How many times have you nodded off while sitting on a plane and woke up with a horrible neck kink? Or even worse, tried with all your being to fall asleep but just couldn’t because you couldn’t find a comfortable position to be in without bothering your neighbors. It can be hard to fall asleep while traveling and even harder when you don’t have the necessary travel essentials to do so.
We have personally gone through countless different types of neck pillows for travel; some were amazing at first and then broke down after one wash, others weren’t machine washable, and others were just plain uncomfortable. This is why we decided to make a list of what we found to be the best travel neck pillows; whether you’re flying to Greece or taking a cross country road trip, this list of the best neck pillow for travel should help you catch some much-needed shuteye.
This post is all about what we think are the best travel neck pillows for flying, camping, commuting, and road trips. We also made sure to cover high-quality memory foam pillows, adjustable pillows, the perfect neck pillows, inflatable pillows, and more!
The Best Travel Neck Pillows
Disclaimer: The recommendations in this post are based on our personal opinion of what constitutes the best travel neck pillows, these are solely our opinions and do not represent the views of others. We are not experts nor are we professionals, and we base our reviews on information gathered from the respective links and personal experience. We have traveled and learned the hard way what makes a good and bad travel pillow so that is what where we get our personal knowledge from. Please keep in mind, that these are solely suggestions and they may or may not work out for you. If in doubt about what you need from a sleep pillow please ask your health professional. Always double-check information as manufacturers can change how things are made and adjust features without any notice. The features listed were done in June 2022 and can change so please double-check.
Cabeau Evolution S3 Neck Pillow: Best Overall Neck Pillow
Why we like it:
This pillow has a handy seat strapping feature that makes it ideal for travel in any nature whether it be by car, train, or plane. It’s comfortable, compact, and has a nice storage compartment built into the pillow for small items like earplugs and eye masks or earbuds which is a nice bonus.
Specs:
Size(inches): 10 x 9.5 x 5
Weight: approx. 12 ounces
Material: Polyurethane Memory Foam
Fabric: Polyester
Pros:
- Adjustable straps that attach to most airplane seats
- Helps prevents bad posture
- Compact storage case that can clip onto a bag
- Washable and removable cover
- Attaches to any chair
- Comes in several colors
- Storage compartment
- Awesome neck support to ensure you’re comfortable when traveling
Cons:
- It’s bulky and not easy to shove into the compact storage container they give you.
Ostrich Go Neck Pillow: Perfect for portability and stable neck support needed for long flights and car rides
Why We Like It:
This pillow looks and feels premium in every way. Its sleek portable lightweight design is ideal for travel and it has 360-degree comfort for supporting the neck and head in various positions. If you have tension headaches or sleeping on planes is tough this pillow will definitely help with that as it did for us.
Specs:
Size(inches): 9.8 x 6.7 x 2.7
Weight: approx. 12.3 ounces or 350g
Fill material: BASF memory foam
Fabric: OEKO-TEX
Pros:
- Professional-looking design
- 360 all the way around neck support, so you avoid that stiff neck feeling
- Adjustable strap for most neck sizes
- Compresses down to 60% of its size for easy storage
- Machine washable covers, so it’s always nice and clean for use
- Comes with a carrying bag
Cons:
- Spendy
- Only comes in 2 colors
Click here to Get: https://ostrichpillow.com/products/go-neck-pillow?variant=42600292417792&gclid=CjwKCAjwv-GUBhAzEiwASUMm4j0WPIYFMSEoPgyDR9KCNOZPxu2teUPG8lD1wRuce4ncNevJLPQ_WhoCaIQQAvD_BwE
Trtl Pillow: The ultimate travel pillow for backpackers and sensitive sleepers
Why we like it:
This Trtl pillow is super lightweight and compact making for a great space-saving pillow that is easy to pack since it’s not as bulky as typical u shaped pillows. A bonus is that it’s hypoallergenic making it a good option for the more sensitive travelers.
