When faced with a difficult or straining position during your yoga practice, don’t give up- sometimes, all you need is a helping hand to advance your skills tremendously. Yoga pillows were designed with the idea to assist less flexible people, those recovering from injuries, or simply people new to the practice to achieve certain poses with ease. A properly selected yoga cushion will provide ample support in the right places and give you that bit of a push you need to achieve better form and feel more comfortable during the workout session.
Of course, there are various designs of yoga pillows, so it is important to choose your cushion with care. This way, you’ll ensure that the yoga bolsters you’ve picked out gives you tailored support and assists you in the way you require to get to your goal.
| Rank | Product | Highlights |
| #1 | 
Ajna Yoga Bolster Pillow |
|
| #2 | 
YogaAccessories Supportive Round Cotton Yoga Bolster |
|
| #3 | 
Hugger Mugger Standard Yoga Bolster |
|
| #4 | 
Peace Yoga Meditation Buckwheat Pillow |
|
Do You Need a Yoga Bolster?
Before you get your card out, you should ask yourself- is a yoga bolster necessary? There are so many fitness accessories and gadgets out there, particularly for yoga, and one has to wonder if these are truly necessary tools or just fads that won’t be of real use. The truth is that you can practice yoga without a single accessory, but some of these products can be quite helpful and contribute to your form and posture. Yoga pillows are among those handy accessories as they are ideal for people that, for any reason, can’t maintain proper posture or achieve certain poses.
You might be out of shape and need a properly positioned cushion to release tension from your back and/or muscles or some additional support until you develop the core strength needed for some yoga positions. Similarly, if you are recovering from an injury or you are pregnant, you will need the support of a yoga bolster to reduce the difficulty of poses and make them more doable in accordance with your current workout capabilities.
So, while yoga pillows are not essential to yoga practice, they can certainly make things much easier and help you advance your skills without having to overextend and risk an injury.
How Are Yoga Pillows Used?
There are various types of yoga pillows and while they are all used to offer additional support and help with more challenging poses, the way you use them will vary from situation to situation. In most cases, you would place the yoga cushion under your back, knees, or hips as those are the key points that could require the support of a bolster. A pillow positioned in the lower back and hip region can slightly elevate your rear and help you keep your spine properly aligned or relieve the tension you would feel after doing backbends, for instance. Similarly, placed under the body, a yoga cushion can bring more ease in resting poses by bringing ground closer to you and making sure you rest comfortably on a supportive surface.
Yoga bolsters can help open the chest and improve your breathing, which is of great help to beginners especially. Placing a yoga ostler pillow under the spine will enhance the breathing, making it deeper, and open the heart center. This also helps relieve tension from the upper body more efficiently, allowing people that spend their days sitting at an office desk to get rid of chronic pain and discomfort they feel in their back, neck, and shoulder region.
Additionally, yoga pillows can be used during meditation to improve your posture and allow you to focus and concentrate on the practice itself. Sitting on a yoga cushion will position your hips higher than the knees in the classic cross-legged position and thus, help you keep your spine perfectly erect without feeling discomfort.
Types of Yoga Cushions
Until the 1960s when the practice of yoga became a worldwide phenomenon, there weren’t that many yoga accessories to speak of. As this time-honored discipline became popular in the Western world and practices evolved and changed, teachers such as Iyengar developed certain tools and methods that revolutionized aspects of yoga and brought it closer to many people who couldn’t practice due to physical limitations. One of these accessories were yoga pillows: these specially designed cushions were created to offer support, increase flexibility, and improve breathing practices. Yoga pillows come in different shapes and forms but also stuffed with different fillings and with covers in a range of materials and styles.
- Rectangular yoga pillows
As the name suggests, these pillows are rectangular with a flat surface on both top and bottom, so they can be stacked to increase height if required. Versatile and practical, classic rectangular yoga pillows come in different sizes to accommodate different needs.
