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- Cool feeling cover
- High-quality filling
- Comfortable for head and legs
- Too bulky to support my bump
- Not the best-looking
While best known for its bed-in-a-box mattresses, Simba also has a range of impressive pillows designed to make your sleep as restful as possible. That is a difficult feat when you’re pregnant. And at 24 weeks and counting, I should know.
At the time of writing, Simba doesn’t offer a dedicated pillow with the name ‘pregnancy’ in the title, but the Body Pillow serves the same purpose as many other rivals on the market. Its long, curved shape is designed to give full support, especially when sleeping on your side: a position that the NHS states you should be resting in after 28 weeks if you’re expecting, and getting in the habit early is good practice.
While it’s more expensive than many of its rivals, the appeal of Simba as a recognisable and trusted brand may be a draw for some — especially if you’re already in the Simba sleep ecosystem. However, this is a firmer option, something that may be a dealbreaker depending on what positions suit you best.
What do you get for the money?
The Simba Body Pillow will set you back £109 full price (though Simba is offering a discount at the time of writing and you might also be able to find it on Amazon for less than its RRP ). It’s only available in the one size, which is 120 x 35cm.
While that price may raise a few eyebrows for what is just a pillow, there are a few features worth discussing. For one, the cover is made from Simba’s “Stratos cool-touch tech” that, Simba claims, helps keep you cool and comfortable. This should suit any sleepers who get hot in the night like myself (one of the many joys and wonders of pregnancy). The cover can be unzipped, and washed at a maximum temperature of 40°C, as can the pillow itself on the Delicates setting. You can even tumble dry on low, though the Simba website recommends sticking to a commercial machine for this.
The filling is made from combed polyester fibres (from recycled PET bottles, for the environmentally conscious) which are “gently combed into springy, airy layers” according to the brand. It’s shaped quite like a banana, otherwise known as a C-shaped pregnancy pillow, allowing it to curve around the contours of your body as you sleep on your side, with the lower end providing support between your legs while you hug the upper half. Note that the curve is on the gentler side, rather than a very pronounced ‘C’.
The pillow arrives in a free storage bag with a handle, so you could take it travelling if needed — though it won’t exactly fit in your pocket. Simba offers a standard 30-day returns policy and requires any bedding to be sent back securely in the original packaging, but doesn’t offer a generous trial period like it does with its mattresses.
What does it do well?
I’ve been testing a selection of other pillows alongside Simba’s Body pillow, and this one is undoubtedly the best when it comes to keeping me cool overnight.
While pillows with cheaper cases feel softer to touch than this one, I feel they sometimes trap the heat and as such disturb my sleep a lot more. This hasn’t been an issue with the Simba Body Pillow, even during some of the stifling London summery evenings when I’ve needed an ice pack at the end of my bed. So, if you run hot during pregnancy, this is a pillow worth considering.
Whenever I’ve used it, I’ve gotten a good night’s rest. As I’m petite I can hug the whole pillow, and it provides some solid support for my head. It’s also not the biggest model I’ve tested, so there’s still plenty of room for my husband to roll around (though, for context, I should add that we’re fortunate enough to have a king-sized bed).
I found that it also retains its shape very well, even when you’re twisting it about to find your ideal position – indicative of a high build quality. There’s no denying that cheaper options aren’t as comfortable to use, and some end up becoming lumpy as they get shifted around.
The case is easy to wash and take off without assistance, and air dries pretty quickly. Plus, the zipper is discreetly tucked away and doesn’t dig into your body during the night. I’ve found that some pillows don’t have secure closures such as this one, or have bigger closure accessories that are noticeable when they brush against your skin.
That being said, putting the case back on requires a bit more effort, and I did notice a teeny bit of stuffing had come loose during this process.
What could be improved?
The amount of support you want from a pillow is, to an extent, a subjective matter at the end of the day. But for me, the Simba Body Pillow is a bit on the firm and thick side when it comes to bump support.
While it moulds to my body well and is easy to shift around when I inevitably wake up for a trip to the loo in the middle of the night, the plumpness sometimes feels a little obtrusive against my stomach and (ironically) presses on my bladder. It’s great for leg and head support, but I’ve found other pillows offer a softer hug on the belly, and I’m not even in the bigger bump stages yet.
This may not be an issue for someone who is taller than my measly height of 5ft 1in, as the contours may fit better. The firmness and plumpness also means it’s a tad awkward to use on the sofa without feeling like I’m ramrod straight: something to consider if you want to keep using this as a nursing pillow.
In addition, its C-shape means that it won’t stop you from rolling over onto your back. Maternity advice pages do say that’s perfectly normal, but if you’re conscious about this you’ll need to pop a regular pillow behind yourself to wall your body in. Alternatively, you can place this behind your back and thread your legs either side of the pillow.
Finally (and I realise I’m nitpicking here) it’s not exactly the prettiest pregnancy pillow. It’s very much functional, and will stand out on your bed unless you have white or light grey sheets. Simba doesn’t seem to offer any alternative cases, or replacement cases on its website for that matter.
Should you buy the Simba Body Pillow as a pregnancy pillow?
If you’re generally a hot sleeper while pregnant, or you know you’ll be expecting during a warmer time of year, then the Simba Body Pillow’s cool feel (perhaps testament to the brand’s “Stratos tech”) will be of help. If you know you enjoy firmer support, and you’re on the taller side, then the comfort levels may be right up your street thanks to the thick, plush filling.
On the other hand, if you’re smaller like myself, that firmness may be a little too much to have underneath your bump. Sure, the Simba Body Pillow provides great head and leg support, but I can’t use it as optimally as I should. There’s also more aesthetically pleasing options on the market.
But the icing on the cake for some will be that this is a general body pillow rather than a pregnancy one. So, post-partum and beyond, you could use it for back problems or helping with sleep apnea, unlike pillows with a dedicated maternity build. In summary, consider what your comfort levels are, your size and how hot or cold you run at night before taking the pregnancy pillow plunge.
