While looking for a new pillow, it’s pretty common to think about some of the most essential features - among them, support is one of the more important ones. However, while most people are focused on the “support” aspect of their soon-to-be head pillows, there’s one product that’s often ignored - knee pillows.
That shouldn’t be the case - at least for anyone who wants to avoid potential sleep issues.
The best knee pillow for sleeping is going to be one of your best friends as far as muscle and back pains go. Even though the product has been largely ignored by most sleepers, thankfully, knee pillows are gaining more and more attention as of late.
In addition to talking about their benefits, we’ll also take a look at some of the best knee pillow for back pain contenders:
- ComiLife Orthopedic Knee Pillow
- Everlasting Comfort Knee Pillow
- ABCO Sport Knee Pillow
- Cushy Form Half-Moon Knee Pillow
- Aeris Knee Pillow
Knee Pillows - What Are They, and Why Should You Care?
First things first - what exactly are knee pillows?
A knee pillow is a special type of pillow that you would place under (or sometimes - between) your knees. That’s pretty self-explanatory. In all honesty, though, while almost any type of a pillow can act as a knee pillow for back pain, there is a specific, designated group of products made specifically for this purpose.
Knee pillows come in many different sizes and shapes. To be completely honest, sometimes, they don’t resemble pillows at all - some of the products that are labeled as the “best knee pillow for side sleepers” have special holes in them, which are mostly there for comfort.
That being said… Why should you care about knee pillows, in the first place?
For a few different reasons, actually.
Muscle Tension Elimination
One of the main and biggest reasons why people purchase and use the best knee pillows has to do with lower back muscle tension.
Tense muscles are nothing new - most people suffer from some sort of a muscle tension problem. It’s actually one of the modern problems of the 21st century!
Think about it - the modern human being does more “sitting around” than at any other point in our history. Add bad posture and being hunched over all the time (work at a computer, driving your car, eating, etc.) to that equation, and you have yourself a pretty solid recipe for disaster.
Whenever you’re hunched over, not only do you put a lot of pressure on your stomach area, but your lower back becomes very tense. This, in turn, can lead to issues that even the best knee pillow for sleeping isn’t going to be able to fix.
Now, admittedly, there are very different ways of how you can reduce pressure and tension from your lower back, and thus eliminate the possibility of back pain. Take lumbar pillows, for example - research done by Diane E. Grondin and colleagues shows that lumbar pillows are actually a great way to reduce lower back pain.
As far as the “best measures” go, however, a knee pillow for back pain is going to be right up there.
Spine Alignment
Keeping all of the above-mentioned back pain factors in mind, it’s super-important that you get enough good rest and allow your body to relax in the evening, when you go to sleep. Naturally, in order to accomplish this, you’re going to need one of the best pillows and mattresses of the industry.
That said, however, these sleep-enhancing products might not even help you, to be honest.
While proper pillows and mattresses can do wonders, some people have such severe back pain issues that even the best products aren’t going to cut it. In these situations, it’s worth remembering the topic of our today’s article - best knee pillows.
With a top-tier knee pillow for sleeping, you will be able to keep your spine aligned throughout the night. Proper spinal alignment means that your back, neck and shoulders are going to be (more or less, but probably more) relaxed as you sleep. This, in turn, translates into decent rest and stress elimination, and can be just the thing that you need to feel better in the morning.
I’d like to note that, while it does seem to be different, knee pillows actually aren’t that popular, even among people who have spine alignment and lower back pain problems.
People simply don’t seem to trust these products, and while caution is a virtue that should be exercised on a constant basis, the best knee pillow for side sleepers or back ones can really change your outlook, for the better.
Promotes Blood Circulation
When you’re talking about the main benefits of knee pillows for sleeping, it’s impossible not to mention enhanced blood circulation, even though it’s a less-talked-about feature of these products.
This point is especially true when we’re talking about a knee pillow for back sleepers. You see, if you sleep with a proper pillow under your knees, the blood circulation in your legs is going to be much better than if you were not to. This, in turn, will lead to decreased chances of knee pains and other, blood circulation-related issues.
Now, before we move on to the actual list of the best knee pillows of the year, there is one final point that I’d like to make.
You’ve probably noticed that I’m pretty adamant about promoting the benefits of knee pillows. Well, let me tell you - that’s not without good reason. You see, I was actually a non-believer myself - at a point in my life, I just couldn’t be bothered to search for proper knee pillows, and continued to suffer from severe lower back pains.
One time, after I had surgery and did little more than sleep all day, I decided that hey - why don’t I try this “knee pillow” thing? Low and behold, after a few days of using what I thought was the best knee pillow for side sleepers (because that’s my dominant sleeping position), my back felt a whole lot better.
Long story short, I became a believer, and that odd sequence of events led to this very article. Knee pillows truly do work - I say this from my own, personal experience.
Now, with that out of the way, let’s talk about the best knee pillows around.