Should I buy a travel pillow (hotel, hotel, airplanes, flights)

[kynight]

I have to travel in a few weeks and I look forward to it, except I don't like plane rides. I have a 15 hour flight in economy class. My neck often aches from sleeping slouched over in my seat. Do travel pillows work? When I see them in the store, many don't appear very supportive, more like shoulder warmers than support. I see many varieties online. Do the traditional travel pillows push your head forward in an airplane seat? I see this as a potential problem, considering that the seats don't recline back very much.

What is your experience with your travel pillow and which brand do you use?

[StealthRabbit]

I use an inflatable, but seldom

You can regulate the pressure so it does not push your neck forward.

I often fall asleep before I get my neck pillow inflated. I wake up when we land. (I take a lot of 17 hr flights SFO>SIN and sleep most of the time). Noise cancelling headphones are a big help. I got a set of Bose on CL for <$25.

[cebuan]

Only if you want to carry it around from hotel to hotel for three weeks. Or throw it away and buy another one for the trip home. How expensive can they be?

[WellShoneMoon]

I like to use a travel pillow for long flights, but I wear it backward (the opening in the back, rather than in the front), for two reasons.

First, if I use the pillow in the usual manner, with the opening in the front, it pushes my head too far forward and hurts my neck.

Second, having the pillow in the front keeps my chin from dropping when I fall asleep, which is what usually wakes me up.

I also use ear plugs and a sleep mask.

[beachmouse]

I like the small Therm-a-Rest compression pillow because it works in hotel rooms as well as airplanes.

https://www.thermarest.com/compressible-pillow

[DubbleT]

I find the foam type to be more comfortable than fiber filled. I also turn mine with the opening to the back, or to the side depending on how I position myself for resting.

[kynight]

I find it funny that 2 people in this topic alone turn the pillow around to prevent the head falling forward. There are travel pillows that address this but they look funny. Lately many are much more supportive than before - made for a person whose taller or larger than average.

[elnina]

I was thinking about it, but... there are pros and cons I had to consider.
Inflatable by mouth - nah, didn't want to do that. Models that don't really support the head.
Solid - means an additional piece to hold and care for outside the luggage or sacrifice precious space inside carry on.
But I am still pondering on this one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GLG6VHK/

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by elnina

I was thinking about it, but... there are pros and contras I had to consider.
Inflatable by mouth - nah, didn't want to do that. Models that don't really support the head.
Solid - means additional piece to hold and care for outside the luggage or sacrifice precious space inside carry on.
But I am still pondering on this one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GLG6VHK/

If you get it let us know if you like it. I've never had much luck with inflatble anything, they all seem to give up the ghost after a few uses.

[Scooby Snacks]

I bought one of those nice memory foam ones and hate it. I travel a lot for my work and go on as many as 15 flights for the two weeks I am out each time. It just gives me a neckache. I just lean back or lean against the wall of the plane.