Best Travel Neck Pillows
Sleeping upright in a seat designed by someone who was not thinking about sleep is the problem, and no pillow fully solves it. Some help considerably more than others.
What the pillow is actually for. Not comfort exactly: it stops your head falling forward or sideways, which is what wakes you every twenty minutes. Any pillow that holds your head still is doing the job.
The types, honestly:
- Inflatable. Packs to nothing, weighs nothing, and is the right choice for anyone carrying their own bag. Firmer than it looks like it should be is correct; a soft one lets the head go.
- Memory foam. The most comfortable and by far the most annoying to carry, since it does not compress. Fine if it clips to the outside of a bag, a real cost in a small one.
- Wrap-around and chin-support designs, which look ridiculous and work better than the horseshoe shape, because a horseshoe supports the back of your neck and your head falls forward anyway.
- The scarf or fleece rolled up, which is free, weighs nothing extra, and is what many experienced travellers actually use.
What helps more than the pillow: a window seat to lean against, proper moulded earplugs, an eye mask, and not drinking. Those four together beat any pillow, and the earplugs and mask cost very little.
The test before you buy: put it on and let your head go fully slack. If your chin drops to your chest, it is not going to work on the plane either.
Part of the guide to sleeping bags and pads.