Body Pillows

What a body pillow is

A body pillow is a long pillow. That's most of the definition. It runs roughly the length of your torso or more, and you use it along your body instead of under your head. People hug it, hook a knee over it, or wedge it behind their back.

The plain kind is straight, like a long rectangle. Shaped kinds curve: a J with a hook at one end, a C that wraps one side, a U that runs down both sides. Many shaped pillows are sold for pregnancy, and they're body pillows too. They're in this list, and they also have their own page.

Covers sold on their own aren't here. They're on our body pillow cover page, because a cover is only useful once you know your pillow's size.

How to read the table

Each field shows only when the maker or listing states it. A dash means it wasn't stated. One field, the infant safety warning, always shows; when the maker is silent, it says "Not stated by the maker".

Product type and shape

Product type tells you whether the listing is a body pillow or a pregnancy pillow. Shape tells you straight (I), J or L, C, U, V, wedge or convertible. We take shape from the maker's product name or drawing. Listing data sometimes calls a U "semicircular" and a straight pillow "rectangular". The first isn't useful, so we don't use it.

Length is the main size

Length is in inches, as the maker states it. For a straight pillow, it's the number to compare. Hold a tape measure from your shoulder to your knee, or your chin to your ankle, depending on how much of you the pillow should cover. That gives you a rough length to aim for.

Dimensions matter for shaped pillows

For a J, C or U, look at full dimensions, not just length. Width is what takes the mattress. A wide U on a full bed doesn't leave much bed. Housekeeping rule: measure your side of the mattress first.

Fill

Fill is what's inside: polyester fiber (often called "down alternative"), shredded memory foam, a foam and fiber blend, down and feather, or another fill as stated. Fiber is usually lighter and squishier. Shredded foam is often heavier and holds a shape. If a listing fills this field with a word like "plush", we leave it empty rather than guess.

Firmness, only as the maker says it

Firmness shows only when the maker uses a firmness word. There's no shared scale. One maker's "medium" is another's "soft". Treat it as a hint, not a measurement.

Cover included, cover fabric and closure

This group decides how easy the pillow is to live with. "Removable cover included" says whether you get a cover at all. Cover fabric names the outer material: cotton, jersey, velvet, minky, bamboo-derived rayon or polyester, as the maker states. Closure tells you zipper, envelope or sewn shut. OEKO-TEX shows only when the maker states it for that product. It's a textile testing label for the fabric, not a comfort promise.

Pregnancy wording and health wording

When a maker sells a pillow for pregnancy, the table quotes the maker's wording. When a listing uses health words, such as back or hip comfort, that's quoted too. These are the maker's descriptions. We don't repeat them as our own and we don't rate them.

Infant safety warning

This shows the maker's own warning when there is one. Long pillows are often used by new parents, so the field stays on every row. More on that below.

Care

The maker's washing instructions, when stated: cover only or insert too, temperature, dryer heat.

Straight or shaped: which one to choose

Every shape does the same basic job. The difference is how much of the bed it takes and how much of you it reaches.

Straight body pillows

The simplest and usually the narrowest. You can hug it, roll it behind you or fold it under your knees. It's easy to fit a cover to, because covers are mostly sold for straight sizes. If you're new to body pillows, start here.

J and L shapes

A straight pillow with one hooked end. The hook goes under your head or around your knees. It reaches a bit more than a straight pillow and still leaves room on a queen.

C shapes

A C wraps one side of you and curls over the top and bottom. It's open on one side. Turning over means turning inside the C or rolling it.

U shapes

A U runs down both sides. You lie in the middle, so there's something on each side when you turn. It's the biggest of the common shapes. Our U-shaped body pillow page covers it on its own.

Convertible pillows

Sections that zip or clip into different shapes. More options, more parts. Check that the listing explains each setup and says what's in the box.

Choose by how you lie and how you share the bed

A body pillow is a placement problem. Think about where it goes, then pick a shape that fits there.

