I recently tested pregnancy pillows of all varieties and determined that the Leachco Snoogle is the best one-sided, J-shaped pillow available. Ahead, learn more about how this pillow performed in testing.
The best pregnancy pillows won’t fall flat when you need them the most: during those more than 9 months of tossing, turning and battling pregnancy aches and pains as you await your new baby’s arrival. They also shouldn’t retain too much heat. Your pregnancy pillow should provide support to all of your pain points and contour around the pregnant body with purpose. The Leachco Snoogle J-shaped pillow excels on each of these fronts and stands up to months of pregnancy, and even multiple pregnancies.
The Leacho Snoogle pregnancy pillow likely appeals to a variety of pregnant people as it supports ... [+]
This pregnancy pillow is reversible, offering a variety of configurations depending on whether you’d rather have more support down the back or front of your body, which is something that might change throughout pregnancy, too. At nearly 60 inches, the Snoogle is longer than many other products on the market, allowing pregnant parents of all heights to benefit from its curves and support. It is shorter than my pick for the best pregnancy pillow overall, the full-size Queen Rose U-Shaped Pregnancy Pillow. It’s also smaller and less bulky than my top pick. Read on to find out why the Snoogle might just become your favorite new addition to your nighttime and naptime routine.
Leachco Snoogle Features
A Unique Shape With A Curled Tail
Choosing a pregnancy pillow can feel as daunting as picking a baby name. There are many shapes, sizes, styles and details to consider. The Snoogle is most likely to appease a wide variety of pregnant people, cradling and supporting areas that typically hurt the most as your body expands.
Carson Meyer, a doula who has helped celebrities like Mandy Moore and Gigi Hadid and is also a nutrition consultant and founder of C & The Moon skincare, explains. “A full body pillow that keeps knees and ankles lifted and aligned can support your hips and lower back. Hugging a pillow with your arms is key for supporting your upper back, preventing tension in your shoulders and sternum,” she says. “Not all sleepless nights or aches and pains in pregnancy can be blamed on your pillow, but if you’re waking up sore or getting poor sleep, you may want to explore other pregnancy pillow options that provide more comfort. You will know when it’s right for you. It may take some trial and error.”
The bottom of the Snoogle pregnancy pillow wraps behind the body and between the knees, supporting the back, butt, upper legs and knees, helping with multiple joints at once. This makes it a go-to winner for efficiency, compared with some other pillows I tested that just support the bump, for example.
It Doubles As The Perfect Neck Pillow
Some squishier pregnancy pillows require yet another regular pillow for you to get fully comfortable, especially when it comes to neck support. The Snoogle is supportive enough in the neck to replace your typical head pillow, meaning you don’t have to stack another pillow on top. With a slightly elevated head and neck area, the Snoogle also serves as the perfect third-trimester product, when heartburn and reflux tend to rear their ugly heads at night.
The Leacho Snoogle pregnancy pillow isn't small per se but it takes up less space than the U-shaped, ... [+]
A Comfortable Cover With The Least Heat Retention
While testing pregnancy pillows, I spent a lot of time with my face and body on fabrics that were scratchy and stiff, and others that were soft and comfortable and made me excited to head to bed. The Snoogle 100% cotton cover (300 thread count with sateen finish) that I tested was one of the most comfortable. Fabric specialist Katie Elks, the director of design and product development at Brooklinen, says polyester blends or 100% cotton are ideal materials, especially for mamas running hot who need some cooling features.
I performed a cooling test, in which I exposed each pillow to a hot pack heated to body temperature, then removed it and monitored the rate and total temperature drop in 5-minute increments. The Snoogle performed the best of all of the pregnancy pillows I tested, with the fastest temperature drop, dissipating 11.4 degrees of heat in just 5 minutes. It also cooled the most overall, almost 15 degrees after 15 minutes. By comparison, some pillows I tested had a single-degree drop at 5 minutes and around a 9-degree drop total. Elks recommends looking for products that have cooling technology for pregnancy. Parents can choose from among a variety of covers and fabrics for their Snoogle pregnancy pillow, allowing you to pick the one that’s best for your preferences.
