Our top choice
The Travelrest Ultimate has tall memory-foam walls that provide more support than any other pillow tested. Its shape allows it to sit flush against a headrest, and it can be compressed to a manageable size.
The uniquely angled back on the Travelrest Ultimate makes it stand out from other travel pillows as it can lay flat against the seat back. Most other pillows have a rounded back, which pushes your head away from the headrest. The Travelrest also has rubber grip dots to prevent slipping while sleeping. This pillow’s spongy memory foam cushions the entire circumference of your neck, preventing your head from leaning far in any direction, and its adjustable Velcro strap ensures it can fit most necks. The pillow’s cozy velour exterior is removable and machine-washable. Although it doesn’t pack flat, the Travelrest weighs less than a pound and compresses to a quarter of its size when rolled into its Velcro-strapped carrying case.
The only downside is that the Travelrest’s high walls, while supportive, can push over-ear headphones off the ears of people with shorter necks. While the memory foam feels plush, it’s also quite firm; this offers excellent support, but not much give. It also doesn’t let you adjust the fit, like our two wrappable picks: the Turtl and the BCozzy. If the Travelrest fits your neck, it’s an excellent pillow. If your neck is much longer or shorter than this pillow’s 5-inch wall, though, you might prefer the fit of one of our other pillow picks.
Runner-up
The Cabeau Evolution Classic Pillow is a highly adjustable memory-foam neck-support pillow, but without a contoured back, it can’t quite sit flush with the headrest. It’s available at many airport stores, though.
If our top pick sells out, or if you find yourself without a pillow past security, the Cabeau Evolution Classic Pillow is almost as good. It lacks the Travelrest’s angled, lay-flat back, but its U-shape, contoured memory-foam core and machine-washable velour cover still provide comparable levels of comfort. Its adjustable string closure also means that you can fit the pillow much tighter around your neck than you can with the Travelrest, making it a good choice for people with smaller necks or people who prefer a more constricted fit. Additionally, it’s the only one of our picks that we’ve regularly seen in stores located behind the security checkpoint at many airports.
Also great
The Trtl Pillow is a fleece scarf with a built-in plastic brace that provides excellent support on one side of the neck. However, it’s not ideal for those who shift position frequently while sleeping, and it is more expensive than the other recommended pillows.
If you tend to lean to one side while sleeping, the Trtl Pillow’s fleece-covered plastic frame offers unwavering support to one side of your neck while remaining comfortable to wear. It’s essentially a one-sided neck brace. The pillow’s cozy wraparound fleece will also keep your neck warm, making it a good choice for anyone who gets cold while flying (and not so great for those who sleep hot). But the Trtl’s biggest selling point is its compact, packable size. Unlike any of our other picks, the Trtl does not need to be compressed or stuffed into a carrying case. It will always take up about as much space as a PB&J sandwich. (Although it costs a lot more than one.)
Also great
Featuring an adjustable design that accommodates over-the-ear headphones, the Bcozzy Pillow is an excellent chin-support pillow for people who nod forward as they sleep.
The Bcozzy, a variation on the hemi-doughnut theme, is our pick for anyone who wears large over-the-ear headphones on a flight or tends to nod forward while they sleep. The pillow’s overlapping ends form a snug cushion that holds your chin in place far better than do the Trtl’s plastic frame or the Travelrest and Cabeau’s chin-facing gap. While the pillow does not provide great support to either side of your neck, if paired with a large pair of headphones, the Bcozzy holds a head in place perfectly. While not as compressible as our other picks, the pillow has a small loop that can be clipped to the outside of most bags so it doesn’t have to take up space inside your bag.
