The Best Nursing Pillows to Support You and Your Baby

My Brest Friend’s Deluxe nursing pillow is our best overall pick thanks to its incredible support features. According to many nursing parents—our gear editor included—it’s the best feeding pillow to use for breastfeeding. Designed solely to support nursing parents and babies, My Brest Friend is an extremely supportive pillow with a 360-degree design that wraps completely around your whole body. The wraparound design provides back support, and the back strap attaches the pillow to itself and your body to prevent it from moving out of place. And the back support feature is a life-saver for staying comfortable during feeds. One Babylist parent wrote into our survey that they loved this over the Boppy “because it gave more back support.”

The surface is soft enough to be comfortable, yet firm enough to support your baby (so you don’t have to crouch over them). And the built-in contouring acts as a head support for your baby so they’re in just the right position for nursing. Because the inner side of the pillow is completely flat, it can lay flush against your body, eliminating any gaps between you and your baby and making it easy to stabilize your little one. There’s a built-in pocket that comes in handy for keeping things close like a water bottle, nipple cream, your phone or whatever else you need while nursing. My Brest Friend also makes a Super Deluxe version which offers extra support in a few more places, including a higher back and a thicker depth.

One of the biggest complaints parents have about this nursing pillow is that while the cover is machine washable, the pillow itself is spot clean only. You can buy a waterproof inner cover separately, and that’s something I’d recommend investing in (that way the pillow’s protected from accidental leaks and spit-up).

While it’s super supportive and sturdy, both of those features mean it’s a bit bulky. It’s certainly not what we’d call portable or travel-friendly. But that doesn’t have to be a deal breaker, especially since you’ll likely be spending most of your time at home the first few months after your baby is born. (Keep reading for an innovative on-the-go pick below.) And some parents say it’s not made for larger bodies: “The part that is supposed to wrap around your back doesn’t even go halfway for me and I only weigh about 200 lbs. Definitely not plus size friendly,” one Babylist parent said. If you need a little more space, their twin nursing pillow also doubles as a plus-size-friendly option—many parents who don’t have twins also like it for the extra space. (Keep reading for our plus size pick below.)

If we could choose two best overall picks, this would be one of them. Boppy is one of the first nursing pillows to hit the market, and I used it for both of my breastfeeding journeys. The brand recently made some updates to the Boppy nursing pillow's design that make it more supportive, including increasing the insert's density and changing the shape a bit.

This newer version has a U-shape as opposed to a more curved C-shape, which allows it to work for more body shapes and sizes. “I have a petite waist and the curved U shape fits me better,” another parent said when comparing it to their original version. “It is twice as tall as the old Boppy and much firmer. I use this pillow to breastfeed my seventh baby and that height and structure is perfect for the support a newborn needs and the height my back needs,” one Babylist parent said. The nursing pillow’s firmness might take some getting used to for those who’ve used the original version: “Once I got the hang of it I fell in love and now it’s the only one I use. I exclusively use this pillow to breastfeed; it is nice and supportive and really gets baby up where they need to be and close to you,” one Babylist parent said in their review.

Though the firmness provides a lot of support, some parents say it’s a bit too stiff. “It feels like a rock compared to the original Boppy I had with my first baby,” one Babylist parent said. While it does a great job of keeping the baby in the ideal position for latch without having to hunch over or add extra pillows for lift, I do agree it feels almost uncomfortably firm. 

While the covers are machine washable, the nursing pillow itself is spot clean only—mainly because over time, machine washing can lead to the pillow losing its shape and firmness.  As of right now, Boppy doesn’t have a waterproof or water-resistant cover. One parent noted, “I would like to see a waterproof liner come standard with this pillow. As an overproducer with a quick and heavy letdown, sometimes the pillow will still get damp even with my multiple burp cloth set up.”

Regular nursing pillows aren’t on-the-go friendly. That’s why our pick for best portable nursing pillow isn’t actually a pillow—it’s a sling you wear. The Cloud 9 sling is ultra-portable and supports you and your baby during feeds, wherever you go. (I can’t express how much I wish I had known about this when my babies were born!)

The Swehl provides a little lift, bringing your baby to the breast, and also helps them stay in the optimal nursing position with their head higher than their stomach. You will need to support their body as they nurse, though; it mainly supports their little head. It’ll also give you a little bit of privacy when nursing in public if you want that.

The Cloud 9 works best when you’re feeding in the cradle or football position (check out this helpful video to see it in action). The strap is adjustable and nice and long; as a mid-size parent I had no trouble getting it to fit. As an added bonus, the Cloud 9 doubles as a sling bag. It features three pockets you can use to carry essentials like your phone, keys, and a diaper or two.

There are a few important things to keep in mind. This is not meant to be used as a baby carrier, and you should always remain seated while using the Cloud 9. And it’s not as straightforward to use as the My Brest Friend or Boppy—there’s a slight learning curve, though I got the hang of it after practicing for just a few minutes. You have to put the sling over your body (imagine putting on a crossbody bag) and then adjust the straps just right in order to support baby’s head. You’ll need to use your other arm to support the rest of their body. The sling isn’t machine washable; Swehl recommends spot cleaning only. And it only comes in this light blue color (for now).

Momcozy’s nursing pillow is our pick for larger bodies. It’s similar in shape to the popular Boppy but has a long buckle strap that helps it stay put and fit on many different body sizes. It even works well for those who want support while bottle feeding. One Babylist parent said they use it for bottle feeding because “it’s so helpful for the comfort of my back and arms.”

This pillow comes vacuum-sealed, so you’ll want to give yourself enough time for it to fluff up and air out after opening the package (some say it has a slight chemical “new product” smell upon opening, but that’s not something I experienced). The craftsmanship isn’t the best quality, either. A few parents mentioned that the stitching came apart after a few months of regular use. Perhaps the biggest gripe is that the cover isn’t waterproof. “The pillow gets soaked [if your baby spits up on it] or when your baby is refusing to latch. Then [you’ll] have to wash it and you don’t have it for when you need it. Or you have to buy two, which isn’t feasible for some people,” one Babylist parent shared.

If you’re feeding not one but two babies from your body, that’s amazing. And it can be tricky to get all three of you comfortable during feeds. That’s why we love this twin version of our best overall pick. My Brest Friend’s Twin Nursing pillow is designed to accommodate and support tandem feeding and features firm support to keep everyone where they need to be.

With its adjustable strap that fits many body types, it’s also one of our other recommendations for plus-size parents. Like the standard version, it features a wraparound design that helps reduce back and shoulder strain.

While effective, this pillow isn’t the most portable due to its large and structured shape, making it less convenient for travel or on-the-go use. Some parents find the pillow’s firmness takes some getting used to, especially in the early postpartum days. It’s also a bit pricey, though parents of twins agree it’s well worth considering how helpful it is in their feeding experiences.