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You’ve spent hours of valuable time prepping every detail of your next vacation, business trip, or spur-of-the-moment getaway. You’ve booked the best lodging, triple-checked your itinerary, read every article about what to look out for and the most efficient ways to get around. But sleep the wrong way on the plane, your ride from the airport, or on a quick jet-lagged nap, and you’re in for a painful distraction from everything you had planned. So why run the risk?
Don’t lose sleep over it: we’ve got you. Our team went painstakingly (well, actually quite comfortably) through the travel pillow market’s top options. We’re a lot better rested than usual, so we can say confidently and with very clear minds that the neck pillows below will spare you unnecessary aches – and help you catch every z you just can’t afford to miss.
Our Top Pillow Picks
- Cabeau Evolution S3 Memory Foam Pillow: Best overall
- Trtl Pillow: Best customized support
- Samsonite Magic Travel Pillow: Best economy choice
- Coop Sleep Goods AirJustable Travel Pillow: Most versatile
- J-Pillow Travel Pillow: Best for window seats
- Travelrest Ultimate Travel Pillow: Best for middle seats
- BCOZZY Travel Neck Pillow: Best for kids
How We Picked Them
We tested out over 30 different pillows, favoring the most up-to-date and highly rated selections. We considered factors such as ergonomic support, breathability, portability, design innovation, and above all, just plain comfort. Spoiler: sometimes simpler is better! Of course we pulled them out on planes, trains and automobiles, but also took the opportunity to get a little comfier at our desks, at home, and in the occasional random public space. (Worth every weird look we got!)
Cabeau Evolution S3 Memory Foam Pillow
Best overall
Available in five tasteful colors, the Cabeau evolution S3 looks simple and classy, but its subtle design perks go more than a few extra miles. Its flattened back provides a lot more ergonomic accommodation than the norm, while its raised sides will keep your head from uncomfortable (or embarrassing!) tilting or drifting. Best of all is the memory foam in the core, which champion snoozers know can take a good night’s sleep or power nap to the next level. Bonus points for a comfy and unobtrusive adjustable clasp – not an easy feature to get right.
Price: $39.99
Pros
- Super comfy memory foam core
- Excellent ergonomic support
- Raised sides to prevent tilting
- Unobtrusive adjustable clasp (no digging in)
- Excellent price for its quality
Cons
- Better for head stability than head mobility
- A more “classic”, less cutting-edge pillow
- Not designed for 360-degree use
Trtl Pillow
Best customized support
The highly unique Trtl Pillow is one of the most intriguing products on the travel pillow market. An adjustable wrap rather than a solid shape, it has an unusual look, owing to a carefully tested and innovative internal support system. But the comfort can’t be denied, and the decrease in weight and increase in portability are plusses. It may not be for every sleeper, but it’s designed with personal accommodation in mind, and the hypoallergenic fleece it’s made with is great for comfort, whether or not allergies are your concern.
Price: $59.99
Pros
- Highly adjustable design
- Lightweight and easily stored
- Comfy hypoallergenic fleece
- Scientifically-tested internal support
Cons
- Not the best “look”
- Head bobbing/tilting still a risk
- Higher price range
Samsonite Magic Travel Pillow
Best economy choice
Samsonite’s aesthetic is usually “all business”, but this little novelty pillow is just adorable – and impressive to boot. While the company makes a number of travel pillows, this one has a special feature: it handily converts to a square pillow from a neck pillow. Owing perhaps to the simple design, it prices much lower than your usual competitive travel pillow. And while it isn’t the most comfortable option we tried, there’s no denying how nice those microbeads feel!
Price: $25
Pros
- 2-in-1 neck-to-square pillow conversion
- Highly affordable but still competitive
- Soothing microbead filling
Cons
- Cheaper, “cute” look
- Less stabilization and ergonomic support
- No memory foam or cushion = not everyone’s cup of tea
Coop Sleep Goods AirJustable Travel Pillow
Most versatile
Coop’s bread and butter is comfy sleep, so it makes sense that their travel pillow options are among the more cutting-edge on the market. The AirJustable Travel Pillow provides a lot of bang for a bit more buck. This pillow is equipped with memory foam filling and two hill-shaped braces intended for 360-degree use, with a small adjustable cord similar to Cabeau’s. But the main perk is in the name: inflatable adjustment, a unique way to ensure a versatile fit. It only comes in one color, but from a comfort perspective, this pillow offers the widest range of options.
