Is it worth buying a travel pillow? Team GH investigates...
Long-haul travel is notoriously uncomfortable. It’s tricky enough to find the right spot to rest your head if you’re sat in a window seat and want some much needed shut-eye, let alone if you’re on the aisle or in the middle seat.
The fear of waking up snuggled into the stranger in the next seat is very real. And don’t even get us started on the neck ache that can strike if you fall asleep in the wrong position. That's if you even manage to drift off in the first place.
Luckily, travel pillows exist to help make hours spent on a plane or train much more comfortable. But they're not all created equal. How do you know which ones will stop your head lolling and provide a soft landing.
Enter team Good Housekeeping. These are the travel pillows our frequent flyers love to pack, but keep scrolling for their full reviews below.
What to consider when picking a travel pillow
Support
This is obviously the number one criterion for travel pillow shopping. Most are memory foam or inflatable designs – the former will have a bit more give, whereas an inflatable design lets you adjust the firmness a bit. Also, consider breathability if you get hot (memory foam tends to trap body heat).
Portability
Luggage restrictions are getting ever tighter, so try and find a pillow that will pack away small and fit in your carry on bag with ease.
Comfort
This ties in with support really, but one crucial question to ask is whether the travel pillow you're looking at will work with your headphones – you don’t want the pillow to get in the way of your in-flight entertainment.
Product care
Some have washable covers, helping you keep your travel pillow fresh for adventure after adventure.
How we picked these travel pillows
Our list below has been curated by the Good Housekeeping Institute homes editor, who regularly writes reviews of luggage and travel essentials, and the travel pillows featured have been recommended by our editors here at Good Housekeeping, who all jetted off on their holidays to try them out.
When they got back, they shared their honest reviews, telling us what they liked (and what they didn’t), to help you find your perfect pillow. These are our top buys.
Travel Pillow
When we asked the Good Housekeeping team for their favourite travel pillows, this one was the most recommended. So what makes it so great? Deepti Mistry, our SEO manager, found out.
“I'm a frequent long-haul traveller, and suffer from neck problems, but this travel pillow provided me with comfort and support during my latest nine-hour flight.
Initially, it took a while to get to grips with how to wrap the pillow around, but once I found a comfortable spot, it supported my neck nicely, and I managed to get a few good hours of sleep.
With other travel pillows I've used, I would wake up with a crooked, stiff neck, but this wasn't the case with the Trtl pillow as it provided stability, preventing my head from nodding, which usually causes my neck stiffness during sleep.
It's also portable, very lightweight, has a soft fleece feel, and is compact, so it can fit in your carry-on luggage. It also comes with a handy travel case to keep it clean, which I loved.
Trtl has got its motto right: ‘Loop, Wrap, and Nap – It’s That Easy’. It’s been a game-changer for me and I don’t think I would travel without it now.”
TNE S3 Travel Pillow
Tested by Amanda Marcantonio, Fashion Director
“At home, I’m not a particularly great sleeper; on a plane I’m even worse. So when I was asked to try the Cabeau TNE S3 Travel Pillow on an eight hour overnight flight, I jumped at the chance – anything that might help me catch a few hours' shut-eye!
I normally pack a very bog-standard travel pillow that I’ve had for years, which usually sits round my neck like a necklace and is not supportive at all.
This couldn’t be more different. Don’t be put off by the instruction booklet – it simply shows how to clip it onto the seat headrest and how to secure the chin strap correctly. The chin strap is the main selling point of this brilliant travel pillow, which is held in place with a velcro tab so it fits any size – it completely stopped the 'nodding dog' head-rolling that happens when you’re trying to sleep sitting upright.
The only downside was that it pushed my headphones upwards. But to be honest, because it worked its magic by helping me sleep on the plane, that didn’t bother me much.
It can be squashed down to a compact size, which is great while in transit, but not for long-term storage (30 days max is recommended). If you’re travelling overnight and need a sturdy but soft travel pillow to help you sleep, look no further.”
Amanda's Cabeau TNE S3 Travel Pillow packed up for scale
Go Travel Pillow
Tested by Melanie Giandzi, Content Production Editor
"I recently flew home to Australia, so jumped at the opportunity to test the Ostrich neck pillow for the whopping 17-hour flight I had to endure. To say it provided me with great support would be an understatement. It’s the first time I’ve ever managed to sleep on a plane without waking up with the awful neck pain I’d usually get – and it’s thanks to the super snug fit and adjustability of this premium neck pillow.
