Knee pillows are ergonomic pillows that fit between your knees when lying on your side, providing relief from back or knee pain. We ought to experience good feelings when we are asleep. After getting the best knee pillow, sleeping will be a blissful and relaxing experience.
A good knee pillow will keep your spine aligned, correct your body posture, and help you relax throughout the night. When a quality knee pillow is used, it can help reduce restless leg syndrome, back pain, and hip pain relief.
Different Types Of Knee Pillow for Sleeping
There are many different ways to get better spinal alignment while sleeping on our side or back. On top of the regular knee pillows, many memory foam pillows can be a suitable alternative to a proper knee pillow.
Hourglass-shaped knee pillows
This kind of pillow is thin in the middle and thicker at the edges. You can comfortably put it between your thighs and enjoy the comfortable feeling.
Half-moon knee pillows
The pillow has a half-cylindrical shape with a flat phase. This type of pillow is commonly used by the back sleepers while putting it beneath their knees. Moreover, the side sleeper can also put it in between their legs.
Body pillows
A body pillow, a.k.a bolsters, is longer in length than regular pillows but is usually smaller in width to make it huggable. Hugging these body pillows to sleep will ensure your knee joints do not touch while sleeping.
Wedge knee pillows
These are wedge pillows that can be used to elevate your knees while laying on your back. A good wedge pillow should alleviate back pain and improve spine alignment.
Essential Features that We Look for in the Review
There are many options in the market, but the top knee pillow for you depend on these important factors:
Material
Most knee pillows are made of various memory foam; the common ones are pure memory foam, heat reactive memory foam, and gel-infused memory foam.
Portability
We are also considering the ability to carry the pillows around—in case you are an adventurer. Having a small knee pillow takes up less space in your backpack, so you can have a great sleep on the go. Most knee pillows reviewed below are lightweight and portable.
Support
The amount of support needed from your knee pillow depends on your sleeping style.
Generally, side sleepers find knee pillows work best, while back sleepers benefit from the half-moon-shaped pillow.
Ease of cleaning
A removable pillow cover will help make cleaning easy, and being machine washable is a big bonus as well.
Best Knee Pillows for Side Sleepers
1. Contour Legacy Leg & Knee Foam Body Pillows
This knee pillow provides support for your back and allows your pelvic area to remain in a neutral position. The orthopedic design means it will be a comfortable fit no matter your sleeping style.
Hot sleepers will love this, as it is made with a ventilated memory foam design, pulling body heat away from your body so you will never sleep hot again!
The Contour Legacy’s design is made with memory foam which provides airflow and releases heat away from your body. Combined with the ergonomic design, you will be sleeping comfortably through the night.
- Great for side sleepers
- Supports both your knees and legs simultaneously
- Ventilated memory foam pillow releases body heat
- One year warranty
- Foam is not machine washable
2. Calming Comfort Cooling Knee Pillow
The pillow has been designed with charcoal memory foam which helps in removing any odor from the pillow. Moreover, it has a concave shape that allows you to put it between your thighs comfortably as you sleep, allowing you to easily get good spinal alignment.
If you sleep hot, the cooling gel technology will reduce heat from your body and reduce inflammation of your knee.
This knee pillow comes with a blue breathable mesh cover, allowing easy machine washing of the product.
- Ergonomic shape provides pressure relief
- Charcoal foam removes odor
- Cooling gel helps hot sleepers
- Machine washable cover
- Cold to use during winter due to the cooling gel
3. Luna Orthopedic Knee Pillow for Sciatica relief
The Luna Orthopedic Knee Pillow also has a shape that can be adjusted to your body shape, which will help you get the best sleep possible.
It comes with an easy-to-clean machine washable cover. Just pop the removable pillow cover into the washing machine.
- Great for side sleepers to improve blood circulation
- CentiPUR certified memory foam ensures quality
- Machine washable cotton cover
- Small enough to carry around
- Knee pillow’s firmness doesn’t support heavier body weight well
Best Knee Pillows for Pregnant Women
Sometimes, being pregnant brings discomfort – especially when the belly is big. Back pain and leg pains are some of the common complaints amongst pregnant women. And that’s where getting the best knee pillows can help pregnant women sleep better.
4. AIWITHPM Orthopedic Knee Pillow
The pillow is made of a slow-rebound foam that’s suitable for most body types.
The pillow is designed to be used by women during pregnancy to eliminate pressure points, but it can also help relieve back pains in people who aren’t expecting.
This orthopedic knee pillow will keep the person comfortable and reduce strain on the hips and thighs, thanks to its ability to conform perfectly to the body parts that it supports.
This means it is suitable for side sleepers or back pain patients looking for a leg posture pillow.
The company offers a lifetime money-back guarantee for the product, so you can buy it with confidence
- Pressure relief for sleeping, pregnant women
- Slow-rebound foam that contours to the body
- Supports multiple sleeping positions
- Lifetime money-back guarantee
- Small-sized not suitable for bigger people
5. ComfiLife Orthopedic Knee Pillow for Sciatica Relief
This high-density memory foam pillow is designed to help in the correct alignment of the spine and improve blood circulation while sleeping.
