July 24, 2026

Which body pillow should I choose?

in Duvets & Pillows

Bolster Pillow: The Buyer's Guide

Choosing the right bedding is essential for a restful night’s sleep. After consulting the mattress guide, it’s important to consider other bedding items that can enhance your comfort throughout the night.

In fact, while the mattress plays an important role in the quality of a sleeper’s sleep, the choice of pillows or even a comforter should not be left to chance. Another bedding item is often overlooked, even though it can provide real added comfort: the bolster.

To ensure optimal comfort and support, however, it’s important to know the key factors to consider before buying a bolster. Here’s a closer look at everything you need to know to choose the right bolster.

A bolster: what is it for?

A bolster is a long, cylindrical pillow. It is placed at the head of the bed, under the pillows. The original purpose of a bolster is to provide additional support and comfort when the pillows are too soft. However, a bolster serves many other purposes as well.

The bolster: a pillow to improve your health and well-being

How does a bolster pillow contribute to comfort? A bolster pillow is very useful for relieving many types of pain and significantly improving sleep quality. By correcting the sleeper’s position and providing additional support for the neck, it improves blood circulation and helps reduce:

headaches;
back pain;
neck pain.

You can even move the bolster and place it under your ankles at night to relieve leg pain. It’s also worth noting that pregnant women benefit greatly from using a bolster to relieve heavy legs. Finally, the bolster is very popular when you have a cold, as it allows you to sleep with your head slightly elevated while providing relief for your sinuses.

The bolster: essential for relaxation

A bolster provides extra support, which is why it’s a must-have for anyone who enjoys relaxing in bed while sitting up. If you don’t have a comfortable headboard or firm pillows, a bolster is the perfect solution.

So, adding a bolster is the perfect way to read or watch TV from bed without slumping over completely.

Enhance Your Bedroom Decor with a Bolster Pillow

A bolster can also enhance the decor of your bedroom, since it helps keep pillows and cushions upright. So, if you want to create a beautiful headboard, a bolster is the perfect choice.

By placing a bolster behind your pillows and arranging smaller cushions of various sizes and shapes, you can create a bed with a luxurious look, just like in hotel rooms.

What type of bolster pillow should you choose?

To choose the right bolster, you first need to be familiar with the different shapes it comes in. It’s therefore important to consider which shape of bolster to choose before making a purchase, so you can select the model that best suits your needs.

Therefore, you can choose:

a flat bolster, which helps relieve neck pain and provides support for the neck;
a round bolster, which can be used as a pillow or to hold the cushions in place when the bed is made;
a pillow shaped like a music stand, which has a triangular base and is very useful for preventing stiffness in the neck or legs.

What size bolster pillow should you choose?

Next, you should choose the right size bolster so that it fits the dimensions of the bed. For a double bed, you can opt for one large bolster or two individual bolsters, which may be more practical since each person tends to move around during the night. Sharing a single bolster can indeed be disruptive.

For a bolster used by a single person, the ideal length is between 80 and 120 cm. For couples, the ideal length is between 140 and 200 cm, depending on the width of the bed.

What kind of filling should you use for your bolster?

In addition to the shape and size of the bolster, there is another factor to consider: the filling. What kind of filling should you choose for a bolster? There are various materials that can be used to fill a bolster, but not all of them are eco-friendly. Environmental concerns are playing an increasingly important role in consumer decision-making.

The filling of the bolster also affects comfort and support. You can therefore choose from:

memory foam padding;
polyester fiber filling;
a feather filling;
a filling made from recycled materials;
a natural latex filling;
a down filling.

Polyester and memory foam fillings: interesting options, but not environmentally friendly

A memory foam bolster helps you maintain good posture all night long. However, bolsters filled with this type of foam can feel hot and aren’t very popular in the summer. Polyester-fiber bolsters, on the other hand, adapt to individual preferences, providing soft, medium, or firm support.

It should be noted that memory foam or polyester fiber bolsters are not recommended for people looking for a more eco-friendly option.

Choose an eco-friendly filling

Today, it’s important to pay close attention to the materials used in mattresses, pillows, and even bolsters, and to prioritize the purchase of eco-friendly bedding whenever possible. To choose a bolster that’s better for the environment and the sleeper’s health, it’s especially advisable to opt for a recycled filling material. Organic cotton and natural latex can also be good alternatives.

Finally, in addition to being eco-friendly, feather bolsters are particularly beneficial for people who sweat a lot at night. The feather filling allows air to circulate while providing support that is both soft and firm.

What level of firmness should you choose for your bolster?

Should you choose a soft or firm bolster? It all comes down to personal preference. The firmness of a pillow or bolster plays an important role in your comfort throughout the night. This factor is therefore important and should be considered before making a purchase.

The firmness of a bolster also depends on the density of the filling. A low density results in a soft bolster, while a high density makes the bolster very firm.

Features of the soft bolster

The soft bolster is ideal for people looking for cozy comfort for a relaxing night's sleep. With this type of bolster, the sleeper's head sinks in slightly, creating a soft, cloud-like sensation.

A soft bolster provides less support than a firm one, but it allows you to be more comfortable, especially if you sleep on your stomach or back.

However, a soft bolster is not recommended for heavier individuals who need more support. In this case, it may be better to choose an ergonomic bolster to properly support the neck.

Features of the firm bolster

The firm body pillow is suitable for people who need a lot of support at night. Side sleepers, in particular, would be well advised to choose this type of body pillow.

For people suffering from neck or back pain, a firm body pillow offers effective solutions by helping them maintain good posture throughout the night. Finally, it’s important to remember that a firm body pillow isn’t necessarily uncomfortable.

Bolster or pillow: which one should you choose?

It’s entirely possible to use both a bolster and a pillow. So, you don’t have to choose between the two. However, for people who don’t like to sleep with their head too high, it may be necessary to choose between these two products. So, bolster or pillow: how do you choose?

The main difference between a bolster and a pillow is, of course, their shape. While a bolster is long and sometimes tube-shaped to span the entire width of the bed, a pillow is square or rectangular. A bolster can, however, be folded to provide additional support for a specific part of the body.

In terms of support, a bolster is generally firmer, since its primary purpose is to provide additional support. As a result, a bolster may be sufficient on its own to raise the sleeper’s head. Pillows may then become unnecessary. It may be a good idea to try out several different setups to find the one that works best: a bolster, several pillows, or a combination of both.

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Which body pillow should I choose?

Bolster Pillow: The Buyer's Guide

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