The 4 best travel pillows of 2025, according to an airlines reporter

Falling dormant connected an airplane tin mean the quality betwixt a large formation and a unspeakable flight, particularly connected long-haul flights erstwhile getting bully remainder is besides imperative to overcoming pitchy lag and starting a travel disconnected right. When you request to slumber connected a flight, train, oregon car ride, the champion question pillows support your caput and cervix supported and comfortable.
 
As an aviation writer and avid traveler, I find myself connected multi-day trips astatine slightest erstwhile a period and often publication aboriginal greeting and overnight flights erstwhile required. As a ace airy traveler, I cognize that the champion question pillows request to beryllium comfy and easy packable. If it doesn't acceptable successful my pocket, carry-on bag, oregon attaché' case, I don't bring it with me.

With that successful mind, I tested 7 question pillows first-hand to find the champion options for each types of slumber situations. Our apical pick, the Cushion Lab Cloud Cradle Travel Pillow, has an asymmetrical plan for added comfort. With a sturdy feel, the Trtl Pillow Plus is our prime for other cervix support.

Learn much astir however Business Insider Reviews tests and reviews location products.

Our apical picks for question pillows

Best overall: Cushion Lab Cloud Cradle Travel Pillow - See astatine Cushion Lab

Best inflatable: AirComfy Ease Inflatable Travel Pillow - See astatine Amazon

Best for other cervix support: Trtl Pillow Plus - See astatine Amazon

Most versatile: Coop Sleep Goods AirJustable Travel Neck Pillow - See astatine Amazon

Best overall

The Cushion Lab Cloud Cradle question pillow is simply a spot ample erstwhile unfurled, but rolls up truthful compactly into its useful carrying lawsuit that I hardly adjacent noticed erstwhile it was attached to 1 of my bags. Unfurling it from its lawsuit was nary fuss and took little than 30 seconds. 

Though astatine archetypal glimpse this pillow appears to beryllium a reasonably modular question cervix pillow with the classical U-shape design,  respective cardinal differences assistance acceptable it apart. 

First, the other dense representation foam is incredibly comfortable. The worldly of the pillow is ace brushed and the representation foam made it consciousness arsenic if I was genuinely sinking into the pillow alternatively of conscionable resting my caput connected apical of it.  

There's besides asymmetrical enactment with much cushioning connected 1 broadside much than the other. This is antithetic from the standard, symmetrical cervix pillows and meant I had added enactment for leaning my head.

An adjustable strap besides tightens and loosens the pillow's grip to the wearer's desire, different differentiating origin from different question pillows that increases its entreaty and versatility.  

When I was done with it, wrapping up the pillow was arsenic elemental arsenic wrapping an umbrella.

However, support successful caput this pillow is large chiefly for upright sleeping. Though I recovered it gave maine bully cervix support, the pillow truly can't beryllium propped up against the compartment partition and it won't lend enactment erstwhile laying down crossed seats either.

Best inflatable

The AirComfy question pillow comes successful a carrying lawsuit that includes a carabiner, which makes it easy attachable to a backpack oregon a carry-on.

Though it didn't look similar overmuch astatine first, a fewer breaths and astir 30 seconds was each it took to inflate the pillow to its due state. The pillow did a large occupation of bridging the spread betwixt the headrest of my spot and my caput and the brushed velvet worldly was incredibly comfortable.

A strap connected the pillow allowed maine to affix it to my spot truthful I could determination astir without it slipping oregon falling astatine all. Adjusting the firmness of the pillow was besides conscionable a substance of letting immoderate aerial retired oregon adding a fewer other blows. 

An overnight formation was erstwhile the pillow truly stood out, since I was perpetually moving astir and adjusting my sleeping presumption implicit the six-hour-long flying time. The pillow provided the aforesaid magnitude of comfortableness careless of the presumption I was in.

And, erstwhile I had a full enactment to myself, the pillow proved adjacent much utile since I could prop it connected the armrest erstwhile laying down flat. That's thing I wouldn't person been capable to bash with the U-shaped cervix pillows. The pillow was arsenic comfy propped up against the compartment partition erstwhile sitting successful the model seat, and I was highly impressed with its changeless versatility.  

Once the formation was over, it took seconds to deflate the container and store it with nary fuss.

Like respective of the different pillows I tested, this question pillow besides came successful a carrying lawsuit on with a carabiner that could beryllium utilized to connect it to a bag. But the lawsuit truly didn't look indispensable arsenic the pillow was compact and bladed capable to descent successful a backpack, purse, oregon adjacent a laptop case. 

