Expert buying advice for nursing pillows. Here you will find the most comfortable sleeping aids for pregnancy. All test winners at a glance.
The right nursing pillow can make pregnancy as well as everyday life with your offspring much easier:
- It helps to give your body valuable moments of relaxation and ensures relaxation, especially in the period after the birth.
- Nursing pillows are flexible, stable and support you exactly where you need it.
It is already part of the standard equipment of midwives and has become indispensable for many mothers who use a nursing pillow.
Even before the birth, such a pillow can help you and make lying with a spherical belly, for example, much more comfortable.
With this comprehensive guide I would like to help you to find the right pillow for you quickly and easily.
Index
The most important features & top recommendations
If you don’t have much time, here is a short summary including recommendations from the guide:
- Nursing pillows are pillows up to 2 meters long with a filling made of EPS (styrofoam balls) or other fillers, which are very similar to side sleeper pillows .
- The tube-like shape offers your body stability and supports you during pregnancy.
- When breastfeeding, such a pillow offers your baby a high level of comfort and also relieves you, as it allows you to sit in a more comfortable position.
- Nursing pillows are skin-friendly, suitable for allergy sufferers and free of any harmful substances to protect you and your baby.
- There are both versions with a removable cover and those with a fixed cover. This is available in different materials – microfibre and cotton are popular.
- Many nursing pillows are machine-washable, some models are even suitable for the dryer. This makes cleaning and caring for your nursing pillow a lot easier.
If you want a recommended pillow as soon as possible:
Well-known manufacturers of nursing pillows
With today’s diversity, it is difficult to distinguish good brands from cheap copies.
But especially with products for toddlers and babies, you should keep a close eye on whose products you are buying.
Therefore, I would like to offer you a brief overview of the most famous manufacturers of nursing pillows so that you know immediately who you can trust.
Theraline
The German company Theraline is probably the best-known manufacturer of nursing pillows and is characterized by top quality made in Germany.
Julius Zöllner
The Julius Zöllner company was founded in 1962 in Küps-Schmölz in Bavaria and is now at the top of the range of quality products for babies and toddlers alongside Theraline.
Doomoo
Doomoo is a range of products from Delta Diffusion, a family company from Belgium that has been innovating and developing products for children and babies since 1990.
Dream land
The family company Träumeland from Austria is still relatively new, but has already demonstrated very good quality through numerous innovations.
Better Germany
Hobea Germany is a German online shop that offers nursing pillows and many other products for children and toddlers.
Motherhood
Motherhood is a brand of the US Destination Maternity Corporation and specializes in products for mothers and babies. The company itself is considered the world’s leading retailer of maternity clothing.
Sugarapple
Sugarapple is a German brand of textiles for children and babies sold exclusively via Amazon.
Of course there are many other providers ( e.g. the great Wellpur pillows ) of high quality nursing pillows . These brands are among the best-known manufacturers on the market.
This is what makes a high quality maternity pillow
Nursing pillows consist of a filling and a cover. Different materials are used for both.
The filling
- EPS, Polyester, Dinkelspelzen
- Microbeads are particularly quiet.
- You can refill some pillows yourself.
The heart of a good nursing pillow is the filling. This is made of a fine and flexible material in order to offer you and your children both stability and comfort.
EPS
Especially EPS (polystyrene) – also known as Styrofoam – has proven itself here.
- Particularly fine-grain EPS is often marketed as microbeads – these are particularly low-noise.
- A good nursing pillow always uses certified and safe EPS.
Important tip: Make sure you have an eco seal here, because not all styrofoam is equally suitable. Variants such as you can find in hardware stores or as fillers in parcels often contain carcinogenic substances.
Polyester
Another filler is polyester, which behaves very similar to EPS. Here you should only pay attention to a possible polyester skin intolerance.
So-called hollow fibers are an increasingly popular variant of polyester. These are quieter than EPS and dissipate heat better so that the pillow does not get too warm.
On the other hand, pillows with hollow fiber filling are often more expensive.
