Photo: Courtesy Universal Pictures
Here at the Strategist, we like to think of ourselves as crazy (in the good way) about the stuff we buy, but as much as we’d like to, we can’t try everything. Which is why we have People’s Choice, in which we find the best-reviewed products and single out the most convincing ones. (You can learn more about our rating system and how we pick each item here.)
And while we’ve written about lots of travel products before — including travel shoes, travel accessories, including in-flight necessities, and duffel bags for travel — here, we’ve rounded up the best travel pillows, as praised by the most enthusiastic reviewers on Amazon.
Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine
One of our most stood-behind products, this travel pillow is “essentially a padded scarf,” but that’s exactly why we’ve called it the most comfortable travel pillow — and with more than 6,500 five-star reviews on Amazon, the Trtl’s fanbase extends far beyond Strategist staffers. One reviewer tried to explain just how handy it is: “Imagine your neck is swimming in a bowl full of noodles, unable to grasp any support through the turbulence on your flight from LAX to, say, PIT. Then, imagine, just as your neck is about to drown in the limp pasta, a hand reaches down from the heavens and baby Jesus himself wraps your supple, tired neck, barely keeping its cricoid above the surface of the linguini soak, in a velvety, form-fitting embrace … This is how I felt when I first strapped on Trtl Neck Pillow.” In other words, this pillow is supportive, a word used by nearly 2,000 others to describe it. Reviewers also appreciate that it can support almost any sleep position, like one who says, “I used it to sleep resting my head to the side. I used it to sleep resting my head to the front (a unique feature to any other I’d found).” One downside of the particular design is that you might look a little crazy while wearing the Trtl, but according to this reviewer it’s worth it: “People may look at you a little funny when you first go to put it on but I can tell you that those funny looks very quickly become looks of envy.”
“This pillow was one of the best purchases that I made,” writes one satisfied reviewer of this inflatable travel pillow, one of dozens who appreciate how compact it is. One, who used it for a train ride, says, “It was small enough to fit in my backpack, since I was traveling light I didn’t want to waste valuable space.” Another writes, “This pillow packed up and was at least 30 percent smaller than my friends pillows that also were inflatable.” Reviewers also appreciate the unique shape of the neck pillow. One says the “raised back supports head more than plain horseshoe shapes do,” while another notes “it will hold your head in position for maximum comfort.” And while a few reviewers were confused by the two-valve inflation system one user explains, “The special dual-nozzle it has is great to be able to inflate without losing air when you stop blowing and put in the plug.” They continue, “Then when you want to deflate it, you can do so quickly.”
Customers think this inexpensive travel pillow keeps them just as comfortable as some of the more expensive pillows. “I bought this pillow because I was flying red-eye through the night and needed to be able to sleep on the plane,” explains one reviewer. Overall, he appreciated that “the memory foam was comfortable” and “it was easy to pack” because it hooked onto the luggage handle. Another reviewer expected it to be comfortable, but the standout feature to her was that unlike other memory-foam pillows, “the foam did not get hot.” She likes this travel pillow so much that when she lost it while traveling from Paris to Barcelona, she planned to buy another. One more is pretty picky when it comes to travel pillows, saying he “tried out six others before this one” for his flight to South Korea. The price made him “skeptical” but after trying it, he writes, “Super comfortable! I love it so much. It’s honestly one of the best neck pillows I’ve ever owned.”
Nearly 1,200 reviewers call this travel pillow “comfortable,” even reviewers who say they typically never find travel pillows to be useful. One woman has purchased about two dozen pillows in a quest to find the best travel pillow, but as she says, “not one of them has ever held my head in a position so that I could sleep on a plane.” But with this pillow, “I slept all the way from California to Hawaii during the day.” Another reviewer “bought this for a 14-hour flight to China” and after testing out multiple travel pillows, she writes, “This pillow is much closer to what sleeping on a pillow feels like and was very comfortable for curling up on the window or leaning on each other for sleeping.” Many say that the issue with traditional travel pillows is that their head can still fall forward; this pillow prevents that because, according to one reviewer, “It holds your chin up so your head doesn’t fall forward,” and she found it to be so much better than any other travel pillow, she “used this for multiple five-hour flights with one being overnight.”
