Relvay makes a pregnancy pillow. We also tell you below when you should not buy one.
The short answer
Choose the Buddy if you want to top up the beads later. Choose the Comfy Big if you want the longer pillow and can live without refills. Doomoo's own refill page lists the Buddy as compatible and the Comfy Big as not.
- Buddy: 180 cm, stretchy cover, refillable.
- Comfy Big: 190 cm, cotton cover, not on the refill list.
- Covers: not interchangeable.
What is the difference between the doomoo Buddy and Comfy Big?
Both are long doomoo pillows filled with tiny polystyrene beads. The Buddy is 180 cm with a stretchy cover and can be refilled. The Comfy Big is 190 cm with a plain organic cotton cover, and doomoo says its refill does not fit it.
Doomoo warns about this itself. Its Buddy cover page says the Buddy, Softy and Comfy Big "look similar, but their dimensions and characteristics are different." Here is what we could confirm on October 8, 2026.
| doomoo Buddy | doomoo Comfy Big | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 180 cm (about 71 in), measured around the outside in a U | 190 cm (about 75 in) |
| Fill | EPS microbeads | 100% EPS beads |
| Outer cover | 95% organic cotton, 5% elastane, stretchy | 100% organic cotton |
| Inner cover | 92% polyester, 8% elastane (retailer) | 65% polyester, 35% cotton |
| Refill from doomoo | Yes, listed as compatible | No, listed as not compatible |
| Spare covers | Buddy covers fit Buddy only | Comfy Big covers sold separately |
| Price seen | €69.90 at babyartikel.de | €55 on doomoo's Belgian store |
Doomoo is a Belgian brand and prices we found were in euros. If you are in the US, check shipping and return costs before you pick a model. For doomoo against a different brand, see our doomoo vs Big Flopsy checklist.
Can you refill the doomoo Buddy and Comfy Big?
The Buddy, yes. The Comfy Big, not with doomoo's refill. Doomoo's 10 litre micropearls refill says it is compatible only with Buddy, Softy, Twisty and Seat'n Grow, and names Comfy Big as not compatible.
This matters more than it sounds. Bead pillows settle with use. A pillow you can top up can be brought back to the firmness you liked. A pillow you cannot top up stays where it settles.
11:15 p.m.
Celeste was 24 weeks and sleeping with the doomoo her sister had used two years earlier. It had gone soft in the middle, and her bump sank right into it. She found a refill bag online, added it to her cart, then stopped. The label on the old pillow said Comfy Big. The refill page said, in bold, not Comfy Big. She sat on the edge of the bed holding a pillow she could not fix, while Jonah slept.
"Im 28 weeks and so uncomfortable no matter if i use a support cushion or not. I just find it so hard to sleep."YouTube comment on a pregnancy pillow video (not about doomoo)
With bead pillows, the label inside the cover decides what you can fix later.
How adjustable is each pillow?
Both shape around you because the beads move. Only the Buddy has documented zippers for adding beads, so only the Buddy lets you change how full it is.
- Shape. Both bend into a U, a C or a long line along your back. Bead fill holds a curve better than fiber, but it also flattens where you press longest.
- Fullness, Buddy. Doomoo's refill instructions say the Buddy has two zippers, opened with a paperclip, and you pour beads through a cardboard straw. That means you can top it up. Doomoo recommends two people and keeping children away while you do it.
- Fullness, Comfy Big. Doomoo calls it adjustable thanks to its beads, but the page we read does not say you can open it or add beads. Treat it as fixed.
- Stretch. The Buddy's bi-elastic cover stretches over its shape. The Comfy Big's cotton cover is a plain fit.
Doomoo also notes the refill cannot fill an empty cover. It is a top-up, not a way to rebuild a pillow from scratch.
How do you wash the doomoo Buddy and Comfy Big?
Both covers come off and go in the machine, at different temperatures. The inner pillows differ more: the Buddy's can be machine washed at 30°C per a retailer, the Comfy Big's only by hand, and only now and then.
- Buddy cover: machine wash at 30°C (86°F).
- Buddy inner pillow: machine wash at max 30°C, per babyartikel.de. Check the label on yours.
- Comfy Big cover: machine wash at 40°C (104°F), tumble dry low.
- Comfy Big inner pillow: hand wash occasionally and air dry, shaking it gently so the beads spread out.
- Drying time: a bead pillow that has been washed needs to dry all the way through. Plan a night without it.
For a general walk-through of covers and inserts, see how to wash a pregnancy pillow.
Buddy or Comfy Big: which should you buy, and what should you ask first?
Buy the Buddy if you want to keep the pillow firm through pregnancy and beyond with refills. Buy the Comfy Big if you want the extra 10 cm and a cotton cover, and you accept it will soften over time.
- I want to top up the beads later: Buddy.
- I am tall or want the longest pillow: Comfy Big.
- I am buying secondhand: read the sewn-in label first. The name decides the refill and the cover.
- I am buying a spare cover: match the exact model. Buddy covers fit Buddy only.
Before you order either, ask the seller these, because we could not find the answers:
- What is the width and thickness, not just the length?
- Can the Comfy Big be opened at all, and is there any refill for it?
- How many litres of beads come in each pillow?
- Do you ship to the US, and who pays return postage?
Celeste did not buy another long pillow. What she needed was her bump held up and her back propped, not 75 inches of beads. She switched to two small wedges and kept her sister's doomoo between her knees. The next Saturday Jonah found her asleep at 9 a.m., in the same position he had left her.
Frequently asked questions
Is the doomoo Buddy the same as the Comfy Big?
No. Doomoo says the Buddy, Softy and Comfy Big look similar but have different sizes and features. The Buddy is 180 cm with a stretchy cover. The Comfy Big is 190 cm with a cotton cover.
Can I refill a doomoo Comfy Big?
Not with doomoo's micropearls refill. Its page lists Buddy, Softy, Twisty and Seat'n Grow as compatible, and names Comfy Big as not compatible.
Does a doomoo Buddy cover fit the Comfy Big?
No. Doomoo says the Buddy cover fits Buddy cushions only. Comfy Big covers are sold separately.
Can you wash the doomoo Comfy Big pillow?
The cover machine washes at 40°C and can tumble dry low. Doomoo says the inner pillow can be hand washed occasionally and must air dry, shaken so the beads spread.
How long is the doomoo Buddy?
Doomoo says the Buddy measures 180 cm, about 71 inches, measured around the outside in a U shape. Some retailers list other lengths, so check the listing.
If a long bead pillow is more than you need
Relvay does not make bead pillows or doomoo refills, and if you love a long pillow you can top up, the Buddy is a fair pick. The Relvay 3-Piece is a different idea: two small crescent wedges, one under your bump and one at your back, joined by a flat strap under you. It is polyester filled, so there are no beads to settle or refill. It is for people like Celeste whose real need is bump and back, not length.
Two wedges for bump and back, joined by a flat strap, about as wide as your torso. Keep a regular pillow between your knees. $79.99, 90-day returns.
Probably not for you if
- You want one long pillow to hug from chest to knees.
- You want a pillow you will also use for feeding later.
- You like being able to change the firmness yourself.
Worth a look if
- Your problem is a gap under the bump or behind your back.
- You share a full or queen bed in the US.
- You will keep a regular pillow between your knees.
Celeste's story is a composite based on real reviews and public posts from pregnant side sleepers. Names and details are changed.
