12 Best Travel Pillow 2023: Memory Foam, Inflatable, and Neck Supporting

By Aaron Toumazou

Say no to middle seat mayhem and heads propped against plane windows; our pick of the best travel pillows is a one-way ticket to comfortable travel

Ladies and gentlemen, GQ Airlines welcome you to our edit of the best travel pillows. We request your full attention as we demonstrate the value of packing a travel pillow on your next trip.

Before we begin, we'd like to draw your attention to the comfort a travel pillow provides your head and neck, especially important on long flights, train journeys and car trips where headrests are far from optimal. Designed to be portable and easy to carry, you can take a travel pillow with you wherever you go, and most are easily packed in a suitcase or backpack thanks to handy luggage clips.

In the unlikely event you forget to pack a travel pillow, overpriced and less comfortable options are probably available if you're desperate, but we'd always suggest being well-prepared. Consequences of your negligence may include accidentally dozing off on a stranger's shoulder and spending the first few days of your holiday with a crick in your neck.

A variety of options are available, including memory foam, inflatable, microbead and wrap-around travel pillows catering to various different sleeping preferences and budgets. Thank you for your attention. We hope you have a pleasant read.

Comfortable, compact and supportive, the Trtl has it all. This wraparound travel pillow will serve you well for the long haul.

By offering 360-degree support care of a velcro closure that engulfs the front of the neck, Ostrich’s Go neck pillow will keep you propped up and pain-free.

A £20 memory foam pillow that can be easily adjusted to different travel scenarios, this might just be the most cost-effective travel hack you’ll ever come across.

More like when shouldn’t you pack a travel pillow? Part of the beauty of a travel pillow is its compactness, so there’s a strong case for travelling with one in your everyday backpack. Need to grab an extra 30 minutes of shut-eye on your morning commute? Pack a travel pillow. Taking the passenger seat on a road trip? Pack a travel pillow. Secured tickets to Glastonbury this year? Pack a travel pillow.

When it comes to flying, where these cosy companions really come into their own, there’s no minimum flight time that negates the need to bring a travel pillow. In fact, the designs of short-haul air carriers tend to be less comfortable than larger vessels, so you could argue that there’s even more of a need to keep one in your carry-on for journeys under three hours. It should go without saying that a travel pillow will make longer journeys all the more manageable, too, especially on overnight flights where onward travel plans depend on you being well-rested.

There are several types of travel pillows, with differences that factor into both their cost and the comfort they’ll provide. Here’s a rundown of the main four:

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This unique wrap-around travel pillow amps up the comfort factor with its ultra-soft fleece material. While it may take on the appearance of fashion’s greatest antihero, the snood, beneath its cosy exterior is a flexible internal support structure that moulds to your neck and will prevent you from waking up on the person next to you’s shoulder.

As compact and lightweight as any inflatable travel pillow, one of the major selling points of this design is that it doesn’t have to be blown up before use. As it’s machine washable, it’s easy to maintain and also comes with a handy travel bag to keep those aeroplane germs away from the contents of your suitcase. £54.99. At amazon.co.uk

A dependable memory foam travel pillow that won’t break the bank, the Go Travel 2 Memory Dreamer combines high-quality materials with an adaptable design that can be tweaked to various sleeping positions. The malleable foam folds to provide support in different modes of travel, or to switch things up between window, middle and aisle seats.

The fact it comes with a convenient carrying pouch means it's easy to keep clean and organised while you’re away, while a removable, washable cover will appease those who go hard on airport/aircraft hygiene. Plus, at £20, it provides more support and versatility for your buck than any other travel pillow in our edit. £19.99 At amazon.co.uk

Inflatable travel pillows can often feel like a last-ditch attempt to provide basic comfort on the go, hence why you’ll often see cheap takes hanging near the checkouts of an airport store. This is far from the case with Sea to Summit’s Aeros premium traveller pillow, which is built to last with high-quality materials.

Going further than simply propping your head up, it has a soft, comfortable surface for resting on, while ergonomic bulbous side arms and a thin centre guarantee support in all the right places. Inflating and deflating is a faff-free undertaking thanks to a unique, multi-function valve, which also makes it easy to adjust the firmness to exactly how you like it. £47.98. At amazon.co.uk

Giving your in-flight relaxation a first-class upgrade, Slip’s luxurious travel set goes beyond the memo by factoring in its market-leading silk eye and face masks for a peaceful travel experience that spans the senses. Made from high-quality silk, all three are soft to the touch, while the travel pillow employs the same hair and skin benefits as the enduringly popular silk pillowcase, so you can really catch some beauty sleep on your travels.

