Neck pillows

What neck pillows are

Neck pillows, also called travel pillows, support the neck in a sitting position. Most wrap around the back of the neck in a U shape; others wrap like a scarf or brace the head from one side.

• Built for sitting up: Asleep in a seat, the head tilts or slumps and strains the neck; a travel pillow aims to keep it in line with the spine.
• Smaller than a bed pillow: They tuck behind or around the neck, and most pack into a pouch or clip onto a bag.
• Not only for planes: People use them on trains, as car passengers, and at home while watching TV or working at a computer.
• Who makes them: Cabeau, Trtl, Travelrest, Ostrichpillow, Coop Sleep Goods, Bcozzy and Pluto are among the brands most often tested.

How they work

A neck pillow fills the space between your neck and the headrest. Raised sides stop the head from tipping sideways; a front support or a strap stops it from nodding forward.

• Side support: Raised sides block sideways bending of the neck, which Dr. Carla Fischer of NYU Langone Spine Center calls the most important movement to prevent.
• A flat back: A thin, flat back sits flush with the seat, so the pillow does not push the head forward.
• Chin and front support: A front clasp, strap or overlapping ends catch the chin when the head drops forward.
• Memory foam: Higher-density memory foam softens with body heat and molds to the neck within a few minutes.
• Air chambers: Inflatable pillows let you set the firmness with more or less air, and pack flat when empty.
• An internal brace: Trtl hides a plastic support inside a fleece wrap that you fasten around the neck like a scarf.
• Seat straps: Cabeau’s Evolution S3 has straps that loop around the headrest to hold the pillow, and your head, in place.

Types

• U-shaped memory foam: The classic horseshoe filled with foam, such as the Cabeau Evolution S3 and Travelrest Nest Ultimate.
• Inflatable: An air bladder you blow or pump up; Coop’s AirJustable combines air with shredded memory foam and fiber.
• Scarf-style brace: A thin fleece wrap with a support on one side, like the Trtl, suited to sleepers who lean to one side.
• Wraparound with chin support: Overlapping ends cradle the chin from several angles, as on the Bcozzy, for heads that nod forward.
• Microbead and fiber fill: Beads or polyester fiber feel softer and cushier than foam and shift with you.
• Hooded: The Pluto POD adds a padded hood and a pull-down eye mask to a 360° neck support.
• Body slings: Worn across the body and hooked over the headrest, they support the upper body for leaning to one side.

What to look for

• Side height: In-flight wellness expert Wainani Arnold says “the sides should come up to the height of your earlobes.”
• A thin, grippy back: Keep the back flat, about 1–2 in thick at most; a thick back pushes the neck forward, and a grippy one stops sliding.
• Firm enough: A sleep researcher told Wirecutter most travel pillows are too soft; a chiropractor told The Strategist medium to medium-firm foam supports without letting you sink in.
• Packability: Look for one that compresses into a sack or clips to your bag; inflatables pack smallest.
• A washable cover: Planes can be dirty, so choose a cover that comes off and goes in the washing machine.
• Heat: Memory foam holds body heat; breathable covers and open designs run cooler.
• Fit and headphones: A good pillow should not press on headphones; some come in sizes, and Ostrichpillow’s Go Small suits shorter necks and over-ear headphones.

On the plane and on the trip

• Security screening: TSA allows pillows in carry-on and checked bags; the officer at the checkpoint has the final say.
• Not your personal item: Review sites say most airlines don’t count a neck pillow as your personal item, especially if you wear it on board; check your airline.
• Pick by seat: In a middle or aisle seat, a wraparound or braced pillow stops head drop on both sides; at the window, a softer U shape suits leaning.
• Seat straps: Cabeau’s straps loop around the headrest; a Condé Nast Traveller editor notes short travelers may not be able to reach it.
• Inflate on board: Inflatables take little room in a bag; Coop says its AirJustable inflates in under 30 seconds.
• Packing: Cabeau’s case shrinks its pillow to a third of its size and clips to luggage; Travelrest’s stuff sack ties to a telescoping handle.
• On the road: Car headrests are designed for safety, not comfort; a neck pillow adds cushioning for passengers on long drives.

Limits and care

• Can push the head forward: U-shaped pillows can force the head forward and stiffen the neck, especially when the back is thick.
• Heat: Memory foam retains body heat and can feel warm after a few hours.
• Not for young children: Cabeau says its adult pillows are too big to support children under 13; kids’ versions exist.
• Bulk: Foam and fiber pillows are harder to pack than inflatables, which deflate flat.
• Washing the cover: Most covers go in the machine on cool, about 30 °C (86 °F); follow the label for drying, and fasten hook-and-loop strips first.
• Never wash the foam: Cabeau, Ostrichpillow and Coop say to wipe or spot-clean the core; Pluto warns its foam will disintegrate in the washer.
• Storage: Don’t store foam pillows compressed between trips; Cabeau says more than a month can keep the foam from returning to shape.

A short history

People have used pillows since about 7,000 BC in Mesopotamia, and ancient Egyptians rested their heads on wooden or stone headrests. A pillow made for sleeping sitting up came much later.

• January 1870: Edward G. Fast of Washington, D.C., patents a sleeping cushion for travelers: a nearly semicircular air or stuffed cushion worn around the neck.
• 1966: Memory foam is developed under a NASA Ames Research Center contract to make aircraft cushions safer.
• Early 1980s: NASA releases memory foam to the public domain, opening it to commercial makers.
• May 2001: A U.S. patent is granted for a compact U-shaped travel pillow with adjustable fill that is fully washable.
• May 2017: A patent filed in 2012 is granted for a U-shaped pillow with raised sides and a thin, flat back that sits flush against a headrest.