The Best Travel Pillows
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Louryn-Strampe.jpg)
-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Louryn-Strampe.jpg)
-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Louryn-Strampe.jpg)
Travel pillows are one of those things that you don’t really know you need until you wish you had it. I’ve searched far and wide for the best options. I looked for pillows with good neck support, a comfortable fit, and soft fabrics that hold up well over time. I didn’t think it would ever be truly easy to take a nap on a plane, but a few of these picks—like the Turtl ($65) and Cabeau Evolution ($30)—helped me do exactly that, even as an anxious flier.
Be sure to check out our other travel-related buying guides, including the Best Luggage, Best Carry-On Luggage, Best Laptop Backpacks, Best Toiletry Bags, and How to Fly With Only a Personal Item.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.
How We Tested
I’m a side sleeper who has a hard time falling asleep outside of my own bed. I tried my darndest to nap on each of these pillows a few different times, in a mix of testing environments, including airplanes (in middle and window seats), buses, the passenger seat of a car, and sitting up on my couch. I also tried each pillow with over-ear headphoness and earbuds.
- Photograph: Matt Jancer
Best for Most People
Travelrest Nest Ultimate Travel PillowThe Travelrest Nest Pillow (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is nearly perfect. It has an actually flat back covered in grippy dots that worked well for me on a bus and in a car despite my short frame, and there’s a hook-and-loop fastener on the front ends of the pillow to catch your chin and better support your head. The high 5-inch sides are nice for resting on if you’re typically a side sleeper, though they can get in the way of over-ear headphoness. The whole thing is covered in soft microfiber. The cover is removable and washable. It also comes with a stuff sack and compresses down into a surprisingly small package.
As former WIRED reviewer Matt Jancer noted in his review, the stuff sack doesn’t have an attachment point. You’ll either have to cram it in your bags or rig something up in order to attach it to the outside of a backpack or your luggage. Other than that small point though, this affordable pillow is well suited to anyone in the market.
Material Memory foam Washable? Yes (cover) - Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Most Luxurious
Honeydew Sleep The Scrumptious Travel PillowThis is a travel pillow in the loosest of terms. Even compressed into its included stuff sack, the cylinder measures about a foot long and 8 or so inches across. It’s a smaller version of our favorite curved side sleeper pillow, and it is downright luxurious (with a price tag to match). Once unfurled, the pillow measures 21 inches by 12 inches. The drawstring carrying case does have a strap that doubles as a loop for your suitcase handle, but there’s no way you could take this thing on a plane unless it counted as your personal item. The pillow itself is comfortable, as evidenced by my getting a solid night’s sleep on it in a hotel (and on my couch).
Sometimes I have to fluff it around to evenly disperse the inner copper foam filling, but once it’s situated, it feels closer to a normal bed pillow than any other I’ve tried. And there’s a zipper on the pillow itself so you can remove foam if you’d like. The pillowcase is silky-soft and easy to remove for cleaning. I plan on bringing this camping, since I usually lug along my full-size pillow, and this is like a smaller version of that. It’d also be great if you typically find hotel pillows to be too soft, since it’s medium-firm and more supportive. It can be a little awkward to cram into its carrying case, but if you’ve got room to spare, or you don’t like the usual foam travel pillows, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Material Copper foam Washable? Yes (cover)
-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Louryn-Strampe.jpg)
- Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Comfort Over Looks
Trtl Neck PillowI’m sorry, but I find this travel pillow hideous. It’s just so big and dorky. But damn if it isn’t effective. It’s actually really comfortable. It’s sort of like a scarf that you wrap around your neck, with a built-in frame that cradles your head securely and comfortably. The scarf part is nice and made of soft fleece, similar to other travel scarves or blankets. The hook-and-loop attachment point isn’t too loud when you adjust it, so you won’t disturb your neighbors. The Trtl comes in a few colors depending on where you purchase from. I’m usually a side sleeper, and I found that I was able to get comfy and doze off while using this pillow—even on an airplane as a sometimes-fearful flier. Once you get the ideal tightness and positioning, it‘s stable and warm. And I woke up with zero neck pain.
The Trtl comes with a carrying case that I don’t love: The carabiner is small, and the pillow flops around uselessly—I accidentally whacked a few people with it in the airport when it was attached to my backpack before deciding to just rearrange my bag and cram it inside. The pillow itself is too bulky to be stored easily. Because of the built-in frame, it’s not squishy or compressible or flat. But if you don’t overpack your belongings or you find other travel pillows difficult to use, the Trtl might be exactly what you’re looking for. I’ll definitely be using it again—even though it makes me a tad self-conscious. One thing to note is that the Trtl is not compatible in the slightest with over-ear headphoness. If you’ve got earbuds, you should be fine, but if you prefer over-ears and want to be able to listen to music while you nap, try a different pillow.
Materials Fleece, foam Washable? Yes (remove insert first) - Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Best Blanket-Pillow Combination
Coalatree Puffy Kachula Adventure BlanketThe Coalatree Puffy Kachula is primarily an outdoor blanket. With bold patterns, a silky, water-resistant ripstop nylon shell, a 48- by 71-inch footprint, and a built-in optional hood, it makes a great camping companion. There are handy snaps built in to secure the blanket around your front, superhero-style. But you can stuff the whole thing in on itself to convert it to a travel pillow. I tested it on my floor with a camping pad, and it wasn’t as fantastic as something like the Honeydew pillow (above), but it wasn’t definitely more comfy than typical camping-style pillows.
In pillow mode, it can be a little lumpy until you rearrange the blanket innards, but the zippers are durable, and there’s plenty of room, so you aren’t stuck trying to cram excess material in. And once you get it arranged to your liking, it is super comfortable. Pillow mode also has a loop near the zipper for a carabiner. If you camp frequently, this would be a smart purchase. It’ll double as an extra layer if needed, or a softer place to rest your head at night.
Materials Recycled ripstop nylon with DWR coating, ComforMax insulation Washable? Yes (spot cleaning recommended, but machine washing is OK when necessary)
-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Louryn-Strampe.jpg)
-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Louryn-Strampe.jpg)
- Photograph: Louryn Strampe
The Budget-Friendly Pick
Cabeau Evolution Earth Neck PillowCabeau’s Evolution Earth neck pillow is covered in RPET, a super-soft, washable fabric made with recycled plastic bottles. The pillow offers excellent, high sides and a comfortable, firm fit. Like some other pillows in this guide, it can be tricky to use this pillow with over-ear headphoness. The back is flat, so in theory it could rest on a seat, though I found it a bit awkward based on my height when I tried it on a bus and plane. (Seat backs rarely work as intended for me.) There’s a chin strap that prevents your head from falling forward.
It took me many attempts to get this “HeadCatch” technology to work, and I didn’t find it super comfortable once it was strapped under my chin, but if you’re a forward-leaner, it’s a nice touch. (I, thankfully, am not.) I wish it came with a travel case, though you can pay an extra $5 to get one included. These caveats aside, once I got the pillow adjusted to where I wanted it, I was able to fall asleep. It was nice and firm without being too stiff, and I woke up feeling refreshed despite having spent the past hour on a bus.
Materials Memory foam, RPET cover Washable? Yes (cover)
-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Louryn-Strampe.jpg)
