bbhugme pregnancy pillow review

The journey of pregnancy often brings with it a range of side effects, including the frustrating challenge of achieving a comfortable and restful night's sleep. That's why it's common for mums-to-be to search for the best pregnancy pillow.

With its innovative design and promise of superior support, the bbhugme pregnancy pillow is highly rated as able to transform the nightly routine for pregnant women. In this review, Reviews and Features Editor Emily Gilbert explores the features and benefits that make the bbhugme Pregnancy Pillow so very popular.

Testing the bbhugme pregnancy pillow

Before I was even pregnant, I knew I wanted to try out the bbhugme pregnancy pillow. It's definitely the pregnancy pillow on social media, so much so that it's easily recognisable to those even remotely connected to the parenting world. I tested the bbhugme pregnancy pillow throughout my second trimester and the beginning of my third. I mostly used the pillow in bed at night but also occasionally to watch TV in the evening.

The bbhugme comes nicely folded in a zipped case, with the cover and pebbles tucked in separately. I left my husband to wiggle the cover over the sausage-shaped inner pillow while I sat back and watched. It's a little awkward to do admittedly, but easy enough with a bit of manoeuvering.

The pillow comprises of three parts - an inner pillow that is filled with microbeads, an outer cover and two 'pebbles' which secures the cover.

When unfolded, there's no doubt it's very big, with a maximum length of 145cm and a height of 20cm. I joked about there being no room for my husband with me, bump and the bbhugme in the bed.

While the specific cover of my bbhugme is no longer available to buy, there are lots of other pretty options including dusty pink, green meadow and more. It's undoubtedly a stylish piece of kit that you don't mind having out in your home and it's not difficult to see why it's been so popular on social media and with celebrities including the likes of Ellie Goulding, Millie Mackintosh and even Princess Eugenie.

So what's so great about the bbhugme? For me, the answer lies in the pebbles. These simple little disks will adjust the firmness of the bbghugme to suit the mum-to-be. The pebbles can be tightened to push the inner beads together for a firmer pillow while loosening the pebbles provides a more moldable pillow. This took a bit of playing around with (no hardship on my part I can assure you) until I found a firmness that suited me and my bump.

The design of the pillow makes it perfect for side-sleeping, as recommended by the NHS during pregnancy. As someone who typically side-sleeps anyway, I wasn't sure I'd even need a pregnancy pillow but side-sleeping with a bump is a whole different kettle of fish and I really did appreciate having the bbhugme.

The microbead filling means the pillow effortlessly shapes to your body. You can really feel that you're getting full-body support from head to toe, with the pillow caring for your lower back, belly, hips and pelvis, knees and ankles.

Unlike other pregnancy pillows which are fixed in a static shape, you can make the bbhugme work for you and your individual needs. For me, this was by lying on my side next to the pillow with it between my knees and ankles. While sometimes I would just press my bump to the side of the pillow, other times I would tuck it under my belly. The pregnancy pillow is comfy enough to lie your head on as well but I personally prefer to use my regular pillow.

In our king-size bed, the pregnancy pillow seats neatly between my husband and my pillows and neither of us has felt like the size has impacted our comfort or space which was something I was initially conscious of. The difference I have noticed since using the bbhugme pillow at night - especially as my pregnancy progresses - has been huge for me. It's so comfortable to snuggle into and my body feels so much less achy when I wake up thanks to all the support I'm receiving. At times I've found my husband and even our dog resting on it so it really is a hit with the whole house house.

I've also used the bbhugme to support my back while sitting and watching TV. This isn't something I generally find uncomfortable but for the sake of this review, I gave it a go and I cannot deny how much more supported I feel sitting with it wrapped around my back. I'm simply too lazy to drag it upstairs and downstairs every night.

Although my baby hasn't arrived yet, I love that I'll be able to use my bbhugme pregnancy pillow as a nursing pillow when he's here. That said, bbhugme do also have its own nursing pillow which being significantly smaller, feels a bit more suitable for use when feeding a little one.

Final verdict

The price is always going to be considered a 'con' with the bbhugme pregnancy pillow. But only, in my opinion, by people who haven't tried it for themselves. There are a lot of pregnancy pillows on the market and while I'm not saying these wouldn't be suitable for many mums-to-be, the bbhugme option is so incredibly versatile that you can justify splurging on it if you have the means and it truly is an investment. I've knocked half a star off for the size as it really does take up a lot of room and this simply won't be suitable for everyone but otherwise, you just can't beat the comfort and support.

A journalist since 2015, Emily Gilbert is the Features & Reviews Editor for Mother&Baby and has written for the website and previously the magazine for seven years. Emily writes about everything from the top baby products to pregnancy, fertility and maternal mental health. Specialising in product reviews, Emily is the first to know about all the exciting new releases in the parenting industry.