It’s made of a memory foam core and features raised edges on either side so you can swiftly go from left to right side sleeping. Plus, it comes in a nifty carry case and rolls down and compresses for easy storage.
The only thing I disliked is that I couldn’t always comfortably wear my earphones with the neck pillow on, as the sides came midway up my ears and put pressure on the earphones."
All-In-One Ultimate Travel Pillow
Tested by Emma Justice, Good Housekeeping Travel Expert
“I’ve never found a neck pillow that works for me on long-haul flights and hate carrying around those bulky U-shaped ones. So, keen to get some sleep on an overnighter to Boston recently (and assigned the dreaded middle seat), I put this long, thin banana-shaped contraption to the test.
It inflates easily in a few seconds with just two to three blows and is best described as having a soft, friendly shoulder to lay your head on. Its rather odd shape made me giggle but you can adjust its position to go across your body or down one side and the detachable strap it comes with can be looped over the headrest to stop it from slipping. You can also wear the pillow like a guitar or messenger bag (which also attracted strange looks).
It comes in a soft, plush, washable fabric you can snuggle into and provides proper ergonomic support for your head and neck. It deflates quickly, too, and rolls up into a croissant shape for storing in your hand luggage. I’m not sure the person next to me appreciated the cushion occasionally bumping into them (or my snoring!) but then I felt far more rested than usual when I arrived so didn’t really care!”
Memory Foam Travel Pillow
Tested by Priyankaa Joshi, Senior Health and Wellness Writer
“I tried the Mountain Warehouse Memory Foam Pillow on a 10-and-a-half-hour flight from the UK to St Kitts in the Caribbean. It was my first experience with a travel pillow and I’d say it definitely enhanced my flight. The outer fabric was extremely soft and felt lovely against my skin and I loved the squishy memory foam.
For the first time, I actually managed to get some decent sleep on a flight – my neck felt properly supported and I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.
Coming in at under £20, I think it’s excellent value for money and I’ll most definitely continue to use it on all my flights going forwards.
If I had to think of a downside, it is a little bulky (it seems larger than other travel pillows) but I didn’t find this a problem – I just hooked it onto my rucksack (note, it doesn’t come with a carry case).”
£13.99 at mountainwarehouse.com
Pillow Junior
Tested by Deepti Mistry, SEO Manager, and her daughter
"Being a huge fan of the Trtl pillow, which has really helped me on long haul flights, I decided to get my eight-year-old daughter the kids version.
It's smaller in size, so perfect for little ones. With the choice of three designs, my daughter picked the aqua one. It's compact, so very easy to carry on board and fold away.
I put it on her before she decided she wanted to sleep. I had to help her putting it on around her neck, and it took a few minutes for her to get comfortable, but she was fast asleep in seconds.
She slept with it on for around four hours of the long, nine-hour flight and she found it very comfortable. It also stopped her neck from bobbing, which usually disturbs her sleep on the plane."
Travel Neck Pillow
Tested by Melanie Giandzi, Content Production Editor
"I wasn’t expecting much from this snake-like, wrap-around neck pillow, but I managed to sleep a solid eight(!) hours on a recent flight to Australia while wearing this – and with zero neck pain either!
Available in eight snazzy colours, the BCOZZY neck pillow can be adjusted to suit, whether you’re a front or side sleeper (just rotate the neck pillow so the highest part sits where you need the support) and can also be adapted based on whether you’re sitting in the middle, aisle or window seat of the plane.
It’s super lightweight and is easy to attach to your suitcase or backpack strap for easy transportation. And the best part is that the whole pillow can be thrown straight into the washing machine to be refreshed, ready for your next flight."
Inflatable Neck Pillow for Travel
Laura Cohen, head of accreditation at the GHI, swears by her inflatable travel pillow. “It has a removable soft cover and deflates down to nothing, which makes it ideal if you’re tight on luggage space, and don’t want to lug a bigger pillow around with you. It's very affordable, too,” she says.
Note, this isn't Laura's exact pillow (she's had hers for a while) but we've found one with a very similar design.
Anywhere Travel Pillow
Tested by Hannah Mendelsohn, Homes Editor
"This pillow is a savvy pick if you want to recreate your at-home sleep set-up on the go, as it's a compressible memory foam design.
I liked that it folded up really small, and the instructions on how to do it were clear and simple. It also comes with a handy travel pouch.
It's obviously not that practical for planes and trains, but if you're heading camping, for example, and you're used to a memory foam pillow at home, this will definitely take up less space than your day-to-day one without compromising on support."
You Might Also Like
