How to Hump a Pillow: 8 Ways to Reach Orgasmic Bliss

Masturbation looks different for everyone: some reach for their hands, some use vibrators, some can get there just by pressing their legs together, and some prefer to hump a pillow. Whichever camp you're in, this guide walks you through how to hump a pillow along with a few tweaks that can make the experience even better. Pillow humping is exactly what it sounds like — humping a pillow. Not exactly complicated. You tuck a pillow between your legs and rock your hips to get that grinding sensation against your clitoris that so many women love. Plenty of women start doing this without even knowing what a clitoris is (thanks, inadequate sex ed); they just know it feels great.

Related: 10 Ways to Give Yourself a Hands-Free Orgasm Easily & Quickly

Masturbation isn't something women discuss openly all that often, so you might be surprised how common pillow humping actually is (it's one of 14 powerful masturbation techniques we recommend!). If you're worried this makes you weird or that something's off about your masturbation style, relax — it's completely normal. With that settled, here are some tips to make humping a pillow feel even better, or to try out if you've never given it a shot!

How to Hump a Pillow – Different Approaches

It's not complicated, but there are a handful of variations on pillow humping worth trying.

1. Lying on it

Tuck the pillow between your legs while lying face-down on the bed. You can grind against it this way, though it doesn't offer much room to move.

2. Folding the pillow

Fold a pillow before placing it between your legs to create a firmer surface, which can be easier to grind against. Try the crease facing up and then down to see which you prefer. Folded in half, a pillow can also hold your favorite toy in the crease for penetration.

3. Stacking pillows

A lot of women like stacking two or three pillows and mounting the whole pile. This adds more density and bounce to push against, and lets you experiment with positions like kneeling in the Cowgirl position instead of lying on your back or stomach.

4. Keeping underwear on

Plenty of women enjoy humping pillows — and dry humping partners — while still wearing underwear. The extra friction creates a nice change of sensation compared to going without.

5. Switching it up

Try pillows of different shapes, sizes, and thicknesses. A square pillow feels different from a rectangular one, and a throw pillow usually has a different texture than a standard sleeping pillow. Body pillows, being long and often firmer, are worth trying too.

6. Firm versus soft

A softer pillow lets you bounce more easily, while a firmer one gives you more stability and pressure if that's what does it for you.

Pillows Made For Sex

Position pillows built for sex, like the ones from Liberator, can double as excellent masturbation aids. Their thicker memory foam holds its shape better than a regular bed pillow. Some designs even include pockets for tucking in your favorite sex toy while you grind.

Certain models have a slit made for a dildo, letting you place a small vibrator between the pillow's top and your clitoris while you straddle it. Another style is built specifically to hold a Hitachi or similar wand vibrator, useful during partnered sex or while grinding solo.

Related: Learn how to use a vibrator for wild orgasms.

There's also a sex pillow called the Pulse, designed to be straddled with one or two toys inserted. Its rounded base lets you rock back and forth for a smooth grind against the surface.

Learn: How to use a dildo during masturbation and sex.

Sex Advice For Pillow Humpers

Partnered sex doesn't usually leave room for humping an actual pillow, though dry humping still can.

If regular sex feels less satisfying than pillow humping, it might mean you need clitoral stimulation to reach pleasure and orgasm, which humping delivers but penetration on its own often doesn't — even with deep penetration.

There are a few ways to bring similar sensations into the bedroom. One is direct clitoral stimulation, whether from a toy, your partner's hands, or their mouth. Every partner should know how to eat pussy well.

If your partner is going down on you, grinding against their face as you near orgasm gets you pretty close to that humping feeling! The same goes for queening, or sitting on their face.

You can also hump against your partner's actual body. A thigh works great for recreating the sensation you're used to — have him slide his thigh between your legs and go for it. Some women also enjoy grinding against a partner's tailbone for a similar effect.

Discover: How to masturbate for women.

Another route is tweaking your sex position so your clitoris gets more attention during penetration. The Coital Alignment Technique was built specifically for this — your partner keeps as much pelvic contact against your clitoris as possible throughout.

You can also modify Reverse Cowgirl by having him bend one leg at the knee, letting you grind against his thigh while riding him. This is basically the Thigh Tide position.

It can also help if he wraps his fingers around the base of his cock while you're on top in a standard Cowgirl position. Picture the split-finger "Live long and prosper" Vulcan sign, but with his penis running through the gap — grinding against his knuckles adds extra sensation.

Beyond Pillows

Pillow humping feels great, but it's far from the only option for solo masturbation. If you're curious about other things to hump, there's plenty to try.

Some women grab a balled-up blanket to squeeze between their legs. Stuffed animals get used this way too.

If there's no footboard available, the corner of your mattress can offer similar clitoral stimulation. No mattress corner handy? An ottoman or footstool can substitute. A four-poster bed with a knob-style post is another option, which brings us to furniture in general — the arm of a chair or sofa might deliver exactly the pressure you're after.

And of course, toys built for clitoral stimulation deserve a mention. Small clitoral vibrators can become a woman's best friend, and several models even work during partnered sex.

Moving On From Pillow Humping

If you ever decide you'd rather not rely on pillow humping for pleasure, you can learn to cum using other methods instead. Expect to need some time to decondition from your old habit. Start by cutting out the pillow and switching to other approaches — hands, a toy, the showerhead, whatever works.

Orgasm might be harder to reach at first, and frustration might tempt you back toward the pillow. Resist that pull and stick with it. Eventually, your new method will get you there just as easily. Once you've retrained yourself, you're free to bring pillow humping back into rotation occasionally.

A Few Things Worth Considering

Some women who masturbate this way aren't sure whether to tell their partners. Pillow humping isn't just a widely used masturbation method — plenty of people find it genuinely sexy.

One thing to watch for: your pillow can start holding onto your natural scent. Some women's scent is stronger than others', and while there's nothing inherently wrong with that, you might not want to sleep on a pillow carrying it. Washing your pillows and linens regularly helps, or you could set aside a dedicated pillow just for humping.

Learn: How to make your vagina smell and taste like a peach.

Whether you've been humping pillows for years or you're just getting started, these tips should help boost your solo sessions. Hopefully the tips on incorporating humping into partnered sex help you enjoy that side of things just as much!

February 25, 2022