best body pillows

The Best Body Pillows in Canada

Body pillows play a significant role in the lives of pregnant women, people with back pain, and those who recover after surgery. However, all others are not prohibited from using them as well. More than that, you never need a particular reason to be extra comfortable in your bed. Body pillows are designed to support your whole body, prevent stomach sleepers from rolling over, and relieve back or hip pain. While we all have individual sleep styles, and sometimes different medical demands, body pillows also come in different sizes and shapes to meet those needs. Some people prefer to sleep with something warm behind their back and with a body pillow they no longer worry about monsters under the bed getting from behind while they sleep. 

Whatever your reason is, choosing the right body pillow might be confusing. There are options designed for pregnancy, back pain relief, side-sleepers, and people diagnosed with fibromyalgia. There are options with extra firmness or made out of hypoallergenic fabric. That is why we reviewed many different body pillows and chose a few that were made according to high standards while putting the smoothness of your sleep in the first place.   

Our top picks

How to choose a body pillow

Nothing can beat a restoring good night’s sleep. While some people can pass out standing in a closet, others need the snuggest surrounding to fall asleep. That is the case where a body pillow comes to mind. However, when buying a pillow to hug whether it is for medical or comfort reasons, there are some factors to keep in mind.   

  • Material/durability (hypoallergenic, vegan, natural down): The material comes as the first one to consider because it is what your skin will touch through the whole night long. Yes, plush fabric might be pleasant to touch, yet synthetic material will do more harm to your skin than you might think about. When shopping for a body pillow, consider cotton or bamboo cover as well as hypoallergenic factor.   
  • Size/shape: Depends on your sleeping style, you might not want a full-body wrap pillow. If you are a side sleeper and need a bit of support, an I-shaped long pillow could be right for you. However, if you need to relieve belly pressure during pregnancy C or U-shape pillow would work better than a narrow long side pillow. Those shapes support the back as well as front, head and neck. The same comes for the size of the pillow. Consider how big your bed is, whether you are sharing it with a partner, and how snug you want to be.   
  • Care: As your body pillow will be hugged and squished all night long, it will need some cleaning time after time. A pillowcase should be easy to remove and laundry 
  • Comfort/firmness: Considering all different sleep styles, and comfort preferences you might want to look at the firmness level of a pillow you chose. If you need something cushy to hug in your sleep, extra firmness might not be the factor to consider. However, if you need real sturdy support for your body, firm pillows with memory foam worth your attention 

Why trust us

We know how important it is to sleep in comfort. When you rest well, you perform well. Knowing that body pillows helped many people improve the quality of their sleep, relieve muscle pain and find comfort, we researched and compared the best body pillows on the market. We spent about 15 hours analyzing body pillows for side sleepers, pregnant women, for overall ultimate comfort and prepared this buying guide. We based our decision on our personal experience, other people’s reviews, as well as trusted body pillow guides

Best body pillow for pregnancy

PharMeDoc pregnancy pillow

One satisfied customer on Amazon noted that the PharMeDoc Pregnancy Pillow is like being wrapped in a big, comfortable doughnut.  

PharMeDoc pregnancy pillow is a C-shaped replacement for all those pillows you have been putting around your body. Its shape was designed to support your head, neck, back and knees. It responds to multiple needs, and besides sleeping you can always use the pillow for reading, watching TV or nursing.   

More than using it during pregnancy PharMeDoc pillow is useful for anyone who needs more support or recovers after surgery. Another satisfied Amazon customer said that she wasn’t pregnant but loved the extra support under her knees while she slept, and was very happy that it didn’t get limp over time.   

Cover material: 100% Soft Jersey Knit Cotton. 

Pros
  • Machine washable cover.
  • Double-stitch seams.
  • Easy to transfer/store.
Cons
  • Some customers found it flutter than expected.
  • Takes a lot of space in bed.

Leachco Snoogle total body pillow

Leachco pregnancy pillow supports your growing tummy, hips, back and neck in a soft cuddling manner. Satisfied customers say that while they used to sleep on the back before pregnancy, this maternity pillow prevents them from rolling from the left side to the back. (The left side is the doctors’ most recommended sleeping position during pregnancy.)  

