Travel pillow

I use a blow-up type neck rest. It is very light-weight, is easy to use, then deflates and takes up very little space.

The inflatable pillows are best if you're looking to save space. I have one, but it's not very comfortable, so I think I'm going to leave it at home this summer.

We use small travel pillows from Wal-Mart....probably made more for car travel....regular type pillows but the mini size. We use small compression bags to squeeze all the air out between uses, to save space.

The Travel Store, on this site, has two different types of Rick Steves travel pillows. I'm going to buy one myself before my Berlin trip.

I tried one of Rick's pillows, the inflatable type, brownish color. Not comfortable at all. Sent it back.

I found 1 on ebay like the donut but has another piece to hold up your chin it's been the best pillow and it' inflatable so takes up no space - I'll try to find the name of it.

Found it www.travelneckpillow.com

The design is super comfortable

Thank you for all the tips. I really like the inflatable travel neck pillow w/headrest, but can't find for sale. There is an inquiry email address on their web site, so maybe I'll try there first. Thanks again!

Carol I got a reply back from him - Rick sells it its the brown 1 that is $8.95

Yep, that's the one Rick sells, and it was not cofortable for me at all. I have to look for something else.

I purchased a blow up pillow from AAA. It takes two breaths to blow it up and about one squeeze to deflate. I love it. It is SO much better than the other ones mentioned on this site. It does go around the neck but you just don't have to almost faint by blowing one up.
Good luck!

I liked it because I tend to drop my head forward and get a terrible neck ache ....sorry it didn't work for you Natasha

I'm glad that this pillow with the neck rest is good. That's the one from Rick's I wanted to get. Glad that one is not uncomfortable.

The question about a good inflatable pillow. I purchased my Eagle Creek RELAX inflatable pillow. I posted earlier that I purchased it through AAA. It takes abut two breaths to blow it up and in deflates with a push of a button. You can also let some of the air out for more comfort. Give it a try. I think you will like it. It is MUCH better than the other ones mentioned on the graffiti wall.
Good luck.
Happy travels.

Besides using the blow-up pillow on the plane, I discovered last trip (in desperation!) that it comes in handy to supplement the cardboard-like hotel pillows. Previously I had tried rolling up towels or putting some extra clothes underneath to raise them up a little bit! At least for me, the inflatable one made a nice difference, and helps justify taking it for "just" the flight when packing light. In the mornings, if we were staying on at the same hotel, I just kept it (blown up) in the suitcase.

I hate Rick's blow up pillow with the neck rest. It didn't fit right.

I liked my rick steves pillow, only problen it leaked after coupleweeks into trip. I hope they will let me return it.

Thought I'd follow up and let everyone know that I purchased the Eagle Creek Comfort travel pillow. It's the two breath blow-up version that was recommended. I went into a local travel store and looked at their offerings and asked for their advice. They sold the Eagle Creek one and Rick's pillow. They've had quite a few problems with Rick's so they recommended the other one. Just FYI...

Re: Eagle Creek pillows, one of the postings (Miss B) here mentions the RELAX, but I could find no such beast (on Amazon or on eaglecreek.com). Perhaps she means the COMFORT?

The Lewis & Clark inflatable travel/neck pillow looks quite similar. Anybody have experience with this one?

I did buy that R.S. pillow for my Berlin trip. It's the same one Nancy has and understand why she does not like it.
I hate to say this since I adore R.S. but the pillow was terrible! Hard to blow into, couldn't get it right.
It's too late for me to send it back now. I waited too long. Waste of money.

I got a travel pillow from Target (luggage section). It is not a blow-up one, so it takes a bit of room, but it is very light. It is one of those stretchy fabrics with little "beads" in it (for lack of a better description). Anyway, I think this pillow is fabulous. It also comes with a case to keep the pillow in.

Not planning on buying a travel pillow for my next trip to Europe but I do plan on making a pillow case to cover the airplane pillow. I understand those are not necessarily always clean. I will fold up it up and take it with me for my return flight, wash it and keep it for my next trip.

Just before leaving for Europe last month I discovered my old Magellan's pillow wouldn't blow up any more so dashed to the local Magellan's store and bought their new version that blows up in two breaths. Added that to the other 75 pounds of stuff we were carrying only to discover that since we'd been able to upgrade to Business Class using credit card points we didn't need to use it. Seats are comfy enough (we flew Air France) that from now on I'll leave neck pillow home if we are on an upgraded flight.

