When I was researching which nursing pillow to register for, I kept coming across these two as the top contenders. Some swore by the My Brest Friend, and others could not live without their Boppy. I got the Boppy as a registry gift, but also ended up purchasing the Brest Friend, so I was able to test both of them out firsthand!
Mrs. Wagon wrote some awesome posts comparing different gear, so I’m totally stealing her format because imitation is the greatest form of flattery! 
P R I C E
My Brest Friend costs $26.40, and The Boppy costs $35.99
Winner: My Brest Friend
L O O K S
The Boppy has a lot more slipcover options compared to the My Brest Friend, and the designs are all really cute! The designs range from polka-dots, to flowers and stripes. The My Brest Friend doesn’t have as many slipcover choices, and I don’t think they’re as cute.
Winner: The Boppy
F E A T U R E S
My Brest Friend comes with a little pocket where you can conveniently store a few small items like nipple cream, and a burp cloth, if you’re so inclined. This makes it convenient if you have to take your pillow somewhere since all your breastfeeding necessities will already be at your fingertips. It also comes with a strap that clicks into place around your waist, so if you need to get up for any reason while nursing, it’s easy to do so. In the early months, this helped a lot because my LO’s would nurse upwards of an hour at a time, and sometimes mama’s gotta pee! Don’t ask me how many times I nursed while going #1 (and #2). The Boppy doesn’t come with either of these features.
Winner: My Brest Friend
M U L T I – F U N C T I O N A L I T Y
The Boppy markets itself as a pillow you can use through the stages. Because of its crescent shape, it can act not only as a nursing pillow, but also as a tool to help prop up your baby, as well as for tummy time. As far as I can tell, the My Brest Friend can only really be used for nursing. Because it is so firm and structured, it isn’t conducive for tummy time or helping your little one sit up.
Winner: The Boppy
S U P P O R T / F I R M N E S S
The My Brest Friend is made of very firm foam, and is pretty solid. The Boppy feels more like your typical pillow that you would sleep on, except smartly shaped to wrap around your waist. In the newborn stage, I vastly preferred the My Brest Friend over The Boppy because my baby would slip off the Boppy easily or get stuck in the center space it created between me and the pillow. I had no such issues with the My Brest Friend, and it kept my baby securely placed where I wanted him.
Winner: My Brest Friend
L E N G T H O F U S E
From 0-3 months, my pillow of choice was the My Brest Friend, but after I pushed through that initial phase of breastfeeding, I turned to the Boppy. After my babies hit 3 months, I used the Boppy and never looked back. The firmness of the Brest Friend was great for a floppy newborn who lacked muscle control, but as my baby grew in weight and length, he would hang off the side of the Brest Friend uncomfortably (especially when I had him in a football hold when feeding from my right breast). The Boppy was much better at allowing his body to conform to it. The space between me and the pillow also became a non-issue once my baby was bigger because he was too big to fall into the hole. Instead, the Boppy allowed him to be supported against me in the most natural way possible. I also used the Boppy for tummy time and for propping when he wasn’t breastfeeding. It was great!
Winner: The Boppy
E A S E O F U S E
Although the latch feature on the My Brest Friend came in handy, I found it to be a struggle to put on at times, especially if I was in a rush to feed a starving, crying baby. The Boppy was simple because all you do is grab and sit.
Winner: The Boppy
*****
What’s the Final Tally?? 4 to 3, with The Boppy winning by a tiny margin! Phew – that was a close race if I ever saw one! The Boppy would’ve won by a wider margin if I chose to compare the names of the two products. Whose grand idea was it to name a pillow the My Brest Friend? No, just no.
*****
I am honestly glad I got to use both pillows – they both made life a lot easier through a year of breastfeeding. Like I mentioned earlier, I really needed the My Brest Friend in the first few months of breastfeeding. The Boppy wasn’t cutting it for me in the beginning and was actually more of an annoyance than anything – my tiny baby kept slipping and sliding, and positioning him on that thing was frustrating; that’s why even though it was given to me as a gift, I still ran out to get myself the My Brest Friend. After the first three months though, the tables turned, and the My Brest Friend started gathering dust in a corner while I lived and breathed the Boppy. Same story with both kids. I am still currently using the Boppy with great satisfaction.