Natural fillings
As an alternative to the artificial fillers, there is also a filling made from spelled husks.
However, this is not suitable for laundry due to the possibility of mold formation – this filling must be replaced with a new one regularly.
Spelled husk is a biodegradable material and should have an organic seal of approval on your pillow.
Spelled husks are very skin-friendly, but quickly trigger allergies, which is why they are not suitable for allergy sufferers.
Tip: if you use a nursing pillow for a long time, the filling will become flat over time and lose its stability. You can then easily refill many pillows yourself.
The reference
- Removable cover or firmly sewn cover
- Cotton, microfiber, plush, leather
- Cotton and microfiber in particular are easy to care for and are also suitable for allergy sufferers
The best nursing pillow covers use two materials
Cotton and microfibre are mainly used to cover a nursing pillow.
Both materials are very easy to care for and are suitable for both allergy sufferers and sensitive people. This makes them popular materials for covers – not only for the variant for pregnant women, but for all pillows .
You will rarely find nursing pillows made of plush and leather
While plush gives your child a very cozy feeling and leather is pleasantly cool on the skin, especially on warmer days, both materials are more difficult to care for and are not suitable for everyone.
Many manufacturers offer removable covers so that you can change and wash them quickly and easily. Occasionally, however, there are always nursing pillows with the cover firmly sewn to the pillow.
In short: If easy-care cleaning and a long shelf life are important to you, make sure not to use the wrong nursing pillowcase.
Find the right size nursing pillow
Nursing pillows are generally up to 2 meters long in order to relieve the body sufficiently.
However, in many cases the right size is still a matter of taste – in my experience, you get everything right with the standard version:
- For most of us, the 2 meters are more than enough for relaxed lying down.
- And the excess length doesn’t bother even small women, but offers even more padding to snuggle up to.
In some cases you can connect the sleep aid to a ring with a loop and place it around your waist. This is a nice extra and makes your pillow even more versatile.
That brings me to the next point:
The right shape ensures a comfortable sleep
Most pillows adapt to your body shape – so you have a ring that you can put around your stomach and embed your offspring in it.
Some pillows – especially pillows specially designed for traveling – are much smaller.
- Here, the shape is more like a U, which offers just enough space for your child to lie comfortably while breastfeeding.
- This is particularly worthwhile if you want to save space or want to use the pillow on the go (for example in the car).
Traditional full-size nursing pillows are often too big and unwieldy to use in the car.
You should therefore think about the intended use before buying in order to really find the right variant.
The 10 best nursing pillows in the test & comparison
In the following I would like to introduce you to 10 nursing pillows, all of which score with very high quality and have already proven themselves with many readers.
Each pillow has its own advantage – so it’s worth browsing!
The top brand: Theraline pregnancy and nursing pillows
The Theraline nursing pillow is not one of the most popular nursing pillows in Germany for nothing.
- Dimensions: 190 x 38 cm
- Filling: EPS microbeads – 42 liters
- Cover: 100% cotton
The nursing pillow is of very high quality and offers a very pleasant feeling. Theraline uses particularly low-noise EPS microbeads for the filling.
The most important things at a glance:
- The filling of extra small pearls makes the pillow quieter than comparable offers.
- A self-sealing tunnel opening also makes it easier for you to refill the pillow.
- You can zip off the cover and wash it in the machine. It is also pre-shrunk and therefore suitable for the dryer.
- In an emergency, you can also wash the pillow yourself – this is not recommended, but the pillow survived an “emergency wash” without any problems. To do this, pack the pillow in a laundry bag or pillowcase.
- The Theraline nursing pillow is Oeko-Tex certified, free of harmful substances and suitable for allergy sufferers.
The classic from Theraline is one of the most popular nursing pillows in Germany and has proven itself very well for a long time. With a total length of 190 cm, it is one of the larger pillows and is particularly suitable if you are not only looking for a pillow to breastfeed, but also want to take it with you to bed.
