The best pregnancy support belts for maximum comfort

This Carefix Maternity Support Belt will help alleviate backaches and pains during pregnancy by removing the irritation of seams, which we know can often dig into a growing bump. Mums seem to enjoy the fabric, saying it's good quality, comfortable and washes really well too. One mum reports that she wears hers day and night, even through hot weather, as it doesn't make her feel sweaty, and says it's definitely worth investing in a couple!

The four-way stretch material means the support will expand as the baby grows so you can stay in optimum comfort throughout the duration of your pregnancy. With sizes S-XL this is a great purchase at a low price. One mum says the size guide is spot on, too, so you won't have to worry about getting the wrong size. She points out that it's also useful to read the reviews, as she found this helpful when deciding on the right size for her. She says, "I'm usually a 10s in jeans, 12 in joggers etc, and my hips measure 102cm. I can't stand anything too tight, and the M is just perfect." Another mum said, "Usually a size 10-12 and ordered a Medium, it fits perfectly." Another mum notes that some of the reviews have said the belt rolls up or down, but says that it doesn't on her. She says, "I haven't gained weight or 'love handles', so perhaps that's why, but this fits perfectly and gives just the right amount of support."

Other mums have reported other benefits, such as feeling like the belt stopped their skin feel like it was stretching under the weight of the bump. This mum said, "I don't know if it's a coincidence, but I haven't got stretch marks." Another mum was unsure that anything could help with the nerve pains she was experiencing down her legs but said that the support from this belt has definitely made a difference, enabling her to walk lots more comfortably. She says, "This is my 3rd pregnancy and I have not needed support before, I'm still wearing it at 36 weeks."

This Medela Maternity And Postpartum Belly Support Band is a support band rather than a support belt, which means it's great for offering extra coverage than a normal belt while still providing light support and is worth including as an alternative. Our mum tester, Liv Lamprell, prefers wearing the Medela band to the Carefix one as the material is softer and feels nicer against her skin. She found it handy to wear under tops that were getting a little shorter, which she said helped to expand her pregnancy wardrobe, but she did find that it rolled up a little under her bump, which she says was a bit annoying. Liv concluded, "Having tried them, I'd probably look for some maternity shapewear instead to offer support - more of a brief or shorts.

One mum bought one to help her abs return to normal during breastfeeding. She said, "It's minimal support, but I felt it helped. I also had a few back twinges, and I'd use it for that, and it helped keep me warm and feel supported." Another mum bought one following surgery on her abdomen, hoping it would give a little support. In a review, she says, "Excellent buy, lightweight, and comfortable to wear, and doesn't ride up."

Reviewers have mentioned that the sizing can be a bit ambiguous, which can affect the wearing experience. One mum liked the fabric, which she described as "nice and soft", but said that she found the sizing to be really tight. She said she took the medium size but unfortunately ended up not using it that much because the tight fit was uncomfortable on her hips. Another mum says, "I bought 2 small sizes after delivery, but it is useless for me. And it always rolls up and makes me feel uncomfortable". Another mum had to guess what size to get as the sizing wasn't clear to her. She went for an L, which ended up just right, even if slightly on the smaller side, as her bump has grown.

Generally speaking, the support band gives you comfortable support and extra coverage if you purchase a larger size than you think you might need, according to reviews, and is available in white or black to go with a summer or winter wardrobe. Made with reinforced panels around the back and lower tummy, it'll provide light support whilst still being breathable and comfortable to wear. One reviewer said, "Material is amazing and does not feel itchy."

Mother&Baby 2021 Shortlisted Best Pregnancy/Maternity Product

The Lola Lykke Bamboo Maternity Support Band is the most supportive belt available for pregnancy. It has reinforced back support and a double-layer design with two adjustable compression straps that help lift up the belly and support the back. It's great for first-time mums-to-be, but it's also great for pregnant mums with toddlers and older kids.

Our mum tester Zoe loves how much more comfortable the belt made her feel, describing it to be like her bump and muscles were supported well when wearing the band. But she said it especially helped, considering she already had two children under three years to have to continue picking up and tidying after. Our mum tester, Sophie, felt the belt made her life easier for general tasks and activities, such as walking and shopping. She also found it was quick and easy to put on without having to use a mirror or ask for help.

Unfortunately, our mum tester, Melissa, reported that the product wasn't right for her, though, saying, "I found it uncomfortable to wear. It gave me a strange silhouette and was very uncomfortable if I tried to sit down." However, she did find it helpful when worn for short dog walks, and her bump was feeling really heavy "It removes some of the weight and pressure," but she also said, "I do find I have to keep moving it back down though when walking as it does ride up."

