TikTokkers are discovering a sex hack using pillows, but does it actually work?

Admit it. We’ve all opened up TikTok for a quick scroll only to end up completely fixated for hours by the endless stream of videos on our For You page. I know I have, and it’s partially because TikTok can be just as educational as it is entertaining. When I’m on TikTok, I find tons of hacks, from makeup and travel tips to cooking lessons. However, a recent viral hack on TikTok is one that immediately caught my attention – the sex pillow hack.

TikTokker Sassy Red posted a video implying that a pillow can be an ideal addition in the bedroom, and it’s gotten over 26 million views since.

Sassyrededu2 explaining how a pillow can help during sex.

Credit: TIKTOK:sassyrededu2

Sassyrededu2 explaining how a pillow can help during sex.

Credit: TIKTOK:SASSYREDEDU2

With nearly 1.6 million likes and more than 7,000 comments, many TikTok users flooded the comments in agreement, sharing their positive experiences when using a pillow during sex.

But, aside from TikTok anecdotes, how can we know for sure if the sex pillow hack enhances sex?

As a sex educator myself and sex therapy graduate student, I can assure you that pillows can potentially be a creative tool to take vaginal and anal sex from good to incredible, and here’s how.

Putting a pillow underneath the hips during missionary or under the pelvis during lying-down-from-behind positions helps lift the hips and pelvis at a more convenient angle for penetration.

An example of how a pillow may help during missionary position.
Credit: Bob Al-Greene / Mashable

Putting a pillow underneath the hips may also allow for easier access to what is commonly known as the G-spot (It turns out that this region isn’t exactly a spot, but rather a zone within the vagina’s internal clitoral framework.) As the pelvis tilts forward from the pillow being underneath, the vaginal canal straightens, making access to this zone easier. This also allows for more gratifying sensations and nerve endings to be stimulated, especially if a person’s legs are extended over the penetrating partner’s shoulders.

SEE ALSO: Best sex toys for women: Take pleasure into your own hands

An example of how a pillow may help in lying-down-from-behind positions.
Credit: BOB AL-GREENE / MASHABLE

Aside from pleasure, using a pillow during sex has other benefits. They can make penetration more soothing and comfortable for people who experience pelvic, back, and hip pain. This is also ideal for rider-on-top positions. The person doing the riding can prop a pillow under both their knees for comfort and give them more leverage for bouncing.

You can also use a pillow for rider-on-top positions.
Credit: Bob Al-Greene / Mashable

Additionally, using a pillow to aid your sex positions allows for a clearer view of the vaginal opening, which reduces the risk of accidentally and clumsily putting it in the wrong hole.

It can also build more feelings of closeness and intimacy. The 2014 study, titled “Love is in the Gaze: an Eye-Tracking Study of Love and Sexual Desire,” has found that eye contact can help increase feelings of passion and love, so when you’re in positions that allow you to see your partner’s face up close, this may help increase feelings of intimacy and trust.

Although it may seem like it, the hype about using pillows during sex didn’t suddenly come out of the blue.

For decades, sex tech companies have manufactured pillows of varied geometric design to use during sex. They’re so innovative that publications like Cosmopolitan have published articles praising them for their functionalities. However, these products are usually pricey. While some range between $20 to $40, the higher quality pillows and wedges range anywhere between $95 to $219. So, before you splurge on them, I recommend using the pillows you have on your bed first and washing your pillow case afterwards.

But, if you need an object that is specifically designed for sex, then options like Dame’s sex cushion, the Pillo, the Liberator Wedge and Ramp Combo, or Adam & Eve’s inflatable sex pillow, may do the trick. Not only can products like these help someone penetrate their partner’s G-zone or prostate, but they allow for more variation of positions, whether it be on your back, front, or side.

The Liberator Ramp sex pillow.
Credit: Liberator

If deeper penetration is the type of stimulation you’re going for, then the classic Ramp by Liberator may be your best option as a beginner into the world of sex furniture and accessories. There are even some pillows and cushions designed to hold a vibrator or dildo, if you want to test the waters for solo-pleasure. As a bonus, it’s cool that many of them may blend in nicely with your bedroom décor.

But there’s no need to worry if you use a high tech pillow or a regular pillow during sex and discover that it’s not your thing.

Sometimes, certain techniques aren’t ideal for everyone, and that’s OK. Either way, it’s not a one-size-fits all concept. Sex tips are relatively subjective, so someone may have an experience that gives them consistent mind-blowing orgasms and another person may not feel that using pillows during sex is necessary because they prefer standing positions or having sex on a recliner. Ultimately, the most beneficial way to experiment during sex is by allowing yourself to be open-minded and figure out what works for you personally, regardless of what’s trendy.

Tatyannah King is a Philadelphia-based sex blogger, and you can find her on Instagram and Twitter at @taty_k_king.