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Travel Ready (101)

The Best Travel Pillows to Get Some Shut-Eye on Your Next Red-Eye

Flying coach? Pack one of these for first-class comfort as well as a stealthy way to pack more clothing.

If you buy something from the links on this page, we may earn a commission. Why Trust Us?

Whether you're catching a red-eye flight , saying "all aboard" to a lengthy train or bus ride, or you're packing for a long car trip , a travel pillow can be that sweet sliver of salvation on dawn-to-dusk or simply slower-than-you’d-like travel days. So don't forget to bring your travel pillow next time you pack your bags—you definitely don't want to get stuck overpaying for an uncomfortable one at a rest stop or airport store.

These travel pillows are the best to have on hand since they're suited to a range of comfort preferences, packing capacities, and traveling styles.

The Best Travel Pillows

Best Overall

Tallgo memory-foam travel pillow.

Best for Stealthy Storage

Dot&dot twist memory foam travel pillow.

Best Support

Trtl original travel pillow.

Best Splurge

Honeydew scrumptious travel pillow.

Effortless Inflating

Aircomfy inflatable neck travel pillow.

Cushions and Covers

Ostrich light versatile pillow.

Cheap, Yet Effective

World's best feather soft microfiber neck pillow.

Cozy Comfort

Wise owl outfitters camping pillow.

Easiest to Transport

Chill-o travel pillow.

Best New Release

Cabeau tne s3: the neck's evolution, what to consider, pillow design.

A lot of travel pillows fit around the neck so that you can just tilt your head slightly to feel cushioned by it. You may even be able to wear it from the front, back, or sideways, depending on your comfort level. Some can also be tightened, loosened, or bent into shape for a custom fit. Plus, if you don't already own an eye mask that you love , some travel pillows are sold in a convenient bundle with them.

However, if it seems impossible for you to get good sleep — especially while traveling — you can get a camping-style travel pillow like the Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Pillow or the Pillow Cube Sidekick Pillow . These are essentially smaller and more portable versions of regular bed pillows, and they can offer a little more support and softness, too.

Packing space

If you're a total travel minimalist, the idea of a plush travel pillow dangling off of your carry-on or taking up precious space in your suitcase might be irritating enough to make you want to leave it at home. The best solution is getting an inflatable travel pillow such as the AirComfy Inflatable Neck Travel Pillow that blows up when you need it and rolls up tidily in your suitcase when you don't. If you have slightly more space to spare, some travel pillow designs such as the Chill-o Travel Pillow now give you the best of both worlds with their cushy feel and compressible material that you can squish flat when you're not using it. Many of the picks in this guide even come with their own carrying case to help you transport and stow them a little more easily. There's even a new Tiktok #pillowhack where travelers are now stuffing their travel pillows with clothing to avoid checked bag fees. If you're a chronic overpacker, we recommend the Dot&Dot travel pillow for packing overflow.

How you're traveling

One final consideration that may differ from trip to trip is the seat that you'll be snoozing in. People who prefer the aisle seat — or frequently get stuck in the middle seat — of a train or airplane may not want to get a travel pillow that only works best when leaned against a flat surface. Luckily, there are numerous options in this guide that we (and scores of reviewers) really love.

How We Selected

Many travel pillows today are made with portability in mind, offering both a compact size and clips for hooking onto your backpack or other luggage when you’re on the move. Plus, many clock in with ultra light weights of only a few ounces or so. We logged hours on flights testing some of the pillows ourselves, tapped industry publicists from top travel pillow company brands to find out about the latest and greatest pillows available, and also looked at customer reviews, price, comfort, and other considerations to select the absolute best travel pillows for sale right now.

These travel pillows are soft, supportive, washable, and easy to carry with you from point A to point B. Here are the best travel pillows that'll have you ready for takeoff.

This memory-foam travel pillow combines soft velour with smooth, breathable mesh. And yes, the cover unzips to launder. Its unique contoured shape is meant to give the wearer the most support, no matter which direction their head tilts.

And because it's designed with traveling in mind, it comes with its very own drawstring travel bag. To store, the user can roll it up as tightly as possible, helping it take up less space in a carry-on.

Because of its cushy, supportive form and many versatile ways to wear it, it’s a great choice overall for nearly any traveler, especially if you live with chronic pain. Says one reviewer, “I have several health issues that make sitting up painful ... sitting through a flight seemed impossible. This pillow was so comfy and formed right to me, and I slept during each flight. Totally worth it — I don’t think I would have been able to rest without it.”

More: The Smartest Things to Pack on Your Next Vacation

Dot&Dot Twist Memory Foam Travel Pillow

Look, memory foam is nice and all, but if you're all about utilitarian function, this pillow from Dot&Dot is an excellent choice. Simply remove the machine-washable cotton cover and stuff the neck pillow with shirts, sweaters, socks, and the like to help you avoid checked bag fees. One fan claims the pillow fit 3 days' worth of outfits.

Plus, the actual memory foam it comes with is super comfy so if you want to use it for your outbound travel you can snooze and relax in comfort; for the return trip if your bags are more stuffed to the gills with tchotchkes, you can part with the foam insert or push it down into a crevice in your carry-on and use the neck pillow to store an overflow of clothing.

Trtl isn’t lying when they say “make the middle seat feel like first class” with their line of comfort-enhancing products and this travel pillow delivers. Fabricated with a patented design geared towards providing maximal neck support, the product is a breeze to adjust to customize to your personal preference.

What’s more, as you nod off while sitting up, the pillow’s internal support system keeps your head and neck in an upright position helping to ward off muscle aches and that dreaded neck-and-shoulder tension when you arise.

This upmarket pillow is divinely doughy. Designed with an ergonomic shoulder cutout to lower upper-body strain, we love the compact size of this pillow too. This neck rest is also 100% CertiPUR-US certified and the copper-infused foam fill has naturally antibacterial properties.

It stays nice and cool and you can customize the feel by adding or removing fill to the ideal amount for you. But don’t just take our word for it, consider that Amazon reviewers find it so “amazing” that they use it as their travel pillow and at-home one, and say “I think I have slept better since I got this pillow ... no stiff neck, or red smashed ears.”

This travel pillow from AirComfy checks off nearly every box: It's inflatable, soft and fuzzy, contoured, washable, and comes with its own carrying case. To inflate, simply open the air valve and then pump repeatedly on the raised dot. Then, close the air valve when it's inflated to your liking.

Even if the inflated pillow isn't quite as cozy as a memory-foam or fiber-fill pillow, its shape helps keep your neck propped up in a more comfortable way. Plus, you can even wear it upside down or right side up.

It’s also comfy enough to handle multihour trips. One reviewer says, “I had the opportunity to use the pillow on two recent 5-hour flights, and it performed perfectly. It took about 45 seconds to inflate and was easy to adjust. It was comfortable and remained cool throughout my flight. Deflation and storage back in the bag were equally easy. Once packed, it took up very little space in my backpack.”

The Ostrich Light Versatile Pillow is an interesting hybrid travel pillow — it's both a head pillow and an eye mask. You can use it to block out the surrounding light while cushioning your head against the seat or window.

This travel pillow is one big loop that you wrap around your head, place gently over your eyes, and secure in place. It's covered with stretchy viscose material and filled with lightweight microbeads that feel just a little bit grainier than sand.

The piece is hand-wash-only, and though it doesn't come with its own carrying case, it's light enough to tuck into any suitcase or bag without adding a lot of extra weight.

If all you want is a simple, traditional, and cheap travel pillow — this is it! This velvety-soft neck pillow comes in lots of different colors, and each one is filled with a cushy down-alternative material. It doesn't have a carrying case, but the cover does zip off to wash.

One other feature that reviewers like is that the internal fill is adjustable — you can unzip it to remove excess fiber if it’s too lofty for your liking. Says one reviewer, “I chose this pillow specifically because it has a zipper, which allows the user to remove some of the stuffing if needed ... My neck is now completely happy with this pillow. I recommend it for people who find other neck pillows too thick.”

If you need a travel pillow that looks and feels like a regular bed pillow, this one from Wise Owl Outfitters is a great option. Made of shredded memory foam with a microsuede cover, it feels very snuggly and soft and is sure to keep you snug throughout all of your travels.

It comes in two sizes — 12x16 and 14x18 inches — and three colors. You may want to make your choice depending on how light you prefer to travel. According to one reviewer, “The medium [is best] for a sleeping bag, car, and airplane, and when you need to pack small. The large [is best for] when you have more room.”

It's even bundled with its own drawstring bag, and everything is machine-washable. We think the compressed pillow inside of its carrying case makes an excellent bolster, too.

The Chill-o is another travel pillow that eschews the C-shape for a more traditional pillow silhouette. This pillow is made of one piece of perforated, gel-infused memory foam that helps with head support and airflow while also easily compressing to stow.

Its furry cover is made of a polyester blend that's not only washable, but doubles as the pillow's carrying case. A drawstring and carabiner help it store compactly and attach to your carry-on.

Many reviewers use this for camping and traveling, but they also note that it is firm enough to use as a seat cushion or a back bolster — so it brings the support.