[Editor’s note: The Bcozzy will be in stock on April 20, but is available to order now.]
According to one reviewer, this travel pillow is, “Everything as described: compact, comfortable, soft material, provides all the proper support.” It’s inflatable, which makes it easier to pack down, and many say it takes only two breaths to inflate. In addition to the pillow itself being comfortable, the “the hood accessory included with the neck pillow is next level,” according to one reviewer. Nearly one-fifth of reviewers mention it in their reviews. On a trip to Italy one “put the hoodie over my noise-canceling headphones and found it very relaxing.” Another says, “I love the protective hood — it keeps my hair clean and I can blast the overhead air vent without freezing my neck.” And while one admits “the hood can raise a few eyebrows, but it keeps one insulated from surroundings that are unpleasant or contributing to wakefulness.” This pillow comes with other accessories, too, including an eye mask and earplugs, which reviewers also appreciate.
Travelers with back pain turned to this lumbar support pillow that easily inflates for the flight then packs down to put into a suitcase. “It folds up to the size of a medium size water bottle, so you can carry it anywhere without all the bulk of a foam cushion, plus this works better for me,” writes one reviewer who is “suffering from a bad back.” Another calls it “a tremendous asset to anyone that has back trouble and can’t get comfortable in an airplane seat.” He travels “on planes from two hours to 30 hours for business and vacations,” so this pillow “has been a lifesaver,” especially because it “inflates itself and is easy to deflate for packing.” One more has “tried four different pillows and two different inflatable pillows.” She returned them all and gave this pillow a final shot. “It’s perfect. Cars, vans, airplanes, theaters, restaurants … It goes everywhere with me and lets me be safe and comfortable as my back continues to heal and strengthen.”
Customers wanted a travel pillow that can pack easily. “It folds up nice and small in its travel pouch which means it will not take up a lot of room in your carry-on so you don’t have to walk with it around your neck as you would some other pillows,” writes one reviewer who calls this pillow “magnificent.” She appreciates that it will also “mesh with your neck just fine no matter how you sleep.” Another had their first “long haul flight in over 26 years” and “didn’t want to risk getting a pinched nerve from trying to catch some shut on on the way there.” She reports back, “ The cover is soft and doesn’t get too hot after prolonged use. The memory foam is very comfortable.” And an added bonus for her was that it “can be folded which makes it great for storing in your carry-on when not in use.” One more suggests, “If you’ve ever considered a blowup pillow for packing ease, do this instead. It’s a million times better.”
For those who still prefer the ease of an inflatable pillow, there’s this well-reviewed option. “I had the opportunity to use the pillow on two recent five hour flights and it performed perfectly. It took about 45 seconds to inflate and was easy to adjust,” writes one who also says that “once packed, it took up very little space.” Another “40-plus trip per year traveler” gives this pillow his stamp of approval. “I take at least two red-eyes a month with my business and this product has given me the ability to sleep through almost everyone one. The material is very soft and the pump (which was my biggest concern) is well-designed and very durable.” And for anyone nervous about inflating it Oneika Raymond, host of Travel Channel’s One Bag and You’re Out and Big City, Little Budget told us about its built-in inflation pump, which means you don’t have to put your mouth on something that came in contact with your airline seat. And it’s also “approved by a touring musician.” He tried other neck pillows before but felt like he was getting strangled or felt like he “might as well slept on my shoulder with nothing there.” With this one, he writes, “This pillow however is the BEST ever for traveling. What you want is something firm to keep your head up. It is easy to inflate and deflate.”
