Boppy Pillow Review

The Boppy pillow has almost become a staple baby item for parents.  As a first time parent, I didn’t really understand why a simple curved pillow for baby was so irreplaceable.  But after hearing several people recommend the Boppy, I decided to give it a try.  Since I wasn’t sure if I’d even use it, I bought a used one for a fraction of the price before baby arrived.  So is the Boppy worth the money?  Read on to find out what I thought.

First of all, a new Boppy pillow retails for $29.99.  On top of that, a washable slipcover will need to be purchased to protect the pillow, which start at $9.99.  Slipcovers come in a variety of prints and fabrics so you’ll be sure to find a print that you like.  There is even an organic slipcover option.  The Boppy pillow is soft, but firm and weighs about 3 pounds.  The C-shape of the pillow allows it to be multi-functional.  Boppy states that the pillow can can be used for four different activities for baby: feeding, lounging, playing, and sitting.  I will review each of it’s uses individually:

1.  Feeding

I brought my Boppy to the hospital with me when we had our son.  However, I found I never used it since I had a pile of blankets on my lap.  When we got home from the hospital, I used it quite a bit for breastfeeding.  The Boppy fits great around the waist area and it gave baby a soft, raised surface to lay on while feeding.  However, the more I used the pillow for feedings, the more annoyed with it I got.  It wasn’t the pillow itself, but more the process of putting it on.  It was awkward trying to hold baby and get the pillow on at the same time.  After a few weeks of using it for feeding, I stopped using the Boppy for this purpose altogether.  It didn’t really help so much with feeding for me to even miss it.  I found it to be more of a hassle than anything.  One more thing to note about using it for feeding is that I can imagine that the pillow might not fit well around the waist of larger parents.  However, Boppy is apparently making a pillow with an expandable middle to remedy this.  Overall, I wasn’t into the Boppy for feeding.

2.  Lounging

The Boppy offers a snug place to let baby lounge, whether they are newborn or several months old.  The pillow allows for baby to lean back and relax while their head, shoulders, and sides of the body are supported.  I used the Boppy quite a bit for this purpose when my baby was younger, until about 4 months age when he was ready for other activities.  Although I still use it on occasions now that he is 7 months old, it is rare.  However, my son seemed to love the feeling of lounging in the Boppy.  The way it hugs the body makes them feel very secure and relaxed. 

3.  Playing (Tummy Time)

Of all of the functions of the Boppy pillow, I think this one if probably the weakest.  By hanging babies chest and arms over the side of the Boppy, it’s supposed to give baby tummy time in a more propped position.  The few times I tried it, my baby hated it.  It looked uncomfortable and awkward.  Based on my experience, I would not recommend using this for tummy time.

4.  Sitting

I wasn’t sold on the Boppy until my son started learning how to sit on his own.  In fact, my Boppy was almost collecting dust in the corner until this milestone.  But when he neared 6 months and was learning how to sit up and balance (and fall), the Boppy was the go-to item.  By setting him in the center of the pillow, he almost had 360 degrees of a safety net for each time he toppled over.  The only time he’d hit the floor is when he would fall straight forward.  Having the Boppy as he learned to sit was much easier and convenient than simply stacking pillows or blankets around him.  By far, using the Boppy for sitting is the best function of the product.  In fact, it saved my opinion of the Boppy.  I didn’t buy into it’s popularity until my son started sitting.  And then I realized it’s true value.

Overall, I would say I am into the Boppy, but mostly for it’s sitting function.  All of the other functions were simply okay, but using it when baby learned to sit made it worth the purchase.  Whether you buy the Boppy new or used, I’m sure you’ll find at least one thing that makes it irreplaceable.

What do you like or dislike about the Boppy?

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