Najell pregnancy pillow review

At £109, the Najell is a premium-priced pillow. However, its ability to be used both during pregnancy and postpartum means it offers longevity and better value for money.

• You can buy the Najell pregnancy pillow from Najell (£109).

How comfortable is the Najell pregnancy pillow?

I’d become quite accustomed to the pregnancy pillow I purchased at the start of my second trimester, so I felt a bit nervous ahead of my first night of using the Najell – what if it wasn’t as comfortable and affected my sleep? But I needn’t have worried. After adjusting the pillow to a medium firmness, the pillow seemed to melt against my body beautifully. Laying on my left side, it provided just the right level of support for my top leg to rest on, helping me avoid hip pain that I’ve struggled with since about week 15 of pregnancy. While the pillow itself is a long sausage shape, it’s easily ‘mouldable’ (and stays there without pinging back), so I successfully curved the end to provide support for my ankle and foot – which was another appreciated touch.

When I rolled onto my right side during the night (because sometimes the left needs a break), I kept the pillow in its original place and it did the perfect job of supporting my back and preventing me from rolling onto it fully. The material is buttery soft, so I thought it might slip – but this wasn’t the case at all.

The pillow also provides great support while sitting on the sofa watching TV. Compared to my usual pregnancy pillow, it’s slightly easier to mould into a tighter U-shape – allowing either end of the Najell to act as armrests and provide a bit of extra postural support.

How easy is it to use and adjust the Najell pregnancy pillow?

The Najell is easy to adjust thanks to its simple knot mechanism at one end, which is easily untied. This allows the 2 inner pillows – filled with soft polystyrene ‘beans’ – to be pushed closer together for extra firmness or moved further apart if you prefer a softer pillow. However, if you make the pillow too loose, the gap between the 2 inside pillows becomes more pronounced, which some people may find uncomfortable and unsupportive.

The pillow keeps its shape nicely during the night and doesn’t try to push itself back into a longer position. I thought that the weight of my leg and knee over several hours of sleep on a specific area of the pillow might cause it to sink and need readjusting, but this wasn’t an issue.

While the pillow’s larger size makes it a bit unwieldy to reposition in the night if you want to bring it with you from left to right side sleeping, it’s not an impossible task (although your sleeping partner might not agree).

How versatile is it?

Whether you’re sleeping or sitting up in bed or on the sofa, the Najell pillow’s easy-to-mould shape makes it highly versatile. The fact it can be adjusted to provide firmer or softer support makes it readily adaptable to different scenarios – for instance, I prefer a slightly firmer pillow in bed but softer when sitting on the sofa (as more rigid support for my lower back can cause my upper back to become arched and uncomfortable).

One reason I purchased my initial pregnancy pillow was because it can be used as a nursing pillow afterwards, giving me longevity for my money. I was pleased to see the Najell offers the same option. The 2 smaller inner pillows can be removed from the outer cover and used to support your baby while nursing. However, you can’t adjust their firmness when using them individually.

The length and adjustability of the Najell also makes it suitable for different body types and heights, as you can tailor its shape and firmness specifically to your body and needs.

How good is the Najell pregnancy pillow's material quality?

The organic cotton cover (95% cotton, 5% elastane) is wonderfully soft. Its stretchy texture initially made me think it was entirely made from synthetic fibres, but I was happy to discover otherwise. However, while Najell states that all elements of the pillow have been tested for harmful substances, they do not say whether it is hypoallergenic.

The Najell pillow feels high-quality and durable, with the stitching around the cover and pillows seeming well-done – after multiple nights’ sleep and wiggling on the sofa, there was no sign of tearing. Even though the inner pillows are filled with beans, they do not make noise when rubbed together or manoeuvred – which is especially important if you’re turning or moving in the night.

Is the Najell pregnancy pillow easy to clean?

The pillow cover is really easy to clean: simply remove the inner pillows and place it in your washing machine at a maximum wash of 40 degrees.

However, the cover cannot be tumble dried – and it took over 24 hours for my outside and inner pillow covers to dry after laying them to air-dry on my laundry rack (as recommended). This means that, unless you have additional covers (which you can buy from Najell at additional expense), you’re going to be without your pillow for at least one night. Another downside is that the stretchy nature of the cover fabric means pulling out the internal pillows and getting them back inside can be a bit cumbersome.

Although washing can sometimes make material lose its original softness (especially as you can’t use fabric softener with the Najell cover), the pillowcase felt just as soft after a spin in the machine and didn’t stretch, shrink, or bobble.

While the inside pillows cannot be machine washed – only gently hand-washed using a damp cloth and detergent – one of them comes with its own smaller cover, and the other pillow can remain in the larger outer cover. You can also purchase another smaller cover for the second pillow or a new inner replacement pillow if necessary.

How big is the Najell pregnancy pillow?

The Najell is relatively large: around 55cm in diameter and 145-165cm in length (depending on how tight or loose you make it). While this means it takes up a decent amount of space in a standard double bed, it’s not impossible to fit in. I slept soundly with it by my side without moving too far into the middle of the bed and forcing my husband out. He hasn’t mentioned moving to our guest bed, so I think it’s an acceptable addition!

Does the Najell pregnancy pillow have any clever touches?

As noted, I really appreciated the Najell’s multi-functional design. The 2 inner pillows can be used to support different parts of your body during sleep in pregnancy, or during nursing in the postpartum phase.

I also liked that the inner pillows do not have fiddly zips or poppers to join them together.

What’s in the box?

Just the pillow. There aren’t any additional accessories included, although it does come in a bag that’s great for storage or if you’re travelling and want to take the pillow with you – simply fold the pillow in half and slide inside.

Is the Najell pregnancy pillow worth the money?

Other popular pregnancy pillows similar in design and functionality are available at both higher and lower price points – with the Najell sitting nicely in the middle at £109. For those seeking a slightly more premium feel and who are happy to make a bit of a splurge, it’s definitely a good option.

Being able to use the pillow beyond pregnancy increases its value – although, arguably, cheaper pillows also offer postpartum features.

Does the Najell pregnancy pillow offer any sustainability features?

One thing I particularly liked about the Najell pillow is that the cover is made with Global Organic Textile Standard-certified organic cotton. This not only guarantees that the material used is organic, but also sustainably produced and ethically sourced.

The option to buy new covers means the internal 2 pillows can be reused if your original cover wears out or suffers stains. You can also buy replacement inner pillows if needed.

Where can I buy the Najell pregnancy pillow?

It's available at Najell.

MadeForMums verdict

Soft, comfortable, adjustable, and multi-functional, the Najell pillow offers a host of appealing features that make it a real contender in the pregnancy pillow market. While it’s provided me with wonderful support during sleep and helped minimise my pelvic and hip pain at night, it has a couple of downsides that can’t be overlooked.

It’s expensive, especially when there are other comparable products on the market for less money. And the fact its cover takes so long to dry means the pillow is essentially unusable for a night after washing – unless you spend extra and buy an additional cover. Aside from these niggles, it's an undoubtedly well-designed and comfy pregnancy pillow.