The cotton cover is easy to care for, machine washable and even suitable for the dryer, which makes it much easier for you to care for it.
The pillow is filled with particularly fine beads made of EPS, so it doesn’t rustle and is quieter than other nursing pillows.
If you want the pillow to be plumper, you can easily refill the filling yourself, or if you wish, replace it completely with another filling. This gives you some of the nursing pillow longer than if you were to use a pillow without a refill function.
The seams are of very high quality and the zipper on the cover is well hidden so that it does not bother you.
If you are looking for a large pillow that you can use for breastfeeding as well as a lying aid and storage pillow, then the popular Theraline nursing pillow is a solid choice.
The smaller top brand: Theraline “Dodo” nursing pillow
The Dodo pillow is “the little sister” of the larger Theraline nursing pillow and offers you the same functions.
- Dimensions: 180 x 30 cm
- Filling: EPS microbeads – 30 liters
- Cover: 100% cotton
The most important things at a glance:
The Dodo pillow is almost identical to the larger Theraline nursing pillow – but it is 10 cm shorter and 8 cm narrower.
- But it is cheaper and especially worthwhile for bargain hunters. It is neither in quality nor in benefit of its big sister.
- The Dodo pillow offers you the same quality as the larger nursing pillow from Theraline, but it is lighter and cheaper.
The purchase decision here depends more on whether you are willing to pay more for a larger pillow or whether the size difference is not so important to you and you would rather save some money.
The giant: “Umbo XXL” from Traumreiter
The XXL “Umbo” pillow from the Traumreiter brand is primarily advertised as a side sleeper pillow, but is also ideal for mother and child, as it fulfills all the important properties of a good nursing pillow.
- Dimensions: 340 x 60 x 20 cm
- Filling: 100% polyester fusion flakes
- Cover: 65% cotton 35% polyester
The most important things at a glance:
- The Umbo pillow is the largest pillow ever. It is ideal for taller people or tandem breastfeeding for twins.
- In addition to its size, it is also characterized by a particularly plump filling – this makes it very stable and voluminous.
- You can adjust the thickness and shape to suit your needs by reducing or increasing the filling.
- At the end of the neck there is a special 3D shoulder comfort zone – this primarily supports the neck and shoulders against tension and pain.
- The pillow is also partially suitable for allergy sufferers, provided that you are not allergic to the filling material (polyester) used.
The Umbo pillow is one thing above all: huge. If you are looking for a giant among pillows, this side sleeper and nursing pillow is the first choice. Even if you want to breastfeed twins in tandem, the pillow provides sufficient support and stability.
Of course, it is also ideal for the last few months before the birth. Here you will find a comfortable position for you even with a baby bump and protect your body.
The cover can also be removed and machine washed. However, you need a washing machine that is large enough so that the cover fits easily into it.
I recommend using a washing machine with a minimum volume of 10 kg.
It is by far the most expensive pillow in comparison, but it also offers incomparable comfort – regardless of whether you want to use it for pregnancy, when breastfeeding or simply as a cozy addition to your bed.
Price-performance winner: Hobea nursing pillow
The Hobea nursing pillow offers you the best price-performance ratio. It is a little cheaper than the Theraline nursing pillow and differs mainly in terms of filling material, care and stability.
It is also available in numerous designs.
- Dimensions: 190 x 38 cm
- Filling: siliconized polyester hollow fibers
- Cover: 100% cotton
The most important things at a glance:
- With a wooden button and a loop at the ends, you can easily tie the pillow together so it stays where it should be when breastfeeding.
- The filling is not made of EPS beads, but of special polyester hollow fibers, so there is no rustling at all.
- This filling also allows you to put the pillow completely in the washing machine and wash it carefree at up to 60 degrees. The nursing pillow can even be put in the dryer.
- The pillow is very well filled and therefore offers good dimensional stability. It is even very suitable for tandem breastfeeding.
Since many pillows use materials for the filling that are not machine-washable, Hobea gets a plus point here for easier care.
