What Is a Body Pillow? Sizes, Covers and How to Use One
Short answer. A body pillow is a long, narrow pillow, usually 120 to 150 cm, that lies lengthways on the bed rather than across it. People hug it, lean into it or prop it up to read against. There is no single standard size, so it needs a case made for its dimensions; ours is 48 × 125 cm with a 45 × 150 cm cotton case that closes with a deep envelope fold.
By Snoozyn · Updated October 2026
What is a body pillow? Put simply, a pillow stretched to something closer to the length of a person. Sizes vary a lot between makers and an ordinary pillowcase will not fit one, so this guide covers typical sizes, how a body pillow compares with similar long pillows, how people use one and what cover it needs.
What is a body pillow?
A body pillow is a long rectangular pillow, roughly the width of a standard pillow but much longer. It lies lengthways on the mattress, running down the bed beside you, instead of across the top like a head pillow. It is soft and squashy enough to wrap an arm and a leg round, and full enough to hold its shape when you lean against it.
Body pillow, bolster or curved pillow?
| Type | Shape | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Body pillow | Long rectangle, around 120 to 150 cm | Lies lengthways beside you; hugged, leaned into or used as a backrest |
| Bolster | Firm cylinder, often the width of the bed | Laid across the head of the bed, mostly for looks |
| Curved or U-shaped pillow | A long pillow bent into a C or U | Wraps round both sides; takes up much more of the bed |
We sell the straight rectangular kind. Its advantage over a curved one is that it is easy to move: you can lay it along one side, prop it upright or push it to the foot of the bed in a moment.
Body pillow sizes
There is no agreed UK size. Many body pillows are roughly 120 to 150 cm long and 40 to 50 cm wide, so check the measurements of the pillow and its case together, and buy them from the same place if you can. Ours measures 48 × 125 cm.
The case is usually longer than the insert. Ours is 45 × 150 cm, with a deep internal envelope fold that closes over the end, so there are no zips or buttons. For other pillow measurements, see our guide to UK pillow sizes.
How people use a body pillow
To hug
Lying on your side, you wrap an arm over the pillow and often rest a knee on it too. If you tend to fall asleep holding a spare pillow or a bunched-up duvet, a body pillow does the same job and is long enough not to slip away.
To lean into
Laid lengthways behind you, it gives you something soft to rest against. Some couples use one as a soft divider down the centre of the bed.
As a reading backrest
Stood on its end against the headboard, or laid across it and folded at each end, it makes a long, padded backrest for reading or watching something in bed. That spares your sleeping pillows from being sat against.
Away from the bed
On a sofa, a window seat or a day bed, a body pillow works as a long cushion you can lie along.
Will it fit on your bed?
A 125 cm body pillow lies along one side of any bed from a single upwards. On a 90 cm single it takes up about half the width, so you may prefer to keep it against the wall. On a shared double it suits one person better than two. Measure out its length on the bed with a tape to picture where it will reach.
Covers and care
A body pillow needs its own case. A standard 50 × 75 cm pillowcase covers barely half of it. Treat the cover like a pillowcase and wash it with your sheets; the insert only needs washing now and then.
- The cover: our Plain Cotton body pillowcase is 200 TC percale in 100% long-staple cotton. Machine wash cold, gentle; tumble dry low or line dry.
- The insert: machine wash cold on a gentle cycle and tumble dry low. It needs a large drum and plenty of drying time. Our guide to washing a pillow covers the method.
The cover can match or contrast with the rest of your bedding; our colour combination ideas are a good place to start.
Our body pillow and cover
The body pillow insert is 48 × 125 cm, filled with 1,800 g of micro-cluster fibre in a soft-touch microfibre shell, and costs £37.90. The Plain Cotton body pillowcase is 45 × 150 cm, sold individually, at £24.90, with a deep internal envelope fold instead of zips or buttons.
Frequently asked questions
What is a body pillow used for?
Mostly for hugging when lying on your side, for leaning into, or as a long backrest for reading in bed. It also works as a long cushion on a sofa or day bed.
What size is a body pillow?
There is no single standard, but many are roughly 120 to 150 cm long and 40 to 50 cm wide. Our body pillow insert is 48 × 125 cm and its case is 45 × 150 cm.
What is the difference between a body pillow and a bolster?
A body pillow is a long, soft rectangle that lies lengthways beside you. A bolster is a firm cylinder that usually lies across the head of the bed, mostly for looks.
Can I use a normal pillowcase on a body pillow?
No. A standard pillowcase is 50 × 75 cm and covers only about half of a body pillow. You need a body pillowcase made for its length.
Can you wash a body pillow?
Yes, if the label allows. Ours can be machine washed cold on a gentle cycle and tumble dried on low, but it needs a large drum and plenty of drying time.
Will a body pillow fit on a single bed?
Yes. A 125 cm body pillow lies along one side of a single bed, although it takes up about half the width, so you may prefer to keep it against the wall.
Shop the story
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Body Pillow Insert
48 × 125 cm, 1,800 g micro-cluster fill. From £37.90. -
Body Pillowcase, Plain Cotton
45 × 150 cm, 200 TC percale. From £24.90. -
Classic Pillow Insert
Medium-firm microfibre, standard or king. From £23.90. -
Plain Cotton Pillowcases
To match the body pillowcase. From £7.90.
