The Best and Worst of Travel Neck Pillows

Today a lot of airlines are cutting costs by removing travel pillows but that doesn’t mean that you have to give up your comfort. I remember the first travel pillow I ever had, and this was before companies were making these pillows. I used to travel a lot when I was a teen so my mother sewed me a custom neck pillow that I could take anywhere. I remember it was made from an old pair of my little sisters blue footie pajamas, which was half the reason it was so soft and comfortable. She had the right idea and today, the market offers lots of different choices when it comes to travel pillows.

Some are inflatable, washable, solid, and most are easy to travel with. A travel pillow supports your neck and head, providing comfort and helping to avoid pain, especially when traveling far distances. Many travel pillows will now allow you to sleep upright without straining your neck to the side or back wards. I’ve personally tested 6 brands of travel neck pillows for affordability, comfort, ease of care, and pack-ability. The following list details the best and the worst of travel neck pillows.

Best
HappiNeck Therapeutic Pillow – http://www.imakproducts.com – $35.00
Out of all 6 pillows this one topped my list. Unlike most neck travel pillows the HappiNeck is slightly squared and rests comfortably over the entire neck and shoulder area. This pillow is semi-firm and when I had it on it reminded me of a couch cushion-a plush one. This pillow was large enough for me to rest my chin on either side. The HappiNeck was also a bit thicker than the rest of the pillows allowing for better support of my neck.

Comfort Travel Pillow – http://www.eaglecreek.com – $15.00
Of the inflatable neck pillows that I tried, this one was the best. This U-shaped pillow comes with a removable soft fleece cover that is machine washable, and it also has an air release valve on the side if you want to release some of the pressure in the pillow. This pillow is super light and inflates/deflates in about 2 seconds, making it easy to store in your carry-on. This pillow was very comfortable but like most inflatables, you could still feel the stiffness of the plastic underneath.

Mediocre
Mood Neck Pillow – http://www.lewisnclark.com – $12.50
This pillow was the cheapest of all the pillows I bought and I also got free shipping. This neck pillow reminded me of a beanbag chair with a smooth, pliable cover. The Mood Neck Pillow is filled with tiny little beads that shift when you move your head, neck, or shoulders but I found it to be less supportive than all the other pillows. It is super light which makes it easy for carrying and packing, but it really allows too much movement and I was afraid to fall asleep with it on thinking I would still wake up with a sore neck. But, if you push it up against the back of your seat and pack it under your ears it works pretty well.

Travel U-Neck Foam Pillow – http://www.selectcomfort.com – $50.00
This was the most expensive pillow so I just opted for trying it in the store instead of buying it, which I would recommend. I noticed that this pillow was also twice as heavy as the others which made me want it less. The memory foam is the same stuff they use on their beds and bed pillows, and is pretty comfortable, but firm. I liked the thermo cover because it kept my neck nice and toasty, which actually made me want to sleep. The one size fits all U-Neck Pillow fits any neck so that you can rest easy.

Worst
Fun Fur Utopia – http://www.bucky.com – 25.00
Of all the filled pillows that I tried I really did not like this one at all. This semi firm U-shaped pillow is filled with millet hull and is covered with luscious velour. The millet inside the pillow felt like it wasn’t packed tight enough, and I could physically dump the pellets to one end of the pillow which really wasn’t good. When the pillow was around my neck the fabric felt good, but the millet hull was too hard for me. The pellets also only are supportive when packed tight against the back of your chair or under the sides of your neck. At $25 I saw it as a waste of money and I couldn’t appreciate the product because it was not good quality.

Komfort Kollar – http://www.magellans.com – $25.00
Of all the inflatable pillows that I tried I thought the Komfort Kollar was the worst. To begin with I thought that it was way overpriced at $25 and should have retailed for $10 or $15, to be fair. The Komfort Kollar is a circular tube that closes with Velcro and has the same kind of brushed “suede” like top that is found on air mattresses. When I had the Komfort Kollar on it was like wearing an inner-tube around my neck. The Velcro isn’t adjustable so once it is closed it is basically one size, and if your neck is large it will probably feel like a choke collar.

If you are one of those people that are waking up as it’s time to get off the plane this pillow is great because the Velcro easily closes over the straps of your carry-on so you don’t have to deflate it, you can just go. I didn’t like the Komfort Kollar because it was mostly uncomfortable, but it did stop my head from bobbing down, or side to side. If you are heavy sleeper this pillow is probably best for you because it literally keeps your head in an upright position, with the tube circling under your chin.