The material still offers you a very stable pillow, which you can also use for all typical mom-related situations.
- It helps you to relax during pregnancy and protects your posture while breastfeeding.
- Your baby can also lie securely on the pillow and the stable hold makes the first attempts at sitting easier.
The loop that is provided is especially helpful when breastfeeding, through which you can shape the pillow into a ring that does not move. Pillows that do not have this option often have to be readjusted manually.
Hobea also complies with all important regulations and certifications, so the pillow is free of harmful substances and suitable for allergy sufferers.
In addition, the Hobea nursing pillow was also recognized as the price-performance winner in the nursing pillow segment onvergleich.org.
For on the go: Motherhood compact nursing pillow
The Motherhood nursing pillow is particularly compact and can therefore be easily used on the go, for example in the car.
- Dimensions: 36 x 16 x 54 cm
- Filling: 100% polyester (Lentex balls)
- Cover: 100% cotton
The most important things at a glance:
- The pillow is very light and compact – ideal as a pillow for on the go.
- A supplied plastic pocket with zipper makes it even easier to transport.
- Both the cover and the filling are machine washable – individually or together.
- It meets the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 in first class and is particularly skin-friendly and suitable for allergy sufferers.
Motherhood offers a nursing pillow in a very handy format. If the long nursing pillows from other suppliers are too unwieldy for you or you are looking for a second nursing pillow for on the go, you will find it here.
You can easily place the pillow around your stomach and position your baby on it for breastfeeding. The pillow retains a stable shape – your baby does not sink in.
Due to its small size, it is not necessarily suitable as a storage cushion, but it offers a secure hold when your offspring makes their first attempts at sitting or can sit alone, but you want to play it safe.
Like the larger nursing pillow from Hobea, the nursing pillow from Motherhood is completely machine-washable.
Depending on your needs, you can remove the cover and wash it individually or you can put the pillow completely in the washing machine. After drying, it looks like new again.
The nursing pillow from Motherhood accompanies you reliably in everyday life and when traveling and is also suitable as a neck pillow. A clear purchase recommendation if you prefer a compact pillow.
Another classic: Julius Zöllner nursing pillow
Julius Zöllner nursing pillows are among the most popular branded nursing pillows on the market alongside products from Theraline and Hobea-Germany.
This pillow is particularly suitable if the usual 180-190 cm lengths are too big for you.
- Dimensions: 160 cm length
- Filling: EPS microbeads
- Cover: 100% cotton
The most important things at a glance:
- A classic half-moon shaped nursing pillow supports you during pregnancy, breastfeeding and in everyday life.
- Although a length of 190 cm is specified on the Amazon page, the pillow supplied actually has a measured length of 160 cm.
- It is therefore smaller than the Dodo pillow from Theraline, but larger than the compact nursing pillow from Motherhood and is ideal if the other pillows seem too big or too small to you.
- You can remove the cover with a zip and wash it in the machine, the pillow itself is not suitable for the washing machine.
Julius Zöllner has always been known for quality. The nursing pillow meets the requirements of the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and is labeled as toxproof by TÜV Rheinland.
The filling made of EPS microbeads adapts to you and your baby and thus offers optimal dimensional stability when lying, sitting and breastfeeding.
You can also fold it into a loop to keep your baby safe on the pillow.
You can easily remove the pure cotton cover with a zip – it is machine washable up to 60 degrees.
You can choose from numerous motifs (including Disney) – these not only look cute, but can also wonderfully enhance the children’s room after breastfeeding.
The special offer: Natalia Spzoo nursing pillow
If you are primarily looking for a cheap pillow, then Natalia Spzoo’s nursing pillow will do the job.
It is by far the cheapest nursing pillow in comparison and still offers comparable comfort to the more expensive “branded products”.
- Dimensions: 190 cm length
- Filling: Either EPS microbeads or hollow fibers
- Cover: 100% cotton
The most important things at a glance:
- You can buy the pillow with either a microbead filling (EPS) or HCS hollow fibers.