• You sleep on your side. A straight or J pillow in front of you, to hug or rest a knee on, is the usual setup.
• You change sides at night. A U gives you a side on each side. A straight pillow means moving it with you.
• You want back support while reading. A U or C can work as a backrest. So can a reading pillow, which is built for it.
• You share a queen. Straight or J. A U often takes a person's worth of space.
• You're on a twin or a full. Straight. Measure first.

Dev calls his straight body pillow "the roommate who doesn't pay rent". It also doesn't steal the covers, which puts it ahead of some roommates.

Our guide to sleeping positions explains the positions themselves. If you only want something between your knees, a knee pillow is smaller and easier to keep in place.

A body pillow doesn't replace your head pillow

Most body pillows sit next to your bed pillow, not instead of it. A straight or J pillow goes along your front or back; your head still rests on a regular pillow. That means the head pillow still has to suit how you sleep. If you're a side sleeper, that's usually a taller one, and our side sleeper list and pillow quiz start there.

U and C shapes are the exception. Their curved top end is meant to go under your head, so the pillow does both jobs. Check the listing's drawing. If the top curve looks thin, some people add a regular pillow on top, which raises the question of whether it all fits on the mattress. Back to the tape measure.

Long pillow, bolster or body pillow: the listing words

Listings use a handful of names for the same idea, and a few that sound similar but aren't.

• Body pillow. A long pillow for lying along. The main term.
• Long pillow. Usually the same thing, sometimes a long bed pillow for a king or a headboard. Check the length.
• Bolster. Often a firm round roll, shorter and narrower. Our neck roll page covers the small ones.
• Side sleeper pillow. Sometimes a body pillow, often a regular bed pillow with a cutout. Read the product type.
• Maternity pillow. A pregnancy pillow, sold for pregnancy by the maker.

When the name is unclear, the length field settles it.

Sizes, covers and the shelf

Body pillows don't come in standard bed-pillow sizes like standard, queen and king. Every maker sets its own length and width. That makes the cover the tricky part.

Here's the rule. Buy the cover for the pillow, not for the bed. Read the pillow's stated dimensions, then find a cover sold for that size. A straight cover won't fit a U, and a U cover from one maker may not fit another maker's U. If the pillow comes with a zip cover, keep it in good shape, because a replacement may be hard to match.

Storage is the other surprise. A long pillow doesn't fold into a linen closet the way a comforter does. Mine would take a whole shelf in the archive, and I've labeled every shelf for something already.

Care: what the tag will tell you

Read the care tag before the price tag. With a body pillow, the tag answers three questions.

• Does the cover come off? If yes, wash it as the tag says, zipped shut.
• Can the insert go in a washer? Fiber often can. Foam usually can't. Down follows its own tag.
• What heat for drying? Follow it. Fiber dried halfway clumps; dry it all the way.
• Is the washer big enough? A long insert needs room to move. If the tag mentions a large or front-loading machine, believe it.

Our guide to washing pillows has the general steps. The tag on your pillow comes first.

Body pillows and babies

A body pillow is an adult pillow. It doesn't belong in a crib, bassinet or anywhere a baby sleeps. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises keeping pillows and soft objects out of a baby's sleep area. The CPSC says infant support cushions are never for infant sleep or naps, and a baby who falls asleep should be moved to a crib, bassinet or play yard. That's why the infant safety warning shows on every row, even when the maker printed nothing.

Who can skip a body pillow

• You sleep on your back and stay there. You may never reach for it.
• Your bed is already full. A partner, a dog and a body pillow is a lot for a full mattress.
• You only want knee support. A knee pillow is smaller and stays put.
• You want one for reading. A reading pillow with arms is built for sitting up.

Related pages

• Pillows: the whole section by fill, shape and sleep position
• Pregnancy pillows: body pillows the maker sells for pregnancy
• U-shaped body pillows and body pillow covers
• Best body pillows and body pillows for side sleepers: shorter lists with their own pick rules
• Knee pillows and reading pillows
• How to wash pillows

Tuck it in.