12 best travel pillows, tested on flights and train journeys

I love it when a brand breaks with tradition. Case in point is this soft, serpentine travel pillow, which can be bundled up or wrapped around your neck, and used in the car, on planes or in hotels where the pillows on offer have more in common with a lump of granite.

I preferred to use this one bunched up, while my travel companion twisted it around his neck, adding more bulk beneath his chin, to prevent the dreaded head-bob.

While this particular pillow probably isn’t ideal if you’re travelling light (it’s somewhat chunky), when it comes to comfort, this pillow knocks it out of the park.

Sometimes, the little things make a world of difference. Take the small fabric hook on the rear of this travel pillow, which allowed me to dangle it from my suitcase and backpack. The ultra-sturdy press stud on the neck strap also ensured the pillow stayed in place no matter how much I twisted and turned during a particularly long flight. It’s a memory foam pillow with just the right amount of mouldability.

This doesn’t have the softness of some of the other pillows I’ve featured, but all is forgiven because the pillow is the epitome of portable perfection. Easy to inflate, it’s sold with its very own stash bag, and its curved shape did a fantastic job of cushioning not only my head but my neck and shoulders, and the logical placement of the easily accessible valve made it a breeze (excuse the pun) to add or release air when I needed to tweak this pillow’s firmness.

Why aren’t there more travel pillows designed specifically for kids? I love Trtl’s colourful creations, and the ridiculously soft fabric won’t chafe or scratch. I also found this pillow incredibly easy to adjust. Although the blurb states this travel pillow is designed for children aged between eight and 14, during testing, I found it’s also suitable for slightly younger children, as well as adults of smaller stature.

Think of this as the Lamborghini of the travel pillow world – a precision-engineered support system for your head, chin and neck. It also comes with an ingenious added extra: a tiny pouch, attached to the rear that contains a pair of earplugs to help you block out unwanted noise. The memory foam is top-quality, and I loved the shape – the raised section on the inside hugged my neck in all the right places. I appreciated the extra-long strap, too – all too often, these are ridiculously short.

This compact pillow provided great support for my neck, due to its curved shape. The slight indent did a great job of cushioning my head without allowing it to sink too far back, and the large valve made it quick and easy to inflate. I also loved the design of this particular component – all too often, the valves are raised or unwieldy to blow into, but this one was generously sized and incorporated into the pillow in a way that meant it didn’t snag or catch.

This pillow’s outer material was wonderfully soft, with a thickness that did a fantastic job of ramping up the comfort. It’s a great option for jet-setters who don’t gel with traditional travel pillows worn around the neck – I loved the way its butterfly shape meant it could be jammed into awkward corners and used as a headrest against aeroplane windows. It inflated and deflated incredibly quickly, and bonus points were awarded for its handy stuff sack, which can be dangled from buckles on backpacks.

Another hi-tech offering, Cabeau’s memory foam pillow is wrapped in an ultra-soft fleece-like lining and has a raised section that is brilliant at reducing the sideways head wobbles I’m prone to on long journeys. I also loved the fact that the lining (despite its incredible softness) is made from recycled fabric, and although I was sceptical about how easy it would be to wrangle it back into its carry case, the drawstring design made this a breeze.

Now for something really different: a circular travel pillow filled with microbeads rather than foam. I initially baulked at the thought of a microbead filling, but the plush thickness of the outer material meant it still had a wonderful softness, as well as enough mouldability to provide adequate support where I needed it most. I should flag that there are plenty of places where this particular pillow can offer support.

While the photos on Ostrichpillow’s website suggest it’s intended to be worn around the centre of the head, allowing it to cover the eyes and ears while also providing cushioning, I also loved bunching it up and wedging it between my head and whatever surface I was resting against. I also liked the fact that the design is reversible.

This pillow is ridiculously comfortable – a thick curve of foam covered with top-quality mulberry silk. The silk not only felt great on the skin but also kept my hair frizz-free. An integrated zip allows the cover to be removed and washed (because, let’s face it, we’re all prone to the odd mid-snooze dribble).

The memory foam core and cushioning of this pillow provide great lumbar support for the head and shoulders. The lining has a surprising thickness – one which suggests that it is more than capable of standing up to some serious wear and tear. There is no hook to hang it off backpacks, but I loved the buckle-style clip, which meant I could quickly and easily tweak the fit (something that press studs don’t allow).

This pillow is one of the largest I tested, but I can confirm it’s still perfectly suitable for plane journeys, thanks to its amazing squishiness. The upside to its supersized design is it can be used for camping holidays, too, and its versatility is ramped up due to a number of factors.

Firstly, the low-flat valves, which are easy to inflate but won’t snag when the pillow is squashed into small spaces or stashed into backpacks. Add a top-quality memory foam construction, super-soft fabric and a shape designed to support not just the head but the back and shoulders, and you’ve got a one-way ticket to the land of nod.