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Long-haul flights are certainly not for the faint-hearted.
There’s something uniquely challenging about being squished between two strangers in a 30-inch seat, breathing recirculated air and trying to keep circulation in your legs.
You have to arm yourself adequately during this pre-holiday purgatory – especially if you stand any chance of getting some sleep and feeling vaguely human on arrival.
As a Travel Editor, I take my fair share of long-distance flights, and want to make sure I’m as rested as possible on arrival to whatever destination I’m reviewing.
I’ve dedicated myself to finding the ultimate travel pillow for these extended journeys, from more traditional memory foam numbers, to innovative alternatives.
So whether you need a kip en route to the Caribbean, want to nap all the way to Napa or fancy a pre-Seychelles siesta, this is the guide for you.
You might also want to check out the best sleep masks, tried and tested by us for even better sleep.
Best travel pillows at a glance How we test
Genie Harrison dedicated herself to finding the ultimate travel pillow for these extended journeys, from more traditional memory foam numbers, to innovative alternatives
Everyone has different preferences and requirements for sleeping – particularly when attempting to do so mid-air – so we considered the various benefits of each pillow from a few different angles.
These included comfort of the material, neck support, best design and the ease with which they could be packed. Additional benefits considered included the ease of cleaning, overall bulkiness and versatility of the pillows.
Together with a group of expert reviewers at the Daily Mail, we collate and compare how well each product performs, so you can choose what’s best for your travels. You can read more about how we test travel products as well as the best sleep buys.
Why trust us
Our team of travel writers and editors has been testing products and writing reviews for many years, covering a wide range of products. With a focus on travel equipment, such as suitcases, we provide expertise on what travellers need on their journeys.
Our reviews are honest, impartial and based on real-world testing. We take into consideration all budgets and lifestyles when reviewing products to ensure you have all the information you need to make an informed buying decision.
OstrichpillowProduct SpecsWeight350 gFill materialBASF® Memory foam coreDimensions25 x 17 x 7 (cm)What we love
DesignThe pillows have an innovative, ergonomic design
WeightThe Ostrichpillow is lightweight and sleek
PracticalityThe cover is machine washable
What could be better
PriceThis was right at the top of our price range
Review
By Genie Harrison
This came out as the most expensive of the bunch we tested – but for good reason. As well as being comfortable sitting around one’s neck, the Ostrich pillow also provided great support – even for those of a more giraffe-like persuasion.
The 360-degree design means the wearer can adjust as necessary, with the lightweight memory foam tying the whole experience together. You can also remove and machine wash the pillow cover after a flight’s use.
Tested over the course of an 11-hour flight from London to Cape Town (and back again!), the Ostrich pillow was a welcome companion to what could have been an arduous overnight flight.
SNUGL’s award-winning travel pillow is shaped like a car seat for your neck, and comes in two different sizes based on your height
SNUGL travel pillowWhat we love
DesignThe design is innovative and sleek
PracticalitySleeve can be removed and machine washed
What could be better
WeightHeavier than others test
Review
By Genie Harrison
Coming in two sizes based on the wearer’s height, SNUGL’s award-winning travel pillow is shaped like a car seat for your neck. What makes the pillow particularly great, though, is the variety of ways that the user can successfully fashion it, based on their preferences.
Whether your neck tends to loll forwards, backwards, or to one side, the pillow can be suitably arranged to provide the necessary neck support.
Our only slight disagreement with this pillow was arguably how supportive it is: it snuggles up very tight, especially when clipped together.
Ultimate inflatable travel pillowProduct SpecsWeight226 gSize2 x 9 x 3 inchWhat we love
DesignThe pillow is innovatively shaped
PracticalityThe pillow is lightweight and very easy to pack
What could be better
VersatilityThe design may not suit all sleepers
Review
By Genie Harrison
As someone who prefers to sleep on my side, Travelrest’s Ultimate Inflatable Pillow gets a big tick from me.
You simply blow the pillow up with a few short puffs and then sling the detachable strap around your body like a messenger bag. I slept alternately with the pillow sandwiched between mine and my neighbour’s seat as a head rest, and in a more upright position.