Says one reviewer, “Wow, what a great little pillow! It is very compact, weighing almost nothing, and we know how important weight is on a pack trip. The pillow is very comfortable and provides excellent support for the neck and head.”

This recently released neck pillow calls itself the brand’s most comfortable and secure fit yet, and it doesn’t disappoint. For one thing, it’s got a patent pending chin-strap technology for a great fit. What does this mean for you?

A custom-tailored fit to keep the spine in neutral alignment while worn. Along with saving you from dropping your head and pesky neck strain, customers praise this travel accessory for its “nice-to-touch” material and the fact that it’s easy to clean .

Mulberry Park Silk Travel Pillow

For those who like to travel in style, and to support their skin, silk is the way to go. A 100% pure 19 momme grade 6A silk travel pillowcase from Mulberry gets two thumbs up from us thanks to its high-quality natural silk. Plus, these pillowcases are particularly great for hot sleepers as they have a cool feel and are billed as helpful for regulating body temperature.

What’s more, silk pillowcases are said to help prevent sleep wrinkles, keep your hairstyle in tip-top shape, and keep pesky sleep lines at bay. The optional insert is made in the USA.

Pillow Cube Sidekick Pillow

You may not be able to sling the Pillow Cube Sidekick Pillow around your neck or compress it completely flat to easily carry, but if you're crashing on someone's couch or trying to get some shut-eye against a car window, it'll give your head a super cushy place to rest while you're away from home.

The Sidekick is recommended for side sleepers, and after trying it ourselves , we can definitely see why. Its reactive bamboo-charcoal memory-foam build has a lot of pushback, effectively cradling the head and neck but pushing a little too hard on the face when it comes to stomach-sleeping.

Its cube shape also slots right between your head and shoulder. You can order it in a 5- or 6-inch height — the taller height is better for those with broad shoulders.

Exped Premium Ultralight & Compact Camping Pillow

20D stretch fabric? Yes, please. To up the ante, The EXPED Ultra Pillow is also super lightweight and made of recycled fabric. Users will appreciate that the pillow's anatomic shape holds your head securely in place throughout your travels.

And, the low-profile FlatValve makes for seamless inflation and deflation, great for when you’re jolted out of counting sheep because your train has pulled into your destination station. Choose from a medium or large based on your pillow preferences.

Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow

We love this versatile pillow that you can take for a camping trip or long-haul flight and be content with your sleeping situation either way. It packs up wonderfully small (hence the “compressible” moniker) and the supremely soft, 60% recycled polyester cover is filled with supportive and compressible upcycled foam from the company’s sleeping pad collections.

Another nice feature? An extra insulation layer at the top of the pillow for a smooth surface and stellar snooze. For something more portable, check out Therm-a-Rest’s Air Head Pillow .

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The Best Travel Pillows for Long-Haul Flights

By Lauren Burvill

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

If you travel regularly you’ve probably learnt to spot the difference between a frequent flier and a rookie—the most obvious tell-tale sign being a bulky travel pillow, typically carried by an inexperienced flier, hanging from a backpack or being worn (wrongly) around the back of their neck before they even get on the plane. Many of us are guilty of buying one of these beanbag worms from the airport duty-free shop, only to realize that they’re more trouble than they’re actually worth.

Do a little research though—as we’ve done for you here— and you might be pleasantly surprised to find that the humble travel pillow has upped its game recently. Specialized brands like  Trtl  and  BCozzy  have entered the market, while pillows that range in shape and materials have popped up on Amazon.

So which ones are actually worth taking on a flight ? We asked our frequent flying editors to test out the most reviewed styles.

How we choose the best travel pillows

Every pillow on this list has been independently tested and reviewed by our editors. When testing, we consider quality, price, unique design features, as well as overall function and visual appeal.

Our top picks:

• Best overall travel pillow: Cabeau Evolution S3 travel pillow
• Best for neck support: Trtl travel pillow
• Best for side sleepers: BCozzy neck pillow
• Best budget buy: Dot & Dot Twist memory foam travel pillow

Best travel pillow for: overall comfort

If you're looking for an upgrade to a basic does-the-job travel pillow or suffer from neck or back pain, Cabeau's Evolution S3 travel pillow is the best we've tested so far. The memory foam style has considered everything, from an adjustable toggle clasp to secure the pillow comfortably around your neck, to a handy side pocket—ideal for storing headphones or earplugs. What really sets this pillow apart from the rest are the velcro straps on the back, designed to loop around a plane seat's headrest, helping to keep your head upright and take any pressure off your neck.

Why we love it:  “The foam in this pillow is extremely comfortable, but what I love most is that the back of the pillow is flat, so you can sit right up against your seat, unlike the typical travel pillow styles which tend to be round and tilt your neck down slightly. The straps are a great idea, but if you're short it might not be possible to secure to the headrest, so keep that in mind. It also comes in a sleek cylindrical bag that, when clipped onto your carry-on , you’d never even know there was a travel pillow inside." — Sarah Allard , digital editor, Condè Nast Traveller UK

Best travel pillow for: neck support

Less a pillow and more a supportive wrap for your neck, this unique design from Trtl is ideal if you're short on space and weight in your carry-on luggage—it weighs only 4.5 ounces. The pillow is designed to look like a scarf and features a clever curved U-shaped neck support stand that sits under your jaw and is then secured in place by wrapping the fabric around your neck and connecting the velcro.

Why we love it:  “I often feel like most typical travel pillows are too bulky and hard to get comfortably on, so I was keen to try this style. It's perfect for keeping your neck upright and avoiding any of the nodding that can happen while asleep. I'll admit, it feels a little strange at first to put it on, but the hypoallergenic fleece is soft and warm. It's a great option not just for plane travel, but also long road trips or train journeys.” — Sarah James , deputy digital editor, Condè Nast Traveller UK

Best travel pillow for: upper body support

This clever crossbody-sling pillow offers neck and head support while allowing you to truly relax and lean to one side to fall asleep. The pillow comes with a cord at the top that can be secured in place by looping over your seat’s headrest. You can wear the pillow on either side across your body, or down one side, creating more of a barrier between you and the person next to you. The pillow is inflatable, too, so it takes up hardly any room in your luggage.

Why we love it:  “I really love the shape of this pillow, as it cradles not just your neck, but your whole upper body. Although I usually don’t like inflatable pillows, the rigidity of this style works to make you feel secure while sitting upright.” — Lauren Burvill , senior commerce editor, Condè Nast Traveller UK

Best travel pillow for: red-eye flights

More than just a neck pillow, the Pluto Pod boasts a lightly structured and padded hood, as well as a pull-down eye mask. Do you resemble a bobble-headed, 1950s-style alien when you wear it? Yes, you do. Is it, by far, one of the best travel pillows we've tested? Absolutely.

Why we love it : “The pillow has helped me cut down on my sleeping tools. With the Pod, I can eschew ear plugs and an eye mask because the padded hood dampens noise and the flip-down eye mask blocks almost all light. Sleeping with one is like being inside a mini sensory deprivation tank, except you don’t have to worry about getting wet.” — Juliet Izon , contributor

Read a full review here .

Best travel pillow for: flexibility

Made of memory foam, this twist style pillow can be bent and contoured to almost any shape. Its flexibility means it can be worn in several ways, from around the neck to under your head, shoulders, or even lower back.

Why we love it:  “I often toss and turn a lot when trying to get to sleep, so I find I’m particularly wriggly when trying to get comfortable on a flight. This kind of flexible twist style of the pillow was perfect for me, as I was able to shape it to exactly where I needed it to be. I ended up settling with it half behind my neck and half under my chin, so I could lie on my side and get a couple of hours of precious sleep.” —L.B.

Best travel pillow for: side sleepers

Similar to the Trtl pillow but padded with soft microfleece and covered with microsuede, BCozzy's wrap-around design offers plenty of flexibility in terms of how you wear it. The pillow comes in two sizes and when wrapped around the neck offers double the support for your head, neck, and chin. The real standout of this design is the flat back, which is not only great for maintaining a healthy posture, but also means you can fold the pillow in half and wear it on one side.

Why we love it:  “Even on a plane, I'm a side sleeper. My go-to way to snooze is angling the side headrest as far as it can go so I can rest my head in the corner. Headrests can be very hit-and-miss on planes though, so being able to fold the BCozzy pillow in half is ideal as it can prop my neck and chin up on one side without it feeling too suffocating.” —L.B.

Best for: warmth

This squishy infinity-style pillow is all about the soft and breathable bamboo fabric it’s made from. Coming in one large loop, the pillow is worn by wrapping around the neck twice and adjusting and scrunching accordingly depending on the level of comfort you’re looking for.

Why we love it:  “I’d say this pillow is less about neck support and more about soft and cozy scarf–meets–pillow hybrid. It feels like a sleeping bag for your neck—ideal if you get cold easily and are looking for something that’s more snuggly rather than stiff.” —L.B.

Best travel pillow for : Versatility

Slip this microbead-filled cap over your head and you’ll completely redefine the experience of sleeping on the go. From the outside, the wacky-shaped headpiece may feel a tad like a Teletubbies costume, but once you pull your head through the 27.5-inch opening, any place you find yourself in—no matter how bright or how loud—can turn into a sleep zone.

