Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Pete Wise

I tested 13 travel pillows on buses, trains and arcade machines: here are my favourites

Pete Wise sits in a retro arcade game machine, wearing a travel pillow around his neck
Need for speed … and no neck ache: our writer tests travel pillows at the arcade. Photograph: Christian Hopewell/The Guardian

There are many reasons why we struggle to sleep while travelling. Gentle motion can be lulling, but jarring movements such as sharp cornering, braking and acceleration can interrupt sleep. And then there are the seats. In many trains, buses, coaches and planes, they are simply not accommodating to sleeping passengers.

Travel pillows can reduce these obstacles to sleep – so much so that you might catch a few winks on the go. Nowadays, you can choose from myriad designs to suit your preferences, including rectangular pillows, wraparound models and even whole-head designs, as well as classic, U-shaped neck pillows. Depending on which pillow you choose, you’ll gain support from the back, sides or front, and there’s various fill options including memory foam, polyester, microbeads and air-filled plastic, all of which have their own feel.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.