“At first I thought, what a silly pillow,” writes this once-skeptical reviewer. But they eventually came around, adding, “I can tell you without a doubt, this is one of my favorite purchases. It is so comfortable and you can take it anywhere.” Some complain that it’s bulky and difficult to pack, but one reviewer dispels that rumor, writing, “That is a complete lie. The pillow folds and unfolds to go back to its original shape.” Another person “was going on the trip of a lifetime in terms of distance and difference.” While she doesn’t disclose the location, she does say, “My only hurdle was 24 hours of grueling travel. I needed to be as comfy as possible on multiple 10 to 12 hour flights.” She says this travel pillow greatly helps because of its infinity scarf style. “It was perfect for all positions and comfy just to snuggle around my neck. It was easy to twist up and tie onto my carry on. Of all the things I bought in preparation for this trip, this was my single best purchase.” And one more reviewer who “just finished a 16 hour flight in the middle seat” recommends using this infinity pillow “with full-size Bose headphones on.” With this combo she says, “I slept great. This infinity pillow kept my head upright and with no neck pain.” This pillow is so good, writer Kat Lopez says she even sleeps with it at home.
“This is such a huge improvement over traditional travel pillows,” says one reviewer of this twistable memory foam pillow. He flew from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro with this pillow and felt perfectly comfortable, explaining, “Last week, before I went to sleep, I twisted this pillow into a J configuration. It was perfect for my head, while my arm rested against the shaft of the pillow and I did not wake up and have to readjust a bunch of pillows to get comfortable.” One more calls this the “best travel pillow I ever did own,” because “It’s super soft and comfy.” She also adds, “I love the snap also to help it stay in the curved position.” Another appreciates that it can “twist to fit wherever we need them to fit and they’re also substantial enough to keep you in place, but still cushiony and comfortable.” And one more thinks that “the twist makes all the difference,” explaining, “It’s supersoft, but has a firm “spine” that can be bent anyway you want, and it stays put.”
This travel pillow features a drawstring on the ends, so travelers can customize the tightness around their neck. One reviewer prefers his neck pillow to “be snug,” and adds that another perk to these pillows is that “the memory foam seems to adjust to your head but still gives the necessary support.” He plans to “ditch” his inflatable one after buying this. Another appreciates that this travel pillow is “on the small side,” explaining that it’s “a little bigger than a softball, smaller than a soccer ball, and fits in your bag, so your travel pillow is not out, hooked to your suitcase and exposed to everything on your travels.” She adds, “This travel pillow does that magic transformation, where a small thing expands to a big thing,” so even if it looks small upon arrival, it definitely stretches out for maximum comfort.
Travelmate designed this pillow so reviewers can easily adjust the thickness. “It feels soft, supportive, with a piece of foam which can be removed to adjust the thickness behind your neck so it will provide just the right amount of support without pushing your head forward,” writes one reviewer who used this on a 13-hour international flight. She even thinks, “This pillow makes sitting in coach much more comfortable.” Another bought this for her husband who “is going on a 2,000-mile trip by train in two weeks.” Because he’s traveling coach, he will have “no place to lay down to sleep for 36 hours.” Since sleeping sitting up is difficult, she thought this might help: “The pillow molds to your head/face and cradles it securely. The cover is a soft velour and has a zipper so that you can remove it for washing.” She ended up buying one for herself to take “on every flight from now on.”
Over 500 reviewers use this travel pillow for camping. Because they’re compressible pillows, reviewers say they’re particularly easy to roll up and pack away, especially if you’re backpacking. “It’s hard to believe they will compress again, but roll them into the attached pocket and they are about a quarter of their uncompressed size, less if you roll and pull the string hard,” writes one reviewer who is thankful that she “still sleep at night” when she’s traveling. Another thought it “was silly to pay $20 for this tiny weird pillow” but her husband decided to buy one. She took it camping and on a flight, writing, “ I have NEVER … I mean NEVER slept as good as I did during that trip with this pillow. Dude. Buy it.” One more put it to the test during a “21-day camping trip” where she had to “pack and unpack every single day.” She confirms, “Its materials held up very well, including the seemingly sketchy drawstring, used for keeping the pillow compressed, that I expected to have problems with. It’s comfortable too.”
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