Why we love it: “And there’s no right or wrong way to use it: On a plane, use it to lean against the wall of the window seat, lie head down on the tray table of the middle seat, or tilt backward on the headrest of the seat.” — Rachel Chang , contributor

This article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller UK .

Advertisement

The Best Travel Pillow

By Sabrina Imbler

Short of scoring a row of empty seats—dream on!—your best bet for getting at least a little sleep while flying is a travel pillow.

After asking 10 panelists to try on eight travel pillows and after taking four cross-country red-eyes in window, aisle, and middle seats, we think the comfortable and easy-to-pack  Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow is the best travel pillow for most people.

Everything we recommend

Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow

The best travel pillow.

Its tall memory-foam walls let it offer more support than any other pillow we tested. It’s also shaped to sit flush against a headrest, and it compresses to a manageable size.

Buying Options

Cabeau Evolution Classic Pillow

A travel pillow available at airports.

This memory-foam neck-support pillow is highly adjustable, but without a contoured back, it can’t quite sit flush with the headrest. It’s available at many airport stores, though.

Trtl Pillow

A pillow for one-sided neck support only.

It’s a fleece scarf with a built-in plastic brace—like a one-sided neck brace, but softer and cozier. However, it’s not so great if you tend to shift position while you sleep, and it costs more than the other pillows we recommend.

Bcozzy Pillow

Great with large headphones.

Featuring an adjustable design that accommodates over-the-ear headphones, the Bcozzy is an excellent chin-support pillow for people who nod forward as they sleep.

The uniquely angled back on the Travelrest Ultimate sets it apart from other travel pillows because it can lay flat against the seat back. Most other pillows have a rounded back, which pushes your head away from the headrest. The Travelrest also has rubber grip dots to prevent slipping while sleeping. This pillow’s spongy memory foam cushions the entire circumference of your neck, preventing your head from leaning far in any direction, and its adjustable Velcro strap ensures it can fit most necks. The pillow’s cozy velour exterior is removable and machine-washable. Although it doesn’t pack flat, the Travelrest weighs less than a pound and compresses to a quarter of its size when rolled into its Velcro-strapped carrying case.

Our only complaint is that the Travelrest’s high walls, while supportive, can push over-ear headphones off of the ears of people with shorter necks. While the memory foam feels plush, it’s also quite firm; this offers excellent support, but not much give. It also doesn’t let you adjust the fit, like our two wrappable picks: the Turtl and the BCozzy . If the Travelrest fits your neck, it’s an excellent pillow. If your neck is much longer or shorter than this pillow’s 5-inch wall, though, you might prefer the fit of one of our other pillow picks.

If our top pick sells out, or if you find yourself pillowless past security, the Cabeau Evolution Classic Pillow is almost as good a pillow. It lacks the Travelrest’s angled, lay-flat back, but its U-shape, contoured memory-foam core and machine-washable velour cover still provide comparable levels of comfort. Its adjustable string closure also means that you can fit the pillow much tighter around your neck than you can with the Travelrest, making it a good choice for people with smaller necks or people who prefer a more constricted fit. Additionally, it’s the only one of our picks that we’ve regularly seen in stores located behind the security checkpoint at many airports.

If you typically lean to the same side while sleeping, the Trtl Pillow’s fleece-covered plastic frame provides unshakeable support to one side of your neck while remaining comfortable to wear. It’s basically a one-sided neck brace. The pillow’s cozy wraparound fleece will also keep your neck warm, making it a good choice for anyone who gets cold while flying (and a poor choice for those who sleep hot). But the Trtl’s winning quality is its tiny, packable size. Unlike any of our other picks, the Trtl does not need to be compressed or stuffed into a carrying case. It will always take up about as much space as a PB&J sandwich. (It costs a lot more than one, though.)

The Bcozzy , a variation on the hemi-doughnut theme, is our pick for anyone who wears large over-the-ear headphones on a flight or tends to nod forward while they sleep. The pillow’s overlapping ends form a snug cushion that holds your chin in place far better than do the Trtl’s plastic frame or the Travelrest and Cabeau’s chin-facing gap. While the pillow does not provide great support to either side of your neck, if paired with a large pair of headphones, the Bcozzy holds a head in place perfectly. While not as compressible as our other picks, the pillow has a small loop that can be clipped to the outside of most bags so it doesn’t have to take up space inside your bag.

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, how we picked our best travel pillow finalists, how we tested travel pillows, our pick for the best travel pillow: travelrest nest ultimate memory foam travel pillow, runner-up for the best travel pillow: cabeau evolution classic pillow, also great for portability: trtl pillow, also-great chin-support pillow for forward-nodders: bcozzy pillow, other good travel pillows, the competition.

I am a frequent flyer who often takes red-eyes from coast to coast—I now live in Brooklyn but fly home to San Francisco to visit my parents. I’m also an insomniac, so falling asleep on planes has never been easy for me. While writing this article, I tested eight travel pillows on two five-hour flights and slept with our four picks on two more cross-country flights. I also spoke with Rebecca Robbins, a postdoctoral fellow at the NYU Center for Healthful Behavior Change at the time of the interview, to see what she looks for in a travel pillow.

In addition, my Wirecutter colleagues as a whole are an exceptionally mobile group. We’ve worked remotely from every continent except Antarctica, so I asked some folks on staff which pillows they like and use regularly. (They’ve also since contributed some additional testing.)

Boarding a red-eye without a travel pillow in your bag is like choosing to sleep on the floor when there’s a perfectly good futon nearby. Sure, it’s no bed, but it’s a hell of a lot better than hardwood. In an interview she did in 2017 with The Atlantic reporter Kelly Conaboy, Dr. Mary O’Connor, then the director of Yale’s Center for Musculoskeletal Care, said that despite a lack of clinical studies that support the efficacy of travel pillows, “Many of us who travel have experienced falling asleep with our neck in a weird position and it bothering us thereafter. So, I think they can be helpful, but that depends on how they’re used and whether they support the neck.” In other words, using a supportive pillow may decrease the chances you wake up with an unwanted crick. It certainly has in our experience.

However, not all travel pillows are the same, and if you also happen to have a zealous hatred of your travel pillow, you probably have a bad one. So even if you have a generic pillow you picked up at some airport a few years ago, consider upgrading to one of our picks. And of course, these pillows work well on buses and trains, too.

So how can you tell if a pillow is likely to actually support your head? Rebecca Robbins, a postdoctoral fellow studying sleep at the time of our interview, says the best travel pillows will keep your head elevated and in alignment with your spine: “Look for something that would really be supportive. My one gripe with most travel pillows is that they’re too soft and not too full—you want something that will be supportive as you try to get comfortable in your limited space.” Robbins also recommends finding a pillow that can keep you cozy but not too hot, as she says it’s easier to sleep with a lower body temperature.

Robbins does her best to avoid one common travel situation. “My number one sleep tip is to not take a red-eye if you can avoid it,” she said. “If the flight is five hours, you’re going to only have three hours of true rest, because all the announcements—‘lower your window,’ ‘raise your window.’ Those can be significant distractions.”

We also looked at existing editorial reviews for guidance. Ethan Green , founder of the sleep resource blog No Sleepless Nights, compiled an extensive comparative review of popular travel pillows that we found helpful when deciding what models to test.

For people who want a travel pillow that will ease some of the discomfort of sleeping upright on a bumpy plane ride, we’ve identified the following key features:

• Comfort and support: The pillow should offer ample support for the weight of your neck and head but not restrict your movements or feel too tight.
• Portable (but not inflatable): You don’t want your travel pillow to take up so much space in your carry-on that you can’t bring other things you need, so it should compress to a smaller size. Barring that, there should at least be a way to clip it to the outside of your bag or luggage. Inflatable pillows are easy to pack but should be avoided. They inevitably spring a leak, often sooner rather than later.
• Soft: The material should feel plush against your skin but not trap so much heat that it’s uncomfortable to wear.
• Universal fit (or as close as possible): The pillow should allow space for people to sleep with a ponytail or accommodate bigger hair, as well as a whole variety of head shapes and sizes and neck lengths.
• Sleeping styles: It should also accommodate people who move their head in any direction while they sleep. It should also work in a window, a middle, or an aisle seat.
• Speed of compression/decompression: In case you need to quickly stow your pillow before exiting the plane, or if you want to catch some shut-eye in a moment’s notice, it shouldn’t take too long to stuff the pillow into its carrying case or unfold it to full size.
• Weight: Ideally, the pillow shouldn’t add undue burden to your carry-on. While inflatable pillows will always be the lightest option, memory-foam pillows don’t weigh much more and can offer significantly more comfort.
• Grip/traction: Your head will likely move around a bit while sleeping on a plane, especially if there’s turbulence. So any kind of grip or traction around the bottom of the pillow will help it stay in place and keep you snoozing.
• Machine washable: As you might expect from a vessel that ferries hundreds of people back and forth across the sky on a daily basis, planes can be filthy. So you’ll want to be able to wash the whole pillow—or at least its cover—before you take it on your next trip.