BUT, if I had to choose just one, I would choose the My Brest Friend even though I only loved it for the first 3 months. Shocking since it’s the “loser” right? Hear me out – the hardest months of breastfeeding were those first 3 months, the baby and I were still learning our groove, and the My Brest Friend made those endless hours spent tied to my glider a little more tolerable. Without the My Brest Friend, who knows if I would’ve even met my initial goal of hitting the one month breastfeeding mark.
The Boppy came into play after I already felt comfortable breastfeeding, and by then, I did just fine stacking two regular sleeping pillows on top of each other. When I had to nurse in public… I even got creative and would nurse with my diaper bag beneath my baby. I didn’t really need the Boppy. The My Brest Friend was a necessity for me, The Boppy was a “nice to have.”
Which nursing pillow did you choose?
Mrs. High Heels’ Visual Gear Guides part 12 of 12
1. My Ultimate Baby Registry by Mrs. High Heels2. Toddler Pooltime Essentials by Mrs. High Heels
3. My Biggest Registry Regrets by Mrs. High Heels
4. Car Seat Comparison Guide by Mrs. High Heels
5. Stroller Comparison Guide by Mrs. High Heels
6. Baby Carrier Comparison Guide by Mrs. High Heels
7. Prenatal Fitness Guide by Mrs. High Heels
8. Sick Toddler Essentials by Mrs. High Heels
9. Mrs. High Heels' Skincare Essentials by Mrs. High Heels
10. Mrs. High Heels' Hospital Bag by Mrs. High Heels
11. Mrs. High Heels' Diaper Bag for Two by Mrs. High Heels
12. Nursing Pillow Showdown: Boppy vs. My Brest Friend by Mrs. High Heels
cherry / 157 posts
Thanks for this post. I’m due any day now and I ended up with both pillows. I found the My Breast Friend at a secondhand store for $2!
I don’t know anyone who has used the MBF (everyone seems to be about the Boppy), so I’m going to be the first in my circle of friends to try it out.
nectarine / 2217 posts
great review! i TOTALLY agree with the Boppy being difficult to use in the newborn-3m stage (but overall cuter, useful later on, etc). i spent many many many hours (while using the boppy) stuffing recieving blankets in various rolled up ways in the gaps under my baby and it was super inconvienient to do so. I’m hoping to get a MBF for this second LO!
honeydew / 7444 posts
Everyone recommended the Boppy, but i heard so many good things about MBF (agreed, who thought of that name??) and was lucky enough to borrow one from a friend. I found that it was great to use in the infant months. I liked that i could strap it around my waist and walk around with it on. Once she got bigger, a pillow was good enough. So even though Boppy was the winner in your showdown, I liked MBF!
pomegranate / 3225 posts
I agree completely… MBF was totally worth it even though I really only used it the first few months. Now I use the boppy and I’m glad I have it too…
guest
Ditto everything in this post! If I hadn’t gotten the MBF a week into breastfeeding, I don’t think I could’ve kept going. I still hate the name, though.
One other point against the MBF is that if the cover gets messed up, it’s bare foam underneath. At least it was two years ago. So I would lay an A&A swaddle over it to wash more easily. MBF is still the winner in my book!
blogger / pomelo / 5361 posts
I’m a big fan of both, but the MBF (my abbreviation because I can’t stand the name, either) wins hands down for nursing. I was able to tandem BF with the twin version, but I even preferred it when I was only feeding one at a time. We do use the Boppy when we’re feeding both boys a bottle by ourselves or to do tummy time..
Also, in the category of “Best Pillow for Mom, Dad, or Dog to Use” the Boppy wins hands down.
