The best travel pillow of the year

The J-Pillow Go Neck and Neck Pillow: An Extra-large Travel Pillow for Luggage and Organizing Needs

While a less versatile option than our top picks, the J-Pillow’s lack of neck attachment might actually be a plus for those who find regular U-shaped travel pillows restrictive. We could lean against a hard surface with the J-Pillow’s excellent neck and head support. Like the Cabeau S3 and Ostrichpillow Go Neck, it comes with a sturdy (though less compact) travel case that clips to your luggage. There also aren’t any covers or zippers to deal with; the entire pillow can be tossed in the wash.

The comfiest travel pillow in the world is useless if it’s too big to travel with, which is why one of the best things about the Evolution S3 is the fact that it compresses down to half its size. The only thing you have to do is roll the pillow up in a cinnamon bun and stuff it in the carrying case. It took some elbow grease and was very difficult, but we think it is a good price for how much space it saves.

We found that the S3 works best when leaning your head to the side or as a cushion against a solid surface, but it still offered decent chin support. Its built-in straps help to keep the pillow in place and help to prevent whiplash during sudden stops or turbulence.

The Evolution pillow was upgraded from Cabeau’s original S3 cover. Whereas that older model’s cover is made entirely from velour, the S3’s is made from a more breathable, quick-dry fabric that did indeed feel cooler to the touch. The cover of the S3 is machine washable, and also fully retractable, making it a must for things like airplane seats. It was difficult to get the cover on and off the S3 but it held up well in a standard wash cycle.

Alternatively, you can wrap the pillow around the handle of your luggage. The pillow can be kept in the bag between uses in order to keep it clean during travel. The neck pillow’s exterior sleeve is easily washed if it gets dirty while you’re away.

Side comfort or support. When leaning our neck against a hard surface and leaning our neck to the side, the pillow was very supportive and comfortable as a traveler would be able to do. We also noted how simple it was to readjust the pillows while resting on them or to switch sides.

There is something Portability: We noted each pillow’s size, whether it included a strap or bag for easy toting and if it could be compressed to take up less space. While some pillows were indeed heavier than others (looking at you, memory foam models), we found that a few extra ounces weren’t noticeable when carting the pillows around. Overall size, case quality and the ability to attach pillows to our luggage made a much more meaningful difference in portability.

Fabric: Nearly all the pillows featured a soft, velvety shell made from a velour or fleece-like material, but there was a range in terms of plushness. We noted how each pillow felt against our skin.

The Huzi: A Recommender to Travel with, or Not to Travel With, a Light Pillow for Backpacking Trips

The J-Pillow is a fantastically comfortable option with a big caveat: It works best if you’ve got a window seat. Because the J-Pillow doesn’t attach directly to your neck or your seat, it tended to slip around unless it was wedged against a hard surface. The J-Pillow was too large to carry in a carry-on bag or personal item.

The Trtl is essentially a padded neck brace and was the most portable pillow we tested. It folds down relatively flat, taking up almost no space in your luggage, and one of our taller testers loved its sturdy support. The long tester could not see the plastic brace in the middle, since it was too big for him. The pillows were very soft and warm, but we didn’t like the fact that they had to fully unwrap and rewrap the pillows if you want to switch sides.

As a lightweight option to toss in your bag for camping or backpacking trips, Therm-a-Rest’s compressible pillow is an excellent choice. It compresses down into a compact roll and is both supportive and comfortable when used like a normal pillow (lying down). But because it doesn’t wrap around your neck or have any straps to keep it in place, it’s not a great option for trying to rest while sitting upright.

The neck would not be well supported without the shape. The microfiber cover is soft against the skin, and the memory foam is soft with just enough give to give you some comfort. It is so dense that it can be compressed down to a small package. The Nest comes with a stuff sack, and it squishes down to about a quarter of its size once you wrestle it into the sack and tighten up the drawcord. Next, you fold it in half and use another hook and loop to attach the pillow to it.

If you know you’ll have a hard surface to lean on, the Huzi can be finagled into a very comfortable position. It requires an illustrated guide to do so, however, and on its own does not offer much neck support. And while we loved (loved!) The Huzi took up a lot of room in our luggage and it didn’t come with a carrying case.

If you want a very lightweight and portable lumbar pillow, the AirComfy Ease isn’t a bad choice. If you want a versatile travel pillow, this is simply too stiff, too small and too slippery to be of use. It conveniently attaches to the back of any seat for extra support, but it just isn’t very comfortable. And while inflatability is cool in concept, in practice it feels like trying to sleep on a fuzzy balloon.

Over-The-Ear Headphones for Silent Engines: Make Sure to Use a Protected Headset instead of a Headset

If you wear over-the- ear headphones at the same time you drown out the engines, the high sides can get in the way. It is not a dealbreaker, but something to keep in mind. I recommend that you use ear protectors instead of headphones when you need quiet.

I want to see a hook, a buckle, and a fabric loop on the stuff sack to clip it to the outside of the backpack. I’ve been getting around the limitation by threading a strap of my backpack under the hook-and-loop fastener and buckling it closed, but it’s not ideal, as it flops around while on my back. Travelrest includes a free pair of functional but unremarkable earplugs, but I’d rather have a hook.

The Travelrest Nest is not obscenely expensive. It comes in blue and gray, and you can remove the cover and wash it after a trip—another nice touch that a lot of pillows don’t offer.