We researched more than 40 travel pillows—which ranged from variations on a hemi-doughnut to inscrutable crowdfunded designs—and after comparing hundreds of glowing and enraged Amazon reviews, we decided to test eight. We asked a panel of 10 people to try each of the pillows in a chair pushed against the wall of a conference room (the closest we could come to airline conditions in our office) and surveyed them on the fit, comfort, and support of each pillow. The panelists all had a variety of neck lengths and jaw sizes, and one even had a substantial beard. We also ran all of the pillows or their detachable pillowcases through a washing machine as instructed to see how well each stood up to a spin cycle and tumble dry.

And because simulations are rarely enough, I brought eight travel pillows on two cross-country flights to see how the pillows felt in the specific back design of an airplane seat. As I was lucky enough to have unnecessarily kind and understanding neighbors (thank you, Mike and Deborah!), I wore each of these pillows in a window, a middle, and an aisle seat to see if they felt comfortable in each configuration. I also tried on Deborah’s Muji travel pillow (as she offered), but determined it had much less support than our picks. I also carried all of our picks on two more cross-country flights on a different airline to ensure the pillows did just as well in different seat designs.

The Travelrest Ultimate remains our top pick after several years because its plush but firm memory-foam core offers more support to your neck than that of any other pillow. It’s also one of the few pillows we tested that felt specifically designed for an airline seat, with an angled, grippy back that aligns perfectly to both upright and reclined positions and ensures the pillow won’t slide down as you nod off. The velvety-soft pillow supports heads and necks of all sizes and can be fitted with an adjustable cord and clasp. In the tried-but-true shape of a hemi-doughnut—imagine a doughnut with a bite taken out—the Travelrest Ultimate may look like other pillows, but a number of thoughtful details make it a softer, more supportive pillow than all the rest.

The Travelrest offers better all-around support than any other pillow we tested. Its broad, marshmallowy walls hug the whole circumference of your neck. It feels supportive but not stifling. The easy-to-fasten Velcro strap means it can be adjusted to a snug fit for necks of many sizes. There’s even a small crevice for curlier hair or a ponytail.

In addition to fitting your neck, the Travelrest’s back tapers up to a point to fit flat against an airline seat back. Most neck pillows lack this tapering on the back and the excess padding can push your neck away from the headrest, causing your neck to droop forward. Additionally, the Travelrest has grippy dots on the back that prevent it from slipping.

In addition to its excellent support, the Travelrest is very comfortable and cozy to wear. Its memory-foam core is wrapped in velour, which kept my neck warm without overheating it. The Travelrest’s velour also felt softer and smoother against my skin than similar coverings on other pillows, such as the Cabeau Evolution. It’s also easy to clean: The Travelrest’s cover is easily unzipped and machine-washable. The velour retained its softness after going through a wash and dry cycle.

While the Travelrest isn’t inflatable, it packs down to the size of a roll of toilet paper in its carrying case. Once you fold it cinnamon-roll style and it’s small enough to fit inside the bag, a Velcro strap on the pouch helps you compress it even further. If there’s still not enough space for it in your bag, you can always clip its drawstring to any exterior loop.

All of these thoughtful details were not lost on our testing panel. They gave the Travelrest the highest marks of any pillow in comfort and neck support, and two-thirds of our testers picked it as their favorite pillow.

How the Travelrest has held up

After over a year of use, this pillow had lost none of its supportiveness. The memory foam was just as firm and springy as it was when we bought it. Its velcro strap was still easy to secure. If it fits you, this is a pillow that stays secure and comfortable on your neck for the duration of a long flight. However, we’ve also heard from multiple travelers that this pillow doesn’t fit them. The memory foam is quite firm, which offers excellent support, but not much give. If a pillow of up to 5 inches doesn’t fit comfortably on your neck, we think you’ll be happier trying one of our other picks.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Travelrest Ultimate will never compress to the thin, flat size of a tiny pillow like the Trtl. But its unparalleled, cushiony support can still pack down to a reasonable size, and its 13 ounces won’t make your carry-on noticeably heavier. And if saving space is your highest concern, we think the Trtl provides space-conscious support without the spit-filled fuss of an inflatable pillow.

While the Travelrest’s voluminous plush can support all heads that lean left, back, or right, the pillow may not hold up the chins of people with smaller faces. When my head bobbed forward, my small face sank into the gap between the pillow closure and my neck. You can adjust the Velcro strap for a tighter fit, but the short strap cannot be pulled as tight as the Cabeau’s adjustable strings.

The Travelrest Ultimate’s unbeatable support is in part due to the height of its sides, designed to come up to the jaw of the wearer. This means the pillow may be incompatible with larger over-the-ear headphones for people with shorter necks. For instance, when I tried to wear the Travelrest Ultimate with my noise-cancelling Bose headphones , the pillow pushed the headset uncomfortably far up on my head, taking my earlobes with it. However, my editor, who has a longer neck, didn’t have this problem.

If you want a tighter, more adjustable fit, the Cabeau Evolution Classic  (which used to be called just the Evolution) is the way to go. Its contoured memory-foam design offers almost as much neck support as our main pick does, albeit without some of the Travelrest’s luxurious height. But the Cabeau’s adjustable clasp allows a far greater range of cinching than the Travelrest. In other words, the pillow can fit as tightly as you like.

Like the Travelrest, the Cabeau’s hemi-doughnut shape offers 360 degrees of support for anyone wearing it. It also boasts a cushioned memory-foam core and a contoured top that will keep your neck upright and head in place. But unlike the Travelrest’s gently arched bottom, the Cabeau’s flat bottom won’t sit as securely on your shoulders and may move around during your sleep. The Cabeau also lacks the Travelrest’s smartly tapered, grippy back that helps keep the pillow in place during flight. The Cabeau’s velour cover is also machine-washable, but it feels less soft than the Travelrest’s.

Although the Cabeau’s fit and shape aren’t quite as good as the Travelrest’s, this pillow is more adjustable. It can be tightened or loosened with two adjustable strings that clip together, which results in a far more adjustable range than the Travelrest’s short strip of Velcro. If you have a smaller neck and know you find a tighter grip on your neck comforting, the Cabeau may be the way to go.

Like the Travelrest, the Cabeau also packs down to a quarter of its size, thanks to an adjustable strap bisecting its carrying case. But at 15.2 ounces, it’s a bit heavier than the Travelrest.

Unlike any of our other picks, the Cabeau Evolution is sold in many of those ubiquitous news stores inside airports. So if you find yourself lacing up your shoes after security and wishing you had bought one of our picks before your flight, look for the Cabeau’s contoured shape among the novelty hemi-doughnuts dangling off the travel pillow racks. It’s the best pillow you can buy at an airport. But if you have the chance to order online, the Travelrest offers more support.

There is a newer model of the Evolution Classic, the S3 , which has straps to hook onto a seat’s headrest. We think it’s a good choice if the Classic version is out of stock or otherwise unavailable. It’s still supportive and comfortable, but not as thick or soft as the Classic.

The Trtl Pillow , though odd-looking and unconventional, won a contingent of ardent fans with its firm support and slim, packable size. But it’s not our top pick because it works on only one side, and its warmth-trapping fleece can cause your neck to overheat. It’s also the most expensive of our picks. The Trtl consists of an arched plastic skeleton inside of a soft, fleece scarf that wraps once around your neck and then closes with Velcro to hold the pillow in place. You just lean your head against the convex end of the bendy frame, wrap the pillow around your neck, and your head has a soft but firm pedestal on which to rest while you sleep. It sounds weird, but it’s not that different from a neck brace—only it’s one-sided and softer.

Because the Trtl Pillow is little more than a scarf with a plastic plate in it, it packs down to the size of a sandwich and can lay flat against the back of your bag. This is the smallest travel pillow we tested and also requires none of the squashing or awkward cinching it takes to stuff the Travelrest or Cabeau into their holding bags, which are also easy to lose. Unlike any of the other pillows we’ve seen, the Trtl is small enough to fit inside a briefcase or handbag, making it the best option for people who don’t normally travel with backpacks. And at a featherweight 5 ounces, the Trtl is the lightest pillow we tested.

Though the Trtl can support your head from only one side, the tall, bendy plastic frame inside offered more support on that one side than either the Travelrest or Cabeau. Yet even with its soft, wraparound design, it lacks the all-around support provided by our top and runner-up picks. If you are an asymmetrical sleeper (if you prefer sleeping with your head leaning to one side), the Trtl may be a good choice. However, it’s not a good choice for people who nod forward—the plastic insert is too stiff. If that’s you, we prefer the Bcozzy, which we talk more about below .

Some testers found the Trtl’s quasi-corseted-turtleneck design off-putting. But then again, no one looks cool wearing any travel pillow. And on that note, the Trtl’s cozy fleece will keep your neck toasty. So if you know you run hot, the Trtl may not be the pillow for you.

Wirecutter’s Ganda Suthivarakom swears by the Trtl: “It packs almost flat, weighs next to nothing, and can be helpful for sleeping even when you are stuck in a middle seat. As someone who is always cold on the plane, I don't mind the whole fleece scarf design, either.”

Trtl has a more padded version of the pillow that claims to be more adjustable; one of our longer-necked staffers tried it and reported that it is indeed more comfortable for him than the original Trtl was. However, the same limitations of the original apply to the new version.