GOLD / squash / 13464 posts
I agree with everything you said here! I honestly think having both is the way to go. I couldn’t have survived the first few months of nursing without the MBF. But the Boppy is/was so handy for other things like helping to support LO when she was learning to sit up. And as @Mrs. Blue: mentioned I slept with the Boppy on many a night : )
My MBF pillow was a hand me down from a friend so I didn’t have to buy it, and I’m going to lend it to my SIL who is due at the end of the year. It’s a great item to lend/borrow since it has such a small window of use.
blogger / nectarine / 2608 posts
@Mrs. Blue; I had to laugh at your response because the boppy totally belongs to Freckles now! He has it in his kennel and adores the heck out of it.
I think the MBF helps more with proper nursing positioning. I would get a MBF if you are looking for a nursing support pillow, and get the boppy for other/all around uses. We had two covers for our MBF so that when one was in the wash we had a spare.
olive / 52 posts
There is a new Boppy out there, that has a firm side, a soft side, and a strap. Might be the best of both worlds?
http://www.amazon.com/Boppy-2400149K-2PK-Nursing-Thimbleberry/dp/B00AH8F5G4/ref=sr_1_13?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1373039258&sr=1-13&keywords=boppy
pineapple / 12053 posts
I also loved MBF for the first three months. Just as quickly as I needed it, we didn’t need it anymore! I don’t use any pillow now so I know the boppy would just sit around and be wasted. I’m going to pass on MBF to a friend having her LO in the fall!
grapefruit / 4923 posts
i have the boppy and found it was less than ideal for nursing–like you said, there was a huge gap between me and the pillow, into which LO would sag in a very unhelpful position. i ended up just using regular pillows to prop under my arms while nursing. we did use the boppy for tummy time a couple of times and will try to use it to assist in sitting, but i think i could have gone without the boppy entirely.
i agree that for nursing, my brest friend is the better bet–i used it when i visited a lactation consultant and it was much more supportive.
pomelo / 5258 posts
I got 2 boppys and a MBF as hand-me-downs. My SIL used all three so she suggested I take them all.
I never got just a boppy or just the MBF to work for me. I guess it’s because I have a long torso and I’m small on top. There’s about six inches between LO and my nipple when she just lays on the boppy. I used a boppy and pillow for the first 3 months and now I just use a big pillow.
pomegranate / 3272 posts
I borrowed both from friends. I liked to use the MBF for night time feedings and the boppy for during the day. I don’t know why but that’s what worked for us.
clementine / 958 posts
I used both and also preferred the MBF for the first 3 months and the Boppy after that. Especially if you’re tall/have a long torso, the MBF is MUCH easier to use in the beginning. If you can borrow or purchase both, I think it’s worth having the extra gear.
pomelo / 5628 posts
I agree with both although I never nurses. I still use the boppy every single day and lo is almost 6 months. He lays in it while I pump and often I feed him a bottle at the same time. In the newborn stage it was also really useful for resting my arms on when he was laying on me for extended periods of time.
persimmon / 1081 posts
When I took a BF class, the lac consultant said get MBF, the Boppy is crap for BFing. But I was given two Boppys and couldn’t bring myself to buy a MBF on top of that. A friend of mine had it and loved it, though.
blogger / pomelo / 5400 posts
I recommend the Gia! It’s a happy medium between the two. Not as squishy as boppy and not as firm as MBF. It has a slope that puts baby up higher so you don’t slouch, but you don’t have to strap it on or anything. Loved it.
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
I only have a MBF and I really liked using it. And I actually did use it for tummy time, too!
grapefruit / 4669 posts
I have a Boppy and have never loved it, mainly because of the space between me and the pillow that baby falls into. I probably would have gotten a MBF if I had done more research ahead of time, but now I have decided that breastfeeding pillows just aren’t my thing. I think stacking regular pillows would work just as well for us.
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
I purchased the boppy since everyone raved about it, but once I started hearing about MBF, I’m questioning to stay with the boppy or exchange it! DS is due in 5 weeks, and I’ll try the boppy. However, if I’m totally not digging it, I’ll definitely send the hubby to the store to pick up MBF!
