The Best Nursing Pillows: And Are Those Free Pillows Any Good?

I love, love, love having a nursing pillow. They make breastfeeding so much easier and it makes feeding time a lot more comfortable for both you and your baby. Win-win!! Problem is, there are so many breastfeeding pillows out there!

Which one is actually the best? Oh, and what’s the deal with those “free nursing pillows” I see advertised everywhere? Why are they free? Is there a catch? Are they actually any good?

Well, I’ve tried and tested 3 different nursing pillows (including the free one), and here’s my honest take on all of them so that you can pick the best nursing pillow for you:

***This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and love.  Before implementing any health advice, please check with your doctor first as I am not a medical professional.  Read my full policy for more information.

The Boppy

So the Boppy Pillow actually changed their design and shape from a few years back. When I had my daughter in 2016, the shape and design didn’t work well with my setup. It was long and wide so it didn’t fit well in my nursing chair.

Fast forward a few years and I ordered the new Bobby Pillow for my son in 2020. The pillow isn’t as wide and has a lot more height to it. This pillow was definitely my go-to pillow for baby number 3. It has great support and height which was perfect for both me and my baby.

Pros:

• Offers great support for mom and baby
• Widely available in baby stores and online
• Has a removable cover for easy cleaning
• Has a bunch of cute designs
• Good quality and will last for years!

Cons:

• Can feel a little bulky at times (especially if you have a very small nursing chair like me!)
• The actual pillow itself can be difficult to wash, but it is doable.
• A little costly for a nursing pillow.

Overall, the Bobbly is a great breastfeeding pillow and I love using mine. As my nursing  chair is on the small side, I do have to “squish” it in (which can feel a little tight at times) but I’m now used to it and willing to let that go. If you have a bigger nursing chair, this nursing pillow may be a good match for you.

The added height brings the baby right to the perfect position and I don’t have to hold my arm up (and have a dead arm after 10 minutes of feeding). I also don’t have to slouch for my baby to feed.

The Bobby Pillow is for you if you:

• Have a decent-sized nursing chair
• Have a moderate to long sized torso (as the pillow has a lot of height!)
• Use a front load washing machine or have a large washing machine (so you can wash the entire pillow if your baby spits up or has a blow out!)

My Breast Friend Nursing Pillow

First off, what a name…right? Every time I look at the tag on this pillow, I always think “I wish I came up with that name!!”

Anyways, names aside…. this is another big contender on the nursing pillow front. Many “influencers” and mamas alike, rave about this pillow.

Personally, this pillow was ok for me. I still use it from time to time but it couldn’t be my go-to pillow. Why? It is ginormous!! As mentioned earlier, I have a very small nursing chair and the pillow just doesn’t fit!

Now, I personally didn’t buy this as it was an awesome hand-me-down from my sister-in-law, but I would have been a little disappointed if I had, as I wouldn’t be able to use it much.

In my honest opinion, it feels weird when I put it on. I always laugh when I put it on as I feel like I’m about to jump into a swimming pool or something. I’m personally not a fan of pillows behind my back (feels uncomfortable for me..I know, I’m kinda weird like that!). If you need a pillow for extra support, this pillow will be perfect for you.

This pillow has a small back support which may be great for you if you always have a pillow on your back.

Here are the pros and cons of this pillow:

Pros:

• Offers amazing support for mom and baby
• Has a built in back support
• Positions the baby well for feeding
• Has a little pocket at the front (for your phone or snacks)
• Comes in a variety of designs
• Has a removable cover
• Comes with a pocket to store your phone or water bottle

Cons:

• Super bulky…it’s pretty big!
• The pillow itself is hard to wash (it, unfortunately, doesn’t fit in my washing machine)
• It’s a full “wrap around” pillow which may be uncomfortable for some
• A little pricey for a nursing pillow.

Overall, the My Breast Friend pillow is a great option. It’s perfect for anyone that needs that extra back support.

And Finally….The “Free” Nursing Pillow

Let me be honest with you on how these “free” items work. You have to pay for shipping. Oh, and the shipping is kinda more than your average shipping cost. So that’s the catch!!

 I remember being excited to get a free pillow! Why not? What’s to lose right?! Then came the checkout. All was good…$0….then BOOM…how much for shipping? Ah, that’s how they make their money! Anyways, just wanted to be honest with you here! It is free, but the catch is the high shipping cost.

Now, with that being said, it is still a lot cheaper than the other pillows mentioned. I paid around $14 for shipping at the time. So this pillow is technically speaking, $14 which is still a great deal!

Ok, so all in all, it wasn’t all that bad. In fact, this nursing pillow ended up being my go-to pillow with my second son as it fitted perfectly with my tiny nursing chair. It’s travel-friendly and super easy to wash.

The size was great for me which is why I loved this pillow.

I will be completely honest here, the quality is ok compared to the other 2 pillows (you get what you pay for!). I did end up getting another pillow as my toddler decided to pull the first one and it broke!

Another thing to note is that the pillow starts to lose its fullness after a while. That being said, I nursed my son for a year and my other son for 6 months before buying the Bobby as the pillow was getting a little flat and not supportive enough.

Other than that, I actually loved this pillow!!

Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:

• It’s awesomely cheap! You honestly couldn’t get a cheaper pillow!
• It does the job! It worked great for me for about 18 months of constant use
• Travel friendly. It’s small enough to take with you anywhere and perfect to pack in your hospital bag
• Perfectly fits in small nursing chairs (mine is tiny and fits great and was the only pillow that did!)
• You can easily wash the entire pillow (small enough to fit in my small washing machine!)
• You can choose from many different designs

Cons:

• Quality is ok. The other 2 are noticeably better quality
• Support diminishes over time.
• The company advertises it as a $40 pillow (and you get $40 off). Personally, this is not worth $40 and I hope no one pays that much for this pillow. $14-$20 would be a more reasonable marketing price in my opinion!

This “free” breastfeeding pillow is for you if you:

•  Have a small nursing chair
•  Are on a tight budget
• Use  a small top load washing machine
•  Have  a short to average size torso (if you are tall, the height of this  pillow may not be supportive enough for you and your baby).

Claim your “free” nursing pillow here and be sure to enter code: NURTURING40 at the checkout to get 40% off your order.

So there are a lot more nursing pillows out there which I’m sure are great options. These were the 3 that I own and use so I am able to share my honest experiences with them.

Good luck to you on your amazing breastfeeding journey. You got this mama!!