Specs:
Size(inches): 7.5 x 5.5 x 2.5
Weight: approx. 4.5 ounces
Fill material: Internal support
Outer fabric: Hypoallergenic Fleece
Pros:
- Machine washable removable outer wrap
- Hypoallergenic fleece material
- Comes in many colors
- Compact, lightweight design
Cons:
- Carry bag not included
- Not a 360-degree support design
Click here to get: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LB7REFK?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_SB8V9VEKQHRZ2RVN7WR7
Mlvoc Travel Neck Pillow: Best for budget-minded Travelers
Why We Like It:
While this item is relatively inexpensive don’t let it fool you. This pillow is highly rated for its comfortable lightweight and compact design. We all know that conserving space is of the utmost importance while traveling so this pillow is perfect for that. Plus, it comes with some extra items like earplugs, an eye mask, and a carry case which is super handy!
Specs:
Size(inches): 11 x 9.2 x 6
Weight: approx. 9.6 ounces
Fill material: Memory Foam
Outer fabric: Magnetic therapy cloth, composite gauze
Pros:
- Machine washable removable outer sleeve
- Compact, ergonomic shape, and lightweight design
- Available in multiple colors
- Compresses down to half its size when in a carrying bag
- Comes with earplugs, an eye mask, and a carrying bag
- budget-friendly option
- Thick quality memory foam design for neck support and chin support
Cons:
- We dislike the adjustable cord style closer that keeps the pillow in position because it could get caught in your hair if you have long hair
Click Here To Get: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082K8ZNQ1?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_MJ0VBS94F1NAT8PKVP7S
Bcozzy Neck Pillow: Best for the middle of the aisle sleepers and aisle end sleepers
Why we like it:
When it comes to finding the best neck pillow for your travel needs, it can be challenging. We like this neck pillow because it is a sturdy and flexible design and customizable size; it can be contorted to allow double support, perfect for the middle of the aisle seaters, and you have nowhere to lean on.
In addition, this pillow changes shape and will enable you to squish both ends on top of one another for extra support around your neck and chin. It also works perfectly for window seat sleepers, so there’s support underneath your chin when leaning against the window; we hate when our head doesn’t have support because we can get terrible neck kinks from it, and this travel pillow solves that issue us.
Specs:
- Available in different sizes such as little kids, middle-age kids, large and X-Large
- Available in various colors such as green, pink, purple, blue, gray, etc.
- The flat back design avoids that annoying pushing that most u-shaped neck pillows can cause.
- Microfleece and microsuede ensure the neck pillow is breathable.
- Soft bounce back down alternative filling, without being too overstuffed and stiff
- The versatile shape allows multiple sleepers to use this neck pillow
- fully machine washable
Pros:
- The travel neck pillow is fully machine washable; this is important because we wash our pillows while on trips to cut down on germs and ensure we don’t break out from using them. It also comes with a clip to clip it to your bag without having to worry about nasty airport germs if you accidentally drop it.
- The patented design of these pillows allows them to be molded to 3 positions allowing the pad to be folded for window seat sleepers, for the middle of the aisle or front-facing sleepers just overlap the arms of the pillow, and for both to adjust the pad so that the components are near the side of the head for ultimate support that prevents head leaning and provides the best chin support and neck support.
- The arms have an adjustable velcro strap closure so that it doesn’t move when you’re using it, it doesn’t sound important, but it is because a ton of neck pillows move out of place when you are falling asleep.
- We love the thought put into the design because cheaper alternatives we have used have rounded backs, which push our heads and neck forward and can cause tension headaches for us. This flat-back design eliminates that issue.
- Readily available on Amazon, if you’re like us and shop last minute for trips, this can be a life saver with Amazon’s fast shipping.
Cons:
- It does not come with a pillow cover, we feel it’s pretty standard to include a pillow cover, especially for products designed for travel, so we were disappointed to find out this wasn’t included.
- Its recommend giving this a good wash before using it to get rid of any strong factory scents or chemical smells.
Wise Owl Outfitters Pillow: Best for campers and road trip sleeping and window seat sleepers
Why we like it: You’re probably wondering why anyone would want to use a small regular-looking pillow while on an airplane, and truth be told, we mainly like this pillow for window sleepers and forward-leaning sleepers. It’s also more versatile and can be used at your lodging or camping when in a pinch, which happens more than you would think. We love that this small travel pillow is a base of memory foam, one of the most comfortable materials you can use when you want a firm but not too firm support. It’s also incredibly portable because it can be compressed down into a small waterproof bag that comes with it.