- It is the cheapest nursing pillow in the test, which is still of good quality.
- Like the branded pillows, the nursing pillow by Natalia Spzoo has a dosing opening with which you can fill the pillow according to your needs.
- The pure cotton cover can be zipped off and machine washed at up to 40 degrees.
- Due to the standard size of 190 x 38 cm, you can also use the pillow with covers from other suppliers as you wish.
What is particularly interesting here is that you have a choice of which filling you want to use. When ordering, you can choose from both EPS microbeads and low-noise hollow fibers.
While the microbeads store heat well and thus keep your children and you warm, the hollow fibers offer absolute noise suppression.
This prevents even babies who sleep very lightly from being awakened by annoying rustling.
The only point of criticism I have to mention here is that the EPS filling used gives off a typical “Styrofoam odor” for some time after unpacking. However, this will subside when you ventilate the pillow a little.
This problem did not exist with the filling made of hollow fibers.
The nursing pillow offers you and your offspring the same comfort as other providers – it is plump and retains its shape for a long time.
If you want, you can replace the filling with another filling. You can use the pillow reliably over a very long period of time.
Natalia Spzoo offers you the nursing pillow in many different designs.
The workmanship is high quality. However, the pillow does not have any certifications that testify that it is free from harmful substances. If proof of safety is important to you, I therefore recommend that you use another provider.
The middle class: Träumeland nursing pillows
The nursing pillow from Träumeland falls into the middle class and has proven itself as a reliable nursing pillow with good durability and high comfort.
- Dimensions: 190 x 35 cm
- Filling: odor-free EPS beads
- Cover: 100% cotton
The most important things at a glance:
- The pillow is very comfortable and offers you and your child a high level of comfort
- You have the choice between many designs, which can also look good with the rest of the furnishings.
- The cover is particularly soft and can be machine washed at up to 60 degrees.
- The filling consists of EPS pearls, which are odorless and are particularly quiet.
- The pillow is skin-friendly and also suitable for allergy sufferers.
Träumeland offers the nursing pillow in many designs that are not only related to babies. You can also choose from “modern” designs that fit into any bedroom.
It offers you a good hold and helps you to find a comfortable sleeping position even during pregnancy . When the baby arrives, the support of the pillow will make breastfeeding easier for you.
Your child lies relatively high on this pillow. This allows you to breastfeed your child in a comfortable sitting position without having to hold them yourself.
Due to its size, it is also suitable as a storage pillow.
With this pillow, too, the filling may lose its firmness over time and sag, but you can refill the pillow as you wish – possibly with a different filling material.
The design brand: Sugarapple nursing pillows
The Sugarapple nursing pillow is produced in collaboration with Theraline. This gives you the well-known Sugarapple design selection combined with the quality of Theraline.
- Dimensions: 180 x 34 cm
- Filling: EPS microbeads (from Theraline)
- Cover: 100% cotton
The most important things at a glance:
- The nursing pillow offers the same functions and qualities as Theraline’s “Dodo” pillow, as the company produces the nursing pillows for Sugarapple. It has all the certificates and seals of approval of the Theraline pillow.
- The designs belong to the well-known Sugarapple furnishing pattern and thus fit perfectly with the rest of your Sugarapple children’s room furnishing.
- In terms of price, it is more expensive than the Dodo nursing pillow, so it is primarily aimed at parents who want Theraline quality but prefer Sugarapple designs.
- Both the pillow and the cover are machine-washable, making cleaning much easier for you.
Sugarapple is best known for its designs. The brand offers you numerous textiles and furnishings for the children’s room in matching motifs and colors.
Sugarapple has teamed up with Theraline (one of the market leaders) in order to be able to offer not only nursing pillows with great designs, but also with top quality.
The best of two worlds is combined here. The pillow offers you a high level of comfort, is quiet, machine-washable, free of any harmful substances, certified and has a long service life. At the same time, it has many timeless motifs that can be easily adapted with the rest of the furnishings and are so invisible.
