The 10 Best Body Pillows
Special Honors
Royal Pillow Hungarian Down The Royal Pillow Hungarian Down is a luxurious, high-quality choice with an 800+ fill power and no potentially annoying feather stems. There are three sizes available, including a large 72-inch-long model, but no matter which you choose, expect to pay a pretty penny. royalpillow.com
Sleep Number No Shift If you're tired of wrestling with your body pillow all night long, consider the Sleep Number No Shift. As the name suggests, it features a tri-chamber design that keeps the fill distributed evenly, which stops the contents from moving and forming lumps. Plus, the cotton sateen cover is gentle on the skin. sleepnumber.com
Body Down-Free by The Company Store The Body Down-Free by The Company Store was created to be moderately firm, so if you want to avoid too squishy or too hard, it may be the right choice for you. It's a bit pricier than similar items, but it has a 200-thread count cotton shell and is made to high quality standards. thecompanystore.com
Editor's Notes
April 08, 2020:
A body pillow can make a huge difference in sleep quality, but not everyone agrees on the best shape and firmness — which is why we've kept a range here to suit all users. On the softer side, there's the Soft-Tex BioPedic, with a hypoallergenic fiberfill, and the Squishy Deluxe Microbead. These are squishy, compressible choices that provide some support, but don't prop you up fully. For something harder, consider instead the Tempur-Pedic Standard, a memory foam option that is firm enough to relieve pressure. And if you're in the middle, seeking not too firm and not too soft, take a look at the Snuggle-Pedic Bamboo or the Coop Home Goods Adjustable. They both use a shredded memory foam that offers support but isn't too hard.
If you're looking for something with a unique shape, perhaps to replace your regular pillow and knee pillow combo, the PharMeDoc Pregnancy or the Moonlight Slumber Comfort-U are both worthy of consideration. They'll cradle your body comfortably, but keep in mind that as with most similar choices, their cases can be a bit tough to put on and remove. Don't be afraid to ask a friend or partner to lend a hand.
How Do I Choose The Right Body Pillow For Me?
You want a pillow that can provide a full-length cushion, and perhaps even wrap itself around you.
The first thing you want to take into account whenever considering a body pillow is how tall you are, along with your body's general shape. You want a pillow that can provide a full-length cushion, and perhaps even wrap itself around you. On the other hand, you don't want a body pillow to be any longer than your bed, and you don't want it to be knocking over any lamps, assuming that you place it on a couch.
Beyond that, you'll want to consider whether you're purchasing a body pillow for ease and comfort, or whether you need that pillow for ergonomic reasons. If you need a pillow for ergonomics, you'll want to ensure that pillow offers a deep and firm cushion. You may also want to read a body pillow's description so that you can determine whether that model is recommended for alleviating sciatica, gastric reflux, and several other health-related conditions. In addition, you can use a body pillow's description to determine whether that model is hypoallergenic, and whether it has been designed to support a pregnant woman (the majority of J-shaped pillows have).
If you plan on keeping a body pillow in one room, it may be worth locating a pillow that matches that room's color. If you plan on using the pillow on a regular basis, it may be worth pursuing a model that features a machine-washable liner (if not a bacteria-resistant liner, as well). If you plan on taking a body pillow with you when you travel, it makes sense to pursue a lightweight model (i.e., less than 10 lbs) that you can rest along the backseat of your car. You'll want to avoid placing a body pillow in the trunk, particularly if you need to fold that pillow down to make it fit.
Several Little-Known Uses For a Body Pillow
When is a body pillow more than a body pillow? When you increase its value by using it more. For example, a body pillow can be used as a cushion for outdoor lounge chairs or other patio furniture. A body pillow can be used as a backrest for watching television while on the floor. You can lean a body pillow against the wall to provide extra seating at a crowded party. You can use a body pillow as a yoga bolster, creating support for your core.
Toward the end of the first year, you can use a body pillow to provide a padded armrest as you teach your growing baby how to stand upright, and how to walk.
If you're an outdoor enthusiast, you can take a body pillow with you on any camping trips. You can either keep the pillow in your tent, or you can sit on it like a log. Body pillows are tremendous for any outdoor concerts or warm-weather tailgating events. Any pillow with a machine-washable liner should be fine.
Body pillows are commonly used throughout pregnancies, and they can continue to provide support for a newborn throughout the first few months. Toward the end of the first year, you can use a body pillow to provide a padded armrest as you teach your growing baby how to stand upright, and how to walk.
Assuming you own a pet, you may need to determine whether that pet should have access to the body pillow on a day-to-day basis. Dogs may claim the pillow altogether, and cats may treat the pillow like a post. Either way, the pillow's fabric could get compromised, or its liner could get racked with mounting clumps of fur.
An Ancient History of The Pillow
Pillows are at least 9,000 years old, with the earliest pillows being regarded as status symbols throughout Mesopotamia. Aristocrats of the day would commission and collect pillows in great numbers, placing them throughout the home much like a modern-day mogul might display works of art.
Over the course of several centuries people began associating pillows with alleviating neck pain. Elevated pillows were believed to prohibit insects from crawling into a person's mouth or hair while he or she was asleep.
The Ancient Chinese made armrest pillows out of ceramic and porcelain.
The Ancient Egyptians are renowned for using stone pillows in conjunction with the mummification process. Elevating the head was believed to keep a person's blood circulating, while also keeping any evil spirits at bay.
The Ancient Romans were the first to design low-grade pillows that could be sold to - and used by - everyday citizens. These pillows would be stuffed with reeds, feather, or straw, and they'd be sewn shut by way of a fabric border. Roman citizens would take their pillows with them to daily prayer services, where the pillows would be repurposed as cushioned kneelers.
The Ancient Chinese made armrest pillows out of ceramic and porcelain. These pillows were smooth, yet uncomfortable. Most of these pillows featured some type of etching. Chinese pillows were expensive because they were considered to be a work of art.
The word "pillow" evolved from an Old English word - pyle, which, in turn, evolved from a Latin word, pulvinus, meaning a bed of raised earth. The first known use of "pillow" dates back to the unification of England during the 10th Century, CE. Today, some variation of the word pillow is universally understood.