Best Body Pillows for Back Pain: Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

If you find yourself waking up in the morning with back pain, chances are it could have something to do with the way you sleep. Maybe your sleep position isn’t the best for your back, especially if you’re using an unsupportive pillow. “Over 80% of the population experiences back pain at some point in their lives. Body pillows are a great option for keeping the spine in a neutral alignment and helping to alleviate back pain.” says Dr. Jordan Burns owner of ProWellness Chiropractic in Indianapolis. 

Your mattress may need to be replaced if it’s causing you pain, but if your sleep posture is the problem, there are lots of full-body pillows that can both help you improve your sleep and ease your pain. Below, we’ll talk about the best body pillows for back pain and how they could be right for you.

Best Body Pillows for Back Pain

	Body Pillow	Highligh	Price
	Zoma Body Pillow	Versatile and high-quality, supports any sleep position	$120
	PharMeDoc Full Body Pregnancy Pillow	One of the most budget-friendly wrap-around pillows	$48
	Utopia Bedding Soft Body Pillow	Best body pillow for stomach sleepers	$25
	Leachco Snoogle Band It	Best body pillow for side sleepers	$79
	Moonlight Slumber Comfort-U Total Body Pregnancy Support Pillow	Perfect for supporting a pregnant belly	$99

1. Best Body Pillow Overall: Zoma Body Pillow

The Zoma Body Pillow has an elongated rectangular shape and is filled with moldable MicroCushions—made of a combination of gel-infused memory foam and hypoallergenic down-alternative fibers—that adapt to your body during sleep.

The Zoma pillow is great for a variety of sleepers. The adjustable MicroCushions allow you to customize the thickness, letting you change the shape to fit your sleeping position. This hypoallergenic fill is perfect for people with allergies. Plus, the six-inch loft gives plenty of cushioning to support you while you sleep, making it one of the best pillows on the market for pain relief.

“Adjustable memory foam body pillows like the Zoma Body Pillow have been shown to improve sleep, decrease pain and alleviate tension on the back and body.” adds Dr. Jordan Burns. 

The pillow has an AirCloth cover to wick away warm air, keeping it from overheating. And it passes strict CertiPUR-US® standards so you know you’re using a safe product. On top of all that, it comes with a 10-year warranty.

2. Best Budget-Friendly Body Pillow: PharMeDoc Full Body Pregnancy Pillow

PharMeDoc’s Full Body Pregnancy Pillow has a C-shaped design to relieve tension and pain in your back by supporting you on all sides. It has adjustable poly-fill support that allows you to change the pillow’s thickness and shape. It also includes a zippered, machine washable jersey knit cover for easy removal and care, and a lifetime warranty.

Contrary to what the name says, this wrap-around C-shaped pillow isn’t just for pregnant women. At just under $50, this full-body support pillow is for everybody. With stuffing that lets you adjust the pillow’s support, PharMeDoc’s pillow offers a ton of bang for your buck. It’s not easy to find C-shaped pillows at this price, but PharMeDoc manages to offer a quality product without charging a lot.

3. Best Body Pillow for Stomach Sleepers: Utopia Bedding Soft Body Pillow

Utopia Bedding’s rectangular, soft body pillow features ball fiber filling to both cushion and support your whole body. Its flexible design allows you to fold it over for sitting up in bed. The blended cotton, double-stitched outer shell is both soft and durable, and both the pillow and shell are machine washable.

This pillow can offer stomach sleepers back pain relief by helping them switch to a healthier sleep style, as there’s really no way to sleep on your stomach without suffering lower back pain.

The Utopia pillow has sufficient length and vertical support to keep you comfortable on your side. It’s soft enough that it will flatten out a bit when you tilt your body onto it, giving you the illusion of sleeping on your stomach.

4. Best Body Pillow for Side Sleepers: Leachco Snoogle Band It

The Leachco Snoogle Band It C-shaped pillow features a 100% polyester fiber filling combined with a machine washable cotton/polyester blend cover. It also has an adjustable band attached to the bottom end and wrapped around the side. This band can slide up and down the length of the pillow, allowing you to adjust the shape without worrying about it popping out of place.

