Which shape and length

How the shape is chosen

The first question asks why you want a body pillow, because the reason decides the shape more than anything else. Height and bed size then set the length, and the last questions cover fill and washing.

This page describes positions and pillow shapes. It does not diagnose or treat any condition, and when a reason is a medical one it says so and points to the right person to ask.

What you choose here is saved to this browser and never sent, so the site can bring your result back later. You can delete it with one click.

Six questions, and what each decides

1. What do you most want a body pillow for?

• Something to hold while I sleep on my side. Wanting something to hold on your side is the classic case for a long straight pillow you can hug and tuck a leg over.
• Keeping my knees and hips lined up. Keeping knees and hips lined up is mostly about what sits between the knees, which a shorter pillow can do.
• Support while pregnant. Pregnancy support usually means holding the belly and the back at once, which is what curved shapes are for.
• Aches that make lying down uncomfortable. Aches that make lying down hard are worth a conversation with a clinician first; the page covers positions to ask them about.
• Snoring or trouble breathing at night. Snoring and breathing trouble at night are medical questions before they are pillow questions.

2. How do you usually lie?

• Mostly on one side. Staying on one side needs support on that side only, so a straight or C-shaped pillow is enough.
• Side to side through the night. Turning from side to side is what a U shape is for: it supports you whichever way you face without being moved.
• Mostly on my back. Lying mostly on your back leaves a long pillow little to do beside you, and a smaller support often serves better.

3. How tall are you?

• Under 5 ft 4 in (163 cm). At your height, a standard-length body pillow reaches from shoulder to knee without trailing off the bed.
• 5 ft 4 in to 5 ft 10 in (163 to 178 cm). At your height, a standard length works, and a longer one gives room to tuck a leg over.
• Over 5 ft 10 in (178 cm). At your height, a standard body pillow stops short of the knee, so the longer sizes are worth the space.

4. How much bed do you have?

• A twin or full, or a shared bed with little room. Limited room is the strongest case for a smaller shape, because a U shape takes up half a queen on its own.
• A queen or king with room to spare. Room to spare lets you choose the shape on comfort alone.

5. How should it feel?

• Firm enough to hold its shape. A firm feel in a long pillow needs a fill that does not drift to the ends, which is harder over five feet than over two.
• Soft and mouldable. A soft, mouldable feel is easiest in a long pillow with a fill you can push back into place.

6. Does it need to fit in your washing machine?

• Only the cover. Washing only the cover is how most long pillows are meant to be kept.
• The whole pillow. Washing a whole body pillow at home usually means a large machine or a laundromat, which is worth knowing before choosing the size.

Seven possible fits

A straight body pillow, and the length that suits your height

Side sleepers who want something to hold, with a length set by height.

A U-shaped pillow, for sleepers who turn from side to side

Readers who turn through the night and have the bed space for a pillow that surrounds them.

A C-shaped pregnancy pillow, for belly and back on one side

Pregnant readers who mostly stay on one side, and want the belly and the back held at once.

A small wedge, when a full body pillow is more than you need or have room for

Pregnant readers in a small or shared bed, for whom a wedge gives support without taking the bed over.

A shorter pillow between the knees, for keeping hips level

Readers whose aim is keeping knees and hips lined up rather than having something to hold.

Lying comfortably with aches: positions to try, and the questions to ask first

Readers whose reason is discomfort. It describes positions and what to ask a clinician, and does not diagnose or treat.

A body pillow is not what your problem needs

Readers whose reason is snoring or breathing at night. Those are questions for a doctor, and this says so before anything is bought.