Recently I travelled to Europe and based on my previous long haul travel experiences (lack of sleep, neck and back pain) I decided to test 3 of the most popular travel pillows:
1. Trtl travel Pillow: My favourite. Supported my neck well while still allowing me to have my head phones on. It was easy to use and did not take up too much room in my luggage.
2. Cabeau Memory Foam Travel Pillow: My husband’s favourite. This one was very comfortable, but sat too high for my neckline which meant I could not have my head phones on whilst wearing the neck pillow. It was also quite big to carry around unless folded up and placed tightly back into the bag it came in. More suited to broader shoulders.
3. Inflatable Tray Table Travel Pillow: This was my daughter’s favourite. Good to use if you have a window seat as it was quite easy to put your arm through and cuddle. You are supposed to use it on your tray table however it can be difficult if the seat in front is reclined or if your food has not been collected. Another downfall i found is that it also took up valuable space in your seat when not in use (but still inflated) as it is quite large. It deflates and folds back quite easily into it’s bag.
The best travel accessory by far were my Bose QC35 wireless headphones. The noise cancelling feature is invaluable for long haul flights, and extremly comfortable to wear whilst sleeping. I also purchased a bluetooth airline adapter (KitSound) allowing cordless connectivity to your seat back screen. This was ideal for hassle free movement from my seat (kids and their weak bladders!).
I’m not sure when I will get to use these travel items again, but they definitley made a long and uncomfortable flight more bearable. I even managed to nod off for parts of the flight, a rare occurance for me.
By Kerrin Sullivan Osteopath