In talking with my Mom, she mentioned that when she was young she slept with a "bolster," which I think translates more closely to what we nowadays call a "body pillow". It's a long soft pillow you can hug to your body. I'd like to get her one, and I wondered if anyone here owns one and recommends any particular brand?

Philly888

Philly, I wish I could help you but I know nothing about a body pillow except after doing a search for you using google, it seems that Linen N Things, Bed Bath and Beyond and JCPenney have these type of pillows to try out in their stores if you are afraid to order something without seeing how soft or hard or cushiony it is.

Lynn2006 wrote:

Lynn, judging from the lack of response (yours is the only one so far), not very many people here have tried a body pillow. That surprises me, because a body pillow is supposed to relieve back, neck and knee pain, and most of the people posting here have a lot of pain. Body pillows are especially favored by pregnant women, but I just read a positive review by a male college student.

You mention JC Penney, and it was in fact on their website that I first saw one. I was looking at Carpenter products because of all the discussion about the Carpenter Dream Coil topper, and JCP is a big seller of Carpenter products. I'm especially attracted to the Carpenter Ambient Wellness Body Pillow that is "Clinically proven to increase blood oxygenation". That would be great for my mother, who has Type 2 diabetes and poor circulation. I also see that Ambient pillows were recommended by sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus, who appeared on Oprah and the Today show:

http://www5.jcpenney.com/jcp/ProductsHOM.aspx?GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=13e528d

http://www.oprah.com/health/yourbody/health_yourbody_sleep.jhtml

But $80 is a lot for a pillow, even a large body pillow, and the claims about Holofiber increasing blood oxygen levels in your body up to 29% sound like hoodoo-voodoo; I'm not sure I trust them.

Searching around for a cheaper alternative, I've found the "Pinzon 300-Thread-Count Cotton EnviroLoft Body Pillow". It has gotten good reviews on Amazon. Right now it's selling for $28.25 with free shipping, but apparently it was selling for $19.99 a week ago, so I put it in my cart and I'm going to wait to see if it comes down again to that price. If it does, I'll order that and also a cover for it that sells for $9.99. That would make it $30 for pillow, cover and shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/Pinzon-300-Thread-Count-Cotton-EnviroLoft-Pillow/dp/B000SOM69Q/

Philly888

Philly888 wrote:

I'm bumping this thread just to note that the above body pillow is on a "Friday Sale" for $19.99. Since my original post this pillow has picked up a few negative reviews, so even though the price is excellent I haven't ordered. The main complaint is that it's too big and fluffy and doesn't lose its fluff - apparently many people are accustomed to body pillows that lose their fluff and/or prefer them that way.

I'm still thinking of getting a body pillow ... someday.

Philly888

I've seen bodypillows at Wal Mart, in the sears catalogue etc.  I don't have one but I bought one for both of my kids years ago.  Of course, they weren't great quality but they loved them.

Pottery Barn has some beautiful and expensive bolsters; they seem to be replacing the decorating fad of using mutliple smaller pillows on a bed. I think you can see them on their web site. Beware...You my be tempted to spend a lot of money there!

I have used body pillows for years and always forget "the best one".

Have tried many and have finally settled on Body Pillow by Laura Ashley @ BBB.  $20.00 and it's not too large and will flatten some with use.  When it looses it's fluffyness, I replace it for $20 and have enough cases so we don't have to buy anymore.

Philly888 wrote:
I bought one about one and a half years ago... was a memory foam one from Ortho for about $100. I've like it, but as a side sleeper, it's not substantial enough for me as I like my arm that is on top to not collapse into my body, which it still does too much with the one I got. So I got some kind of synthetic-fill pillow from Costco that is really puffy and put that on top of the body pillow ("BP") for my arm and that works. Where the BP works well though, is between my knee caps. Not too thin or thick. (I don't remember why I got the Ortho one rather than the one Tempurpedic sells... I think they were priced similar.)

Anyway, I was in Select Comfort yesterday looking at the air beds (no, I'm not getting one of these, they don't feel right), and they had a BP there that I liked a lot. Fluffier and more substantial than the Ortho or Tempurpedic. I will probably get that, costs about $50.