Why it’s great: With its cylindrical shape, fluffy stuffing, and smooth, silky cover, the Original Sleeping Bean Body Pillow was one of the few pillows we tested that looked and felt like it belonged on a well-dressed bed. The Original Sleeping Bean is shaped like a long bolster, structured with strong, well-stitched seams and a zipper that operates smoothly. The all-cotton cover felt similar to a good-quality percale sheet. You can choose white or natural (a sandy-beige color), as well as organic cotton (the Original Sleeping Bean also comes in a flannel version, which we didn’t test). You can opt for a pillow filled with polyester polyfill (down alternative) or kapok (a natural tree-seed fiber that resembles silky, brown stuffed-animal fluff). We tested the Sleeping Bean in natural, filled with kapok, and we found that the fiber gave the pillow a notably soft, squeezable consistency. One tester commented that it felt “fun to squish.” With its all-cotton cover and natural fill, we think the Original Sleeping Bean will likely feel cooler during the night than pillows made with memory foam and synthetic materials.
