The Best Nursing Pillows for Comfortable, Supported Feeds

My Brest Friend’s Deluxe nursing pillow is our best overall pick thanks to its incredible support and convenient features. It's kind of like a shelf that attaches to your body and holds your baby at the perfect height for nursing.

Designed for comfortable positioning for both you and baby, My Brest Friend is a super supportive pillow with a 360-degree design that wraps completely around your body and keeps the pillow in place. And because the inner side of the pillow is completely flat, it can lay flush against your body, you won’t be fussing with gapping and having to readjust to get your baby closer. One Babylist parent said it “makes positioning easier.”  I find that many parents appreciate My Brest Friend in the early days of breastfeeding, since it offers more position assistance than a nursing pillow without a 360 design. 

The wraparound design also offers some much needed support from your back. It offers a lumbar-like cushion to lean on and the adjustable buckle means you can make it snug enough to sit at just the right spot on your torso so you don’t have to crouch or hunch over for baby to reach the breast. One Babylist parent specifically highlighted posture support in our annual most loved products survey, and another said, “I feel like this product saved my back and made me more comfortable for night feedings.”

If you run your hand across the top of the pillow, you’ll notice two contoured “bumps” that act as a head support for your baby (which frees up your forearm from head support duty). Parents also raved about the little built-in pocket which comes in super handy for keeping essentials close—like a water bottle, nipple cream, your phone, lip balm or whatever else you need—while you’re nursing. 

Worth noting:

• While the cover is machine washable, the pillow itself is spot clean only and covered in a vinyl material to prevent any leaks from getting on the actual pillow insert. 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). 

• The supportive design makes this nursing pillow a bit bulky.  While it only weighs about 2 lbs, it’s certainly not what we’d call portable or travel-friendly. 

• 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.) 

• There are three different My Brest Friend nursing pillow options. The Original and Deluxe differ mainly in cover fabric and strap closure. The real jump is to the Super Deluxe (our pick!), which adds more height and lumbar support—plus a built-in waterproof liner, which is the one thing parents who have one of the other two tend to wish they had.

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. It’s also a can’t-live-without staple for many Babylist parents, one sharing in our survey, “I use it more than any other piece of baby gear.”  

It’s come a long way since I used it four years ago and the brand’s given it a few nice upgrades to make it even more supportive and fit better around more body sizes. In addition to increasing the firmness to create a higher platform that brings baby to your breast (and not the other way around), it also features a unique U-shaped design. 

While the My Brest Friend has buckles and things to keep it in place, Boppy is a bit more simple to use—just slide it up to your body, place baby on the boob and go. (This is something many parents who are breastfeeding older babies, and don’t need as much guidance, find helpful). The brand recently launched a new version of their nursing pillow called the Boppy Complete Nursing Pillow and added some upgraded features like bolstered edge and buckle strap to keep it securely in place. (I’m currently testing this out and will update this guide in the near future with my thoughts.) 

And it’s not only for breastfeeding—bottle feeding parents can use it for support too. Multiple parents talked about this in our survey, with one sharing, “I didn't even end up breastfeeding and we still use this pillow all day every day," and another saying, "We use this every day for breastfeeding and bottle feeding. It also is amazing for younger children who want to hold baby or anyone not comfortable enough doing it without [support].”

The pillow itself is also light weight, and not overly bulky—making it a bit less cumbersome the My Brest Friend to carry around the house or take on the go. You can also swap out the cover for a few different prints and materials (great for laundry due to accidental milk leaks and spills) and 

Worth noting:

• 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 [previous Boppy design] I had with my first baby,” one Babylist parent said. 

• The covers are machine washable, but the nursing pillow itself is spot clean only—mainly because over time, machine washing can lead to the pillow losing its shape and firmness. The upside is that it features a water repellant liner that is not removable, to help protect the actual pillow insert. 

Momcozy’s nursing pillow is our pick for a nursing pillow that fits a wider range of bodies—including plus-size parents. One parent shared in their review, “I am plus size, my belly is about 60 inches and this fits me with some room to spare.” 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. “I was impressed and happy with the way it worked with my body type and I didn't realize how useful it would be even beyond nursing,” another Babylist parent said. Like the other pillows on this list, parents also find this one pulls double duty in that it’s helpful for bottle feeding, too.

The Premium version we’re featuring here has a lumbar pillow for extra back support and also a convenient pocket at the front to stash snacks or small essentials. The strap extends to up to 60 inches. You can also remove the strap completely and use the pillow without it. Aside from its size-inclusiveness, this nursing pillow’s core is made out of memory foam—offering a super comfortable yet supportive feel that’s kind of like the goldilocks of nursing pillows. 

Worth noting:

• 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 it dissipates after some airing out).

• Perhaps the biggest gripe is that the cover isn’t waterproof (though the pillow’s core has built-in dust-proof liner). You also can’t buy extra covers (useful for when one is in the wash in the event of a leak or spill). “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,” one Babylist parent said. 

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. Many parents agree the Twin Z Nursing pillow is a game-changer for nursing and bottle feeding twins. “Would not have been able to tandem feed twins (nursing & bottles) solo without it,” one Babylist parent shared in our annual most loved survey. It’s designed to accommodate and support tandem feeding and keep everyone where they need to be. It has a more traditional nursing pillow shape( C or U curve) just doubled up, and it features a buckle to keep it wrapped around you and in place. 

Worth noting: 

• It’s huge, which is helpful when you need to feed two babies, but it also means it's super bulky if you’re lugging it from room to room, and it’s definitely not travel-friendly. You can purchase a travel bag separately if you do decide to take it on the go, however.

• It’s also on the pricier side of the spectrum, though parents of twins agree it’s well worth it, considering how helpful it is.

• While the cover is removable and machine washable for easy cleaning, it’s not waterproof. The pillow insert isn’t either, and the brand recommends spot cleaning only, saying the washer may lead to the pillow getting lumpy. 

You’ll notice our pick for best portable nursing pillow isn’t actually a pillow; rather, it’s a sling you wear. Because of this, the Cloud 9 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! I spent a lot of time straining while nursing away from home. ) 

The Swehl provides a little lift, bringing your baby to the breast, and you can get the perfect fit with the adjustable strap. It’s not totally hands-free like a regular nursing pillow—you will need to support baby’s body as they nurse, since the sling mainly supports their little head and upper back, not their whole body. When I tested it out, I also found it kind of offered a bit of privacy (if that’s something that’s important to you), since it keeps baby at breast level . 

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 adjusts on each side of the pillow piece, lengthening up to 50 inches.When you’re not actively nursing, the Cloud 9 can fit in your diaper bag or you can simply wear it as a crossbody bag—it features three pockets you can use to carry essentials like your phone, keys, and even a diaper or two. 

Worth noting:

• There are a few safety considerations 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. 

  • You’ll need to use your other arm to support the rest of their body.

• It’s not as straightforward to use as a traditional nursing pillow—there’s a slight learning curve. You have to put the sling over your body—imagine putting on a crossbody bag— and then adjust the straps just so in order to support baby’s head. It’s not hard, just takes some practice. (I got the hang of it after just a few minutes and the brand has a helpful tutorial on their Youtube channel.) 

• The sling isn’t machine washable; Swehl recommends spot cleaning only. And it only comes in this light blue color (for now).