Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterAfter interviewing more than 10 lactation experts, gathering feedback from online reviews, and testing nursing pillows with four panels of testers since 2017, we’ve determined that the qualities to consider in a nursing pillow are:Structure and stability: The right pillow should be comfortable but not so squishy that a baby could sink down into it or roll off easily. A pillow that is too large may be cumbersome, but one that’s too small may not provide the necessary degree of support. Ultimately, a nursing pillow needs to provide safe positioning for the baby. And it needs to support a sustainable, comfortable posture for the wearer during long feeding sessions.Ease of use: Pillows with too many buckles or that are generally not intuitive to use can cause frustration when they come between a hungry baby and their next meal. A good nursing pillow should allow you to feed a baby comfortably in a variety of holds, without complicated maneuvering. The cover should not be too difficult to remove, since it will likely require frequent washing.Durability: Nursing pillows are subject to messes with virtually every use. The cover should be durable enough to wash and dry on a regular basis, and the inner cushion should, ideally, withstand the nursing period for multiple children.Fabric: While the cover should be strong enough to survive in the dryer, it should also be soft, smooth, and breathable against your baby’s delicate skin.Overall aesthetic: A nursing pillow will likely be visible around your house for months, if not years. The pillow cover should ideally come in a variety of colors and designs to appeal to different design preferences.The wide array of nursing pillows that we have tested since 2017 represent a variety of styles, shapes, fillings, and fabrics. We removed identifying tags from the pillows we tested and numbered them for panelists. While some are ubiquitous enough to be obvious, especially to seasoned mothers (hello, Boppy!), we wanted to maximize the chances that each pillow would be evaluated on its own merits.
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