A body pillow is a long pillow you sleep alongside rather than under. Here are the shapes, fills and sizes, who actually benefits, and how to position one so it does something.
A body pillow is a long pillow, usually somewhere between four and five and a half feet, that you sleep alongside rather than under. Your head still goes on a normal pillow. The body pillow runs down the length of your torso and legs, giving your top arm and top leg something to rest on instead of dropping forward across your body.
That sounds like a comfort accessory, and for some people it is. For side sleepers it is closer to a structural fix. When your top leg falls forward and down, it rotates your pelvis, which twists your lower spine for the seven or eight hours you are asleep. A body pillow between the knees stops that rotation. Most people who try one and keep it are solving that problem, whether or not they can name it.
A long, straight pillow. The most versatile and by far the easiest to find pillowcases for. It works between the knees, under the arm, or along the back as a bolster. If you are unsure what you want, buy this shape first.
A firm tube. It holds its shape better than a rectangular pillow and does not flatten under a knee. Good if your main use is knee separation, less good for hugging.
Wraps around both sides of the body, supporting the front and the back at once. It is the most supportive shape and the most popular in pregnancy, because you can roll from one side to the other without repositioning anything. The trade off is bulk. A U shaped pillow eats a serious amount of a queen bed, which is a real consideration if you share it.
A compromise between the straight and U shapes. The curve tucks under the head or between the knees while the long section supports the torso. Less bulky than a U, more supportive than a straight pillow.
Not really a body pillow, but often sold alongside them. A small triangular support for the belly, the back, or under the knees. Some people use one in combination with a straight body pillow rather than instead of it.
Shredded memory foam is the most common premium fill. It conforms, holds shape, and can usually be adjusted by removing fill through a zip. It sleeps warmer than the alternatives, which matters in Los Angeles more than it does elsewhere.
Solid memory foam gives the most consistent support and the least give. Firm, heavy, and slow to respond. Good for knee separation, poor for hugging.
Polyester or down alternative is light, cheap, machine washable and breathable. It compresses faster than foam, so expect to replace it sooner. For a guest room or a first try, this is the sensible option.
Down is soft and light with very little structural support. Lovely to hug, not much use between the knees.
Buckwheat hulls or microbeads are firm, heavy and very breathable, since air moves between the hulls. They make a faint rustling sound when you move, which some sleepers find distracting and others stop noticing within a week.
The same logic applies to your head pillow, and getting that wrong undoes the work. Our guide to choosing a pillow covers loft and fill for each sleep position.
There is no single standard, which is why pillowcases are the most common complaint about body pillows. Common dimensions are:
Buy the pillowcase at the same time as the pillow, and buy two so one can be in the wash. A case cut for a 54 inch pillow will not fit a 60 inch one without straining the seams. For everything else on the bed, our pillow sizes guide has the standard, queen and king dimensions.
Most people put a body pillow on the bed, hug it, and decide it does nothing. Position matters more than the pillow does.
For hip and lower back relief: lie on your side. Put the pillow so it runs from just under your top arm all the way down past your knee. Your top knee should rest on the pillow at roughly the same height as your hip, not higher and not dropped forward. If your knee is still falling toward the mattress, the pillow is too thin.
For shoulder relief: hug the upper half so your top arm is supported out in front of you rather than pulled across your chest. This opens the shoulder instead of compressing it.
For back support: place it lengthwise along your back and lean into it. This works well if you are trying to stay off one side.
In pregnancy: the usual arrangement is support under the abdomen and between the knees at the same time, which is where a U or C shape saves you juggling two pillows. Our notes on mattresses during pregnancy cover the surface underneath.
A body pillow fixes alignment above the mattress. It cannot fix a mattress that is too firm for side sleeping. If your shoulder goes numb, or your hip aches at the exact contact point rather than in the joint, that is a pressure problem and the surface is too hard. No pillow arrangement will change that. A body pillow also will not help if your mattress sags in the middle, because the sag is pulling your spine out of line from below.
The quick test: if you feel better on a hotel bed or a guest bed, the problem is your mattress. If you feel roughly the same everywhere, positioning is worth working on first, and a body pillow is the cheapest thing to try.
Keeping the spine, hips and shoulders in a neutral line during side sleeping. It gives the top leg and top arm somewhere to rest so they do not fall forward and rotate the pelvis or collapse the shoulder. Secondary uses include belly support during pregnancy, holding a position after a procedure, and stopping a back sleeper from rolling.
Lie on your side with your head on a normal pillow. Run the body pillow along your front, from under your top arm down past your knee. Rest your top arm on the upper section and your top knee on the lower section, keeping the knee level with the hip. Do not put your head on it. It sits beside you, not under you.
Most are 20 inches wide and 54 or 60 inches long. Some run to 72 inches. Check the length before buying a pillowcase, because cases are cut for a specific length and there is no universal fit.
Check the label first. Polyester and down alternative fills are usually machine washable on a gentle cycle with a low spin, then tumble dried on low with dryer balls. Solid memory foam should never go in a washing machine, since the agitation tears the foam apart. Spot clean the foam and wash the removable cover instead. Buckwheat hulls have to be emptied out before the shell is washed. Wash the pillowcase every one to two weeks with your sheets.
For side sleepers, generally yes. Keeping the hips stacked and the top shoulder open reduces the twisting your lower back absorbs overnight. There is no downside beyond bed space and the fact that a partner may not appreciate sharing a queen with one. If you have a diagnosed spinal condition or you are recovering from surgery, follow your clinician's advice on positioning rather than a general guide.
Pressure at the hip or shoulder that a pillow cannot solve usually means the surface is too firm for the way you sleep. Browse mattresses for side sleepers, or take our sleep quiz for a shortlist matched to your position and body type. Better still, come lie on a few at one of our five Los Angeles showrooms. Same day delivery is available across most of the city and every mattress comes with a free 120 night comfort guarantee.
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