Another major pro of silk travel pillows is that the fabric is naturally hypoallergenic and machine washable, so you can easily keep it fresh and clean throughout your travels. £150. At slipsilkpillowcase.co.uk and sephora.co.uk

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Unlike traditional travel pillows which wrap around just the back and sides of the neck, the Ostrich Go neck pillow offers 360-degree support thanks to a memory foam core and ergonomic design that wraps all the way around. Also noteworthy of its shape is the differentiation of each side, one being slightly more bulbous than the other to give a greater variety of sleeping positions.

A selection of colourways means you can match your travel pillow to other essential travel accessories, and its Velcro fastening makes it easy to fasten around the satellite handles of a suitcase when not in use. If you’d rather transport it more discreetly, it also compresses to 60 per cent of its usable size, neatly stowed in an accompanying travel pouch. £55. At amazon.co.uk

For those who are always on the road, investing a little bit more in top-notch travel support is worth considering. You can put your faith in mattress brand Tempur to keep you supported in the best possible way as you clock up those air miles. Using the same signature memory foam that goes into its mattresses and pillows, the high-quality material offers its wearer personalised support and incorporates a raised edge that goes beyond most travel pillows to also prevent the head from dropping forward.

Frequent flyers will also appreciate its lightness and compactness, plus a cover that’s easily removed and thrown in the wash. In short, no in-flight entertainment system is going to take precedence over good kip with this in your travel armoury. £85 £79. At tempur.com and wayfair.com

This inflatable travel pillow does things a little differently by strapping to your seat, rather than around your neck. As a result, it’s one of the only travel pillows out there that provides full lateral support to the upper body, making it easier to relax and stay asleep for longer.

It’s especially handy when you’re allocated the middle seat on a flight, with its sash-like form providing more of a base to lean into. It’s on the larger side when inflated, but when not in use it takes up barely any room at all in your luggage. £25.54. At amazon.co.uk

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If, as with additional cabin luggage and allocated seating, you’re not willing to pay the premium for a high-end travel pillow, this Life Hall option is the best of the budget haul. While the memory foam isn’t quite as high-tech as others in this list, we can’t knock it for comfort, which is also bolstered by a raised lobe design for neck tilt support and a plush velour cover.

A rope at each end means that you can both tighten it to adjust for comfort and easily fasten it around the handle of your bag, while the choice of neutral and vibrant colourways means you can tailor your investment for business or pleasure. £14.99 £11.99. At amazon.co.uk

A travel pillow with a twist, quite literally. Dot&Dot’s take on trusty on-the-go sleep support can be contorted into so many different shapes you could probably find comfort in the boot of a Mercedes S-Class. Besides being one of the most ergonomically adjustable travel cushions out there, though, it also negates some of the stuffiness that comes with having both sides of the neck engulfed, amplified further still by the breathability of its removable cover.

Outside the confines of a 500-tonne titanium tube in the sky, the Twist’s shapeshifting capabilities will provide additional lumbar support on your office chair and can even make lazy Sunday afternoon binge-watching on the sofa that bit more comfortable. £30.88 £29. At amazon.co.uk

Plane cabins are fickle beasts. More often than not, they're either too hot or too cold, and packing the right layers can be a bit of a gamble. This inflatable neck pillow helps alleviate some of the stress, by providing a handy built-in velvet hood to cover your head.

Fending off the worst of the chilly overhead aircon blasts while saving you from overheating with a hoodie, it also comes with a drawstring bag for storage, and an eye mask to block out sleep-depriving light. £29.99. At amazon.co.uk

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An ergonomic memory foam pillow for less than the price of a round in a London pub? Yes, please.

Well-padded with snappy elasticity to help retain its shape, this neck pillow's breathable polyester covering should help you keep cool in troublesome hotspots, while a velvet finish should help you drift off in luxury. With a handy bag thrown in to help compress and minimise storage space, you can't really go wrong at this price. £17.99. At amazon.co.uk

Snugl by name, snuggle by nature, this cleverly designed memory foam neck pillow aims to mould to your individual shape, to help reduce aches and pains with appropriate support.

Its reversible design lets you experiment with different levels of sleeping positions, while dual adjustable straps help you dial in the perfect fit. Roll it up tight enough, and you can reduce its unfolded footprint by around 70 per cent, making compact storage a breeze. £29.95 At amazon.co.uk

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