C-shape pillow is designed to repeat natural body contour from head to toe, which means it can adapt and support you in any position. It also adapts to your sleeping style which means you will sleep through the night without turning and tossing the pillow. 

Besides sleeping, the Leacho pillow is a worthy substitution to a sofa chair or nursing pillow in any type of resting activity like sleeping, watching TV, nursing or reading.

Cover material: 65% polyester/35% cotton. 

Pros
  • Pain relief and comfort.
  • Full body support.
  • Machine washable cover.
Cons
  • Some customers say it was not as firm as they expected.
  • Takes a lot of space in bed.

Best firm body pillow

DOWNCOOL long body pillow for adults

Even though this pillow comes with a bit higher price point, it is known to be a great neck supporter during the night. It adapts to the shape of your neck, which allows your spinal column to stay straight. DOWNCOOL pillow serves all types of sleepers who need extra support, but do not want to crowd their beds with U or C-shaped pillows.  

Memory foam filling, which at first might appear too firm, however, with time makes it easy for a pillow to follow your body contour. That helps to remove pressure and provides comfort for your back, hips, abdomen and head.   

Cover material: 35% viscose of bamboo, 65% polyester. 

Pros
  • Machine washable cover.
  • Great for all sleeping styles.
  • Memory foam.
Cons
  • Some customers found the pillow had a ‘funky’ smell after removing it from the package. However, it faded after a few days.  
  • Some found it too firm.  

Best body pillow for side sleepers

Cosybay full body pillow for adults and pregnancy

Cosybay body pillow is a favourite among many side sleepers who want more support in their sleep. It is filled with memory foam fibre, which provides a firm and supportive hold for your body. Using a body pillow can relieve stress, pain and bring comfort to your knees, stomach, back and hips.  

The pillow is long enough for most adults; be it for women seeking comfort during pregnancy, side or stomach sleepers. A satisfied customer says that they use Cosybay body pillow to maintain the hip and pelvic area aligned when sleeping on your side.   

Another attractive fact about this pillow is that it comes with a breathable bamboo cover. That material is soft to touch, and according to many reviewers helps to keep a stable, comfortable body temperature during the night.   

Cover material: Bamboo.  

Pros
  • Machine washable bamboo cover.
  • Perfect 20×54″ length.
  • Does not heat up.
Cons
  • Depends on sleeping style: some customers found it too firm, some found it to lumpy.

Best U-shaped body pillow

Milliard U-shaped memory foam body pillow

Millard body pillow with memory foam is designed to support and relieve pressure from your back, knees, head and neck. Because of the U-shape, it doesn’t matter how often you turn in your sleep; each side will always be supported by the pillow. Memory foam adapts to your sleeping habitspromises ultimate comfort and makes a return to bed even more desirable every night.   

The pillow is suitable to use during pregnancy and maternity to relieve belly pressure and back discomfort. Use it as a pillow during sleeping, and as a back and arms support for reading or nursing.   

Cover material: 100% cotton. 

Pros
  • Customizable cushion support.
  • Machine washable cover.
  • Thick memory foam.
Cons
  • Some customers had issues with seams coming apart after washing, so we recommend to use the delicate cycle if possible.

Body pillow for back pain

Utopia Bedding soft body pillow

The Utopia Bedding Soft Body Pillow is also our pick for the best affordable body pillow.

While all mentioned above pillows were approved to use for back pain, this Utopia body pillow is an ideal on-budget option. Many satisfied customers found that the pillow helped them to keep their spine in a neutral, healthy position and that helped to manage some of the pain that would be experienced otherwise. The pillow comes in a 20×54 inches size that suits most body types and provides support for shoulders, back, and abdomen while you sleep.  

The Utopia body pillow is also great to use between your knees to relieve pressure and provide lumbar support. Additionally, it suggests broken heart healing as one Amazon customer said that she bought this as a gift for her ex-boyfriend so he could stop texting that he misses her, and since then she has not heard from him in a month. She says it has done its job for bedside comfort. 