Specs:
- Available in three colors: blue, green, and grey
- Shaped for versatility by being able to be used as the main pillow for road trips, camping, airplanes, and more
- Cushioned memory foam base and held together with a 100% polyester cover and completed with a sham made of microsuede to ensure a cool touch
- Available is a small size that measures 12x 16 inches and a medium-size 14x 18 inches.
- Thickness: 4 inches
- Machine washable
- It can be dried in a dryer at a cool temp
- Includes storage bag that can be tied to your luggage or backpack
Pros:
- The classic pillow case is always a go-to for us because it can be used as a pillow and as lumbar support when on a plane or a long drive. We all know a car seat and an airplane seat can be uncomfortable.
- It comes with a waterproof cover to ensure it’s protected from the rain.
- Comprehensible memory foam and 4inches of thickness mean this pillow will solve many different sleepers’ problems when traveling.
- It can be used as a front-forward pillow, if you sleep on the food tray holder on airplanes, then this is a must for you haha, we hate laying on our arms directly, so this provides the much-needed cushion and height to make this position comfortable.
Cons:
- It has small pieces of foam that make up its shape, so you’ll have to fluff this up for a bit to get the optimal fluffiness when it hasn’t been used in a while. It will be very lumpy if you don’t fluff it up correctly.
- A bit small, but it’s meant as a short-term pillow, not for months on end nights of sleep.
Inflatable Forward Sleeper Pillow For Airplanes: Best for forward-leaning sleepers
Why we like it: It’s an inflatable pillow, duh!
If you find yourself always leaning forward and sleeping on your arms while commuting by train, the bus, and plane, then you’ll want to invest in this inflatable travel pillow. This is made explicitly for sleepers that only sleep forward, and you can see how to nail it by raising the elevated position of forwarding sleepers’ heads.
This, in turn, reduces the stress we put on our back from the horrible position of leaning on a tray table that can often happen when traveling because it’s hard to sleep upward. Of course, it also can be used to lean forward and watch tv on your phone or read a book on your Kindle since there’s a peephole for your face on the top win-win in our books!
Specs:
- The 45-degree angle, suitable for forwarding sleeping such as on a tray table, puts less stress on your back.
- Helps prevent your head from falling forward too much due to the design unlike other pillows
- Holes on the side of the inflatable travel pillow allow you to insert your arms for a natural and comfortable sleeping position, this also means you can watch tv while resting on it ?
- The Inflatable pillow design means you’ll be able to fill up to your preference; less air is ideal, though, so it’s not stiff.
- The lightweight design weighs in at only 0.78 pounds
- Includes a travel bag to ensure it’s with you at all times and is less prone to coming into contact with nasty little germs.
- The top hole allows you to breathe and look at your phone while resting (priorities).
- It is not just meant for forward-leaning sleeping. It can also be used to provide cushions for window sleepers.
- If you like to fold your arms and sleep straight, this also works since you can hug it and rest your head on the top of the pillow, perfect for sleeping upright.
Pros:
- Versatile sleeping positions can use this inflatable travel pillow for their needs, and it suits forward-leaning sleepers, side sleepers, window sleepers, and straight and upward sleepers.
- It can be filled up in a few couples of breaths and deflated easily
- The top hole allows you to rest your head on something for a more natural sleeping position, and reduces neck strain, this works exceptionally well for stomach sleepers who like feeling pressure on their body when sleeping
- Great price, and we expected it to be more for how unique it is.
Cons:
- Because it’s inflatable, you’ll want to be careful with sharp objects that can pierce it.
- It’s pretty bulky, so we would refrain from pumping it until you get situated because it’s pretty big at 50 cm H, 30 cm W, and 29 cm D.
- It cannot be washed, so you’ll have to resort to spot cleaning to keep the pillow clean.
