Best travel pillows for short and long-haul flights

The best travel pillows make everything from long-haul flights to train journeys more comfortable. 

We've tested popular travel neck pillows, including inflatable pillows, from Boots, M&S, Trtl and more. To find the best pillow for travelling, testers of different ages and genders each tried and rated every pillow for its support when sat upright and leaning to the side, as well as adjustability and how cool it felt.

Our results revealed comfort depends on how you prefer to sleep. However one travel pillow gets our Best Buy recommendation. We also found a Great Value travel pillow that's supportive, secure and easy to wash, and costs less than £25. 

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The best travel pillows

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The travel pillows we tested

All the travel pillows we tested are listed in alphabetical order below. 

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best travel pillows from our tests.

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Bcozzy Neck Pillow

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Need to know Whole pillow is machine washable on a cold cycle

Boots Hybrid Travel Pillow

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Need to know Removable cover - hand wash only

Eono Neck Pillow

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Need to know Removable cover - hand wash only

Go Travel Memory Dreamer Pillow

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Need to know Removable cover - machine washable at 30°C

M&S Two Way Travel Pillow

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Need to know Removable cover - machine washable at 40°C

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Ostrichpillow Go Neck Pillow

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Need to know Removable cover - machine washable 

Tempur Transit Pillow

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Need to know Removable cover - machine washable at 40°C

Travelrest Ultimate Travel Pillow

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Need to know Machine washable cover sold separately

Trtl Pillow

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Need to know Removable cover - machine washable

Our independent tests reveal the best sun creams and best swimming goggles for when you get there and the best eye masks for sleep and best ear plugs for sleeping to arrive refreshed. 

How we test travel pillows

We test the most popular travel pillows in the UK and buy all the products we test. To find the best pillow for travelling, we rate each travel pillow on:

• Comfort: We recruit testers of different ages and genders. Each tester tries out each pillow and rates them for the support provided when sat upright, leaning to the side, leaning against a window and when your head drops forward. They also score each travel pillow for how adjustable it is and how cool the fabric feels.
• Portability: Each travel pillow is rated on how easy it would be to travel with, taking into account its size and weight.

If a travel pillow has a removable cover, we also wash it according to the manufacturer's instructions and put it back on the pillow to check for shrinkage. None of the covers shrink but some are more difficult to put back on than others. 

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How to use a travel pillow

If you're using a curved neck pillow, simply place it around the back of your neck so the gap is at the front. Some even come with clips at the front to keep the pillow securely in place while you nod off. 

A longer travel pillow can be placed across the front of your body and used to rest your head against. 

Does a travel pillow count as hand luggage?

It depends on the airline that you're flying with, so check before you travel.

We asked Ryanair, which has one of the smallest cabin bag allowances (a 40 x 20 x 25cm bag to fit under the seat in front), if we could take a travel pillow on board as part of its free baggage allowance. 

It said a travel pillow is allowed on board, free of charge, as long as it's light and not too big.