Best Infant Pillows for Your Baby

For the first year of a baby’s life, they sleep a lot. Their days are filled with numerous naps that can last between 15 minutes and 4 hours and nights that are categorized by more naps sprinkled between consistent feedings. And, as we all know, the CDC has been adamant about having your newborn sleep on their backs most of the time for safety reasons. 

With all the time that your newborn baby will spend sleeping on their back, it only makes sense that you should have a high-quality newborn pillow on hand. But, how do you choose the best infant pillow for your little one? And how important is an infant pillow? 

To answer these questions and more, continue reading and find out which baby pillows are the best for your infant and why.

The Best Infant Pillows

• Best Overall Infant Pillow  – KeaBabies
• Best Head Shaping Infant Pillow – MOKEYDOU
• Best Organic Infant Pillow – Bliss n’ Baby
• Most Versatile Infant Pillow – Boppy

What is an Infant Pillow? 

Most pillows designed for infants and young babies are to prevent plagiocephaly, otherwise known as flat head syndrome. Babies spend so much time asleep on their backs, that the back or side of their heads can change shape and start to look flat. 

Pillows for babies come in a variety of shapes, styles, and specific purposes to help remedy the impacts of so many hours sleeping on their backs.

Types of Infant Pillows

There are many types of infant pillows and yet, they share similarities. First of all, infant pillows are all firm for safety reasons. Some are horseshoe shaped, some inclined, and some have a creative variety of other shapes. 

Here are the following types of infant pillows to consider:

• Boppy Pillow: The Boppy Pillow has the horseshoe shape and is large. It is versatile and can be used for multiple functions between mother and child. It can be used for nursing, tummy time, and for support when a baby is learning to sit up. They come in various cover styles and colors and are affordable.
• Zaky Infant Pillow:The Zaky Infant Pillow is a novel idea. Even though it may seem strange, the Zaky is literally a pair of large micro fleece/polyester hands that serve as surrogate hands that comfort a baby when the mother is not there. These pillows are said to be effective, safe and even used in hospital nurseries.
• Positioning Pillow: This pillow is a sleep positioner, which means the pillow comes in various shapes that guides the sleep position of an infant. They have firm edges keeping a baby in one place.
• Wedge Pillow: The wedge pillow can go under or over the crib mattress. The wedge shape helps elevate your baby while sleeping, which can assist in the case of acid reflux or congestion to promote better breathing.
• Head-Shaping Pillow: The head-shaping pillow cradles and supports a baby’s head to reduce the likelihood of a deformity, such as ‘flat head,’ caused by pressure on one side of the head.

Do Newborns Need a Pillow?

While safety pillows are sold as safe-to-use from birth to around 12 months, the National Health Service recommends that infant pillows not be used until a baby is a year old. A safe crib for a baby under the age of one means no clutter, including pillows and other cushions. Most suffocation deaths caused by pillows and cushions happen to newborns under three months old. 

Related: How you can protect your baby from SIDS

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that children can start using pillows at 1 ½ years of age, which is at about the time a child graduates from a crib to a toddler bed. The safety of sleep positioners and wedge pillows are said to be safe by manufacturers but still remain highly controversial according to the National Institutes of Health.

How to Choose the Best Infant Pillow

You want to make sure that you purchase an infant pillow that offers the following features:

Supportive

It is important that your next infant pillow offers the appropriate level of support. Specifically, it should not allow your child to rest on a flat surface, in order to prevent flat head syndrome. Make sure the pillow is firm and has no soft spots that could lead to your baby’s head sinking and causing suffocation.

Safe for the skin

Your infant’s skin is super sensitive, so you do not want to expose them to any toxic or harmful chemicals. Choose hypoallergenic memory foam or organic cotton. What you choose must be breathable in order to promote safety and freedom from skin irritation. You get what you pay for, and your baby’s comfort and safety are worth the price.

Soft

Your baby will not be able to get a good night’s sleep if they are not resting on something that is soft. However, sleep positioners in particular must be firm. Wedges, for example, must hold their shape in order to do their job effectively. 

On the other hand, a boppy pillow is meant to be slightly softer and serve a variety of purposes as the infant matures. For a soft material, look for products made of organic cotton or hypoallergenic memory foam. The quality of the material is worth the price.

Easy to wash

Accidents happen–especially with babies. You don’t want your baby’s pillow to become a breeding ground for bacteria, so it is important that you can easily wash the pillow cover and pillow insert. That means you must shop for infant pillows that are machine washable, dryer friendly, and hold up to wear and tear.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Are baby head pillows safe? 

The short answer is that the safety of these pillows is highly controversial, and that pillows designed to prevent flat head syndrome are not yet proven to by research to be safe or effective. Instead, these devices can contribute to the likelihood of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), particularly in infants four months old or younger.

Do newborns need pillows? 

Babies are not like adults, in that babies do not need pillows. Pillows do not help them sleep more comfortably.

When can babies use head shaping pillows?

According to a manufacturer, this type of pillow is ideal to use for newborn babies and safe to use in the crib, car seat, and stroller. It is intended to correctly position their heads and cradle their necks in any of these locations to prevent flat head syndrome.

Can a baby’s head be elevated while sleeping?

A baby’s head can be through a wedge sleep positioner, but it is not recommended. According to the National Institutes of Health, no benefit of elevation has been demonstrated through research. Instead, elevating a baby’s head can actually lead to SIDS.

Summary

Here’s a quick recap of the best infant pillows we’ve reviewed:

When it comes to your baby, you want to give them the best of the best, especially when it is something as important as head and neck support.