Top-Rated Full Body Pillows

Which Body Pillows Are Top Rated?

This article shows which body pillows are the highest-rated on several websites. Which body pillows are top rated? That depends on how the rating is determined. Amazon’s ratings come from customer reviews. Sleep Like the Dead evaluates online responses and remarks of owners of mattresses and pillows. Some sites evaluate products according to particular needs, such as women’s health, spinal health, breathing, blood circulation, etc. Therefore, several factors will figure in pillow ratings.

When we hear, “pillow,” most of us think of a pillow for our head in bed, or a throw pillow on a couch. Also well-known are horseshoe-shaped neck pillows, bolsters, wedge pillows, and maybe dog-bone pillows.

Less familiar are body pillows, but they are becoming better known and more popular. How well liked they are can be seen in rankings based on customer reviews. On Amazon, the Body Pillow by Snuggle-Pedic has an average customer review rating 0.2 stars higher than their head pillow, the Snuggle-Pedic Ultra-Luxury Shredded Memory Foam Pillow. The same is true for the equivalent pillows by Coop Home Goods; the Coop Home Goods Body Pillow leads the Coop Home Goods Original Pillow by 0.2 stars.

What Is a Body Pillow?

A body pillow (also called full body pillow) is a pillow long enough to support most of a sleeper’s body. They are made in four basic shapes (named after capital letters they resemble):

I – Long narrow rectangle. This is the standard full body pillow, therefore not usually identified according to its shape.
J – Shaped like a capital J with a prominent serif. One of the shapes preferred by pregnant women.
C – Like the J, but curved at both ends.
U – Like the letter U, it has two long narrow arms joined by a curved portion. It is usually used with the U upside-down.
O – Cylindrical, long with a circular cross-section (such as the Squishy Deluxe Microbead Body Pillow).

Why Choose a Body Pillow?

A body pillow is there to support all or most of the body. Many sleepers us an assortment of pillows: one for the head, plus a little one for the neck, one for the lumbar, one under the knees (for a back sleeper) or between the knees (for a side sleeper), a flatter one to cushion the feet, maybe a skinny one under the arm, and/or wedges to elevate the upper body and the legs.

One body pillow can replace all of these, with the possible exception of a wedge or two. Right here we can see a few benefits:

(1) The sleeper does not have to arrange all the pillows before getting into bed, and then adjust them before falling asleep.
(2) Pillows will not shift out of place, causing the sleeper to make adjustments in the night (like tossing and turning).
(3) The extra pillows are not in the way when getting up. And if this is for Nature’s Call, not having to get them all in place again when getting back into bed.

Other benefits of sleeping on a body pillow are cited by several sources:

(4) Body pillows (especially shredded memory foam ones) adjust to the body’s weight and shape, as well as the user’s sleeping position, for more even support. Snuggle-Pedic says this about their shredded memory foam body pillow: “While the Snuggle-Pedic conforms to the body for proper orthopedic support, the fluffy, yet resilient mixed combination of foam used in our Snuggle-Pedic pillows will adjust to each position you sleep in.” This means pressure point relief and support for the lumbar and neck.
(5) Having part of the pillow between the legs keeps you from rotating your legs and twisting your spine.
(6) This results in proper spinal alignment.
(7) Most body pillow users hug their pillows. Hugging has its own benefits.
— It stabilizes the body, holding the neck and back in place.
— The emotional effect eases tension and helps one to relax for better, deeper sleep.
— It promotes better circulation.
(8) Using a body pillow takes strain off hips and shoulders.
(9) For some, using a body pillow may ease breathing problems, reducing snoring. It may or may not help with sleep apnea, depending on the individual’s condition.

Customer Ratings

Here are the best body pillows as rated on Sleep Like the Dead, Amazon (average customer ratings), Consumer Search, New Better Health, Health Listed, and Back Pain Health Center.

In all but the last list, the body pillow by Snuggle-Pedic is ranked #1 (in the last list, it is #2). Where the body pillow by Coop Home Goods is listed, it is #2. Both of these are I-shaped body pillows. Body pillows by Leacho are C-, J-, and U-shaped, shapes preferred by pregnant women and those with certain back conditions. Also notable is the dominance of shredded memory foam for filling the pillows and the use of bamboo derived rayon in the covers of high-rated pillows, both body pillows and all memory foam pillows.