Travel Pillow
Pack light and travel well
When packing for travel, what are the essentials and what can and should be left behind? The last thing we want is to be unprepared, but lugging too much “baggage” through hotels, airports, and shuttle busses can be exhausting.
I had a small travel pillow that I carried with me on all my travels across the United States. This, to me was an essential. My travel pillow allowed me to get decent sleep sitting straight up on airplanes and it was one of those that hung around the neck like a puffy letter “U.”
It was a bit of a pain though because it wouldn’t fit into my suit case and had to stay on my neck. Since then, many other types of travel pillows have been created and are available for purchase.
I like the “U” design, but thought I would try some others too to see if any would work better and/or be more comfortable. The first one I tried is shaped like a regular pillow only smaller. It was like the ones they give you on some airlines.
The problem with this travel pillow was that it was too small. When I tried to use it by placing it up against the window, it would slide in between the seat and window and do me no good as it would usually end up in the lap of the passenger behind me.
The next several I tried, were from Brookstone. The company offers a plush, wedge-shaped pillow that cradles the head for on-the-road rest and relaxation (those are their words!). It really was super-soft and had a unique shape. The main issue with this one is that carrying it around is a pain. They could have put a handle on it.
They also offer a variety of U-shaped pillows that ended up being of better quality than the cheap one that I had They are filled with thousands of cushy microbeads to provide ultra-plush support that correctly aligns your neck and spine, while supporting your head in sumptuously soft comfort. I could really tell the difference.
I found another U-shaped pillow called The Inflatable Travel U-shaped Pillow. Now we’re talking! I liked the fact that I could deflate it and put it in my suit case. I no longer had to walk the halls, ride the escalator and elevators with the pillow on my neck. This was so much better since the first U-shaped pillow I had would get in the way of my earring since it went up so high on my neck.
Since trying these, I have also read about another U-shaped pillow that seems a little more luxurious. That one is tempurpedic and made from temperature-sensitive material that molds to fit the shape of any one and cradles the head and neck, creating an orthopedic shape that eliminates all pressure points. Sounds too good to be true. I think I’ll stick with the inflatable one for now. If it ever pops, I may try it.