Cover material: 100% Cotton.   

Pros
  • Machine washable cover.
  • Keeps just enough heat during the night.
Cons
  • Some customers found the pillow has too much stuffing.
  • Too firm.
  • Takes a lot of space.

Best heated pillow

Sunbeam heated body pillow

It doesn’t matter if nights get colder due to seasons change or you prefer to sleep with lower temperature in a house, Sunbeam heated body pillow is something that can provide ultimate coziness, warmth and inability to leave the bed in the morning.   

This side pillow provides support to the lower back and hips, and soothing heat that reduces anxiety and reliefs muscle pain. The temperature controller has three heating settings. Some satisfied customers say that they turn on the pillow a few minutes before they go to sleep, and by the time they finish brushing their teeth, the whole bed is warm and welcoming.

Pros
  • Built-in heating wires.
  • Relieves muscle pain.
  • Lightweight and easily portable.
Cons
  • Does not come with a pillowcase.
  • Takes a lot of space.
  • The cord and controller can get in the way.

Hypoallergenic body pillow

LUCID shredded memory foam full body pillow

Lucid body pillow is amazingly comfortable, very plush but with strength and durability as one satisfied customer said. The pillow combines the best features like memory foam, hypoallergenic material, and support for the back, hips, and head. It doesn’t matter if you are pregnant, side-sleeper, or need extra support, this Lucid pillow that measures 20×54” allows most adults to find comfortable sleeping positions.  

The pillow cover is rayon made from bamboo fiber, which makes it soft to touch, hypoallergenic and breathable. Unlike in most pillows, Lucid’s memory foam is customizable, so you can always adjust height and thickness according to your preference.  

Cover material: Rayon  

Pros
  • Memory foam.
  • Provides comfort and pain relief.
Cons
  • Some customers find it not as thick as expected.
  • Takes a while to blow up.

How we picked the top body pillows

We compared our experience to customers’ reviews, reports of other buying guides and came to the conclusion that satisfied us with a few best body pillows that could be purchased in Canada. Other than that, we considered different sleeping styles, comfort requirements and budgets, and chose only those options that have at least four stars on Amazon or other online retailers.   

Frequently asked body pillow questions

What is a body pillow?   

A body pillow is either a long narrow or C-U-shaped pillow that is meant to support the body during sleep. Some pillows are created to support a belly during pregnancy, while others provide back pain relief, comfort after surgery, or simply help side sleepers to stay in that position during the night.   

How to use a body pillow?  

You can wrap your arms around the pillow to relieve shoulder pressure and place the pillow between your knees to put your spine into a neutral, relaxed position.    

How to use a body pillow for back pain?  

To relieve back pain during sleeping you can lay along with the pillow and place it between your knees, but avoid putting your entire leg on it.   

What is a body pillow used for?  

Body pillows are used for improving spinal alignment and providing pressure relief. You can use a body pillow during pregnancy to prevent yourself from rolling to the back or simply to achieve the most comfortable position during sleep.   

What size is a body pillow?  

A body pillow size depends on its purpose and design. The size of a typical U-shaped pillow is 55” long. The size of an extra-long body pillow is about 76” long. Most side pillows come in the standard size of 20×54 inches. Always consider the size of your bed before choosing the right pillow size.   

How to wash a body pillow?  

Most body pillows come with covers. To clean that pillowcase, you can just remove it and laundry according to the instructions.   

How to make a body pillow?  

If you have the necessary sewing skills you can try to make a body pillow. Determine the length, find the most breathable, soft fabric and following patterns make a cover that later can be filled with either natural down or synthetic materials.    

Where to buy a body pillow?  

Many famous retailers sell body pillows. You can find plenty of options at Costco, Bath & Body Works, Walmart, Jysk or Amazon.    

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Updated date

January 12th, 2024

About the author

Maria Kossman

Maria Kossman is an essayist, and content specialist at Rant-it.ca. Her writing appeared in a variety of fashion magazines. When she is not focused on reviewing and writing, she spends time exploring coffee shops, English literature and antique malls.
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