The best travel pillows of 2025, tried and tested

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14 hours ago

The best travel pillows we tested
Best travel pillow: Cabeau Evolution S3 When on a hunt for the best travel pillow, you have to look past aesthetics. A travel pillow may be one of the most basic pieces of travel gear, but it's also not a one-size-fits-all situation. As with the best pillows, you have to find the right size, height and shape for your body type and sleeping preferences. Things like portability, build quality and material are important too, but they won't matter if the travel pillow you bought isn't the perfect fit for you.
As a perpetual solo female traveler, I've tried more than my share of travel pillows — from smaller versions of traditional pillows to neck pillows that are everywhere at airports. But as a petite person, I am all too familiar with how hard it is to find the one that fits you best. So, I made it my mission to find the best one for most people.
Don't get me wrong; there are many excellent options out there, many of them I tested myself. However, when it comes to this accessible travel accessory, only one truly hits the mark.
Cabeau Evolution S3 Travel Pillow
Despite some tough competition, the Cabeau Evolution S3 remains the best travel pillow in terms of comfort, portability and overall value. It's so good, I'm surprised it's not pricier. Our previous best travel pillow winner still knocks it out of the park, despite Cabeau launching its new flagship product, the Evolution X. The Evolution S3 may look less sleek and less modern than the newest Cabeau pillow, but it's still superior in comfort and fit, proving that sometimes classic is the way to go. And that's saying something considering the Evolution X got me through one of the toughest long-haul flights I've ever endured.
The Cabeau Evolution S3 prioritizes user comfort that goes beyond a soft outer fabric and plush memory foam. Those things are there, of course — the fabric even boasts quick-drying properties in consideration of hot sleepers — and it's clear once you put it on that Cabeau only uses high-quality materials.
However, it's brilliant plateau-like, tapered design ensures that your neck stays in the optimal position for proper spinal alignment, whether you're completely upright or reclined. Cabeau throws in a dual front clasp to ensure the pillow keeps your adjustments, no matter how much you move.
It also boasts a couple other standout features you won't find in any of the other travel pillows I tested, such as a tiny credit-card-sized pocket on the side and rear straps that you can attach to your seat's headrest. The former is useful if you don't want to rummage through your personal item for your credit card when purchasing things at the airport and during your flight. The latter ensures that your head doesn't lurch or slowly tilt forward when you're completely out.
This travel pillow is also surprisingly portable and travel-friendly, though it might not look it when expanded. When not in use, it effortlessly rolls into a pouch that's about the size of a cereal bowl. The pouch even has a clasp, so you can hang and secure it on anything.
My favorite part about the Cabeau Evolution S3 is its versatile fit. Most travel neck pillows are designed for people with long or thin (or both) necks, leaving folks like me with limited options. But this neck pillow feels inclusive of different neck sizes and shapes, and I can sleep soundly, assured that my face isn't squished upward like a chubby baby.
The only downside to this travel pillow is that it's not the most breathable, so you may start to feel warm after a few hours, even if you're not a hot sleeper. But seeing as there's an easy fix to that — just remove the pillow and give your neck a break — it's not a deal breaker for me. Plus, for everything it offers, the Cabeau Evolution S3 will only set you back $40.
Traveling with them is the best way to truly test travel accessories, so I clocked in several thousand miles and many hours to put these travel pillows to the test. I brought them with me on flights, train trips and even bus rides, and used the flat ones in hotels, hostels and Airbnbs to see how they perform in real-world situations.
Speaking of which, I tested and evaluated each pillow largely on the same categories and criteria; however, I did pay some minimal special consideration to the flat and infinity pillow varieties in my testing pool since they have more versatile form factors.
To find the best travel pillow, I evaluated each unit based on the following criteria.
Performance
Feel and fit: A travel pillow's overall comfort partly relies on its feel and fit, and while travel pillows are obvious travel essentials, most aren't versatile in terms of fit. So, besides assessing each travel pillow's cover material and fill, I also noted their inclusivity of user sizes, especially neck sizes. After all, who wants to wake up with marks all over their face because their pillow squished their face while asleep?
Neck support: Of course, neck support is the most important factor to look for in a travel pillow, whether that's a neck pillow for upright sleeping or a flat one for a supine position. Just like a regular pillow, a travel pillow should maintain proper neck alignment so you don't wake up with a sore neck and aching shoulders. Using each travel pillow in my test pool for at least two hours, I assessed its neck support from all sides.
Breathability: As with a regular pillow, a travel pillow's breathability is important. Whether you're a hot sleeper or not, I noted each model's ability to dissipate moisture and heat during use.