Nestled against, rather than around my neck, I also found it to be less constricting than some of the tighter, more form-fitting varieties tried.
Being inflatable, the pillow was also very easy to pack away and store in my hand luggage – ready to whip out as soon as I started to feel dozy.
TRTL pillowProduct SpecsWeight133 gSize22 x 24 x 9 cmWhat we love
DesignNovel idea
PracticalityLightweight and easy to pack
What could be better
EfficacyCould have been more supportive
Review
By Genie Harrison
This pillow definitely wins the award for the most unusual design of any that we tried: the TRTL includes an internal support that you wrap around your neck like a scarf and then arrange in whatever position you find most comfortable.
While the idea is certainly novel, I found that I needed the additional support of my hand to keep my neck fully supported. While the material was also soft and cosy, the internal support did dig in when not angled correctly.
That said, the pillow still provided reasonable comfort on a long-haul flight to Colombia and wraps up neatly into any hand luggage.
While at the cheaper end of the pillows we reviewed, the Roamwild pillow is of a more unusual design. In addition to firm neck support, users are able to inflate a portion of the pillow so the wearer can lean one’s head
Roamwild Travel PillowProduct SpecsWeight499 gSize28cm x 18cm x 20cmWhat could be better
EfficacyCould have been more supportive
Review
By Genie Harrison
While at the cheaper end of the pillows we reviewed, Roamwild’s offering is of a more unusual design. In addition to firm neck support, users are able to inflate a portion of the pillow so the wearer can lean one’s head, even when saddled with the dreaded middle seat of a plane.
The idea probably works better in theory than in principle; the inflatable portion of the pillow doesn’t blow up a particularly large amount – meaning additional support is also needed. That said, the pillow is comfortable to keep round one’s neck and provides better support than the average.
BCozzy travel pillowWhat we love
WeightThe pillow is lightweight
PriceThis pillow was at the lower end of the price range of those tested
What could be better
EfficacyThis pillow wasn’t as supportive as others
Review
By Genie Harrison
Similarly designed to the Ostrich travel pillow, the BCozzy snakes around the neck in an effort to provide all-round support.
The pillow is comfortable to wear and lightweight, but suffers from the support itself being less heavy duty than other options offered. Those of longer necks and heavier heads may find it is not quite as supportive as other offerings.
That said, the pillow is lightweight and clips easily to one’s hand luggage, and sits at the lower end of the price range.
Fashioned after a Mobius strip, the USP of the Infinity Pillow is that it can be wrapped and twisted in whichever way will suit the wear
Infinity PillowProduct SpecsDimensions85 x 15 cm / 33.5 x 6″What we love
SizeThe pillow is lightweight and comfortable to wear
What could be better
EfficacyI found that the pillow did not actually provide me that much support.
Review
By Genie Harrison
Fashioned after a Mobius strip, the USP of the Infinity Pillow is that it can be wrapped and twisted in whichever way will suit the wear.
It is lightweight and soft, and thus comfortable to drape around one’s neck.
However, personally, when using the pillow I found that even if I wrapped it around my neck twice, I wasn’t able to quite get the support I needed. I almost wanted it to be longer, so I could have got a third wrap in.
FAQs What are the different types of travel pillows?Memory foam pillows – especially good for anyone with existing neck or back pain.Inflatable pillows – these are great if you are travelling with limited luggage space, as they can be compressed down a great dealClever designs – if you like to sleep in a particular way, you will be suited to one of the more innovatively designed pillows.Are travel pillows good for your neck?
According to Dr Lewis Raiman, a sports medicine physician verified on healthcare review platform Doctify: ‘Neck discomfort when travelling often comes from prolonged, unsupported bending or twisting of the neck while sleeping upright.
‘Travel pillows can help by keeping the head and neck in a more neutral position, reducing muscle strain and uneven pressure.
‘Well-designed pillows supporting the natural cervical curve improve comfort and reduce pain compared with unstructured supports. In practice, pillows that prevent the head dropping forward or sideways are most effective.’
Can the pillows be washed?
All of the pillows we reviewed can have their sleeves removed to be machine washed.
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Best travel pillow: I’ve tested dozens of pillows while travelling so you can sleep well on trains, planes and even overnight stays
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