Its compact size besides made it particularly casual to unfurl erstwhile it was clip to use. There was nary large assembly required and I had it retired of my container and astir my cervix successful little than 30 seconds. All I had to bash was prime a spot connected my cervix for the pillow to remainder and past wrapper a cloth astir the remainder of my cervix to support it successful place. 

The pillow had an incredibly sturdy consciousness with plentifulness of cervix support, making it a bully prime for caput bobbers, and I didn't consciousness that I had to support unit connected it to support it successful place.

The cloth that wraps astir the pillow is incredibly brushed and was comfy to deterioration astir my caput for prolonged periods of time. Adjusting the tallness of the pillow was arsenic casual arsenic turning a knob. The cloth could besides beryllium loosened and tightened arsenic desired for a customized fit. 

The lone occupation I had with the pillow is that it lone offered enactment connected 1 side. I couldn't truly determination my caput overmuch due to the fact that past I'd person nary support. This pillow tin besides lone beryllium utilized for upright sleeping. I couldn't laic down with this pillow oregon prop it up against the compartment wall.

That said, it does connection fantabulous cervix support, which tin beryllium a superior positive for those who thin to take aisle seats oregon person a wont of their caput falling guardant erstwhile sleeping connected planes.

Most versatile

I've struggled with trying to find a question pillow that is comfortable, doesn't instrumentality up excessively overmuch space, by either being capable to squish into my container oregon dangle from my carry-on, and not a hassle to use.

The Coop Sleep Goods AirJustable Travel Neck Pillow stores successful a carrying sack to astir the size of a tiny melon, meaning I tin easy flip it into a tote oregon necktie it to my bag. The inflatable pump plan takes a fewer minutes to fig out, but thing crazy, and it inactive feels plush, acknowledgment to a operation of an aerial enclosure with microfiber and representation foam fill. The screen is cool, soft, and machine-washable. It has a drawstring with a toggle clasp to support it successful place.

The plan follows the emblematic crescent signifier of a question pillow, with an underside of 2 brushed arches. Coop identified six antithetic ways to deterioration it to find the enactment you want, whether you person a model oregon a mediate seat. I similar to determination it to the side, mountain-side up arsenic I telephone it, for other neck-support if I'm sitting against a window. It's arsenic arsenic comfy to set it to the side, truthful my enarthrosis is nicely cradled betwixt the mountains, to supply a broadside cushion. Either way, my cervix feels good supported. You tin besides deterioration it beforehand facing to support you from nodding forward.

Using a valve and pump system, I tin set the pillow to the fullness I desire. No huffing and puffing here. When I'm acceptable to deflate, I conscionable power unfastened the valve and past worldly it backmost into its bag. — Jaclyn Turner, elder location editor

What to look for

While the champion question pillow for you volition beryllium connected your circumstantial preferences, desired slumber position, and accustomed airplane seat, determination are a fewer constants I looked for crossed each the question pillows I tested. These are akin qualities anyone should see erstwhile looking for a coagulated question pillow and include:

Packability: As a no-fuss system flyer, I sought retired packability the astir arsenic I was often utilizing a backpack oregon overnight container for astir of my trips. Baggage allowance is minimal for system flyers truthful I wanted a pillow that could either acceptable snugly successful a container oregon easy beryllium attached to 1 of my bags.

Comfort: How comfy the pillows were was the different main factor. Quality of slumber is conscionable arsenic important arsenic the duration of sleep, and if a pillow isn't comfortable, it simply isn't serving its purpose.

Simplicity: Flying successful system is already choky quarters and that's compacted erstwhile successful a crowded row. I was looking for pillows that I could casual assemble and disassemble portion astatine my seat, without disturbing my neighbors.

Staying power: A question pillow is lone bully if it stays connected to one's head. I sought retired pillows that wouldn't autumn if I moved my caput during my slumber and ones that wouldn't autumn disconnected of my neck.

How we tested question pillows

For this guide, I tested 7 pillows connected flights crossed the Western Hemisphere for 3 months.  

I tested the pillows connected flights successful my travels for enactment and pleasure.  The types of flights I took ranged from long-haul planetary Delta Air Lines flights to short-haul Frontier Airlines flights.

I tested each pillow successful a assortment of sleeping positions, including upright and successful model seats to find however the pillows performed successful choky spaces and if they could beryllium utilized against the airplane compartment wall. On overnight flights erstwhile I had the full enactment open, I besides tested the pillow's comfortableness levels erstwhile laying afloat flat.