Ostrich Light: Best for the middle of the aisle and upward position sleepers
Why We Like It:
If you’re looking for a minimalistic and modern-looking travel pillow that utilizes quality memory foam, you’ll want to get the Ostrich brand travel neck pillows because they excel in these regions. The Ostrich pillow is a different design than the others by having high edges around the arms of the pad and overall seems more significant.
Ostrich also made sure to build into the arms a velcro strap that locks the position of the cushion into place so it doesn’t migrate or lose form while being used and effectively reduces neck pain because of this high-quality neck support and chin support it provides.
This is the perfect pillow for middle-of-the-seat sleepers since they cannot lean against any of their sides and will need to be able to either sleep forward-leaning or upward and straight. The high edges of this pillow nail the upward sleeping position by providing more support for the neck and head. All in all, you’ll be able to sleep comfortably with this airplane pillow must have ?.
Specs:
- High edges provide fantastic support for straight/upward sleepers, reminds us of a neck brace tbh
- Available in midnight grey and deep blue
- 360 built-in design velcro on arms allows the travel neck pillow to be adjusted for a perfect fit for your needs
- High quality and high-density memory foam that is plush yet firm
- Removable cover that can be washed to ensure you always use a clean pillow.
- The thickness provides support around the head
- Can be compressed to fit into the Includes travel bag
- Does not push your head forward
Pros:
- High-quality travel pillow with high-density memory foam that doesn’t lose its shape after numerous uses.
- 360 design means it can be moved to fit your sleeping needs when traveling; this is accomplished because f the snape of the pillow and the built-in velcros, which stabilize the position of the pad.
- The thickness of the pillows means your head will be stabilized during travel, and you’ll be less likely to get a neck kink since the head has more support.
- The modern look doesn’t look horrible when used.
- Doesn’t push your head forward when using, as some cheaper U-shaped options can cause.
Cons:
- The high edges of the pillow mean it will be hard to use over-the-ear headphones.
- It can have a strong chemical smell, so we recommend letting it air out; this is all necessary to get the complete fluffiness of the pillow.
- It’s pretty bulky when using, so if you’re looking for a lighter and small fit, we would suggest the smaller one mentioned above.
J Pillow: Best for sleepers who like to change positions when traveling
Why We Like It:
This travel pillow is a favorite of many due to the unique patented flexible design that allows it to create a custom fit for you when traveling. This means you’ll have better neck support, chin support, and less neck pain as a result. You should also probably sleep more comfortably since you’ll have such great support with this pillow. it was also designed by a former flight attendant, so we love that it incorporated real-life traveling pain points.
Specs:
- Fully machine washable
- Available in blue and gray
- The 2020 version won British invention of the year, showing how this is the perfect neck pillow
- The airplane pillow can be squished down into a more compact size that is better for travel than most neck pillows.
- Includes compression bag that can be hooked onto luggage and carry on bags
- The movable shape allows the head to be supported while upright and stops the head from sinking forward when sleeping.
- Weight: 0.65 pounds
- Dimensions: 12x10x6 inches
- Filling: supportive polyester 3d fiber
- Exterior: Cuddlesoft plush material
- Headrest support chin support and neck support via the different ways you can shape it
Pros:
- Great return policy, as of now they are offering up to 6 months and no questions asked (as of June 2022, please check before buying as rules and policies are subject to change randomly)
- Head support offers a unique method of supporting the head while in an upright position that we have not seen in the other models.
- Designed by a former flight attendant, so you know this pillow nails those pain points most people have
- Includes compression bag so the pillow stays clean while traveling
- Patented design allows part of the pillow to move in a way that supports the chin specifically which helps prevents the head from rolling forward when sleeping
- The plush material is a dream to touch and makes falling asleep easier.
Cons:
- Some say the pillow is too soft for them
- We expected it to be a tiny bit cheaper
- Wouldnt work well for forward-leaning sleepers
Best Travel Neck Pillows
That wraps up what we think are the best travel neck pillows! We hope you enjoyed this post and if you did please share it on social media so others can learn about the great travel pillows that are available =). If you’re planning a trip then make sure to read our other helpful guides for travel, where we give out top pointers for long flights, the best essentials for travel, and more!