In a cramped space with an achy neck and restless legs, sleeping on the go is somewhat of a skill. However, there are now a bunch of accessories available to help you snooze wherever you are (or claim to do that). And the travel pillow market is getting particularly experimental.
While you'll never get the same quality sleep as you would resting on one of this year's best pillows, there are innovative pillow designs to help you fit in ZZZs at your desk, on a train or mid flight.
With a few trips planned for the summer, I decided to give an Amazon's Choice inflatable travel pillow a go. With an average rating of 4/5 stars and over 400 verified reviews, I was keen to try it out.
My verdict? I won't be parting ways with my trusty neck pillow anytime soon. Even though this one is inflatable and packs down neatly, I find a standard travel pillow a more practical and comfortable option.
The Amazon Choice pillow I've been using
I've been using the Maliton inflatable pillow, which is designed to support your head in various positions while sleeping on planes, trains, in cars or at the office. It's available at Amazon.com for $16.49 now after a 21% discount (was $20.99), or you can find it at retail price of £15.99 at Amazon.co.uk.
The inflatable pillow is designed with holes for your face and arms and a 45° tilt at the top for optimal neck support. Plus there's extra cushioning around where you place your face for more comfort.
Why I’ll use a standard travel pillow instead
Yes the nap pillow should, in theory, provide a comfortable means of napping no matter where you are. But, in all honesty, I don't recommend it and won't be packing it when I travel this summer. Here's why...
It's not as well designed as it claims
The Maliton pillow claims to inflate in 5 to 10 breaths. Even after getting myself out of puff countless times, it’s still not fully inflated, which means it’s not very supportive and deflates quickly.
The premise behind the pillow is strong. I like the idea of keeping the neck and upper back in correct posture to help you find comfort and avoid aches and pains in compromised sleeping situations. However, the Maliton pillow needs a sturdier build to be effective.
Even though it can be folded up into a pouch, at 4”x6"x9" when packaged it's still a fairly bulky addition to your hand luggage. Though, I will say it is more smaller than an always-inflated pillow.
I'd rather be a polite traveller
Pulling out and blowing up this pillow, which stands at 13”x13”x20” when inflated, is likely to draw a few stares in a space-limited cabin. For this reason and safety precautions, some airlines forbid pillows onboard.
Plus, with the effort it took to blow up to a half-inflated state, I'd rather slip on a neck pillow and eye mask without drawing attention to myself or disrupting others on public transport.
But what neck pillow do I recommend? The memory foam Napfun travel pillow (now $15.86 at Amazon).
There are better sleep gadgets
For peaceful sleep on board, I'd recommend shopping other sleep products. A reliable sleep mask or sleep headphones, which could be more useful for sleeping while travelling to block out light and noise pollution that’s sure to disrupt your rest.
I particularly like the SOMO Sleep Fitness Mask, a luxury soft sleep mask that uses acupressure to help you relax. It comes with a premium price tag ($59). But it can help you sleep while travelling, bag an afternoon nap at home, or sleep better night after night thanks to its durable design.
Additionally, a pair of sleep headphones or earbuds can help you drown out a noisy cabin, which is key to getting shut-eye when travelling. These will also come in handy (much handier than a obnoxious inflatable pillow) if you're struggling to sleep next to a snoring partner.
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