The Bcozzy is a snakelike spin on the traditional hemi-doughnut that’s perfect for anyone traveling with large headphones or people who tend to nod forward while sleeping and wake themselves up. It lacks the tall, supportive sides of our other picks, but the overlapping front is the perfect height to keep your chin from nodding forward as you doze off. It’s not as supportive on the sides, but this leaves ample room for big headphones.

The Bcozzy’s best advantage is its overlapping circular design, which allows you to adjust the pillow to degrees of personal preference. You can place the overlapping ends of the pillow around any point of your neck (though it only really makes sense in the front or on the sides), and wear the pillow as loose or as tight as you’d like. We think it’s most comfortable when the ends meet right under your neck—and in that position, it cushions your chin better than any other pillow we tested.

The longer, leaner Bcozzy lacks the plush, ensconcing neck support of the Travelrest Ultimate or Cabeau Evolution. It lays so low on your shoulders that it might not even touch your jaw. But this makes the pillow perfect for anyone who likes to wear over-the-ear headphones along with a travel pillow while they sleep on the flight. I personally like to fall asleep to music and drown out the dull roar of an airplane, so the Bcozzy works perfectly for me.

We still think the Travelrest Ultimate is a superior overall hemi-doughnut pillow, but the Bcozzy is an excellent choice if you plan to wear big headphones or know the feeling of that sharp, waking drop when your head falls forward on a plane.

The Bcozzy is also one of the least packable pillows, as it doesn’t come with a carrying case and does not compress particularly well. But its 7.4 ounces is around half the weight of the Travelrest or Cabeau, and it does comes with a little loop that clips onto the outside of a backpack or duffel. And even when squished down at the bottom of a bag, it doesn’t take up that much more space than the Travelrest Ultimate or Cabeau.

If you’re a back sleeper who can fall sleep sitting upright in your seat, facing forward, and not need to curl up or lean your head on the airplane window: You may want to try the Posture+ Travel Pillow, which is a U-shaped neck cushion, padded with memory foam, that looks like the back half of a cervical collar. When testing it, we slept surprisingly well, but it won’t suit all (or even most) sleep styles. It’s also not machine-washable, and it is pricy.

If you have a shorter neck and tend to run hot on planes and would prefer a pillow designed to keep you cool: Consider the ventilated Cabeau Evolution Cool —the combination of a silky polyester cover (similar to spandex) and vented design did feel mildly cooler against our necks. And we liked the pillow’s silky feel, packable size, zippered carrying case. But it was significantly smaller than the standard Cabeau Evolution and the Travelrest Ultimate, and it left the chins of long-necked testers totally unsupported. It’s also more expensive—now about $20 more than the Travelrest.

If you always lean to the same side when sleeping: Consider Travelrest’s All-in-One , which has a novel across-the-shoulder design that could be comfortable in such a situation. It has a similar fabric to the company’s winning Ultimate Memory Foam Neck Pillow, but in our tests its bulky inflated tube offered no structured head support, which could pose a problem in bumpy conditions.

If you tend to be a forward-falling head bobber: Consider the Caldera Releaf , which is less travel pillow and more neck brace. It does offer superior neck support, but it constricted the throat too much for our comfort.

The Trtl Pillow Plus , a later addition to the Trtl lineup, is more height-adjustable and has more padding than its older sibling . Our self-described “giraffe-necked” tester said that it did indeed fit him better than the original Trtl had. However, it still supports your head from only one side, making it not a great choice for sleepers who nod forward. It’s also bulkier than the original and costs nearly twice as much.

The Cabeau Evolution S3 is a newer version of our runner-up pick , the Evolution Classic. We liked it, and we think it’s a solid choice if the original Evolution isn’t available. It has added straps that you can hook onto a headrest to keep your head from falling forward while you sleep, but our runner-up pick is softer and slightly thicker, which offers a bit more support. We did find the S3 to be easier to roll up into its carrying case, however.

Intrigued by one of the stranger innovations that we’ve seen in travel pillow design, we tested the Huzi Design Infinity , but we can’t recommend it. Instead of cinching or clasping at the front, it is designed to be looped several times around the wearer’s neck like an infinity scarf. But the pillow failed to support our testers’ necks. Regardless of who tried it, testers found that looping it twice was too loose and thrice was too tight. It was also the largest and least compressible pillow we tested.

The J-Pillow offered a singular, three-pronged design that proved impossible for anyone to figure out without instructions. After some explanation, our testers could wear the pillow correctly, but they still felt that its squishy stuffing offered insufficient support, and only to one side of the head. It’s also impossible to pack away efficiently due to its pyramidal shape. If you want a one-sided pillow, skip this and go for the Trtl instead.

We tested the inexpensive Travelrest Curl because we loved its plush and contoured big cousin, the Travelrest Ultimate. But while the Curl contains the same luxurious memory-foam filling as the Ultimate, the pillow is so small that many testers found that it didn’t even come up to their jaws when worn. It does have an attractive price, but its skimpy size and unsupportive design could support only the shortest of necks.

We found the air-filled Sea to Summit Aeros Traveller Pillow to be similarly lacking. We liked how easy it was to fill—its dual-valve inflation mechanism means it won’t let air out between breaths—and we appreciated that it weighed only about a fifth as much as the Travelrest, but the Travelrest’s 360-degree support made it too hard to go back to an open-ring design that offers no support in the front. Also, one of our former freelance writers recently reported that when she pulled her pillow out of storage, after a few years of not using it, its internal bladder disintegrated in her hands.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Rebecca Robbins, postdoctoral fellow at the NYU Center for Healthful Behavior Change , phone interview , October 20, 2017

Meet your guide

Sabrina Imbler

Sabrina Imbler is a former staff writer for Wirecutter, where they covered kitchen tools and HVAC.

Further reading

Pluto Pod Travel Pillow: A First-Class Sleep Experience in Economy

by Dorie Chevlen

This travel pillow is so great you won’t even care if you look silly wearing it.

The Silly-Looking Trtl Travel Pillow Is the Only Way I Can Sleep on Flights

by Elissa Sanci

You might look funny while wearing the one-sided Trtl travel pillow in flight, but you won’t care when you land at your destination bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Air Travel Is Chaos. This Gear Will Help Get You Through the Exasperating Delays.

These things don’t make your flight take off any faster, but they can make the wait a little more tolerable.

The 31 Best Gifts for Frequent Travelers

by Samantha Schoech and Dorie Chevlen

Here we present practical and whimsical finds to delight any intrepid traveler.

Protect Your Trip »

The 8 best neck pillows for travel.

Avoid a literal pain in the neck with these expert-approved travel pillows.

The Best Neck Pillows for Travel

Courtesy of Cabeau

The Cabeau Evolution S3 Travel Pillow is one of the best neck pillows for travel.

Just like the pillow you use at home , the best neck pillow for travel is the one that makes you feel most comfortable, allowing you to relax, rest and ultimately fall asleep on the go. The difference, however, is that a travel pillow is typically used when sitting up, which means it needs to provide enough support to keep your head from bobbing.

Based on recommendations from travel experts and advice from physicians, these are the best neck pillows for travel.

Best Overall: Cabeau Evolution S3

Best affordable: mvloc travel pillow, best for long flights: trtl travel pillow, best multipurpose: huzi infinity pillow, best inflatable: sunany inflatable travel pillow, best silk: slip jet setter travel pillow, best for backpacking: marchway ultralight inflatable camping pillow, best for kids: bcozzy double support neck pillow.

Frequent travelers praise the design of the Cabeau Evolution S3, which is made of a special dual-density memory foam. "My pillow at home is made with memory foam so it's like bringing a piece of home on my travels," says travel blogger Jasmine Cheng of The Wandering Girl . "The sides are also raised, which prevents my head from moving when I'm sleeping." Travelers also appreciate the patented seat strap system that attaches the pillow to a seat or chair headrest as well as the slim flattened back, both of which prevent the head from bobbing.

A handy storage pouch on the side of the pillow allows you to keep your earbuds or other small items close by, and the pillow comes with a clasp that attaches to carry-on luggage . The removable pillow cover, which comes in a variety of colors, is machine-washable. What's more, this travel pillow can be stored in an included carry bag that condenses it to half its size.

Price: $39.99 or less Shop now: Amazon | Cabeau

Travelers appreciate the support (and the price tag) of this memory foam travel pillow. An adjustable rope lock allows you to secure the pillow to your neck for maximum support and comfort. The breathable and machine-washable cloth exterior prevents overheating. This travel pillow also comes with earplugs and an eye mask for ultimate relaxation.

Price: $29.99 or less Shop now: Amazon

Courtesy of Trtl

The patented design of the Trtl Travel Pillow – with a hidden internal neck support surrounded by soft, hypoallergenic fleece – makes it a favorite among travelers, particularly for long flights. "Something about it just hits right in a travel accessory category where nothing previously worked for me," explains Meaghan Clawsie, luxury travel advisor at Elated Escapes . "I no longer have any back or neck pain when resting on long-haul flights." Simply wrap the pillow around your neck like a scarf, secure it in place with its built-in fastener and rest your head on the support.