As an added bonus, a handy hot/cold pack sits neatly in the back pocket to alleviate back pain. Our mum tester Natalie thought this was such an amazing selling point. She says, "When used frozen, it does relieve the stress of the extra weight in all the right areas." Mum Rebecca also loved the ice pack in the summer when it was really hot.

Mum tester Vanessa thinks the belt is a bit pricey, but as a sufferer of sciatica, it's the best thing ever! She says, "I can’t recommend it enough! It has helped my back so much, and I no longer need to take painkillers. It’s very comfortable, and you forget you're wearing it."

One thing to note is that you can't easily bung this belt in the wash. The recommended method for cleaning is to air out the support and wipe off any surface stains with a damp cloth. If more intense cleaning is needed, you must gently hand wash it in cold water, but do not soak, and then lay it out flat to dry.

Read our full Lola + Lykke Bamboo Maternity Support Band review.

Designed to be worn in each trimester, this 4 in 1 pregnancy support belt can be worn for both maternity and postpartum support and pain relief - helping with round ligament pain, back pain, pelvic girdle pain and more. One reviewer said, "I brought this as I suffer from hypermobility, and the pregnancy was causing my back to be in a lot of pain. I didn't think this would do much, to be honest, but after using it, my back pain had virtually gone."

They also loved the fact that the belt comes with a pregnancy book, saying, "The booklet the belt came with also came with instructions and exercises to do for each stage of pregnancy/postpartum." One thing they did recommend is to wear the belt on top of clothing as they felt the velcro did rub a bit against the skin when worn underneath. There were some concerns from customers about the stickiness of the velcro wearing out, but if this happens within the first 12 months, you can get a replacement belt free of charge.

If you love wearing your jeans, this GABRIALLA Elastic Maternity Support Belt can help you get the most comfort out of them while you're pregnant and is almost invisible. Gabrialla is an American brand well-known in the USA and has received a lot of favourable reviews. One mum recommends it over maternity bands, saying, "I was given a maternity band by my sister, but I had to keep adjusting it every 5 seconds, and it wasn’t very supportive, so I thought I’d try this. It stays in place much better and needs to be pulled down a lot less frequently."

Adding a fair amount of compression while keeping you comfortable, loads of mums in the reviews for this product talk about how great it is for exercise throughout pregnancy. One mum who didn't use the belt at first and stored it away dug it out when her bump started to grow because she was struggling to continue running. She said it allowed her to keep running until she was 32 weeks pregnant, and then she continued to use it to support her bump while she was out on walks. She says, "I cannot recommend it enough – For the price of one month's gym membership, I think this was a great buy that allowed me to keep fit and active throughout my pregnancy." She also wore it when she used the cross trainer and when she does spin class twice a week, saying, "It has been a dream!"

Some have found the sizing to be a bit confusing. One mum had to return the small size as after purchasing, she thought it wouldn't offer much room for her to grow in it. She ended up getting a medium size, which lasted her whole pregnancy, and the seller provided a prompt refund, although she did have to pay for P&P twice. She says she was a size 10/12 before she became pregnant. Another mum agrees to go a size up, saying, "Don’t get the size based on your measurements, especially if you are still in the early months of your pregnancy!" Another mum who recommends the belt says she gets aches if she's out walking all day and doesn't wear hers. She did wish it wasn't so pricey, but thought it was worth it, and loved the handy pocket at the back that fits an iPhone and more – perfect for any outdoor activity where you don't want to have to carry a bag

The BeSafe pregnancy belt has been specifically designed to be used while you're travelling in the car. Made to fit all sizes, it is designed for both the safety of your unborn child and also your own physical comfort, which is especially good if you'll be seated for a long time, as the belt helps to reduce pressure on your tummy and bladder during a car journey. One reviewer shares that the belt was bought not for pregnancy but to keep the seat belt from pressing on a stoma whilst driving, which we thought was a great idea – she said it works perfectly. Another reviewer said it was easy to install and comfortable to use, "Just clip the strap around the back of the seat" she says, "and clip the waist part of the car seatbelt to the pregnancy belt, easy."

The belt works by positioning the vehicle belt below your tummy and over the hip bones. This takes any pressure away from the baby in the event of a collision. One mum reviewer says, "Excellent, keeps the seatbelt over the top of the thighs rather than over the bump exactly as it's meant to. Can't imagine travelling in a car without it now." You can even wear it in the front passenger seat or while driving, as it can be installed by using the fitting strap together with the three-point vehicle belt.