To avoid back pain as a side sleeper, you need a thicker body pillow to support your arms and keep your hips aligned. Depending on exactly how you sleep on your side, you might also need the pillow to fit between your knees at different angles.

The Snoogle Band It does all this and more. Its flexible design and adjustment band allow you to change the shape and length to fit your unique body. And the polyester filling is firm enough to keep your hips aligned and your arms supported for all-night comfort. That makes it the perfect pillow for side sleepers.

5. Best Body Pillow for Pregnancy: Moonlight Slumber Comfort-U Total Body Pregnancy Support Pillow

The Moonlight Slumber Comfort-U Total Body Pregnancy Support Pillow features an oversized U-shape for 360-degree support. It boasts a synthetic down Fusion™ Fiberfill that won’t clump up or flatten. And it has a removable zippered cover that comes in lots of different options like blended polyester and cotton, cooling 100% organic cotton, or soft and cozy fleece.

This pillow is great for pregnant women looking for full-body support to cradle their bellies and push up against their backs while they sleep on their sides. The narrow construction offers tight, all-around support to relieve back and hip pain, and it allows for repositioning without having to move the pillow.

Possibly the greatest thing about this pillow is the whole thing is machine washable, so you don’t have to fool with the dry cleaner or a smelly pillow while you’re pregnant or taking care of a newborn. What could be better for a brand new mom?

What’s in a Body Pillow?

Your body pillow can do a few things but helping you maintain neutral spine alignment is one of its most important functions. It does so by supporting your body weight, giving you something to lean against while you sleep. Body pillows can also alleviate hip pain by giving side sleepers support between their knees, keeping the hips aligned.

Depending on your sleep position, allergies, and preferences, you may need to think about different kinds of material and different shapes. Let’s talk about some things to consider when shopping for a body pillow.

Body Pillow Fills

When it comes to body pillow fills, you have tons of options. Here are a few of the most common ones.

Cotton

100% cotton is a great natural, hypoallergenic pillow fill for those looking for a plant-based option. Cotton will stay cool against your body while you sleep, and the fibers encourage air circulation throughout the pillow. Cotton is also easy to maintain since most cotton pillows are machine washable (just make sure to check the label).

One of the biggest issues with cotton pillows is they lose their loft (height) over time. That means they may flatten out after a year or two. They’re also not as fluffy or squishy as down, so if you’re looking for a really plush body pillow, cotton may not be for you.

Down

If you want a soft and squishy body pillow that conforms to your shape and will last a long time, down (the soft feathers from geese) may be up your alley. Down will contour to your body and provide a lot of cushioning. Down is also really warm, so if you get cold at night or love to snuggle with a warm pillow, that might be a plus in your book.

However, if you like the cool side of the pillow, down may not be for you. Also, if you want a plant-based and/or cruelty-free option, down isn’t it. Cruelty-free downs are expensive and hard to find. Down may not be as supportive if you want a firmer surface to lean against while you sleep.

Memory Foam

If you want a body pillow that both contours to your shape and offers support, a memory foam pillow could be for you. This type of plush polyurethane foam will compress under the heavier parts of your body while rising to fill in the gaps under the lighter parts. This innate adaptability provides the best contoured support of all the pillow fills.

A memory foam body pillow’s ability to change its shape is unbeaten, but it does have a couple of drawbacks. For one thing, it’s heavier, so moving a rectangular memory foam pillow while trying to stay asleep might be irritating to combo sleepers. Memory foams also tend to retain heat more than latex or cotton, which might be good or bad depending on how warm you like your pillow.

Latex Foam

If you like the feel of memory foam but want a little more temperature regulation and bounce, latex is a good alternative. Latex is more responsive than memory foam, regaining its original shape a lot quicker. Latex foam tends to sleep cooler as well. Organic latex is also another great all-natural option for people who’d rather stay away from synthetic foams.