If you tend to overheat easily, there's also the Trtl Pillow Cool , made with Tencel fibers to keep you at a comfortable temperature; a mesh panel makes the pillow particularly breathable as well. Both pillows are machine-washable.

Price: $59.99 or less Shop now: Amazon | Trtl

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Courtesy of Huzi Design

If you're not sold on the classic U-shaped neck pillows for travel, consider this snake-like option instead. Able to be twisted into a variety of positions, the versatile Huzi Infinity Pillow provides whatever support feels best – even if that means resting your head on the tray table for a bit. You can also wear it around your neck like a scarf for neck and back comfort (even when you're not snoozing), use it as an eye mask, or drape it over your head if you get cold or want to block out noise.

Travelers love the pillow's bamboo fabric, describing it as soft, smooth and cool. Since it's filled with polyester, the whole pillow can be tossed in the washing machine , unlike its memory foam counterparts. The Infinity Pillow is available in nearly a dozen different colors, including gray, navy and pink.

Price: $45 or less Shop now: Amazon | Infinity Pillow

Read:  What to Pack in Your Carry-on Bag

Courtesy of Sunany

Travelers love the H-shaped design of this inflatable pillow because it allows for use in multiple directions and supports both sides of the head and neck with a flat back. A removable hood on the pillow is a bonus: It encourages a cozy feel and prevents cold drafts from too much air conditioning. For optimal comfort, it is recommended to inflate the pillow about 80% to 90%.

A pocket for your earbud case on this travel pillow provides convenient access for listening to music, and the removable velour cover is machine-washable. The lightweight inflatable pillow can be stored in the included waterproof drawstring bag, which can also be attached to luggage. This travel neck pillow is available in black, gray and blue.

Courtesy of Slip

Travel pillows don't get softer than this luxurious new option by Slip. The Jet Setter Travel Pillow is made with the highest-grade long fiber mulberry silk, which helps to prevent skin creases and bedhead. It also comes with a carrying case with handles. The Jet Setter Travel Pillow is available in three prints and a pretty solid blush color.

Price: $99 or less Shop now: Amazon | Slip

While you can often bring your pillow from home for tent camping, backpacking requires something more lightweight, such as this inflatable option by Marchway. "An inflatable pillow is a game-changer when it comes to backpacking, and an ultralight pillow can't be beat," says Leilani Osmundson , digital producer for travel at U.S. News. "The Marchway pillow fits the bill: It's comfortable, packable and extremely lightweight." This pillow is designed for both back and side sleepers, and doubles as a lumbar support for everyday travels and needs. Once it's deflated, you can machine-wash the cover before folding the pillow into an included drawstring bag.

Price: $13.99 or less Shop now: Amazon

Courtesy of BCOZZY

The BCOZZY neck pillow is ideal for all travelers – including kids, with small sizes for youngsters between 3 and 7 years old, and medium options for ages 8 and 12. Travelers like the ergonomic design of the patented pillow, which supports the head and neck by propping the chin up. Overlapping pillow arms, which wrap around the neck and under the chin, can be tightened based on the level of support you need.

If you or your child is a side sleeper, fold the pillow in half, double up the sides and place it on your shoulder, leaning your head to the side. An elevated side option allows you to overlap the pillow arms on top of each other and rotate it 90 degrees to the side for double support for the neck and chin.

This travel pillow is available in a variety of colors and patterns, including light blue and pink hearts. A snap strap attaches the included travel bag to your child's luggage , and you can throw the pillow in the washing machine after your trip.

Price: $44.97 or less Shop now: Amazon

Frequently Asked Questions

Experts agree a supportive pillow is essential for travel. "The biggest issue many travelers experience when sleeping on a plane is that the seats don't recline enough," explains Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a sleep/wake and performance specialist who is dual board certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine. "This often results in the head being just on the brink of tipping forward – which is not a comfortable sleeping position. Because of this insufficient recline, it is important to keep padding behind the head and neck minimal to reduce the tendency for the head to tip forward."

Most travel pillows are designed to be worn around the neck, providing enough support to prevent the head from tipping forward.

When shopping for a neck pillow for travel, experts recommend considering the following factors:

Proper head support:  What's most important is ensuring your head is supported in the right places by your travel pillow – and, in particular, not being pushed forward by excessive padding. "A good pillow would provide support for side sleeping, rather than a lot of padding behind the head, which just pushes the head forward too much," says Dimitriu.

Material: Consider both the external and internal material of the pillow:

External: Chiropractic physician Eric Smith advises to make sure the material of your travel pillow is breathable and won't subject you to an overheated sleep, since one of the main reasons for moving around a lot as you sleep is getting too hot. "When your face gets too hot on one side, even if you're sleeping, you're going to move from it because it's too warm," Smith explains.

There's no real consensus on which material is best for a cool, comfy sleep – and different people will have different preferences – so Smith's advice is to try before you fly (and don't hesitate to request a refund if your chosen pillow isn't working out).

• Internal: Memory foam pillows tend to offer more firm support – something Smith recommends for anyone, but especially older travelers. "The majority of patients I have that get older, we actually need a more firm pillow, we need a more firm bed, we need more support," Smith says. Pillows filled with microbeads mold more to the neck and head, while inflatable pillows can be adjusted to your preferences based on how much air you use to blow them up.

A travel pillow for your neck isn't considered a carry-on or personal item (and the same generally goes for small, loose items like jackets and umbrellas). That said, it's always best to review your airline's carry-on luggage size restrictions before traveling.

A good neck pillow for travel isn't the only key to achieving a decent sleep while in transit. "From the standpoint of evolution, we're kind of hardwired to be a little bit more on high alert in those situations," explains Rebecca Robbins, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and scientist at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. "We're a little bit more in fight or flight mode; our brain is subconsciously scanning the environment for threats and there are new sounds and new smells."

She recommends finding elements that are relaxing to you, which might include some of the following:

• Travel blanket: Look for something lightweight, such as the EverSnug Travel Blanket on Amazon. This blanket comes with a carrying case, which can double as a pillow when the blanket is stored inside.
• Essential or aromatherapy oils: Scents like lavender and peppermint can be especially calming.
• Earplugs: Choose headphones that block some or all external noise. The Bose QuietComfort 45 Wireless Headphones are especially well rated.
• White noise app: There are a variety of free apps, or you can try a paid option like Calm (which offers a free trial).
• Eye mask: An eye mask like this cotton option on Amazon helps to block out the bright light on planes.

You might also be interested in:

• The Top Compression Socks for Travel
• The Top Walking Shoes for Travel
• The Top Carry-on Backpacks
• Can I Use My Own Airplane Seat Belt Extender?
• The Best Travel Medical Insurance Plans

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You Won’t Believe the Sneaky Way I Get 3 Days’ Worth of Extra Clothes Through TSA

It’s the secret packing hack I swear by as a “carry-on only” travel writer.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Travel + Leisure / Reese Herrington

Although I see nothing wrong with checking a bag every so often, I’ve always viewed it as a personal goal to travel “carry-on only” when I fly. It started when I was a kid, flying on my airline pilot dad’s standby passes. My options then were to carry on my suitcase or risk having a bag end up in a city where I wasn’t. Although my standby status expired the second I married my military pilot husband, I still prefer carrying on , whether I’m flying for work (as a professional travel writer) or for pleasure (when my self-induced challenge intensifies as I pack carry-ons for my two kids as well). 

I’ve learned all the packing hacks over the years; I can roll clothes and stuff socks in shoes with the best of them, and I’m a pro at clipping in extras — like mini coolers and water bottles — with my trusty carabiner collection. (Don’t even get me started on the viral TikTok pillowcase hack that helped us travelers carry more clothes on board.) This is exactly why I bought the Tube Travel Neck Pillow — the multi-use travel pillow you can store up to three days’ worth of clothing in — and wow, did it deliver.

Tube Travel Neck Pillow

Welcome to the sneaky carry-on storage solution that saves you checked bag fees. All you have to do is simply remove the foam insert from the removable cover and replace it with your clothing. Simple but effective, right?

Other neck pillows might be cushier, but they just can’t save you up to $70 worth of checked bag fees for each flight you take them on. I’ve also found it just depends on what you’re stuffing it with — the plusher the clothing (think: sweaters, down jackets) the more comfortable the neck pillow. However, you could also choose to care less about comfort and treat the Tube Travel Neck Pillow as your sole carry-on (especially when traveling on basic economy tickets since there’s no charge for a neck pillow … yet).

Depending on what you’re packing, one single tube can hold enough for three days of clothes. It’s lightweight enough to just toss into your suitcase as a “just-in-case” tool for any trip, like those times your suitcase gets too tight after a few souvenir purchases or as a way of keeping the essentials with you when forced to gate check on full flights.

Everything inside stays secured during travel, and there's no Velcro in the design that would damage clothes. Once loaded, you can bend and twist the pillow into any shape and snap closed to securely fasten around your luggage handle, or just wear it around your neck en route to your flight.

As a mom, I use this sneaky packing trick for storing extra diapers, which, as any traveling parent knows, take up a ridiculous amount of space in a suitcase. I bought the Tube for its versatility as a packing tool and was convinced by its five-star ratings at Amazon for its comfort. 

