Looking for a new pillow? Check out our guide to the best pillows we've tested this year and find the perfect match for your sleep.
I’m no stranger to trying out new sleep hacks — as a Sleep Features Editor, it’s part of my job. From mouth taping and magnetic nose strips, to sleeping on the best mattress of the year, I’m always on the look out for products and gadgets that will supercharge my sleep.
First up was the Huzi Infinity Pillow. After doing the rounds on social media and clocking up millions of likes, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about and whether this really was ‘the best pillow’ you can buy.
I was not impressed. Especially when the sleep and mattress sales mean you can get a much better product for a fraction of the price. Here’s why.
What is the Huzi Infinity Pillow?
The Huzi Infinity Pillow has many different use cases, although it’s most commonly known as a travel pillow. The ‘Infinity’ name comes from the circular design — it’s one long loop filled with polyester in a cover made up of 60% nylon and 40% rayon made from bamboo.
Versatility is its USP. The wrap-around design means you can have 360 degree support, as well as creating many other shapes to suit your environment, supposedly making sleep on the go easier.
With the TikTok below racking up an impressive 30 million views and 2 million likes, the pillow quickly went viral as a chic alternative to more basic travel pillows.
My first impressions
When the Huzi Infinity Pillow arrived, I was excited. It was beautifully packaged, and had a stunning color and a chic design. A refreshing change from the kind of cheap, flimsy travel accessories you normally see.
It felt soft, it looked good and I was excited to try it out. I popped it into my carry on and then the first doubt kicked in. It was big. And there was no way to make it smaller.
But I had no backup, and the next day I was catching a 10 hour flight from Heathrow to Phoenix, Arizona. I’d have to put it to the test.
3 reasons why the infinity pillow sucked on a long-haul flight
It didn’t stay in place
While I initially thought the super soft, silky material would make the Infinity more comfortable than its competitors, I was wrong.
It was so slippy that no matter how I positioned the ‘support scarf’ it just slipped in a different direction. Cue a frustrating 10 hours of repositioning, bunching and stuffing.
Not only did my head slip away from the pillow, but the pillow slipped away from the headrest of my seat too.
It didn’t offer enough support
For a $50 travel pillow, I expected the utmost support, not like those flimsy $10 pillows you find in the airport. But there just wasn’t enough fill.
Even when I wrapped the pillow around my neck multiple times, it either hung too loose or strangled me. This is largely because the loft of the pillow was too low — I wish it came with additional fill to plump it up.
I settled on a double loop around my neck, but there was so little fill that my head hung too far to the side, straining my neck. I woke up in pain and frustration. Why had these pillows gone viral? Who was saying they worked?
It took up too much space
Even though the pillow came beautifully wrapped in a circle and secured with a high-quality Velcro strap, it still took up a lot of space. I felt like I couldn’t fit anything else in my carry-on luggage and I couldn’t even close my bag.
Plus, when I went to wrap it back up after the flight, getting it back into the tight circle it was delivered in proved difficult — especially with the lack of space an airline seat comes with.
I managed to create a shape that somewhat resembled a circle, but alas, the silky material meant it quickly unraveled and I was dashing through an airport with a ‘support scarf’ hanging out of my bag.
The Huzi Infinity Pillow: My verdict
You’ve probably already guessed my verdict: I’m not a fan of the Huzi Infinity Pillow. I feel like the rave reviews are from people who haven’t given it a proper go on a long-haul flight… or people who are living it large in a comfortable first-class bed.
For upright sleeping, this pillow isn’t a good investment. And it only rubbed salt in the wound when I looked over to my friend who managed to clock up five hours of peaceful sleep on the flight using her $10 travel pillow from Home Bargains.
Is a cheap alternative better?
After discussing this experience with my team of sleep experts (i.e. the Tom’s Guide Sleep Team), it seems cheaper alternatives are performing a lot better. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, as the saying goes.
"I bought a cheap inflatable neck pillow to see me through a 24-hour flight to Australia and 10 years later it's helped me sleep on numerous airplane, bus and train journeys,” says Ruth Jones, our Senior Sleep Writer.
“While inflating it is a small nuisance, it does mean I can adjust the feel to suit my needs and I can also deflate it and pack it into my hand luggage. Of course it's not as comfortable as my actual pillow but it provides just enough padding to hold my head supported as I sleep and the design is subtle enough that I don't feel self-conscious whipping it out on public transport."
Already, I’m convinced it’s a better option than the Huzi Infinity Pillow.
Here are three cheap alternatives to shop in Amazon’s Black Friday sale in time for your Thanksgiving trips:
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