A travel pillow is worth taking only if it genuinely improves your ability to rest enough to justify the space it takes up.
Long-haul flights, overnight travel and travellers who struggle to sleep sitting upright
Short journeys, minimal packers and travellers who rarely sleep while travelling
Trtl Travel Pillow
Best suited to travellers who want stronger neck support than a traditional U-shaped pillow and don’t mind the structured wrap-around design.
Travel pillows are one of those products that divide people quite sharply.
Some travellers swear by them. Others carry a bulky U-shaped pillow through the airport, use it for ten minutes, then spend the rest of the holiday wondering why they packed it.
The problem is that “travel pillow” covers several very different designs. A traditional memory-foam neck pillow, a compact inflatable pillow and a structured support system such as Trtl all solve the same problem in different ways.
Which? tested popular travel pillows in 2026 for comfort, neck support, portability, adjustability and heat retention, which is probably the right way to think about the category.
Our view is:
A travel pillow is worth taking only if it genuinely improves your ability to rest enough to justify the space it takes up.
Worth considering if: you struggle to sleep sitting upright, regularly take long-haul flights, travel overnight, or wake with neck discomfort after sleeping in a seat.
Probably unnecessary if: you rarely sleep while travelling, mostly take short flights, or already find aircraft headrests comfortable enough.
What matters most: neck support, comfort, heat, packed size and whether the design actually suits the way you sleep.
The classic travel pillow wraps around the back and sides of your neck.
That can make a hard headrest more comfortable, but it doesn’t always stop your head falling forward.
This is one of the main reasons some people dislike them. The Independent’s recent testing notes that the best choice depends heavily on the individual, including sleeping position, body size, materials and whether you tend to feel hot.
A soft pillow may feel comfortable while you’re awake but provide very little support once you fall asleep.
That’s why we wouldn’t judge a travel pillow purely by how plush it feels in your hand.
This is the most important thing.
Which? specifically tests support both when sitting upright and when leaning against a window, because those are two very different sleeping positions.
If your main problem is your head dropping sideways or forward, a more structured pillow may make more sense than a soft cushion.
Support without comfort isn’t much use.
A pillow that presses too firmly into your neck, feels scratchy or forces your head into an unnatural position is unlikely to help you sleep.
This is also why one person’s favourite travel pillow can be another person’s worst purchase.
This is easy to overlook.
Anything wrapped closely around your neck can get warm, especially on a long flight.
Which? actually measures heat retention in its travel-pillow testing, while The Independent specifically notes that some fleece-based designs can feel warm for people who already tend to overheat.
If you run hot, breathable fabric may matter more than maximum cushioning.
A travel pillow that improves sleep but takes up half your cabin bag creates a different problem.
Which? includes size and weight in its portability scoring, and The Independent also treats ease of carrying as a major part of the buying decision.
This is why compact structured and inflatable designs can be appealing even if they don’t look as luxurious as memory foam.
These are the most familiar.
They’re usually made from memory foam or soft fibre filling and sit around the back and sides of the neck.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
They make most sense if you already know this shape works for you.
Products such as Trtl work differently.
Rather than acting like a cushion, Trtl uses an internal support structure wrapped in soft fabric to hold the head more securely.
The Independent’s 2026 review found the original Trtl particularly strong for neck support and portability, noting a weight of just 148g. The trade-offs were that the internal structure is rigid and the fleece can feel warm.
This type of design is more appealing if your main problem is your head falling sideways or forward.
Inflatable pillows trade some comfort for packability.
They can collapse to almost nothing, which makes them appealing for backpacking, carry-on-only travel or trips where every bit of luggage space matters.
The Independent’s current roundup includes a lightweight inflatable Lifeventure model specifically because it is easy to carry and useful for shorter journeys, while also noting limitations depending on seating position.
We’d choose inflatable primarily for space saving, not because it is automatically more comfortable.
Trtl Travel Pillow
This is the first product we’d investigate for someone who wants stronger support rather than a conventional soft pillow.
The Independent currently rates Trtl highly for support, lightweight construction and ease of packing, and a separate 2026 long-term review praised its ability to prevent head drop on long-haul flights.
It’s not a conventional pillow, though.
The internal support frame and close-fitting wrap make it a very different experience, and people who dislike warmth around the neck may prefer something else.
Lifeventure Ultralight Travel Pillow
This is the kind of option we’d look at for travellers who prioritise packing space.
The Independent highlights its low weight and inflatable construction, making it particularly interesting for backpacking, buses and shorter journeys.
It won’t offer the same structured neck support as Trtl, but it earns points for taking up very little room.
Traditional memory-foam option
We’d also include one conventional U-shaped pillow in the final comparison.
Which? currently tests several traditional designs, including models from Mountain Warehouse and other mainstream travel brands.
That gives us a useful comparison for anyone who simply prefers the familiar shape.
Potentially, if neck support is the main reason you’re buying a travel pillow.
The Independent’s current testing is particularly positive about Trtl because it supports the head without needing a window or side surface to lean against.
But it isn’t automatically the right choice for everyone.
The structured frame feels very different from a soft pillow, and the fleece wrap may feel too warm for some people. The Independent’s separate 2026 review also notes that it can take a little practice to adjust properly.
So we wouldn’t describe it as a universal upgrade.
We’d describe it as a different solution to the head-drop problem.
Probably not unless you already know you like using one.
For a two-hour daytime flight, the hassle of carrying a pillow may outweigh the benefit.
Travel pillows become much easier to justify on:
The longer you’re trying to sleep, the more useful proper support becomes.
It depends on the design and age.
Some brands make smaller travel pillows specifically for children, but fit matters.
The Independent’s Trtl review mentions that its children’s version is intended for over-eights and that some children may need time to get used to the close-fitting design.
We’d avoid simply giving a child an adult pillow and assuming it will fit correctly.
Potentially.
Which? asked Ryanair about this specifically and was told a travel pillow could be carried free of charge as long as it was light and not too large, but no precise size was given. Which? therefore recommends checking the airline you’re actually flying with.
That’s another reason portability matters.
A giant pillow strapped to the outside of your bag may be tolerated by one airline and questioned by another.
We wouldn’t rely on a travel pillow being ignored when planning around strict cabin-baggage limits.
Travel pillows spend a lot of time against:
A removable, washable cover is therefore useful.
Which? includes ease of removing covers in its testing, while both Trtl and several traditional pillows in current reviews offer machine-washable covers.
For something you may use repeatedly on long journeys, this is worth considering.
We think it makes the most sense for:
Long-haul flights: where even a couple of hours of better sleep can matter.
Overnight travel: planes, trains and coaches.
People who struggle with head drop: especially if traditional pillows haven’t solved it.
Frequent travellers: because a product you use regularly has more chance of justifying the luggage space.
People who already know they sleep sitting upright: rather than buying one “just in case”.
For short daytime flights.
For travellers who almost never sleep while travelling.
And especially for anyone who has bought several travel pillows in the past and never actually used them.
This is one of those products where personal preference matters more than popularity.
A highly rated pillow isn’t useful if you personally find it uncomfortable.
Yes — but only if you choose one around the specific problem you’re trying to solve.
If you need strong neck support, a structured design such as Trtl is worth investigating.
If packing space matters most, an inflatable pillow may make more sense.
If you already know you like traditional U-shaped pillows, there’s no need to overcomplicate things.
What we wouldn’t do is buy a bulky neck pillow at the airport simply because travelling seems to require one.
A good travel pillow should help you sleep enough to justify carrying it.
If it spends the whole flight clipped to the outside of your bag, it probably doesn’t.
Trtl Travel Pillow
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