The Right Level Of Support That Doesn’t Flatten Over Time
Some pillows I tested were like rocks, and others were so mushy that simply lying on them felt like I had no pillow supporting my joints at all. But the Snoogle walked the line well, at what I’d consider to be medium to strong firmness, holding my body in the right position all night, without deflating or becoming overly squishy with use. In addition, it didn’t show any signs of breakdown over multiple pregnancies (I used a Leachco Snoogle during a previous pregnancy as well) and multiple months, making it a must-have for parents who plan on having additional children. This level of support is also essential for bump support, as your belly can become heavy in the final months of pregnancy and need a post, so it doesn’t feel like it’s pulling you forward or down all night as you lie on your side.
How Does The Leachco Snoogle Compare?
The Snoogle is supportive and medium firm compared with other pregnancy pillows, so it’s a safe bet for those who don’t have a strong preference either way. Though it does have a bit more give after a few weeks compared with its first day out of the package, it doesn’t become extra lumpy or misshapen with use, like some competitors.
The Snoogle has a unique design that competitors don’t, including the other winner, the Queen Rose U-shaped Pregnancy Pillow. Instead of a rule straight feel, the Snoogle inventors (a mom and registered nurse, by the way) took care to pay attention to a pregnant person’s curves, body shape and necessary areas of support, offering two different types of support depending on which direction you face while lying on it. Other pillows offer only one or two support points on the body, whereas the Snoogle supports the whole body. This eliminates the need to jam extra pillows behind your neck and back and between the knees.
How I Tested The Best Pregnancy Pillows
I slept on each pregnancy pillow for multiple nights to assess the pillows in the following areas:
Shape: I tested a variety of types of pregnancy pillows, including U-shaped, J-shaped, C-shaped and various types of smaller wedge pillows.
Comfort: I considered how comfortable each pillow felt in terms of alleviating pain but also just having in the bed with me. I looked for the right amount of firmness, with a little give or softness that often reads as better comfort.
Support: I explored how well the pillows supported key areas, such as the neck, belly, back, knees and lower legs, and I noted whether that support sustained through the night.
Strength: I kept an eye on how well the pillows held up through multiple uses and considered how previously tested pillows had performed in terms of not flattening out by the third trimester.
Rollability: Ideally your pregnancy supports your body no matter which way you roll. Many of us are rolling side to side, making a full-size pillow with support on both sides (a U shape) ideal, but not everyone wants that bulk in bed, so when considering different pillow shapes, I looked at how easy they were to flip to another position instead.
Materials: I chose pillows that had fabric and filling that easily cooled, as indicated in a cooling test and by the experts interviewed. I looked for the recommended 100% cotton wherever possible, but I also chose some pillows of different materials if they felt comfortable to the touch and passed the cooling test.
My Expertise
I have spent much of the past eight years pregnant or nursing. During that time, I was also testing and reviewing maternity, postpartum and baby and kids gear as a writer. In my fifth pregnancy now, I tested 10 pregnancy pillows for multiple nights each, and have tested over 10 more in previous pregnancies, giving me expertise and experience in judging exactly what’s most comfortable for all stages of pregnancy. In addition, as a product journalist, I am constantly researching and seeking out new parenting products to aid our journeys to motherhood.
I also interviewed several experts for this story, including Dr. Amir Marashi, an OB-GYN and founder of Cerē; Carson Meyer, the doula; Katie Elks at Brooklinen; and Samantha Jacobsen, a physical therapist who works with perinatal women and athletes. I also asked two other pregnant moms to try out some of the top pregnancy pillow contenders to see how well each worked for them. Both moms were much shorter than me as well by about 6 inches.
Why Does A Pillow Between The Legs Help During Pregnancy?
One of the most common forms of pregnancy pain is hip and back pain, which means paying special attention to the position of your pelvis during sleep. To do this, Meyer recommends keeping your ankles and knees lifted and aligned, with your knees parallel to each other—and a pillow between them. You can maintain this position as you roll back and forth, depending on your pillow selection. Even if you don’t purchase a maternity pillow, you can use a regular pillow between the knees to reduce pain.