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
I had a boppy but also tried out the other. The one thing I will say about both is that as a tall/long torso person, both required me to have extra pillows to prop the baby up high enough to reach my breast without me sitting hunched over for an hour.
I agree, the best option would be to get both used!!
blogger / persimmon / 1220 posts
Awesome comparison! I’ve heard so many similar things to what you shared from other moms. Kinda wishing I had registered for the Boppy also.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
Great comparison! I only have the boppy and it worked well for us even in the nb phase, since DS was a bigger infant? I only use it now for our nighttime nursing session.
honeydew / 7968 posts
I had both. For breastfeeding, hands down mbf. For everything else, boppy. I used Mbf for over a year of bfing, actually hated boppy for breastfeeding. And I breastfed twins.
I agree though, stupid name.
guest
The best nursing pillow by far is Shuga Bebe Couture. Very much worth the price. Plus it’s sooooo very useful even when I’m not breastfeeding. Much better than all the others.
guest
Best nursing pillow by far! Love it! http://www.shugabebecouture.com/
guest
I completely agree with your ultimate decision that, even though it may have scored lower, the pillow that works for the early stages is HANDS DOWN the most important one. I have not used a MBF but have been very dissatisfied with the Boppy in the newborn stage. I will have to keep my eyes peeled for a MBF for our little one on the way! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
guest
This was exactly the kind of review I was looking for — and needed. Many thanks for the useful words of wisdom!
guest
I have to agree with Kristin and Sarah. Shuga Bebe Couture is the best hands down! Absolutely genius! It’s a little more money but worth it. I just wasted my money on the boppy. It was useless. I figured if I could spend over a 100 bucks on a cradle or swing that my baby would grow out if quickly I could spend the money on this pillow since I plan to breastfeed for at least a year. Worth it to me. Love it!
guest
Believe it or not, the My Brest Friend was created by a man! I saw his interview on a business show, and after that I was convinced I needed the MBF for my son being born in a few months. The MBF is the only nursing pillow I purchased and I actually hated it from the beginning. Although the support around your back is a nice idea, when sitting in my rocker or on the sofa, I couldn’t get comfortable. It required me to sit up so straight that it just put more pain on my back (I had a hard pregnancy and labor with a 10lb baby!) I also have a longer torso and still needed a pillow underneath the MBF to get my son close enough to nurse. After a short frustration period, I ditched MBF and just used a regular pillow.
guest
Thanks so much for this! So simple and to the point. And helpful, of course! I’ll be asking for both on my baby registry now, and if I don’t get them I know a few thrift stores that always have them because I think I’ll be needing both.
guest
I wish I had read this blog sooner. For the past month my newborn and I have been struggling with the Gia (essentially another boppy). She slides both inside it and down the angled portion.
Often I will give up and use regular pillows or try to just hold her the whole time leading to a sore back.
I will be ordering a MBF today. It sounds like the solution I’ve needed.
Thanks!
pomelo / 5084 posts
“The Boppy would’ve won by a wider margin if I chose to compare the names of the two products. Whose grand idea was it to name a pillow the My Brest Friend? No, just no.”
Hahaha. This was the only factor I used to decide on my boppy. Bad, marketing people! Just bad!
guest
With my oldest daughter I used the Boppy, but so many people swore by the My Brest Friend that I caved and registered for both for my new little one. I personally found the My Brest Friend to be a huge disappointment. The area the baby lays on is like a shelf and my daughter seemed to roll awkwardly toward me and fall into a gap unless I tightened the My Brest Friend uncomfortably tight. I also did not like being strapped in; this was especially true during nighttime feedings. The shelf was also just long and wide enough that it made it difficult to nurse while simultaneously using my laptop. Also, after only the first time washing the cover, the black geometric print faded horribly. I had almost given up on nursing pillows entirely, when my mom reminded me to give the Boppy a shot. It was everything the My Brest Friend wasn’t! It allows me the freedom to use my laptop and is more comfortable at night. I personally didn’t experience any gaps while using the Boppy and my daughter seemed more comfortable. She also loves being propped in the Boppy while not nursing.