Unfortunately, this belt can only be hand-washed. One reviewer also points out that while it functions very well, you must remember that long skirts or dresses are off boundaries when using the belt, which was a major minus for her. Another reviewer bought the belt because she says it literally takes just a second to clip it to the car seat, but she found that it didn't pull the belt away enough from her belly. This meant she felt she had to hold it with her hands to keep herself comfortable. In the case of a crash, she felt it would squick the lower part of her belly for sure, so she wasn't very convinced of its safety features.

This Belly Bandit Upsie Belly Pregnancy Support Band is one of the best-rated support belts for pregnancy and maternity. It comes in sizes eight to 26. Mums generally find it to be very comfortable, however one of our testers didn't agree. She says, "I’m afraid this didn’t help me as a mum. It’s comfortable when upright, but it is quite uncomfortable and digs in when you bend." However, she thought it would be good when going for a walk, but personally, she didn't feel comfortable wearing it outside of the house. Our other mum testers said the belt made their belly feel less heavy and that it was light and comfortable to wear.

Besides being comfy for many mums, it aims to help minimise stretch marks, relieve bladder discomfort, increase circulation and blood flow and decrease varicose veins, hernias, and haemorrhoids. Mum tester Keah said she would recommend this belt to friends and family as it really helped her. She said she had experienced bad sciatica with her previous pregnancy, which she somehow managed to avoid with this pregnancy, and said, "I do think the belt avoided this."

Mum tester Kerrie is happy that the belt has worn well and looks quite new after a couple of months of wear. Because It adjusts with your pregnancy, she thought it was a good investment. Mum tester Caroline agrees, saying, "It is expensive but worth the money." She did feel that it was a bit of a hassle that it's hand-wash only though. Keep in mind that it can take up to 12 hours to dry, so you might think about purchasing more than one to have them on rotation so you're never without.

Read our full Belly Bandit Upsie Belly Pregnancy Support Band review.

This ASBYFR 3 in 1 Postpartum Belt is a three-in-one set of maternity belts for after you give birth, with one belly band, one waist belt, and one pelvis belt, which you wear at the same time. The advantage of wearing this set is that it claims to speed up the postpartum healing process. During this time, you need a bit more pressure to heal, but this belt still keeps you very comfortable. One reviewer bought the product for her sister-in-law and said it really helped her after having a c-section, making her feel more comfortable after having the baby.

Another reviewer said the belt is made from good-quality materials and provides great support. They didn't use all three belts at the same time, though, and said that the combination of two made it supportive enough without compromising on comfort. Keep in mind that the belt comes in three parts, which means that it can become misplaced when sitting down, as a few reviewers point out.

DISCLAIMER: It is not recommended to sleep in a maternity support belt, however, the Babymoov Dream Belt Sleep Aid claims to be designed for sleeping, supporting your bump in the safe 'side-sleeping' resting position. Babymoov, on their website, says the "Super soft memory foam on either side of Dream Belt fills the gap between hip and mattress, enabling comfortable side-sleeping (recommended to be the safest sleep position during pregnancy by experts at www.tommys.org)"

The Babymoov Dream Belt Sleep Aid has two side reinforcements made of morphological foam to help support your bump as you sleep and fill the gap between the sides of your stomach and the mattress. One 28-week pregnant mum-to-be who measured big spent two months becoming increasingly uncomfortable at night from the weight of her belly. "Turning over was agony," she says, "I'd feel sick; having to sleep in weird positions was giving me backache." After trying the Babymoov Dream Belt Sleep Aid, she said it was the first pain-free night she'd had for months. "I got into bed wearing the belt feeling like I wasn't pregnant," she says, "I could flip from side to side quickly and pain-free; my stomach didn't pull and made me feel sick. No backache."

The central area of the belt is made of elastic cotton and has two rubber bands that optimally support the stomach, and are made adjustable with Velcro fastening. The belt is perfect for providing you with the optimal support you need as a side sleeper. It's the perfect belt for all expectant mums' body shapes, whatever their stage of pregnancy. One mum said, "I still had a tiny bit of hip pain, but I think that comes with pregnancy hormones and sleeping on my side." She describes how, initially, the belt wiggled around a bit overnight, but not so much it became annoying or stopped working. She said it felt a bit funny sleeping on a foam wedge at first, but then it moulded to her body and was "like a hug for my tummy".

Read our full Babymoov Dream Belt Pregnancy Sleep Aid review.