Other Body Pillows We Liked
White Noise Memory Foam Body Pillow With Hypoallergenic Zippered Protector for $44: I absolutely love the fill of this 50 x 14-inch pillow—the shredded foam is the perfect mix of structure and softness. If it were wider, 20 or so inches rather than 14 inches, this pillow would be perfect. But because I’m a side-only sleeper, I like to hold the body pillow and wrap my arms and legs around it. Since it is so narrow, my knees knock together on the other side. I may be able to overlook the flaw of its narrowness because the pillow has a super-comfy fill, but I wouldn’t recommend it for bigger people with longer limbs.
Eli & Elm Memory Foam Body Pillow for $130: In my home, we call this one “the 7 pillow” because … well, take a guess. This long, L/7-shaped pillow is marketed as a pregnancy pillow, but it’s great for anyone who sleeps on their side. The short section fits neatly under your head, while the long end can reach down to fit between your legs. It comes with its own custom pillow case, which is great, because it’s not like you’ll have a ton of spares in this shape in your linen closet. —Eric Ravenscraft
Ones to Avoid
Bearaby Cuddler for $199: Bearaby is best known for its weighted blankets, eye masks, and stuffed animals, but it makes other sleep products like heated pads and throw blankets, as well as its body pillow, the Cuddler. At 75 inches long and 8 inches in diameter, and with a filling of plant-based Melofoam, the Bearaby sticks out on this list, but not for the best reasons. The Melofoam, an all-natural foam made from rubber-tree sap, is unlike any other pillow fill I’ve slept on. It’s heavier than a stuffed pillow but lighter than memory foam and has a rubbery, bouncy quality. Its springy fill and skinny body made for an awkward, if not uncomfortable, side sleep. It claims to support joints, neck, and back to relieve pressure, but it wasn’t thick enough or dense enough to provide any real support. And its extraordinary length made it fit awkwardly on the bed; I was never sure of how to contort it to best fit my sleeping body.
Alwyn Home Butcher Fiber Plush Pillow for $44: This 90 x 19-inch pillow disappoints. It’s egregiously long, which could be helpful for people who are taller or those who like more all-around body support. However, it just doesn’t have enough stuffing to fill 90 inches. The batting inside feels like typical fluffy batting found in homemade pillows, but it bunches throughout the pillow in clumps, leaving gaps where no filling reaches. These gaps often happen where your limbs rest, thus defeating the purpose of having a body pillow for support. The pillow is only about 2 inches deep and didn’t seem to ever spring up after I took it out of the box. I had to shake and knead the fiber to help make it more uniform throughout the inside of the pillow, but it did little to help.
