Best Knee Pillow Picks for All Your Aches and Pains

Though I’m a pretty healthy and active individual who exercises on a daily basis, like many other people, I suffer from both knee and back pain. I have a meniscus tear and mild osteoarthritis to blame for the former and a thirty-two year tailoring and pattern making career to blame for the latter. Some mornings, I wake up with more pain than when I went to sleep at night. If you’ve experienced the same, you’ve probably done enough research to know that sleeping on your side can contribute to spine alignment issues that can exacerbate (and sometimes even cause) such pain and that different types of pillows and mattresses can help—one of the most effective being the humble knee pillow.

Knee pillows come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and price points. To help narrow down the best pillows including cooling pillows, latex pillows, and memory foam pillows, I spoke to Dr. Brett Hayden, MD, Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai about what makes for a good knee pillow and how to use one. While Mount Sinai doctors and physicians are not allowed to promote or name specific brands, the following knee pillows are all excellent options for achieving pain-free slumber.

Our top picks for the best knee pillows

What to consider when buying knee pillow

With so many options available, choosing a knee pillow can be overwhelming. Here are some factors to consider in order to narrow down the options.

Shape

Many knee pillows feature an ergonomically designed shape to better fit (and stay in place) around your knees and calves. Side sleepers generally find that an hourglass contoured pillow works best. Back sleepers may want to consider a cylinder or wedge shape for optimal comfort. If you sleep on both your back and side, like me, experiment with different shapes and support levels to see which works best.

Support

A pillow’s support is determined by its overall thickness and firmness. The thicker a pillow is, the more support it will provide. Think of support as the resistance a pillow has to flattening or compressing when weight is put on it. In this sense, heavier people will likely need a thicker, more supportive option.

Firmness level

Unlike mattresses, knee pillows in general do not follow any industry standard firmness level which means a manufacturer’s description can be very subjective. Usually, the best way to determine if a particular pillow’s firmness matches your needs, is to try it out.

Size

If you travel often, a smaller knee pillow you can toss in a bag may be something you want to consider. I also sometimes find that larger knee pillows have a tendency to get tangled up in the covers in the middle of the night resulting in tossing, turning, and repositioning. Smaller, more compact models are easier to maneuver when changing position resulting in fewer disruptions. Many knee pillows are available in a few sizes suitable for people of differing heights and weights.

Temperature regulation

Many knee pillows are filled with memory foam which tend to trap heat. If you’re someone who sleeps hot, look for a knee pillow with a cover made from a cooling, breathable fabric. Some of the best down pillows can be cooling as well.

How we selected the best knee pillows

I’ve personally tried a variety of knee pillows over the past year and have based these recommendations on that experience, in addition to extensively researching online user reviews. I also took into consideration company profiles, materials used in manufacturing, ease of ordering, customer service, and price point to compile a list of the best pillows for the largest number of people.

What is a knee pillow?

Knee pillows are designed to provide enhanced comfort while sleeping by holding a person’s body in a comfortable position that promotes spinal alignment and relieves unnecessary pressure on joints—your knees, specifically. While a regular bed pillow can certainly be used, knee pillows are smaller in size and usually ergonomically designed to better cradle your legs without flattening.

Who should use a knee pillow and why?

According to Dr. Hayden, knee pillows are useful in two major ways. First, when laying on your back, achieving a gentle knee flexion or bend with a pillow relieves pressure on the low back. For this reason, many patients with low back pain and/or lumbar stenosis find relief with a knee pillow.

Dr. Hayden also explained that pillows placed between the knees can reduce stress on the medial (or inner) portion of the knee which is the most common site of knee arthritis pain. Knee pillows also reduce stress on the hips and back.

“Many patients feel that a pillow between the knees corrects their overall posture,” Dr. Hayden said.

Available types of knee pillows

The majority of knee pillows are constructed from ergonomically-cut memory foam which contours to your body shape, most often fashioned in an hourglass. There are also larger sized, rectangular knee pillows that provide cushion for your entire leg, as opposed to just the knee area.

Body pillows are another option. They are most commonly the same width as a traditional pillow and twice as long, allowing the user to not only place them between the knees but also wrap their arms around it.

Cylinder and wedge-shaped pillows are most commonly used by back sleepers by placing them under their knees. There are also heart shaped pillows that fit between the knees and are held in place with a strap.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Does the shape of the knee pillow make a difference in terms of comfort?

The optimal knee pillow shape depends on the individual. There are numerous knee pillows available, from one to two regular pillows between the legs, specialty memory foam contoured pillows, and knee sleeves that have extra padding. “The choice of the right pillow is really a personal one,” said Dr. Hayden. “Many patients have to try out multiple options until they find the right fit.”

Are knee pillows good for arthritic knees?

According to Dr. Hayden, symptoms of knee arthritis, hip arthritis, hip bursitis, or tendonitis can all be alleviated with a knee pillow.

“Many patients with knee arthritis have pain on the inside (or medial compartment) of the knee,” Dr. Hayden said. This means that when you lie on your side, the insides of your knees can touch and become painful.

Dr. Hayden mentioned a focus group study of 123 patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis who assessed incidences of night pain, in addition to treatment strategies for pain reduction. They found that most patients, greater than 80%, experience night pain. Many patients with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis pain use pillows in between the knees as an adaptive treatment to relieve pain.

Can I use a regular pillow as a knee pillow?

Yes. According to Dr. Hayden this is by far the most popular technique with most people finding that one to two pillows normally do the trick.

How to use a knee pillow

Lie on your side with your knees slightly bent. Place the pillow between your knees, so that your upper thigh is elevated to the point that your hips are in a neutral position.

For back sleepers, place the pillow under your knees and lower thighs for support while keeping your butt flush with the bed.