Pros
- Inflatable adjustment feature for maximum versatility
- Comfortable memory foam filling
- 360-degree adjustability
Cons
- Brace design offers limited tilting/bobbing prevention
- Among the higher-priced options
- No color variety offered
J-Pillow Travel Pillow
Best for window seats
The J-Pillow certainly has a striking-looking design – a bit like a really cuddly alien has wrapped itself around your neck. But not only does its unique shape provide solid head and neck support, it includes a specific chin support as well, plus an adjustable wrap. The J-Pillow advertises itself as highly versatile, and while it’s definitely one of the more malleable options, we find it provides less sturdy support than others in middle or aisle seats. But it’s wonderful against a window.
Price: $49.99 (at discount)
Pros
- Unique design, including chin support
- Very comfortable fabric
- Highly adjustable
Cons
- Not as versatile as advertised
- Inconsistent support
- High list price
Travelrest Ultimate Travel Pillow
Best for middle seats
If travel pillows came in pairs, then the J-Pillow and Travelrest’s All-in-One Ultimate Travel Pillow would be a match made in heaven. Like the J-Pillow, it leaves behind a predictable pillow shape in favor of… well, like a muppet version of an apodous alien (apodous means “without feet”). We don’t mean that as an insult! The design is eye-catching but highly effective, and more subtle than the J-Pillow or Trtl Pillow. Unlike the rest of our options, you lean against this pillow – it goes over your shoulder, and you brace it with your arm. While this makes for some instability, it’s actually ideal for middle seats – the hardest seat to sleep in, as we all know.
Price: $39.95
Pros
- Unique design, perfect for middle-seat sleeping
- Deflatable for easy transport
- Comfy velour cover and memory foam filling
Cons
- Might get you some stares
- No around-the-neck support
- No adjustment options
BCOZZY Travel Neck Pillow
Best for kids
While many of the above-listed pillows will definitely work for older children, few of them offer specific options for family travelers. So the parents on our team appreciated that the BCOZZY Travel Neck Pillow comes in multiple sizes, including designs for kids as young as 3 years old! A simple wraparound pillow, the BCOZZY lacks some of the innovative features of our top entries. But it’s still a terrific pillow, highly rated by multiple news outlets, with excellent chin support and a unique filling called Bounceback, which feels like down but conforms like memory foam.
Price: $55
Pros
- Multiple size options, including a pillow for 3 to 7-year-olds
- Comfortable “Bounceback” filling
- 360-degree use and great chin support
Cons
- Limited side support
- Higher price range
- Not as comfy as our top-rated pillows
So – Which Travel Neck Pillow is Our Pick?
Though Cabeau wins for comfort, innovation and design, the best part of our travel neck pillow survey was discovering just how many options there are, not to mention how diverse. And we have to admit, there were pillows that didn’t make this list which kept us comfortably asleep. But the seven pillows above are the top of the line, in a category which requires very careful selection – a slight bend in the neck means you could wake up to a ruined vacation.
The Trtl Pillow, the J-Pillow, and Coop Sleep Goods’ AirJustable Travel Pillow show just how much effort companies are putting into unique pillow shapes and versatile conforming styles. If one of these pillows doesn’t suit your particular sleeping style, chances are another one will fit you just the way you need. But in the age of online shopping, you can’t take too many chances. While the Cabeau is less adjustable, it offers comparable comfort for a nicer price. It also wins for preventing this writer’s pet peeve: the random head tilt, the #1 ruiner of an on-the-go nap!
If you’re tight on funds, the Samsonite 2-in-1 will do in a pinch, and if you’ve got little ones in tow, they’ll surely appreciate a kid-sized BCOZZY for their birthday – OK, maybe not for their birthday, but the next time you’re on a plane to their favorite theme park. And don’t sleep (so to speak) on the Travelrest Ultimate Travel Pillow: it’s not as comfy or versatile as the Cabeau S3, but it’s as smartly priced, and you’ll be glad to have it on hand if you’re stuck in the middle.
In short, the seven pillows above are Mr. Sandman approved, with Cabeau’s Evolution S3 best in show, and the other six worthy competitors. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re getting sleepy…