The pure cotton cover does not lose its color even after washing and looks very good for a long time.
If you love Sugarapple Designs, you will find the right nursing pillow here to complete the facility for the offspring.
Ideal for twins: Flexofill Deluxe nursing pillow
The Flexofill nursing pillow is one of the largest regular nursing pillows and therefore beats the Theraline nursing pillow in terms of size and volume.
- Dimensions: 195 x 46 cm
- Filling: EPS – 52 liters
- Cover: 100% cotton
The most important things at a glance:
- It is the largest, regular breastfeeding pillow in the shape of a horseshoe and has a volume that is 10 liters larger than the Theraline nursing pillow.
- Due to its size and volume, it is also ideal if you want to breastfeed twins in tandem, as two babies are still stable and safe together without sinking into the pillow.
- The EPS filling is “toxproof” -certified by TÜV Rheinland and is therefore free from harmful substances
- The pillow is completely machine-washable, making cleaning easier for you. You can also put it in the dryer without hesitation.
This nursing pillow beats the top brand Theraline by 5 x 8 cm in dimensions and 10 liters in filling volume, which means that it is fuller and is also suitable if your offspring is older or you have twins.
You can also use the XXL pillow from Traumreiter for this, but the Flexofill nursing pillow is much cheaper and easier to handle.
Here, too, cotton and toxproof-certified EPS are used, which makes the nursing pillow pleasant on the skin and harmless. You can also use it as an allergy sufferer.
In addition, it is very easy to clean because you can simply put the entire pillow in the washing machine and dryer. Here, however, I recommend you use a laundry bag.
- Because in the rare event that the filling leaks, it can otherwise clog and damage your devices.
- Flexofill also offers numerous designs with high-quality workmanship that keep their colors for a long time and make a very stable impression.
You can easily remove the covers with a zipper. You can also change or regulate the filling as you wish, in order to adapt the cushion hardness to your needs.
If the Umbo XXL pillow from Traumreiter is too big for you, Flexofill is the next best size at a significantly lower price.
The most important advantages at a glance
In addition to the main task – to help you breastfeed and to enable you and your baby to maintain a comfortable posture – nursing pillows can be used in many other ways and are therefore also extremely suitable in everyday life and during pregnancy.
You have one main problem with a round baby bump: You simply cannot find a comfortable lying position. No matter how hard you try, your back hurts, it pushes and pulls at all corners and ends.
- The right nursing pillow offers you invaluable comfort here.
- It helps you lie on your side with your stomach resting on the pillow, relieving the strain on your vertebrae and muscles. Even a restricted prone position is possible.
- It also protects your baby as the pressure is taken off the stomach.
Even after the birth, many mothers use the nursing pillow as a storage pillow, among other things, to nest their offspring and thus protect them perfectly – whether in the cot or elsewhere.
Last but not least, the little ones quickly get used to the cuddly companion and are reluctant to give it back. It also supports the first attempts at sitting and acts as a crawling pillow.
Conclusion on nursing pillows and other useful tips
A breastfeeding pillow offers mothers great comfort when breastfeeding and relieves the strain on muscles and bones, which are already heavily strained.
If you are still recovering from the hardships of childbirth and are struggling to find a comfortable position for you in which you can easily breastfeed your offspring, then you should think about buying a nursing pillow now at the latest.
During pregnancy, it gives you support and comfort in a sleeping position that you can adopt even with a baby bump.
There are special pillows for different needs.
- If you travel a lot, you will find particularly compact nursing pillows that are also worthwhile in the car.
- For proud mothers of twins, you will find pillows that make the otherwise very cumbersome tandem breastfeeding child’s play.
No midwife will doubt the usefulness of a nursing pillow. And mothers who use a nursing pillow swear by it and no longer give it away.
Also take a look at the following useful topics related to your offspring, so that you are prepared for anything:
I created Sleep Knowledge to share my interests and experiences on healthy sleeping with others. On this page I am therefore dealing with interesting questions about the optimal night’s sleep & everything else that goes with it.