In the past, the Tube Travel pillow has been so popular that it's sold out at Amazon, but the good news is that if it does, you can get the equally genius Dot & Dot Twist Memory Foam Travel Neck Pillow to achieve the same hack. Similar to the Tube Travel Neck Pillow, the Dot & Dot Memory Foam Travel Pillow has more than 9,000 five-star ratings at Amazon and plenty of praise from travelers, too.

Dot & Dot Twist Memory Foam Travel Neck Pillow

One Amazon reviewer said they're a carry-on only flier who used the packing hack, removing the Dot & Dot's memory foam and "replacing [it] with clothes that I would pack anyway" — and they said it "worked like a charm." But let's not discount its comfort when used as a neck pillow with the memory foam inside, either. Another reviewer attested that on a 28-hour road trip, this comfortable pillow was "a life-saver" and the "best road trip pillow ever." Imagine how comfy it would be stuffed with their favorite packable puffer or down jacket.

Trust me, the Tube Travel Neck Pillow is the ultimate hack for anyone looking to maximize their carry-on potential … which is literally what I live for as a frequent traveler. Any time a product can serve two purposes, my ears perk up, and, thanks to this dual-purposed neck pillow, they now rest easily in flight as well. And if you're looking for more handy travel accessories to add to your arsenal, keep reading to find more top-rated products available at Amazon.

More Travel Accessories at Amazon

Special made collapsible water bottle, eversnug travel blanket and pillow, basic concepts airplane foot hammock.

At the time of publishing, the price started at $40. 

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The 9 Best Travel Pillows for Sound Sleep On-the-Go

Say goodbye to that sore neck.

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What to Look for in a Travel Pillow

How we selected these travel pillows, pick the perfect travel pillow following these tips from expert chris meehan..

So, how to make the time in the air (or car or train) more relaxing? The right travel pillow may be the ticket the next time you take off somewhere. It's a basic travel accessory that ranks right up there with great luggage and noise-cancelling headphones .

In its U-shaped form, the travel pillow dates back to 1929 when the design was first patented. Its original intent was for use to recline in the bathtub. Since then, its look and feel has changed with modern versions configured in unique shapes to address all different kinds of travelers: long-haul fliers, restless sleepers, window-seat passengers, and more.

A decent travel pillow includes a soft cover using fabrics like brushed polyester, nylon, or microfiber, while the cushioning (or fill) inside should be supportive and comfortable yet structured enough for your head and neck. The fill types commonly used are assorted types of foam, microbeads, and polyester fiber, in addition to those kinds of pillows with an inflatable bladder

Whether you’re a side slumper, leaner on the seat-back, or nose-to-the sky snoozer, there is a pillow here for you. In our review and testing of travel pillows, we’ve found options in a variety of designs, weights, and shapes from under $20 to well over $60. Read on to find the best one for you!

Best Travel Pillows

• Best Overall Travel Pillow: Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow
• Best Hot-Sleeper Travel Pillow: Cabeau Evolution S3 Memory Foam
• Best Bargain Travel Pillow: Cloudz Dual Comfort Microbead Travel Neck Pillow
• Best Splurge Travel Pillow: Ostrichpillow Go Neck Pillow
• Best Side-Sleeper Travel Pillow: Trtl Pillow Plus

The Expert: Taking multiple plane, train, and bus rides every year, I’m familiar with necessary on-the-go accessories like a travel pillow. For instance, I am based in Colorado and last year I flew to Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. My car travels included a road trip to Zion National Park with a buddy. My average trip takes about seven hours between the trains to and from the airport and the plane ride itself. After using quite a few travel pillows, I’ve found that I enjoy a side-sleeping pillow like the J-Pillow for plane rides since I tend to loll off to one side, and I like the traditionally shaped rectangular pillow, the NEMO Fillo, for other types of excursions like bus and car rides as well as car camping. Its combination of padding and inflate-ability make it versatile for many types of trips.

Many of the travel pillows below don’t look like the traditional U-shaped ones with microbeads—and for good reason. The U-shape doesn't work for everyone as it has a tendency to push the neck forward. Also, if the cushioning isn’t high enough on each side, it may cause your head to flop from left to right instead providing a stationary space. Any neck wobble may result in kinks, stiffness, and soreness.

Those designs that are squared or have flat cushioning behind the neck with more coverage under the chin help keep the head upright. Contoured areas to accommodate the shoulders and help keep the pillows properly aligned.

Depending on how you prefer to rest, the right pillows will ensure some shut-eye on the plane, in the car, or on the train. Here are some factors to consider.

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While many are compact, this will be a factor depending on how light you like to travel. The most compact of all neck pillows is one that’s inflatable. These can deflate to a size smaller than a baseball. Bulkier memory foam pillows, on the other hand, will compress down to about the size of a football.

Most travel pillows weigh under 1 pound, so they’re manageable enough to bring along and to use without putting downward pressure on your shoulders.

U-shape is most common, but it’s not the only form factor out there. Some travel pillows are mini-sized traditionally shaped pillows. Others are coil or donut-shaped to allow for better chin support for slumping sleepers, and at least a few, like the J-Pillow, are designed to offer extra head support for those of us who love to sleep with our head against the wall of a plane or train.

Just like your pillow at home, travel pillows have a range of different fills. Microbeads are likely the stiffest and least compressible while memory foam offers solid support and adjusts to the shape of your head. Inflatable pillows also offer customized cushioning but are sometimes cheaper in design.

Most travel pillows have a soft, fleecy fabric made of polyester, nylon or micro fleece that’s designed for comfort against the face. The fabric of the pillow can also go a long way to describe its washability. Some have covers that are easy to take off and wash. Even some with integrated covers are still machine washable.

The recommendations below are based on my own travel experiences in the air, car, bus, and train. I also looked at customer reviews to gauge what pillows have performed well for most people. Additionally, I considered the work of Paige Szmodis , who investigated pillow options for the previous version of this article.

Overall, these pillows made their way onto red-eye flights, along for road trips (in cars and buses), camping, and even lounging on the couch. Neck support and comfort were factored in as well as portability, durability, washability, and usage. I also considered if pillows came with a storage bag, how well each pillow retained its shape, and what the packed dimensions were versus overall size.

These pillows represent the top options for travelers who go by car, plane, bus, train, or even those who need a good lightweight pillow for laying horizontal in the airport while waiting for their next flight.

Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow

With limited space for a bulky pillow when on-the-go, packability is key. The Travelrest Nest packs an amazing amount of memory-foam cushioning into the smallest stuff sack. Even after being compressed in its bag for over a week, the pillow immediately puffed right back into its original shape.

While compact, it doesn’t compromise on support. With 5-inches of thermo-sensitive memory foam on all sides, it conforms to the shape of your neck and shoulders and keeps your head in place no matter if you tend to loll to the front, back, or sides. Unlike many U-shaped pillows, its angled back sits flush against any seat surface without pushing your head forward. Bonu: the nonslip panel helps prevent it from sliding off airplane seats.

At a reasonable price—Travelrest even throws in a travel bag and memory foam earplugs to sweeten the deal—its removable cover retains its velvety softness after cycles in the washer and dryer, though it’s a bit of a tight fit to pull the cover back on over the foam’s contours. The dense foam also makes it a little challenging to fold up into its bag, but once you get it in there, it can compress down to a quarter of its original size. On the down side, its high cushioning could pinch earrings or interfere with larger headphones.

Cabeau Evolution S3 Memory Foam

The Cabeau Evolution S3, which has many of the same top features as our Best Overall, is ideal if you sleep a bit on the hot side. Its breathable, moisture-wicking fabric helps to keep you cool and comfortable.

With its U-shaped design, this memory foam pillow prevents lateral movement—your head falling to either side—and features a slimmed flat back so it won’t push your head forward. While the back surface isn’t angled and grippy like the Travelrest, the Cabeau comes with straps to loop around your headrest to keep it in place. Note: These straps may not be compatible with all seat designs and might possibly disturb the person behind you on a flight. Also, with its thick cushioning, the Evolution's height may interfere with certain headphones.

The dense memory foam will take a few seconds to roll up into the travel case but it will hold its shape well after packing away many times. Plus, the polyester cover was easy to slip on and off to wash and dry. A bonus is the travel case which can easily be clipped onto the outside of your bags and luggage.

Cloudz Dual Comfort Microbead Travel Neck Pillow

One of the most well-known neck pillows out there, Cloudz is the one you’re most likely to find in an airport. It’s inexpensive and will do the trick for most flights and other travel, but isn’t as comfortable or as well designed as some of the other picks in our roundup.

The spandex fabric on one side allows the pillow to conform to your shoulders and keeps you cool, while the cozy plush on the other side helps you drift off to sleep. The snap in front keeps the pillow properly oriented while traveling. It’s not machine washable, and over time the small polystyrene beads will compress, ultimately reducing cushioning. As such, it’ll do in a pinch but won't have the durability as some of the other choices here.

Ostrichpillow Go Neck Pillow

The makers of the Ostrichpillow Go believe resting shouldn’t require any effort, which is why they pride themselves on designs that are minimalist and easy to use as well as sustainably made. The ergonomic and sleek Go neck pillow promotes 360-degree comfort with a memory foam core, yet it packs down into a stuff sack just over half of its original size. Even after being stored away for a week, it easily expanded back to its circular shape.