Faith

In preparing for our recent trip, my Mom and I looked and looked and researched and researched. Grrr. We ended up with the Lewis and Clark inflatable neck pillow from Amazon. PERFECT!!! We loved them! In fact, now on my 'short' trips to KS, I don't go without. ha!

I often see those inflatable pillows in the trash at the end of the flight. I think that if you get through both legs of your flight with the same pillow, you've done well.

IKEA sells a small compact travel size regular pillow that comes in a nylon sack with a draw string. It compresses and rolls up pretty small with a draw string top. you could attach it with a biner to your day pack. I think they cost about $2.99. They were in the kid's section, I think.

If you use the pillows provided on the plane...you might want to bring your own clean cover for it. That's what I do. It's kind of unsettling to look down and see a long dark curly hair when yours is long, blonde and straight! Eeeek!

I sewed a small pillowcase and filled it with polyester stuffing. You can use a belt and attach it to the outside of your suitcase/backpack. It lays pretty flat and much better than the airplane. You can make it as full or flat as you want. I also have the blow up neck pillow from AAA that takes two breaths to blow it up and a few seconds to deflate. It is much better than the old inflatable neck pillows that you blow and blow and blow! Ouch, my checks hurt and I get dizzy. It looks like a lot of opinions. It is easy to make your own and test it at home before you leave.

This is meant in a lighthearted way... but "what a bunch of girly men" LOL

I bought a six dollar blow up that I have used for the last 3 yrs. It hasn't leaked yet and it sure seemed alot comfier then the airline blocks of foam, I always think I have it lucky to have one no matter how funny I look " wearing it" .. LOL

I do think the ones stuffed with beads look comfier, but I do not want the extra space taken up in my luggage .

I've tried many types, but my favorite is made from memory foam with a velor-type fabric on the outside. Very soft and comfortable. And I can squish it down so it will stuff into the bottom of my backpack. I got it at Walmart for $10 (but that was a couple years ago). I didn't like the blow-up type because they always had a plastic edging around it that rubbed on my neck and hurt.

I would go with the blow up pillow. It's relatively cheap, light and takes up little room in your luggage. They get a lot more comfortable after a few hours in an economy cabin seat. You can also wrap a pillow case or sweater around them to get rid of the akward plastic feel.

Don't blow them up fully. They are more comfortable when not fully inflated. If you inflate them fully before take-off, they will leak by the time you get to altitude because the air inside expands as you climb. I always see people complaining about their pillow leaking the first time they used it.

I bought the inflatable one from brookstone which is VERY comfortable! however, it was made for a person that is bigger than me I think. So, I may buy a different one for my next trip, but I will for sure be getting it from brookstone.

Carol: Glad you got the Eagle Creek 2-breath one. That's the one I have - have had it for years, taken it on many flights, and it's the best inflatable travel pillow I've had yet. (And I've gone through many of them. The Rick's ones, I'm sad to say, are not very good quality - started to leak air after only a few uses. And the side headrest pillow is a bit awkward).

I bought a neat travel pillow from L. L. Bean. I bought it on line and it has been very comfortable and you roll it up when you don't need it and can either attach to your suitcase or carry it. On a recent trip to Greece, I also told my traveling companions about it and they also bought one. I have used it on all the flights I now take. It is small, easy to roll up and very comfortable. It was only $19.99. You can order on line.

Mary
CA

The inflatable neck pillow worked very well all the time. I like it because I can rest my neck/head on the side, instead of hand or even "falling" down.

Anyone ever tried one of these?

"Inflatable Komfort Kollar"

http://www.magellans.com/store/In_Flight_Comfort___Pillows_and_BlanketsIF383?Args=

Looks like it should do the trick, but would be interested in opinions from anyone who has used it. Thanks.

I use the temper-pedic one from Brookstone. It does take up space, but not having a sore neck for the next several days is worth it.

Here's what my wife and I do so that we have comfort in flight and staying in away from home. We use the large size Eaglecreek Folder (20"). It compresses two pillows into the space of a mid size carryon bag. Once we are in flight. We pop it open and have our own pillows which is very comforting. Before landing, we repack the pillows in the folder and are good to go.

That sounds like it's way too large for my tastes. Whatever solution I choose, it's got to pack down into a VERY small space (I'm thinking no larger than about the size of a softball).

I'm almost convinced to give the Komfort Kollar a try...

It does look interesting -- let us know how it works out.

Check out the SkyRest inflatable pillow from skymall.com. I love mine. It is a bit conspicuous, but it the most comfortable travel pillow I've tried. It can be used as a foot rest, too.

