Travel Pillow 101: The Best Materials And Qualities To Look For

Individuals need travel pillows to offer high-quality comfort as well as proper neck and body support. These features should be your main considerations in looking for the best pillow to take with you when you’re away from home. 

Countless types of pillows are available on the market today, making it highly confusing to choose the best travel pillow for your different needs. To help you pick the right one, this article features the most common materials used as well as the essential qualities you need to look for in a travel pillow.

Most Common Pillow Fill Materials

Travel pillows are essential for every trip. But contrary to its name, this sleeping kit can be used at home, too. Learning more about the different materials used to stuff pillows can help you decide which travel pillow may be best for you. 

Pillow fills offer different firmness, comfort, and support levels. Choosing the ideal one will depend on your preferences, as well as your sleeping and resting positions. Here’s a closer look at the most common pillow fill materials and how they can provide you with the comfort and support you need:

1. Buckwheat-Filled Travel Pillows

Buckwheat is known as a food source for both humans and animals. This nutrient-rich plant is one of the major food groups in parts of Asia for several years. Buckwheat is also turned into flour for various culinary uses, including buckwheat noodles.   

However, there’s another lesser-known use for this plant—as a pillow fill. Buckwheat hulls or shells can be stuffed inside travel pillows to provide a great balance of comfort and support. It molds according to your neck, head, and other parts of the body. In addition, hulls promote air circulation, keeping you cool whether you’re inside the tent or in a tropical country. To find out more about the benefits of buckwheat pillows, watching the video below can help.

2. Feather-Filled Travel Pillows 

When stuffed inside your travel or regular pillow, feathers provide unparalleled softness. However, feather-filled pillows may not be able to provide you with the firmness you need. They can still help reduce strains and neck pains, but being lightweight and flexible, you still need to fold it if it’s lacking in height. 

If you’re sensitive to strong odors, you may want to steer clear of feathers as they can absorb sweat, which, when combined with heat, can generate an offensive smell. 

3. Water-Filled Travel Pillows

It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but water-filled pillows may appeal to some travelers, especially those who want to benefit from temperature therapy. Temperature treatment uses either hot or cold temperatures to address specific problems affecting your soft tissues. 

Water pillows may be filled with cold water to prevent night sweats and hot flashes. Alternately, you can fill the pillow with warm water to ease knotted neck muscles. If you’re using this to support your head, make sure to use the correct water temperature to have safe and healthy travels.

The only downside to water-filled pillows is their weight. Being heavy, it may not be the best to take for your trips unless you’d want to deflate it before leaving and inflate it before use.

4. Memory Foam-Filled Pillows

Solid memory foam provides medium-level firmness best for head tilters and those suffering from neck pains. Memory foam is known for keeping its shape and for providing ergonomic support for persons with neck and shoulder pain. 

Being soft, memory foam is also comfortable to sleep on, but it can’t provide proper airflow. As such, it could generate an offensive odor as it absorbs sweat quite easily. This type of pillow fill is also difficult to wash and is a tad heavier than other types.   

5. Shredded Memory Foam-Filled Travel Pillows

If you want to experience the benefits of memory foam pillows minus the heat, consider using shredded memory foam to stuff your pillows. This type of pillow offers softness and relieves the user of heat while taking a nap.

By sewing your own pillows, you’re free to adjust the height and width, as well as the firmness of your shredded memory foam-filled sleeping essential. Unfortunately, those looking for firmness may not be satisfied as this is softer than the compact memory foam.  

6. Latex-Filled Travel Pillows

Latex is typically associated with rubber and paint, but they can be stuffed inside pillows to provide both comfort and firmness. Individuals with neck pain or those who sleep on their sides and back can benefit from these pillow fills. Latex is durable and can last for a few years with proper care and use.  

7. Gel-Filled Travel Pillows

Gel-stuffed pillows are often filled inside the memory foam. They’re also marketed as cooling pillows. Some manufacturers allow these types to be placed inside a freezer to ease the heat.  Extremely soft and flexible, gel fills provide good support to your neck, head, and body.

The gel beads infused in these pillows can damage your memory foam, making it less durable compared to the other types. Another drawback to gel pillows is their price.  