Design
Portability: Traveling is rough enough without lugging extra weight around, so the best travel pillow must be effortlessly packable, easy to secure to a travel bag or a carry-on suitcase and highly portable in terms of size and height. I made sure to test each travel pillow accordingly.
Build quality: While a cheap travel pillow you'll find at an airport convenience store may last you a few trips, once you've found the right one for you, shouldn't it last you a few years so you won't have to keep looking for another option? Judging a travel pillow's build quality takes long-term testing, of course, but I made sure to put each unit through the usual travel wear and tear during testing.
Care and maintenance: I noted each travel pillow's washing and care instructions, giving those that are easier to clean the well-deserved points.
Value
Price: I took each pillow's total rating on all the aforementioned criteria and measured it against its price tag to see if it's a good value for your money. I also took its price tag and compared it to the prices of its rivals to see if it offers the best price-to-performance ratio on the market.
You can grab the most budget-friendly option available at the airport terminal, or you can do the work and find a travel pillow that's right for you and your needs. Think of it as shopping for a regular pillow: You don't want to just buy whatever's available and cheap. If you do, you'll likely end up regretting it. I know I have.
You also don't just want something that will give you a soft spot to rest your head. You want something that will encourage sleep and keep you ache-free. Sleeping in economy is hard enough; don't make it harder by getting a travel pillow that will do neither.
When sleeping upright, even in a reclined position, the head tends to bob or swing around because our neck muscles relax when we're asleep. So, the first thing to look for in a travel pillow is head and neck support. It should cradle your head and keep your neck in alignment to ensure that you wake up without neck pain or strain.
Unless otherwise noted, the pillows I tested in this guide provide ample support. However, the best way to ensure that you're choosing a travel pillow that provides adequate support is to try each option yourself because support also hinges on another factor, which brings me to my next point …
Travel pillows aren't a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. Just like regular pillows, they come in different sizes, thicknesses, shapes and fills. So, you can't just grab whatever's most accessible or affordable and trust that it'll meet your personal needs.
When choosing a travel pillow, you have to ensure it provides the level of comfort you need and fits you perfectly, especially if you're looking for a neck pillow. After all, we don't all have the same-sized necks.
As I said, travel pillows come in many shapes and sizes, so you need to first know what you need it for. If you just need one for sleeping on flights, train trips and long boat rides, then a travel neck pillow should suffice. If you need a supportive and comfortable option for all your back-sleeping needs, you may want to consider a rectangular pillow that is extremely packable. Or if you require total darkness, you'll probably want one with a built-in eye mask and sound dampener.
Pluto Pod 2.0 Travel Pillow
Bring your own blackout curtain with the Pluto Pod 2.0, a neck travel pillow that comes with a built-in hood and an eye mask. With this, your seatmate's reading light won't bother you ever again. There's something very Fantastic Four-esque about the Pluto Pod 2.0, as it has a modern space-age feel to it. I have to admit, it has a kind of head-turning, attention-drawing look that I would hesitate to wear in public, due in large part to its built-in hood. But in the Old West of flights — those long-haul ones during which pretty much anything goes because you're all just trying to survive — it's probably one of the best things you can have in your travel arsenal.
Although its spacious hood is a nice sound dampener, the marquee feature here is the drop-down eye mask. While it doesn't block all light, it effectively dims everything so that even when your seatmate has their window open or reading light turned on, you won't really notice. And if you're the type of sleeper who prefers complete darkness, you should seriously consider getting it.
Of course, the pillow part is great as well. Just like the Cabeau Evolution S3, I found it great for those with shorter necks (like yours truly), especially because it didn't squish my face like some of the other neck pillows did. And although it has more material than the others, it feels lightweight and is easy to wash.
One downside to the Pluto Pod 2.0 is that it feels very involved to use, especially if you have bangs or long hair. There's almost a whole ritual to putting it on and pulling the eye mask down, which probably isn't something you want to deal with when you've been traveling for more than eight hours. Another is that it's a hefty investment for a travel pillow at $145.
Cushion Lab Travel Deep Sleep Pillow
Love your regular pillow? Bring this travel-sized version from Cushion Lab instead. It's very plush but offers a lot of support for your neck and head, thanks to its sculpted design. Neck pillows are only truly suitable when you're catching your zzz's upright, but for traditional sleeping, you need a traditionally shaped travel pillow. That's what the Cushion Lab Travel Deep Sleep Pillow is for.
According to Cushion Lab founder Mike Tuan, this travel-friendly version of a regular pillow was created due to 'an overwhelming number of requests from our Deep Sleep Pillow customers for a travel version to combat the poor quality of hotel pillows.' It's not just smaller in size but also easily rollable into a compact form that you can attach to any carry-on handle.