- Round (cylindrical) yoga pillows
Shaped as cylinders, these bolster yoga pillows might be the most common type along with rectangular cushions and are as versatile and comfortable. The main difference is that round yoga pillows are thicker and conform to the body much better than a flat shape. On the other hand, they can be bulky and heavy to take with you- and they are not generally stackable.
- Lean yoga pillows
These are essentially the classic rectangular yoga cushions, with the difference of being adapted to the needs of petite practitioners or teenagers. They are smaller and narrower in size but retain all the same design elements as rectangular pillows.
- Pranayama pillows
This type of yoga pillow is designed to enhance breathing, by expanding your chest and improving the depth of each breath. They are usually placed along the spine and can be either round or rectangular.
- Zafu cushions
A circular cushion with flat top and bottom, zafu pillow is meant to be used during mediation. It raises the hips just enough to make the cross-legged sitting position more comfortable to the practitioner and ensures that the spine is properly aligned as well.
As for the types of filling, the most common are buckwheat, cotton, and synthetic fiberfill. Buckwheat is heavy but molds to your body, cotton is sturdy and comfy, and fiberfill is known for its lightweightedness and durability. All will work well as yoga pillow filling- the choice will depend on your preferences and budget.
Best Yoga Pillows
Ajna Yoga Bolster Pillow
Specs:
- Shape: Rectangular
- Filling: Recycled foam
- Cover material: Eco suede
- Weight: 3.4 pounds
Editor’s choice
Expertly crafted, this rectangular yoga pillow goes above and beyond to offer you an unparalleled yoga experience. The fill is made from the recycled foam of different densities, which in return makes this cushion superbly comfortable without compromising on its sturdiness, so you can expect fantastic support for your spine in all poses. Beautiful and practical both, this bolsters pillow has a soft eco suede cover that is available in three trendy yet neutral colors- celestite blue, rose quartz, and sapphire- which also totes a handy carry handle which makes it easy to take this pillow with you to class.
To make matters even better, all the materials used to create this high-quality yoga bolster pillow are eco-friendly and vegan-friendly. The filling is recycled foam and the cover is made from fabric that is produced sustainably from recycled, 100 percent vegan materials. Also, there are no harmful chemicals or toxic solvents used to treat any of the materials.
Pros
- Ideal for restorative yoga
- Offers spinal support
- Large enough to be considered a one-size-fits-all
- Durable and well-made
- Eco-friendly materials
Cons
- Expensive
- Can feel to firm to some people
Who Should Buy This?
If you are looking for a yoga pillow that’s suited both for practice at home and in class, that’s easy to carry with you but still sturdy enough, this bolster design will be just the thing. Available in three colors and made sustainably from eco-friendly materials, it is both beautiful and practical.
YogaAccessories Supportive Round Cotton Yoga Bolster
Specs:
- Shape: Cylindrical
- Filling: Cotton batting
- Cover material: Cotton
- Weight: 6 pounds
Best round yoga pillow
If you want something firm and sturdy and yet soft enough to be comfortable, cotton batting is your best bet. This cylindrical yoga cushion is made fully from cotton fibers: the outer cover is made from heavy-duty cotton canvas and the filling is cotton blend batting. The zipper cover is also fully removable and can be machine washed on a cold, gentle cycle, which much prolongs the life of your pillow and ensures that it is always clean and fresh-smelling.
Measuring 28 inches in length and with a diameter of 10 inches, this bolster pillow weighs about 6 pounds, all of which make it one of the largest and sturdiest pillows on our list. It is suited for pregnant ladies, practitioners of restorative yoga, and those that want to improve their flexibility with at-home yoga practices. Another great thing about this comfy yoga pillow is that it is available in 10 color options- and two styles that feature the ‘om’ sign in a lotus flower embroidered on the sides.
Pros
- Large enough to suit anyone’s preferences
- Cotton batting for a firm feel
- Removable machine washable zipper cover
- Available in a range of colors
- Affordable
Cons
- The chemical smell upon opening
Who Should Buy This?
