· Maeve Sutton
Microbeads, kapok or fibre: which filling to choose
This is the subject almost nobody covers, and yet quatre it is the filling that decides the support, the upkeep, and one detail you will only discover on the third night: the noise.
The four families
| Filling | Support | How it holds up | Washing | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polyester fibre | Moyen, modelable | Puffs back up with a shake | Cover in the machine, pillow aired | Silent |
| Microbeads | Very close-fitting | Settles markedly | Cover only | Froissement audible |
| Kapok | Firm | Stable, settles little | Cannot be washed | Silent |
| Foam | Constant, barely mouldable | Very stable | Cover only | Silent |
Polyester fibre
This is the most common filling, for a simple reason: it does the three things asked of it properly. It moulds under the bump, it comes back to its volume when you shake it, and it makes no noise when you turn over.
It is the easiest of the four to look after: the cover goes in the machine, and the pillow itself is reshaped by hand. It is also the only one you can top up — a few handfuls of fibre are enough to bring back the original support if an arm has flattened. Our U-shaped pregnancy pillow belongs to this family: it is filled with loose synthetic fibre, which you can redistribute by hand and which makes no noise at all. The stated filling is PP — polypropylene fibre.
Microbeads
These are tiny expanded polystyrene beads. They follow the body very closely, almost like sand: the feel is immediately pleasant, and that is whats fait vendre.
Two characteristics only show up in use. First, they settle: the volume drops week after week, and there is no way to get it back. Second, they make noise — a dry rustle with every movement. On an object whose whole job is to stop you waking up, that is worth knowing.
Kapok
A plant fibre from a tropical tree, kapok is firm, light and natural. It settles little and holds up well. Its limitation is clear: it cannot be washed. Once damp, it clumps and does not recover. On a bedding item used every night for months, and then through feeding, that is a real limitation. It costs It also costs noticeably more.
Foam
In blocks or shredded, it gives very constant support: the pillow keeps exactly the same shape, night after night. That is an advantage if you want a stable rest, and a drawback if you want the pillow to mould to your position. It cannot be washed either, and it is heavier to handle.
What actually matters
Ask yourself three questions, in this order:
- Will I be able to clean it? A pregnancy pillow goes through months of nights and then the feeding months. A removable washable cover is not a comfort — it is what decides how long the thing lasts.
- Will it hold its volume? A filling that settles leaves you with a pillow that “does nothing any more” after three weeks. We go through it in our guide on firmness.
- Does it make noise? No product page mentions this. Ask, or choose a filling that stays silent.
And for feeding?
The priorities change: you want a stable rest at chest height, over seated sessions of twenty to forty minutes. A filling that collapses under the forearm forces you to keep lifting your arm. Fibre and foam suit this well; microbeads, which move under pressure, less so. See our nursing pillow.
Recorded by The Pregnancy Pillow, August 2026: analysis of 129 written reviews. The properties described are those of the filling families themselves, not measurements of our product. See our how we test.
Maeve Sutton · Editorial lead at The Pregnancy Pillow
Maeve goes through buyer feedback before a model ever gets a page: she reads the reviews one by one, opens every photo customers send in, and holds what the description promises against what they actually received. That is the work that showed three of the four colour names described a different fabric. She writes the guides on this site.