The Travel Deep Sleep Pillow has a sculpted, contoured form that's specifically designed to support your neck and cradle your head while still offering a cloudlike experience, and it's probably the most supportive rectangular pillow I've ever used. It also bounces back quickly, preserving its form, has a suede travel case and comes with a cover that's super soft on the skin and prevents hair frizz. Everything about it is so soft and plush that two of my cats were fighting over which one got to sit on it. And it's the perfect travel pillow if you're sleeping in train cabins, hostels, Airbnbs and cheap hotel rooms where the pillow situation is not quite up to your standards.
Of course, it has its share of downsides as well, namely its price tag, which I have to say is more than fair for what you're getting, and the fact that it's a little tricky to use for upright sleeping positions.
Cabeau Evolution X Travel Pillow
Almost just as comfortable as the Evolution S3, this new Cabeau travel pillow boasts a breathable and adjustable lobe that you can shit downward for a better fit, depending on your neck type. The Evolution X and the Evolution S3 are not vastly dissimilar, sitting in the same price range as well as boasting the same memory foam insert and highly packable form factor. However, there's also enough difference between the two that I'm glad that I tested the Evolution X first. Otherwise, the S3's superior comfort and versatility would have overshadowed the X's merits.
I'm not saying that the Evolution X is objectively less comfortable. On the contrary, it's given me some of the best sleep I've ever had on a long-haul flight in economy class. Fitted with the same ergonomic memory foam as the Evolution S3, it's just as plush and supportive. It's also highly adjustable, thanks to the two lobes that come with breathable mesh holes for air circulation and are flexible enough to be twisted downward in an effort to better suit short-necked users.
Speaking as one of those users, I respect the attempt here. Unfortunately, it's not as effective in practice. Shift or turn your head just a little in your sleep and those lobes return to their original position. Honestly, if you have a short or wide neck, you just have to accept the fact that as soon as you pass out, your face will get squished on this pillow, no matter what you do.
I also didn't appreciate that it took a few adjustments for me to find the right position, not when the S3 was effortlessly comfortable as is and costs $10 less. The Cabeau Evolution X is still a fantastic pillow, but it's better suited for folks with longer necks.
Ostrichpillow Go Neck Pillow
This asymmetrical pillow from Ostrichpillow is a crowd favorite, thanks to its very squishy yet supportive design. It's also very compact when stored in its travel pouch. The Ostrichpillow Go had its viral Instagram moment for good reason. It's one of the easiest wraparound travel pillows I've ever tested, and it feels incredibly cozy and warm, just what you need for those inexplicably freezing flights where the lack of humidity is choking the soul out of you.
It's also plush yet supportive, thanks to its memory foam core, versatile due to its asymmetrical design and highly adjustable. Plus, its cover feels soft on the skin, and like the Cabeau Evolution S3, it's very compact in its packed form. And I really wanted to love it for all those reasons.
Sadly, like the Cabeau Evolution X, short-necked kings and queens will find it a little tricky to make work. My experience with it is that if I loosen it to make space for my face, it loses the stability needed to provide enough neck support, but if I tighten it enough to get that stability back, my whole face gets squished and scrunched up. I don't know about you, but I don't find that enjoyable.
Don't get me wrong here: the Ostrichpillow Go is still a fantastic option, and it's a great choice over the Evolution X if you don't want plastic parts in your travel pillow — even if it does cost $14 more. However, I wouldn't recommend it to users with shorter or thicker necks.
Therm-A-Rest Compressible Cinch Pillow
Best for camping and sleeping, this mini rectangular pillow may look like those free ones that airlines provide, but it's bigger, thicker and much more supportive. There's something about those small rectangular pillows airlines provide on long-haul flights that's comforting, and it's more than just nostalgia. Those pillows are not just easy to store, even in the tight conditions of an economy seat, but they're very versatile as well. I've used them as a seat cushion, as a lumbar support pillow and to provide cushioning between me and those uncomfortable armrests.
Well, the Therm-A-Rest Compressible Cinch Pillow is a better, thicker, more plush and more portable version of those pillows. Though it may not look it when you first unravel it from its compact form, this pillow expands to a height that's similar to regular pillows, which means you're getting about 5 inches of support. That's while keeping things small and lightweight at just 12 by 16 inches and 10 ounces — smaller and lighter than the Cushion Lab Travel Deep Sleep Pillow.