This orthopedic knee pillow offers plenty of mouldability to contour the pillows to the shape of your legs for better positioning.
The memory foam wedge pillow is perfect for pregnant women who experience sciatic nerve pain during their pregnancy because it takes the pressure off the lower spine.
- Made of high-density memory foam
- Has health benefits for pregnant women
- Pillow is machine washable.
- Can relief sciatic nerve pain
- Takes time to get used to pillow
Best Knee Bolsters Pillow for Back Sleepers
We are not leaving the back sleepers behind. Sometimes, it can be a bad idea to sleep flat on your back for an extended period, as the pressure on your lower back will lead to back pain.
This can be easily remedied by getting knee bolster pillows, which elevate your knees and reduce the strain on your lower back. Aside from reducing back pain, another benefit is that it improves blood circulation.
6. Everlasting Comfort Bolster Pillow
As it contours to your body, you get great support while you are sleeping. It also helps to reduce discomfort from conditions like sciatica and restless leg syndrome.
You can use the bolster pillow in multiple ways, either between your legs or behind your neck as a pillow. The Everlasting Comfort Bolster Pillow is ‘Standard 100’ label certified by OEKO-TEX, which means it’s safe for you to use.
You can also use the bolsters during pregnancy to prevent rolling over on the back. They also offer a lifetime warranty on their product so you can return it if you wish.
- Premium memory foam
- Versatile half-moon pillow
- Helps with restless legs syndrome and sciatica
- Proven safe to use from lab testing
- Can’t buy an additional pillowcase
7. DYNMC Half-Moon Bolster Knee Pillow
Besides that, this bolster pillow is made of OEKO-TEX certified fabric, which makes this a great option if you’re looking for hypoallergenic knee pillows.
It also contains high-tech foam that retains its shape after use, so you can enjoy this comfortable pillow for years to come.
Another standout feature of the Half Moon Bolster Pillow is its versatility. This pillow can be used as a neck pillow, leg pillow, lower back pillow, or knee bolster.
The Half Moon Bolster Pillow has a removable cover with an anti-slip bottom that can easily be washed on gentle cycle settings in your machine or hand washed
- Soft yet firm knee pillow
- OEKO-TEX certified fabric
- Machine washable, removable cover with anti-slip bottom
- Great looking
- Small size not suitable for larger people
Best Value-for-money Knee Pillow
8. The AllSett XXL Half Moon Bolster pillow
The Allsett bolster pillow has a machine washable thin bamboo cover. The cover can be washed in a regular machine and delicate cycle.
It’s made with a multi-position firm memory foam which will aid those who have back pain. It has been designed to improve posture by providing support from the head to the knees, so it’s perfect for sitting on the floor as well as lying down.
Whether you’re looking for a solution to your everyday pains or you’ve recently run into an injury, the AllSett XXL Half Moon Bolster pillow is sure to leave you feeling like new!
- Comes in a pack of 2
- Extra-firm premium memory foam
- Machine washable thin bamboo cover
- Can be used behind the neck comfortably
- A little soft
Final Thoughts
You will not find a better knee pillow for sleeping than the ComfiLife Orthopedic Knee Pillow. Besides being high-quality and supportive, this memory foam pillow offers plenty of health benefits for pregnant women who experience sciatic nerve pain because it takes the pressure off the lower spine.
The Contour Legacy Knee Pillow is also another good option for side sleepers looking to relieve some back or hip pain while sleeping. If either of these pillows sounds like something that would be helpful in your life, we encourage you to try both of them to see what’s better for you.
FAQs
1. Do I need to sleep with a knee pillow?
This is a matter of preference, but it can be beneficial for you to sleep with a knee pillow. Using knee pillows helps take pressure off your lower spine, allowing you to have a better night’s rest.
Doing so will improve blood circulation because having a pillow beneath or between your knee will keep your spine alignment neutral, providing pain relief.
2. Do knee pillows help with hip pain?
Knee pillows typically can help with hip pain. That is because placing your knees higher than the hips can help you avoid putting too much weight on your hip bones which then causes pain.
Hourglass knee pillows are great as they contour around your legs while you sleep.
3. How thick should a knee pillow be?
The thickness should be relative to your height, weight, and body type. If you are tall, then a thick pillow might not work for you because it will place your knees too high or low.
4. Can you get body pain from using knee pillows?
If knee pillows are too high or too low for you to sleep comfortably, there may be side effects such as pain in the neck or back.
Knee pillows come in varying thicknesses, so be sure to get one suitable for your size.
5. Do knee pillows cause leg cramps?
Yes, they can if the position is wrong. Avoid placing the knee pillow too high or too low to ensure blood flow is not affected. This will help chances of leg cramps.
6. Should knee pillows be used by pregnant women?
Yes, they can if you have been advised to do so by a doctor. In fact, knee pillows are good for pregnant women because they relieve pressure from the lower back, which may cause sciatic nerve pain.
