11 best pregnancy pillows that provide support and help ease back pain

With a unique C-shaped silhouette and breathable mesh panel running through the centre, this pillow from safe-sleep brand Purflo stood out for its thoughtful design. It’s firmer than some others I tested, but that turned out to be a benefit. This pillow offers reliable, ergonomic support for tired backs and knees, especially when lying on your side.

I particularly liked how it supported me from sofa lounging to night sleeping, and its compact, zipped bag made storage and transport refreshingly easy. While a little less flexible for shaping around the bump, its back support was second to none. The pillow also proved handy post-natally as a breastfeeding aid, although its height made it slightly less ideal for early tummy time.

All in all, this is a sturdy, stylish option for those after breathable, firmer support through pregnancy and beyond.

Read my full Purflo breathe pregnancy pillow review

While not strictly a dedicated pregnancy pillow, this heavy-duty rectangular model from Silentnight is a good option if you’re struggling with back pain. Crafted from soft, quilted microfibre and filled with squishy hollowfibre, it also comes with a microfibre pillowcase.

I found it to be super-sized and more sturdy and heavy than some of the others on this list. I thought it was great in a V-shape for sitting up in bed to achieve the most comfortable position – extremely helpful for nursing. If you’re looking for great value, excellent supportive padding and versatility, this one’s for you.

Read my full Silentnight body support pillow review

This full-length orthopaedic pillow from Kally Sleep has a soft to medium rating, so it promises not to be too firm. Covered in hypoallergenic and breathable jersey cotton, it was a cosy addition that offered impressive support.

Developed by chiropractors, the pillow is designed to be “cuddled” and can be moulded to your shape. I found it easy to plump up around the back and knees, where support was needed. I found it took the pressure off all the key points that often suffer during pregnancy, and offered a deeper, more comfortable sleep.

Read my full Kally sleep body pillow review

Award-winning and loved by influencers such as Chessie King, this pillow is quite the investment for such a short period of time. However, it was developed by three Norwegian female chiropractors specifically to help pregnant women sleep better by supporting the belly, pelvis, lower back and legs, and can be used beyond pregnancy as a nursing support. It’s so attractive that it could even get further use around the home.

Coming in a range of colours, the “pebbles” on either end can be adjusted to increase or decrease the firmness of the microbeads inside, enabling the pillow to mould around your body. I found the pillow moulded extremely well, and the spandex jersey fabric felt luxe against my skin. It allows for full ergonomic support, whether as a full-length pillow at night or tied around the back for daily support. It’s not a must-have, but it’s a very worthy investment if your budget can stretch.

Read the full Bbhugme pregnancy pillow review

There’s nothing worse than feeling hot, bothered, and uncomfortable during pregnancy. Thankfully, this offering from Simba includes the brand’s Stratos “cool touch” technology, making it feel like I were always sleeping on the cool side of the pillow, no matter how much I moved during the night. The high-quality fill maintains its shape beautifully, while the crisp feel adds to the comfort. Though it’s not an overly large pillow, it provides excellent support for side sleepers.

A bonus: the cover is removable and machine washable. It also arrives in a handy zipped bag, perfect for storage. While the single colourway and higher price point might deter those looking for a stylish investment piece or an all-rounder pillow, if you’re prone to running hot at night, this pillow should be at the very top of your list.

Another innovative pillow with a dedicated purpose, this model from Dreamgenii has a unique patented design to encourage you to sleep on your left side – which many believe is the optimal sleeping position during pregnancy. Designed to be used from 20 weeks onwards, the brand says this pillow offers optimised foetal positioning and encourages maximum blood flow between mother and baby.

If you’re prone to sleeping on your back, it might take a couple of nights to get used to this pillow, but I found it did indeed help encourage that left-hand tilt. It’s more comfortable than it sounds – promise. The longer section of the pillow can either be brought up between your legs for knee and hip support at night, or brought around your bump when sitting. When used like this, it can also become a feeding pillow once your baby arrives.

Read the full Dreamgenii pregnancy support and feeding pillow review

This pregnancy pillow is a semi-circle-shaped support that can be used as a full-body pillow for sleeping, or can be pinned using the wooden hook-and-eye to fit around or behind your body for use as a back support, or, further down the line, to be used as a breastfeeding cushion. The pillow is also advertised as a baby nest, which is a nice touch, but it should be noted that this is not its main purpose – babies should not be left to sleep or rest unattended in this product.

I liked the price point and found it to have a medium level of support. The cotton fabric ensured there was no overheating, and it was easy to manoeuvre during the night. A supportive pillow at a good price with several different designs to choose from, I think this is an excellent choice for those wanting a few different things out of their chosen model.

This innovative design from Bellamoon is ideal for pregnancy sleep support, feeding, tummy time, and also for use as a baby lounger. You’ll not find another pregnancy pillow that looks like this one. I enjoyed that the two curved ends could be zipped off and used as standalone pillows for car journeys. When in use as a full-body pillow at night, the unique C-shape meant it could be manipulated easily to give support where it was needed most – either between the legs, or curved around the back.

I found this pillow was a little softer than some others on this list, so it is best suited to those who want that cosy-but-cool feel. As a bonus, the designs are also beautiful – a welcome addition to the home.

I was delighted to find this two-in-one pillow had more like four-in-one benefits during testing. While the clever microbeads were a highlight for silently moulding to a comfortable curve shape to support our bump, thanks to memory foam-like fabric, my favourite use of the pillow was for elevating my legs (particularly on hot days, to reduce swelling) and also to wrap around our lower back for optimum comfort. Using the back support meant I could comfortably sit at our desk for longer on busy work days.

The pillow comes with a U- and C-shape cover to use for sleep during pregnancy and as a nursing or tummy-time support once your baby is born. I was grateful for how easily the clever cushion could fit into both pillow cases, which can be machine washed at 30C.

I also loved the handy storage bag to keep the cushion clean when taking it away on holiday.

If you’re pregnant during winter, look no further than this pregnancy pillow, which feels like a cosy cuddle to comfort all of your body’s aches and pains.

For such a bargain price, I highly recommend this option for back, leg and bump support throughout the night, plus the luxury of the soft, velvet cover is such a bonus for colder months. Without the velvet pillowcase, the cushion feels more breathable for hot days, but it does feel a little too invasive during heat waves.

There’s no faff of having to move the pillow if you switch sides during the night, as you have double the support. What I can confirm is that your lie-ins will definitely be longer than usual because the unrivalled comfort is hard to leave. There’s no doubt this will be a saviour post-birth, too.

It has the longest arms of all the pillows I’ve tested, which make for an excellent nursing pillow when the baby arrives, too.