If you are on a long haul flight in business class, you can probably skip this one.
If you are long haul in a 10-across configuration on a B777 flying to the other side of the world, it might contain sleep-saving advice.
We rounded-up six travel pillows of different shapes, sizes, materials and designs.
Here are our preliminary findings….
Samsonite Keith Haring pillow
Well it’s certainly striking. Here you have the famous New York Graffiti artist Keith Haring partnered with, of all things, a Samsonite neck pillow. The bright print is likely to turn heads (well, not those who already have neck pillows on, but everyone else) and be a cause of envy in economy class, allowing you to strike up conversation, so make sure you’ve researched a little of the artist’s history.
The Keith Haring print is also available on luggage tags, suitcase locks, luggage straps and bags, all of which are equally striking, though if you for the complete collection you are going to look very strange walking through the baggage collection area.
The design is a standard U-shape filled with polystyrene beads. The pillow sits comfortably around the neck but is still stiff enough to support it. With some effort it can be folded into a bag, but with a print like this, wear it and be proud.
Price: £25
JetRest Travel Pillow
We found that this patented L-shaped pillow works best on high backed seats, supporting the head in an upright position. The side pillow is only really useful if you’re next to a window or have a very sturdy headrest.
Unlike many of the pillows, the design lends itself to easy stowage, rolling into a compact bundle that can be secured with a velcro strap.
The cover is removable for cleaning and comes in a variety of fabrics and colours.
Price: £14.95
Go Travel Ultimate Memory Pillow
The bulkiest of the lot, this pillow provides the most neck support, fitting snugly with an adjustable clip at the chin to keep it in place.
A rear rubber grip will stop it from slipping from the headrest and the dense memory foam keeps your head firmly in place.
It comes with a hand carry pouch.
Price: £24.99
Go Travel Super Foot Rest
OK, this isn’t a neck pillow, but we were never going to do a round-up of footrests.
This inflatable footrest claims it can help prevent DVT, along with “in-flight swelling”.
It inflates quickly, and has a top layer of fleece.
Good if you have plenty of legroom. If not, you can always half inflate it and use it for lumbar support.
Price: £12.99
J-pillow
You could easily mistake this for a soft toy if you didn’t know it was a pillow.
“Shaped like a 3D letter J”, the website says it can be used in seven different ways, but after trying a few, I found none particularly comfortable.
It isn’t firm or substantial enough to offer much support, though the velour cover is soft, and available in lime green, grey, pink, red and navy.
A loop strap at the back can be used to attach it to luggage.
Price: £39.95
Trtl Travel Pillow
Resembling a scarf more than a pillow, trtl (pronounced… oh, you get it) says that 9 out of 10 people choose this pillow over U-shaped versions.
The fabric must be wrapped quite tightly around the neck to provide any support, which comes from a neck brace-like contraption that cradles the jaw. This sounds strange – so have a look at the video below which after a lot of people jumping around with the joy of being able to travel, at the end has a picture of someone putting on the scarf / pillow
The fabric is made from hypoallergenic fleece and is available in grey, red, black and coral.
Price: £19.95