However, just like memory foam, latex is heavy, so moving your pillow around at night might feel a little cumbersome. Latex foam also doesn’t contour as easily as memory foam, so if you like your body pillow to conform exactly to your shape, you might be better off with memory foam.

Alternative Down

If you like the feel of down, but not the warmth or the way it’s harvested, alternative downs like polyester or rayon might be for you. While these alternative fills won’t be as squishy or cloud-like as down, they will be cooler and possibly more supportive. Down alternatives are also typically more cost-effective than down (especially organic or cruelty-free down), though they’re not quite as durable.

Body Pillow Shapes

While there are lots of specialty shapes out there for body pillows, like the L-shape or the J-shape, the three most common shapes are rectangular, C-shaped, and U-shaped.

Rectangular

A rectangular body pillow won’t really look any different than a normal pillow except for being longer. Rectangular pillows are good for people looking for full-body support but who want a different pillow for their heads (neither C-Shaped nor U-Shaped pillows allow for this). However, these pillows may not be great for side-sleeping if you frequently turn from your left to your right and back.

Like standard pillow sizes, rectangular body pillow sizes vary from brand to brand. However, most body pillows measure 20 inches wide by 54 inches long.

C-Shaped

C-shaped pillows are designed to cradle your body while still allowing parts of it to stick out (like your knees or buttocks if you sleep in the fetal position, for example). C-shaped pillows are also great if you’re pregnant and looking for full-body support with a gap for your belly.

U-Shaped

U-shaped pillows look like a horseshoe, and they only have a gap for your feet to stick out. If you want support for your front and back, or you don’t want to move your pillow around to change sides, a U-shaped pillow might be for you.

FAQs

Do I need a body pillow?

While not everyone sleeps with, or even should sleep with, a body pillow, there are a few indications one might help you out. If you sleep on your side and feel like there’s nowhere for you to put your arm, or your knees are knocking together, you might need a body pillow. If you’re trying to train yourself out of sleeping on your belly, you might need a body pillow. And if you’re looking for extra support during pregnancy, you might need a body pillow.

What’s the best sleep position for back pain?

To keep your spine as neutral as possible, sleeping on your back with a support pillow underneath your knees is usually best. An under-knee pillow can prevent your back from arching, ensuring your spine is aligned better than it would be with your legs flat on the mattress.

Can I use a body pillow to stop sleeping on my stomach?

Body pillows are a useful tool when trying to transition from stomach sleeping to another sleep position. Try sleeping tilted onto the body pillow with one leg straight and the other leg on top of the pillow. This will give you the stability of sleeping on your stomach while you’re technically on your side.

You can slowly tilt yourself further and further onto your side with each subsequent night until you’re sleeping fully on your side with the body pillow between your knees and arms.

Can firming up my mattress help with back pain?

Medium-firm beds are often the best mattresses for back pain sufferers, so firming up a softer mattress or softening an extra-firm one can help. There are quite a few ways to change the firmness of an existing mattress without buying a new one—try placing a bunkie board between your mattress and bed base to firm it up. A mattress topper can also be a great option, and they come in a range of firmness levels.

Will putting a body pillow between my legs help with back pain?

If you sleep on your side, your knees can press together, which angles your hips inwards and pulls them out of a neutral position. A pillow between your knees can help keep your hips aligned, taking a great deal of stress off your pelvis and hip joints. This may help ease tension in your lower back and relieve pain in both the lumbar and pelvic regions.

While a body pillow comes with the added benefit of supporting your arms while you sleep on your side, there are also a lot of great knee pillows you could try that will keep your hips lined up without the bulk of a body pillow.

Bottom Line

The best pillow can improve your sleep by keeping you supported and comfortable throughout the night. Body pillows offer vertical support while you sleep on your side or extra cushioning for the belly while you’re pregnant, and they can even help you stop sleeping on your stomach. There are so many reasons why a body pillow might be for you.