While other options may compress into slightly smaller packs, I like this pillow's dense memory foam padding and the Velcro fastener, which allows for a custom fit. Since its cushion height is higher on one side than the other, the taller side may interfere with headphones. For comfort, the cover is luxuriously soft and holds up after machine washing.

Trtl Pillow Plus

Trtl might have the most unconventional looking travel pillow—loop, wrap and nap, as the company says—but plenty of people—especially side sleepers—swear by it. Inside the fleece fabric that gets wrapped around your neck is a cushioned plastic brace that rests on one shoulder and props your head up. Some may find the fleece gets a little too warm, but if you’re always cold on the plane, this could work for you. The fleece wrap also detaches easily from the plastic brace for washing.

While the Trtl Plus is expensive (the costliest of the ones recommended here), it does offer a custom fit courtesy of two plastic knobs that adjust both sides of the plastic panel. It comes with a travel bag which is handy if you don’t want to lug it around on the outside of your bag when traveling.

If you’re still intrigued, but put off by the price, the original Trtl costs about $40 less and is a bit more subtle in styling than the Plus. It looks more like a fleece scarf than a neck brace. There’s no case but it folds almost flat with a Velcro latch, to about the size of a large book, so you can fit it in your bag.

Bcozzy Chin Supporting Travel Neck Pillow

If your head tends to fall forward when you try to sleep upright, the Bcozzy keeps your head up by curling around your whole neck with the ends overlapping under the chin. There are also a few more ways you can wear it, such as folded in half to elevate just one side of your head.

The Bcozzy, available in children's and extra-large sizing, doesn’t come with a removable cover, but the whole pillow is machine washable. A travel case is included.

Sunany Inflatable Neck Pillow

According to some studies, passengers shift positions on a plane every 15 minutes, so this travel pillow is ideal for anyone who changes it up frequently on a flight. It works for forward slumpers, side sleepers, and even couples who want to position it between themselves. It's also perfect for those who want to read or watch a program in privacy.

To make the most of this unique pillow, you'll need a tray table to rest it on. The Sunany pillow can be used at either 19.6- or 11.8-inches high depending on how it is oriented. One downside, considering its inflated size is so large, is that it can be cumbersome to reposition.

AirComfy Ease Inflatable Travel Pillow

This dog bone-shaped, inflatable travel pillow is as ideal for the skies as it is for the roads. Take it in the plane or the car since its adjustable strap easily fits around most headrests, and thanks to its basic shape and adjustability via inflation, you can customize how soft or firm it is depending on your needs.

The foam backed bladder helps reduce the balloon-like feel of some inflatable travel pillows. Use it behind the neck and shoulder or behind the lower back for lumbar support. Extra points for the plush cover that is machine washable.

With so many travel specific pillows and U-shaped design styles, why pick a traditional rectangle option as the most versatile? It’s simple—you can’t reinvent the wheel. With foam and an inflatable bladder, travelers can adjust its firmness, roll it up for neck support on a plane, press it against a wall or window, use it as a normal pillow, or take it along for car travel or camping.

This is the versatile pillow I bring on trips when I am doing multiple types of adventure and know I will need a pillow that can handle the travel itself and anything after. I appreciate the use of both the foam and the air bladder, which means I can adjust the cushioning and the support. With NEMO’s combination, it creates a pillow that doesn’t feel like you’re sleeping on a balloon like some inflatable pillows do. It also easily stuffs down into a sack—about the size of a big Chipotle burrito—that’s integrated into the removable, machine washable cover.

J-Pillow Travel Pillow

The J-Pillow diverges from the traditional U-shape, co-opting another letter for its design. The curve of the “J” cradles your chin while the rest of the pillow supports one side of your head.

While this design is best-suited for passengers at a window seat, I found the J-Pillow didn’t slip off my shoulder even when I wasn't leaning against a window. There is plenty of cushioning, so it's comfortable, but its biggest flaw is its slightly awkward and bulky shape.

Though it comes with a travel sack, it doesn’t compress nearly as much as other travel pillows. Because it didn’t fit into my backpack, I had to carry it separately—not exactly ideal for frequent fliers—though you could use its snap loop to attach to luggage or tie the bag’s drawstring to a gear loop.

What is typically the best way to clean a travel pillow? Should I look for one that is machine-washable?

Always follow the manufacturers’ recommendations. Many inflatable and foam pillows aren’t designed for machine washing and can get damaged in the process. Some of my favorite travel pillows have removable covers that are machine washable.

If given the choice of an inflatable, microbead, or memory foam travel pillow, what do you prefer and why?

If I'm not worried about packing space and my travel plans include a flight, I like memory foam since it cradles the head softly. If you’re traveling and doing multiple things while away, an inflatable pillow might be best since it takes up less space while packed and can be customized for different types of resting.

How do you know if a travel pillow is the right fit?

Think about how you rest while traveling and look for a pillow that fits those needs. You’ll want one with enough support to cradle your head as you nod off, whether that’s off to the side, straight back, or slumping forward.

Chris Meehan is an internationally published writer, author, and editor with more than two decades of professional experience. He has authored multiple adventure guidebooks with Falcon Guides and his work focusses primarily on the nexus between sustainability and outdoor adventure. He is an experienced gear reviewer, tester, and travel writer who has explored multiple continents. 

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Moscow city tourism committee organizes conference for indian mice market stakeholders.

New Delhi [India], April 24 (ANI): Recognising market demand, the Moscow City Tourism Committee organized a conference for representatives of the Indian MICE industry, to introduce them to the tourism strengths of the Russian capital.

MICE stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions, and is a type of tourism in which large groups, usually plan things well in advance.

The event took place on April 19 in Delhi and brought together over 100 participants from MICE agencies of both countries, corporate customers, representatives of the travel industry in Moscow, Aeroflot and the Indian branches of Sberbank.

Business tourism is one of the most promising directions for Moscow.

In 2023, the capital was visited by 3.7 million business tourists - 7 per cent more than in 2022. And India remains one of the leaders among visitors from non-CIS countries in terms of the number of business travellers.

"The Russian capital as a centre of business tourism and corporate events is already an established and a strong brand in the international arena," commented Anastasia Popova, Deputy General Director for International and Industry Cooperation of Project Office for the Development of Tourism and Hospitality in Moscow.

"Now our task is to demonstrate to our Indian partners all the possibilities of organizing high-value MICE events in Moscow in combination with already proven tourist programs," said Popova.

At the Shaping MICE Future Conference, industry experts from Russia and India pronounced statements and speeches on the future of MICE events in these two countries, a presentation of the MICE potential of Moscow was showcased, and an analytical report on the state of the outbound MICE market in India was presented to the visitors.

During the panel discussion, participants assessed the current status and interaction peculiarities with the MICE market in India and developed recommendations for the MICE industry in Moscow during the general brainstorming session.

Representatives of the Indian MICE industry participated in B2B negotiations to find new cross-partners in the Moscow business environment and among representatives of the hospitality industry.

Representatives of the MICE industry took part in the event from Moscow.

Among them were DMC (Grand Rus, Academservice, Headed Goose, Satguru Travel, Isba Rus, Hug the Bear, Mellenium Group) as well as representatives of other partners interested in the development of MICE cooperation between Russia and India: Global transfers provider i'way and hotels Edge Seligerskaya and Edge Vinogradovo Moscow by Rotana.

"In 2024, we have witnessed a significant surge (more than quadruple) in the demand for transfers by Russians visiting India, both for business and leisure purposes. Muscovites are leading the trend, with 80 per cent of transfer bookings originating from the capital since the beginning of the year. Additionally, we observe a growing interest from Indian tourism agencies in exploring Russia, resulting in a substantial increase in our collaboration," commented Dmitriy Saraykin, co-founder of Global Transfer Provider i'way.

The Shaping MICE Future conference allowed the Moscow City Tourism Committee to form a pool of MICE industry representatives in Moscow to prioritize incoming requests for events and clarify India's requirements for business and corporate events to build mutually effective work. Indian colleagues received up-to-date information about Moscow as a safe and attractive MICE destination and were able to find potential partners among representatives of the MICE industry of the Russian capital and were able to present the MICE market in India.

"The event served as a remarkable platform for fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration within the tourism industry. The event provided us with invaluable opportunities to engage with key stakeholders from the tourism department, as well as tour operators and service providers. The insights gained during the event underscored the Moscow City Tourism Committee's keen interest in the Indian outbound market, and we are optimistic about the promising prospects for Moscow as a destination, particularly in the post-pandemic landscape. We firmly believe that with concerted efforts and strategic initiatives, Moscow has the potential to emerge as a top-choice destination for Indian tourists," said Mudit Mathur, director of Tours Delite India, representing Academ Service - Russia in India.

The conference also assessed the solutions to foreign demand for non-standard venues and elements in MICE programs, such as museums, parks, theaters and others. Holding MICE events at offbeat locations, such as the State Historical Museum, the Moscow Planetarium and Khudozhestvenny Cinema, is becoming popular.

ANI 25th April 2024, 03:27 GMT+10

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