Body Pillow Selection Guide
How do you choose a Body Pillow? Great question. It can be overwhelming
to choose because of the variety of shapes and prices. There are so
many choices out there... Some are short body pillows. Some are curved,
some are in the shape of a giant "U". Some body pillows are just
straight. And then, there is such a huge variation in prices. Some very
inexpensive body pillows can be found at the big super retailers for
twenty bucks, while some are over a hundred. What's the big difference
in all these pillows?
Let's look at size and shape first.
What size or shape of body pillow should you get?
The size or shape of body pillow you get will be determined by what you
want to use the pillow for and who will use it. Many users of body
pillows are getting them to help reduce paid due to Fibromyalgia, back
pain, sciatica, pain during pregnancy or for sleep comfort. Here are
some of the
factors to consider:
- Support on both sides of the body: For back sleepers, that
would mean both the left side and right. If you are a side sleeper,
users found it ideal to support the front of the body as well as the
back, so they didn't 'roll' backwards in the middle of the night.
- While straight body pillows or "C" shaped body pillows can
be comfortable, they typically will only support one side of the body
for "cuddling". Long-time body pillow users find that they need the
support on their back so they don't have to balance. This is why they
prefer a pillow that can support both sides. Because of this, a "U"
shaped pillow works best.
- Support between the knees: This requires a pillow long
enough to reach from under the head and neck all the way down to the
knees.
- Support between the ankles: For true comfort and pain
relief, users prefer pillows that also can support between the ankles
so they don't "knock" against each other
- Size: The size of pillow is a matter of personal
preference. Most pillow users prefer pillows that at least go between
their knees as well as support under their head and neck. A straight
body pillow is good for "cuddling" but will usually require another
separate pillow under the head. The "C" shaped pillows can support
under the head, neck and knees, but lacks the support on the back to
prevent rolling backwards. The "U" shaped body pillow can support the
head, neck, knees, front, back and if long enough, ankles.
- Who will be using the pillow?: Consider the size, shape and
weight of a pillow before getting one. If the pillow is for a child,
petite adult or perhaps an elderly person, you may want a smaller, or
petite body pillow. If the pillow will be used for traveling, a petite
pillow may be best. Most adults will be fine with a standard body
pillow.
- Flexibility of use: Do you want the pillow to be used in
multiple positions? Such as sitting up in bed, reading, watching TV, in
a chair, in a car, support under knees, back, side sleeping, back
sleeping, etc? Longer pillows will allow this more than shorter,
straight or "C" shaped pillows.
Why is there such a huge range of prices for body pillows?
The factors that affect the price of a
pillow are: Size, Filling, Material, Shape/Design, Quality, Where it is
Made, and Warranty.
Let's look at each one of these:
- Size: The bigger the size, the more material required and
more material means more money to manufacture.
- Filling: More expensive pillows offer a higher quality
filling. Filling options will determine if the pillow is resilient to
flattening, will if fluff up easier, will it hold it's shape, is it
hypoallergenic, does it hold heat or dissipate your body heat, and is
it easily washable.
- Design/shape: More complex designs and shapes requires more
time/labor to sew the pillow, stuff the pillow, and sew the case.
- Quality of Manufacturing: More expensive pillows have
better quality standards. In many cases, they are hand made/sewn.
- Where the Body Pillow is made: If the pillow is made in
another country with inexpensive labor, you may save some dollars.
However, if the pillow is made in the USA, you will be paying to
support the US economy and workers.
- Warranty: What is the warranty on the body pillow you are
considering? Do they have a warranty against flattening? This is
another factor to price.
- A larger pillow also requires more space at the factory or
retailer for storage.
- All of these factors will affect the price of a body pillow.
- Money back guarantee: Does the provider you get you pillow
from provide a guarantee? A quality product tends to guarantee their
product to ensure your satisfaction.
A few last considerations: When you get a body pillow, consider getting
an extra pillow case. You may want one for when one pillow case is in
the wash. You may want a different case color or fabric too. Body
Pillow
Cases can come in different colors and fabrics. Some include fleece,
cotton, and jersey cotton (like T-Shirt material). Body pillows can
sometime be challenging to get the pillow case on. Consider a pillow
that has a case with a dual-zipper. This allows you to unzip both
zippers and place the whole pillow in the case very easily. A dual
zipper also allows you to move both zippers to one spot, open them a
few inches, and slip in a hot pad or cool pack, just where you want it.
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