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.

With nearly 1.6 million likes and more than 7,000 comments, many TikTok and xxnx 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.

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.

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.

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.