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- Successfully keeps me on my side
- Ideal for smaller beds
- Soft on the skin
- Rivals are comfier
- Cover opening has no secure fastening
- Case tricky to get back on after washing
While many pregnancy pillows have a long, versatile body pillow-style shape, some are a bit more tailored. The Dreamgenii is a perfect example of that. The brand’s Pregnancy, Support and Feeding Pillow has a unique shape, designed to promote a side-sleeping position and to prevent you from rolling over in the night.
The company recommends using it on your left-hand side, which according to research on their website from midwives is the more optimal position during pregnancy. While the NHS page on sleep states that both the right and left side are fine, another page on heartburn and indigestion does claim that sleeping on your left can aid symptoms of this.
It’s also smaller than many other pregnancy pillows, meaning it may be optimal for those with more compact beds, or people who are required to travel a lot for their jobs or personal lives. However, do these key differences mean that this pregnancy pillow stands head and shoulders above the rest?
Not necessarily – here’s why.
What do you get for your money?
The DreamGenii Pregnancy, Support and Feeding Pillow sits somewhere between the mid-range and high-end markets, depending on what other product you’re comparing it to. At full price, it costs £59 – though the official website is offering discounts on every colour at the time of writing, with the lowest at £43.
As for third-party retailers, you can currently buy it from Robert Dyas for just £38, with availability also on Hello Baby and Amazon. Amazon also has replacement covers in three colours, with prices starting from just over £16. The pillow is also packaged in a small bag, which you can use for either storage or travel.
As I said, the Dreamgenii pillow has quite a unique shape: it has a longer curve on one half, with a “centre panel” of fabric at the end of which is a square, firm pillow. The cover is made from 100% jersey cotton. The design is also patented, so you won’t find many other pillows on the market like this one. The cover is machine washable at 40°C but the pillow itself, which has a polyester hollowfibre filling, is not. This needs to be spot cleaned or hand-washed gently if necessary.
Customers have 14 days to return pillows, though if they’re just unwanted then they must be returned unused and unopened. If they’re faulty or defected, then you may have a longer period to change your mind.
What does it do well?
I’ve praised the Silentnight Body Pillow for its ability to keep me on my side during the night, and I must also extend the same compliments to this Dreamgenii pillow, thanks to the firmer, square pillow placed optimally at the small of my back.
This is mainly something to be aware of after the 28-week mark according to the NHS, so if you’re prone to sleeping on your back, then having a pillow to aid with side sleeping could be a big benefit.
The Dreamgenii is also the most compact and lightweight pregnancy pillow I’ve tested, so if you’re short on space (for example, in a single or double bed), then this may be preferable to some of the bulkier options on the market. It also makes it easier to transport in the accompanying bag.
This lighter and slimmer build means that support between the legs and under the bump isn’t intrusive, and it sits snugly underneath without uncomfortably pressing into your bladder. The smaller size may also make it one of the most suitable for using on the sofa – particularly if you want to use it for feeding postpartum.
Finally, the accompanying jersey cover is easy to wash and dry, with the material staying crease-free and low maintenance. It’s also soft to touch, so it feels nice on the skin, and is reasonably cool, making it a decent option for hotter weather.
What could be improved?
Reviewing pillows always involves a degree of personal preference: what one person finds supportive and comfortable may not be so appealing to everyone else. Unfortunately, I didn’t get on with the Dreamgenii Pregnancy, Support and Feeding Pillow very well.
I’m not sure whether it was the smaller size or because it’s a firmer pillow, but I often woke up in the night with more back ache compared to rivals I’d tested. This was when I used it in the optimal position recommended by the company (on the other hand, it felt reasonably supportive when I used it sitting up).
While the longer part gave some nice support for my legs and bump, I couldn’t get on with the side for my back. I even tried flipping the pillow so I could use it on the right-hand side, but still had no luck.
I could still get to sleep, but rivals from Bbhugme, Simba and even Silentnight offered a much more comfortable night. In addition, because of its odd shape, it was more effort to adjust than other pillows if I needed to switch sides: not something that’s ideal if you’re very drowsy in a pitch black room.
I tried taking out the flatter part from under my back, instead using the pillow just between my legs with the firmer pillow supporting my bump. That was actually a lot more preferable for me, but seems to completely defeat the purpose of having a pillow with a specialist shape such as this one. This specific build also means it isn’t really helpful for any other uses, such as injuries or just snuggling up to.
I’m also not particularly impressed by the opening for the cover. It’s quite loose (probably due to the fabric used) which doesn’t feel very premium or secure. And after washing the pillow for the first time, getting the case back on is a hassle and leaves the opening looking messy. Just a small zip would have solved this issue.
Should you buy the Dreamgenii Pregnancy, Support and Feeding Pillow as a pregnancy pillow?
I would only recommend the Dreamgenii Pregnancy, Support and Feeding Pillow to a select group of users. Those who are short on space in the bedroom or on the sofa, and value above all having one pillow that will keep them on their side – ideally on the left.
But from my experience, the Silentnight Body Pillow (which is cheaper) and the Bbhugme (a much more premium option) were just as successful at keeping me from rolling onto my back, and were much more comfortable to use. The cases on both of these rivals also look much more premium than the one on the Dreamgenii.
If you like firmer pillows, then this may still suit you – but I believe there are rivals (both cheaper and more premium) that offer better experiences overall.