Budget-friendly, easy to keep clean, sturdy, and large enough to fit anyone’s needs, this cylindrical bolster pillow will completely up to your game. Whether it’s to make sure your lower back and hips are relieved of tension or to help open up the chest for better breathing, you’ll find this round cushion a great tool to have.
Hugger Mugger Standard Yoga Bolster
Specs:
- Shape: Rectangular
- Filling: Foam core with cotton batting
- Cover material: Cotton
- Weight: 5 pounds
Best rectangular yoga pillow
This yoga pillow is the go-to choice for anyone that wants strength and stability that yet to be surpassed on the market. The ‘secret’ of this cushion’s durability and firmness is in the unique design: the inside of the pillow has a foam core surrounded by cotton batting. As a result, this flat rectangular pillow is among the best when you’re looking for a sturdy supportive cushion that can give you years of use. The cover, which is available in 5 solid colors, is made from breathable cotton that feels soft against the skin, but the fact that it is not removable and can only be spot-cleaned or dry cleaned might deter you if you are looking for a low-maintenance option.
This particular design is labeled as standard size (HuggerMugger rectangular yoga pillows are also available in lean option) which means it measures 11 inches by 25 inches with a height of 6 inches and weighs 5 pounds.
Pros
- Sturdy and firm
- Foam core with cotton batting for durability and great support
- Breathable cotton cover
- Handmade in the USA
Cons
- Dry clean only
- Expensive
Who Should Buy This?
These high-quality yoga bolsters are the gold standard: most studios have these for their practitioners to use and there’s a good reason for that. They are sturdy yet comfortable, and the design and the dimension make these yoga cushions almost a universal fit.
Peace Yoga Meditation Buckwheat Pillow
Specs:
- Shape: Circular
- Filling: Buckwheat
- Cover material: Cotton
- Weight:/
Best yoga pillow for meditation
When you’re meditating, you should be sitting in a cross-legged position with your spine perfectly straight and erect. Unfortunately, while seemingly simple, this position is not always easy to maintain during the meditation and sometimes can be very uncomfortable. Not to mention that the additional effort you have to put into maintaining such a position can disrupt your meditative focus and concentration. This circular meditation pillow is the ideal solution for these situations as it relieves stress from your hips, knees, and ankles and keeps you elevated above the floor surface for a comfortable position. Furthermore, the firmness and the height of the pillow (5 inches) ensure that your spine is properly aligned without compromising on the comfort factor.
The pillow is filled with buckwheat, a natural and holistic option that gets you superior firmness and durability and boasts a beautifully stylized removable cotton cover that can be machine washed for easier maintenance. It is available in 6 solid colors, each featuring an intricate embroidered design on top. Also, you get to choose between two sizes: 13 inches by 13 inches and 16 inches by 16 inches.
Pros
- Firm yet comfortable
- Maintains perfect posture during lotus position
- Natural buckwheat filling
- Available in two sizes
- Beautifully embroidered design
Cons
- Could be uncomfortable at first for some people
Who Should Buy This?
If you struggle to keep focus while meditating due to uncomfortable positions or want to keep your spine healthy and posture optimal, this buckwheat yoga pillow for meditation will exceed your expectations. Available in two sizes and six beautiful designs, this handy yoga cushion will meet anyone’s requirements.
Bottom Line
Even though yoga pillows are not a required accessory for all practitioners, for those people that could appreciate additional support during their workouts, these cushions are heaven-sent. Whether you’re pregnant, recovering from injury, out of shape, or just new at yoga, a yoga cushion can help improve your breathing and flexibility, as well as give you the support you need to perform some of the more complex poses.
Yoga pillows are available in different shapes, sizes and with filling and covers made from different materials- and it is entirely up to you to choose the design that works best for your needs. From round bolster pillows to flat rectangular cushions, there’s plenty of options available to suit anyone’s preferences and practice style.