reading some pillow reviews before you make your pick can ensure you get the best body pillow for your needs, and whichever discomforts you are trying to cure yourself of.
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