The Edit — Travel
Travel Neck Pillows for Thanksgiving Flights
5 travel pillows in 4 shapes: a memory foam U, a hood-style pillow that holds the chin, a 26-inch roll that bends to fit, a pillow that straps to the seat, and an inflatable one that packs flat.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
The 5 pillows here are sorted by shape, because shape decides whether your head stays up, and each is read against what its listing states, as How we choose describes. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Best for Sleeping upright
Watch for Chin can still drop
Best for A head that slumps forward
Watch for Bulky in a bag
Best for The window seat
Watch for You shape it yourself
Best for Overnight flights
Watch for Needs a headrest
Best for Carry-on only
Watch for Firmer than foam
SAIREIDER’s memory foam U suits most upright sleepers
The U is still the shape to start with. The SAIREIDER Travel Pillow is 100% memory foam with a washable cover, and it holds the head up from both sides. It suits a flyer who sleeps sitting straight back. It is the pick for a 2-hour Thanksgiving hop where you only want to doze.
SAIREIDER Travel Pillow, 100% Memory Foam, Washable Cover
A U-shaped pillow of pure memory foam with a washable cover, for planes, cars and the office.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Shape | U |
|---|---|
| Filling | 100% memory foam, per the listing |
A memory foam U with a washable cover, for upright sleepers.
Buy it if
- A flyer who sleeps upright
Don't buy it if
- A sleeper whose chin drops forward
BCOZZY supports 2 points, head and chin, when your head drops forward
A head that falls forward is the problem a plain U leaves unsolved. The BCOZZY Travel Neck Pillow supports the chin as well as the head, adjusts to fit, and washes. It comes with a carry bag, which matters, because it is bigger than a U. It suits the full flights home on Sunday 29 November, when a nap is the only escape from row 30.
BCOZZY Travel Neck Pillow, Head and Chin Support
An adjustable pillow that supports the head and chin, washable, with a carry bag.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Support | Head and chin |
|---|---|
| Extras | Washable, carry bag |
Head and chin support, for a sleeper who slumps forward.
Buy it if
- A sleeper who wakes with the head slumped forward
Don't buy it if
- A flyer short on bag space
The Dot&Dot Twist bends to fit a window seat
A window seat gives you a wall to lean on, and a U wastes it. The Dot&Dot Twist is a 26-inch roll of memory foam that bends into a U, a twist against the wall or a lumbar roll. Its cotton cover comes off to wash. It takes a minute to shape, every time.
Dot&Dot Twist Memory Foam Travel Pillow, 26-inch
A 26-inch bendable roll of memory foam with a washable cotton cover, shaped by hand.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Length | 26 inches |
|---|---|
| Cover | Washable cotton |
A 26-inch bendable roll, for leaning on the cabin wall.
Buy it if
- A window-seat sleeper who leans on the wall
Don't buy it if
- A flyer who wants a pillow that just goes on
Cabeau’s Evolution S3 straps to the seat for a 5-hour flight
A pillow that slides off the headrest wakes you every time it moves. The Cabeau Evolution S3 is memory foam with straps that fix it to the seat’s headrest, so it stays put. It is the one for a coast-to-coast red-eye of 5 hours or more in a middle seat, where there is no wall to lean on.
Cabeau Evolution S3 Travel Pillow with Seat Straps
A memory foam pillow with straps that fix it to the seat's headrest.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Filling | Memory foam |
|---|---|
| Fixing | Seat straps |
Memory foam with seat straps, for an overnight flight.
Buy it if
- An overnight flight in a middle seat
Don't buy it if
- A seat with no headrest to strap to
The Cabeau Air TNE packs flat for a carry-on
A foam pillow takes up as much space as a sweater. The Air TNE is Cabeau’s inflatable pillow: adjustable, light, and packed in a compact case when it is empty. It suits a traveller going carry-on only over the holiday, when every inch of the bag is spoken for.
Cabeau Air TNE Inflatable Travel Pillow
An adjustable inflatable pillow with a compact carrying case.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Inflatable, adjustable |
|---|---|
| Packs into | Compact case |
An inflatable pillow with a compact case, for packing light.
Buy it if
- A carry-on-only traveller
Don't buy it if
- A sleeper who wants foam's softness
| Pillow | Shape | Filling | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAIREIDER | U | Memory foam | Upright sleepers |
| BCOZZY | Head and chin | Not stated | A head that drops forward |
| Dot&Dot Twist | 26-inch roll | Memory foam | Window seats |
| Cabeau Evolution S3 | U with seat straps | Memory foam | Overnight flights |
| Cabeau Air TNE | Inflatable | Air | Carry-on only |
Fly the Wednesday before or the Sunday after with a pillow that fits your seat
The 2 days that bracket Thanksgiving are the busiest days at US airports, and the flights are full. Pick by your seat: a U or a chin pillow on the aisle, the Twist at the window, the strapped Cabeau in the middle. If you are flying a pie as well, the TSA’s rules for holiday food say it can ride in the cabin.
Prices, savings and deal badges are Amazon's own, read from Amazon within the last hour. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Best memory foam U
SAIREIDER Travel Pillow, 100% Memory Foam, Washable Cover