That one looks interesting, but I see two potentially significant downsides to it...
1) How big is it when you've collapsed it? I'm going to be lugging whatever "pillow" I end up using across Europe. Being able to pack down small is very important.
2) It rests on your seat tray, which is attached to the seat in front of you. Every time the person in the seat in front of you moves, you will be jostled (and vice-versa), which for me means waking up (light sleeper). Seems like this might be a bit of a pain.
Did you not find these issues problematic?

I pulled the tray toward me and didn't notice when the person in front of me moved. My travel partner used his pillow partially inflated propped against the window. The deflated pillow fit in my small backpack.
I was concerned about how long it would take to inflate it, but the system works well. It is about 6o-70% self-inflating.

Oh, I have no doubt that the deflated pillow will fit in a backpack. The question is, how small is it? I have plenty of other stuff I'll be carrying around, and I'm not willing to bring a travel pillow if it won't compress down small enough. How small? I'm thinking...about the size of a softball/grapefruit is about all I'm willing to carry (doesn't necessarily have to be round, but the volume needs to be roughly equivalent).

Guess you'd better make sure you're in a window seat with this one, huh?

B~

After trying a few different things I find that a neck roll filled with micro poly beads works best for my neck. This is not the kind that wraps around your neck, but is shaped like a fat tube. You can find them online if you google it.

I also really like to take eye shades, ear plugs and 1mg of Ativan so I can get a nice snooze before landing! lol

I bought a Nap pillow at Brookstone about three years ago and I love it. I had tried a Temperpedic one, but I felt like it was strangling me -- it was too tight. The Nap is a little bulky, but weights nothing. I hook it on the handle of my carry-on, so it doesn't take up any room in my luggage. The Nap is not cheap -- it's around $20 I think -- but it holds up well. If you divide the price by multiple trips, it's pretty expensive. I had a hard time sleeping on planes until I got it, so it was definitely worth it for me.

I've tried several through the years, including inflatables but about a year ago I came across www.atouchofsatin.com and they have the most beautiful, comfortable travel pillows around. The pillowcase is made from satin and they have these unique patterns and prints on them. The pillow is designed to feel like down yet it is hypoallergenic and completely washable. The satin pillowcase is sooo smooth and feels so good on your face. Satin is suppose to be great for your hair and skin. The satin lets your hair glide across so you don't get off the plane or train with travel bedhead. It looks as good as it did before you left to travel. I like how unique they look. If you're looking for something that classy yet comfortable and wears great then I would check them out. I hope this helps you. Good luck!

I recently tried the inflatable "Komfort Kollar" (sold by Magellans). Not perfect, but pretty good -- more effective and more comfortable than any of the other "travel pillows" I've tried. It does squash down into a very small size when not in use (this is critical to me - I'm not going to drag a large pillow around with me across Europe). Overall, I thought it was a good alternative.

Hi David:

Do you mind if I ask if you got the inflatable Komfort Kollar or the non-inflatable kind?

Also, if you've also used U-shaped pillows in the past, how did the Komfort Kollar compare? Would you be able to lean against the window to sleep, for instance, with the Komfort Kollar, like you could with a U-shaped pillow?

I got the inflatable version. To me, it has to be able to collapse down very small (I figure, after all, you only use it for a few hours coming and going...I'm not going to lug around a bulky, non-collapsable pillow across Europe).

I have used the U-shaped pillows previously. I think those are better than nothing, but they never worked well for me - every time I would start to nod off, my head would flop over and I'd wake up. With the Komfort Kollar, the whole point is that your head isn't going to anywhere - it's supported all around so it stays more or less upright (no flopping, no waking up). I suppose you could try and lean against the window, but I think the pillow is designed for you to just kind of slouch a bit in your seat and remain sitting/slouching with your head more or less upright. It took me a bit of futzing to get the right inflation level (about 95% for me) and tightness (velcro strap around the neck allows some degree of adjustment).

Overall, I was fairly satisfied with it.

I have a pillow I bought at Brookstone; I think the brand is Nap. It's very soft, makes no noise, and weighs nothing. I just hook it around the handle of my carry-on. It's great.

Thanks, David. I may give it a try.

Bucky.com makes a few different travel pillows. Their Utopia is filled with buckwheat hulls which are great for support. I suppose they could seam nosy, I usually pair it with eyeshades and earplugs on the plane, so I don't notice. You could try their inflatable Gusto or their fuzzy wuzzy (this is filled with the quieter millet).

I have used a "bladder" from a box of wine. Seriously. Inflate throught the spigot after sucking every last drop of bulk plonk. Recycling at it's best! They also work well as bath pillows. Throw away at your destination. Works for me!