It also boasts a curious feature: You can cinch it to adjust the firmness. That's something new to me since adjustable pillows usually require users to remove or add fill to do so. Plus, you can toss the whole thing in the washer, making it much easier to clean the others in my testing pool.
This is the pillow to fly with if you prefer the classic rectangular form over all those neck options. The only thing I don't like about it is that its filling feels lumpy. That doesn't have an impact on its overall comfort, but if you're sensitive to that, you will notice it. Still, this is a great under-$40 score.
Huzi Infinity Pillow
This unique pillow boasts plenty of uses, thanks to its infinity form factor. It's also comfortable with a soft cover and a squishy fill. I truly love the concept of an infinity pillow, much like I love an infinity scarf. They're the same idea and, therefore, offer the same benefits. So, much like an infinity scarf, an infinity pillow like this one from Huzi can be worn and utilized in multiple ways, making it one of the most versatile pillows of the bunch.
In fact, the Huzi Infinity Pillow comes with a list of usage suggestions. According to Huzi, this travel pillow isn't just a great neck pillow; it also makes for a good window pillow, desk pillow, sleep mask, noise-muffling headgear and lumbar support.
The two things I love most about the Huzi pillow are that it's easy to put around your neck, and it's plush and soft to the touch, making your sleep a cozy experience. Unfortunately, it's not as effective in real-world situations. As a neck and lumbar pillow, I found the support inadequate, not because there isn't enough fill but because the pillow's layers don't stay put. They tend to just slide all over one another, even with the slightest shift, so there's not much stability there.
I do like wrapping it around my neck and then using the longer section as a sling for my arms when my shoulders are hurting from the uncomfortable plane seating, but since the pillow does tend to slide, I need to make sure I don't choke myself while I'm passed out.
At $55, the Huzi Infinity Pillow is a great value for your money due to its versatility. However, when it comes to stability, it doesn't quite deliver.
Sleep Number Travel Pillow
If you prefer a travel pillow that doesn't completely wrap around your neck, this one from Sleep Number offers the best of both worlds. It's also plush yet supportive, which isn't surprising since it's a Sleep Number product. The $50 Sleep Number Travel Pillow is a slightly different take on the neck pillows you see at airport shops, in that it has a rectangular side and a crescent side, and it's designed to sit on your neck and shoulders for head and back-of-the-neck support. It's easy to see the intention here. This is a pillow that'll provide ample cushioning for your head and neck while easing some of that pressure off your shoulders, especially if you're a side sleeper.
Combine that with Sleep Number's legendary memory foam and down-alternative hybrid fill, and you're pretty much guaranteed a restful sleep, even if that's in economy class.
There is a caveat, however. The issue with this neck pillow is that it doesn't provide enough support and stability at the front, so if your head starts to lean forward, this pillow won't be able to stop it. As an occasional head bobber, I found that this pillow works best when I'm in a window seat or in a reclined position, which also makes it a fantastic option for folks who like to take naps in their recliners at home.
However, if you're in a situation where sleeping completely upright is the only option, it might not be the best travel pillow for you, especially if your head tends to lean forward when you're asleep.
What kind of travel pillow is best for flying?
What kind of travel pillow is best for flying?
Unless you're flying first class where you have a lie-flat seat, the best kind of travel pillow for you is a U-shaped neck pillow that keeps your neck stable and in proper alignment.
Is a memory foam or an inflatable travel pillow better?
Is a memory foam or an inflatable travel pillow better?
Inflatable travel pillows are generally more portable (because you can deflate them flat) and, therefore, easier to pack. However, memory foam pillows can deliver the perfect balance of plushness and support, giving you a better sleep experience.
Do travel pillows come in different sizes?
Do travel pillows come in different sizes?
Yes, they do. They also come in different shapes. So, while my top pick is the best for most people, it may not be the most ideal size or shape for you. Just in case, you should check out the others we tested for more options.
Are travel pillows considered a personal item?
Are travel pillows considered a personal item?
It is a personal item in that airlines consider it separate from your carry-on bag; however, most airlines also won't count it as your personal item bag, allowing you to take it onboard along with your bag without charging you an extra fee.
What's the best way to clean a travel pillow?
What's the best way to clean a travel pillow?
That depends on the type of travel pillow. The best way to clean a travel pillow is to do so according to the manufacturer's instructions. Each pillow should come with them.
CNN Underscored has a team of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when applicable to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item.
Testing writer Michelle Rae Uy has years of experience covering travel gear and writing product reviews. She's written much of our beach content, including the best beach blankets and the best beach towels guides, as well as a review of a popular sunscreen applicator. She recently came back from a tropical beach vacation, during which she tested several types of travel and beach gear.