A Bit About Bolster Pillows And Their New Found Popularity

Bolster pillows are long, narrow pillows whose name comes from Ye Olde English

. They're not as common in Western countries as in Eastern but are becoming more popular all the time. They're typically filled with either natural or synthetic fiber (or feathers). They're usually found at the head of the bed and are used by Westerners primarily for head and/or neck support while lying on the bed. In the East they've come to provide an alternate function.

For Asians, a bolster is a 'hugging pillow'. The Japanese name for this type of pillow translates to mean 'bamboo wife'. This is left over from older, traditional times when a wife would make her husband a pillow to carry on his travels away from home. These items were actually made from bamboo (if you can imagine that!). It was supposed to act as a surrogate the man could hug while spending nights away from his mate.

The Chinese term 'bao zhen' translates literally to mean 'hugging pillow', which is totally descriptive of its use in that culture. Filipinos call it a 'tandayan' because the shape is so similar to their fruit known by that same name. The slang term for them is 'hot dog pillow', again, because these long and narrow pillows resemble this food too.

As with most things, the Internet is rife with sites offering this type of pillow for purchase. A wide assortment of designs and materials is available and you can either choose stock items or custom design your own creation. Covering materials are varied and some manufacturers even give you the option of sending your own material to them, from which they'll make your custom pillows.

Bolsters are designed for both indoor and outdoor use, depending on the choice of material used for the coverings. For those who spend a lot of time outdoors (on the deck, patio or swimming pool) this is an easy and inexpensive way to add color and style to your outside space. Synthetic fiber fillers are the best choice for pillows used primarily outdoors.

Bolsters are supposed to be very helpful for a pregnant woman having trouble getting comfortable while in bed. There was a recent movie featuring a woman (pregnant) who seemed to find more comfort hugging her pillow than her husband. After having enough of this upstaging he decided to liberate the bolster and toss it into a garbage dumpster two floors below. She went down to retrieve it!

Bolster pillows are becoming more popular as people come to realize their functionality (especially the Moms-to-be). They can also be decorative (as well as utile). They're also kind of different, lending a certain uniqueness to the areas in which they're employed. They are able to add a certain 'special something' to your dcor. Take a look!

by: Bob Proctor

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