Does anyone else find the seats on planes very uncomfortable at the neck after awhile? No lumbar support and the head portion makes it feel like it’s pushing your head forward. Who designs these chairs? Anyway, I have a blow up neck cushion, but was wondering if there is anything that addresses this uncomfortable head position. I suppose a travel pillow might help, but I use that for the small of my back.
Seats on planes are hideous, they hold your head in a forward position while your back in a rounded slumped position. I have a blow up seat bottom / seat back cushion that comes with a belt to hold it in place to the chair. I use the belt around my middle to hold it in place to my back. Also the neck rings that are sold for in places like CVS for neck injuries work way better that blow up pillows.
Yes, I agree. And those donut neck pillows just make it worse for me, regardless of how I use them. I used this pillow on one trip and it was helpful. I still don’t get much sleep on a plane.
Travelrest Ultimate Travel Pillow & Neck Pillow - Straps to Airplane Seat & Car - Best Accessory for Plane, Auto, Bus, Train, Office Napping, Camping, Wheelchairs (Rolls Up Small) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DYDAEK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JBR06DDY3B5YSERCMB12?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I’m going to try the trtle pillow on my next flight. I’ll report back.
Carol, I used the trtl for a couple of trips because my normal sleep position is sleeping on my stomach and occasionally my side. It helped me sleep somewhat because I could lean my head forward and slightly sideways because of the plastic curved “boning”. The fabric mimicked having a nice blanket for sleeping.
What I didn’t like is that the curved boning became a nuisance when I was toting it around Europe during my trips. Since it doesn’t lay flat, it was a constant lump in my daypack. So, I would give it a thumbs up on a trip where you stay in just a couple of lodging locations but a thumbs down if you move around a lot & travel by train.
I suggest you consider Premium Economy. These seats are very good, if you pick the right airlines. Many come with a leg rest. Essentially, they are "mini Business class" seats.
Joanne, that’s exactly right. It’s thrusts your head forward while rounding the back. I found just a 4 hour flight to LA last month I was having to sit up straight for awhile to alleviate the pain in my neck mostly.
Doesn’t the seat cushion with back force your body forward , so leg room is really at a minimal? Do you know what you use? I’m thinking of some sort of inflatable backrest to “fill in” the space beaten where my head is positioned and my spine.
Because I am vertically challenged, I have even worse problem because the headrest is positioned for an average sized person (above my height range) and is useless to me, plus my feet don't rest comfortably on the floor. I have a small foot hammock that hangs off the tray table that helps with the foot situation and I use the airline pillow and sometimes the blanket for back support. My constant challenge is finding a neck pillow that is comfortable. The Trtl style did not work for me and, the Travelrest pillow linked above was ok, though unwieldy size-wise when it is blown up (though it does pack up better than the Trtl). My next trip I'm going to try BCozzy pillow which takes up a lot of space for something I won't use while in Europe, but I'm hoping it will be better option. I also have given up believing I will get any good sleep on a plane - I just accept (and plan for) a sleepless night and don't try to do too much on arrival day. Some day maybe I'll splurge on a lie flat first class seat, but for now cattle class is it for me. Best of luck to you!
The headrest portion of many seats is totally ridiculous. One of those things that you wonder if any designer ever sat in them. You would have to recline your seat way beyond what is available to make use of that angle. The airlines could change that and it would go,a long way to get a better seat. And, that without doing anything else. They could keep the same seat pitch.
Airline seating design is all the rage and yet this simple change could do more than they think. However, it seems no one is actually thinking.
I started using "donut" shaped travel pillows backwards and this has made a huge improvement for me. The pillow needs to have some point of closure, whether it is a snap or something else, to keep it falling off forward from my neck, but I have found that using it backwards keeps my head from falling down. Also, because the thickest part of the pillow is now under my chin instead of in back of my head, it is way more comfortable than having my head pushed forward with the thick foam.
I have a self-inflatable back support pillow from the Relax the Back store that helps my neck position as well by putting my spine in a supported position. I still use an inflatable U shape neck pillow too.
I agree with Joanne1108's post above about using a cervical collar or neck brace. I use one to sleep sitting up and it keeps my head from falling sideways or forward. It doesn't have a lot of padding at the back, which should help with the seat pushing you forward. Drawback: it does not collapse because it is made of foam. Using a neck pillow