8. Polyester Fiberfill Travel Pillows

Of all the pillow fill materials, this may be the cheapest. Besides being cost-effective, pillows stuffed with this material are lightweight and easy to clean.

Unfortunately, they can trap body heat and tend to get lumpy over time. If you want to invest in a durable travel pillow, it’s better to look somewhere else as this isn’t a good choice. Perhaps the most compelling reason to avoid polyester fiberfill is its potential toxicity. They may contain hazardous compounds such as formaldehyde, benzene, and toluene. 

9. Microbead-Filled Travel Pillows

These synthetic materials are also called uniform polymer particles. Like buckwheat hulls, they mold on the user’s body and promote air circulation, keeping you cool while sleeping. Apart from travel pillows, microbeads are often stuffed inside bean bags and stuffed toys.   

Unfortunately, unlike buckwheat, they’re not as eco-friendly and they can lose firmness and volume over time.      

Why Use A Travel Pillow?

Whether you’re enroute or just arrived at your destination, these travel tools are essential for the following reasons:    

• Plane trips can be more enjoyable and less achy if you have neck support. For this, a U-shaped pillow works best.  
• Sitting for long hours can put a strain on your back and neck. Before hitting the road, take a travel pillow with you for support. Any travel pillow will do in this case. 
• If exploring the outdoors, it’s best to have a multi-purpose travel pillow like a rectangular or hourglass-shaped cushion. The same goes for backpackers.   
• The hotel you’re staying in may not have the type of pillows you’re used to. Taking a travel pillow with you can help you sleep better.

Qualities You Should Look For In A Travel Pillow

Travel pillows are essential in keeping you fresh and comfortable while on a bus, car, or airplane. Most travelers use them for neck support while sleeping. However, they can do more than keeping your neck upright. It can be placed on your back or on the sides for additional support, too. Doing so can help prevent a stiff neck and some forms of strains and pains. 

As there are several travel pillows to choose from, the following will help you narrow down your choices by considering these qualities:

1. High-Grade Materials

As with other commodities, a travel pillow buyer should consider the materials used as well as the manufacturer’s workmanship. These are the determining factors in a sleep aid’s durability and functionality. 

Pricier travel pillows may last longer than the other cheaper types, although it’s not always the case. Some pillows provide high-quality performance at attractive price points, so keep your eyes peeled for these value-for-money travel pillows.       

2. Size

One of the main features of travel pillows is they’re smaller than regular home-use sleep aids. While there’s no ideal measurement for this trip essential, having a pillow that can be folded or compressed is better.

3. Shape

There’s more to travel pillows than the U-shaped neck support worn by many tourists. The shape can impact the pillow’s functionality and versatility. 

These snooze tools come in at least six types of shapes, each with its pros and cons:   

• U-Shape

This shape is the most common, and it’s extremely useful to plop on your neck for support while you’re sleeping in an upright position. It keeps your neck from bobbing back and forth, bending too close to your body, or placing you in an awkward position. You can choose to clip it on your luggage or pack it inside your bag.

• Elongated

Better known as wrap pillows, these types are great alternatives to U-shaped pillows, being that they’re flexible, compact, and lightweight. As such, they’re easier to store and pack.

• J-Shape

This one is relatively new and looks like a more complicated version of the U-shaped pillow. It provides support for the chin, head, and neck. Because of their weird shape, they can be bulky and more difficult to pack.

• Hourglass

This offers better versatility compared to its traditionally shaped contemporaries. It can be placed on your neck, knees, and back for better support and spine alignment. It can even be used at home while you’re working. When used to support your neck, it does little to keep it upright, though.

• Rectangular

This travel pillow looks exactly like your regular home pillows except for a few differences in weight and size. A rectangular travel pillow is also typically easier to pack inside your bag or in the car, making it perfect for backpackers and campers.  

4. Packability

A pillow won’t be considered great for travel if not for its portability. The best pillows for this purpose are those that can be folded. While others come with a separate carrying bag, it may not be convenient for travelers who prefer to pack light. Most U-shaped pillows can be clipped onto your travel bag, though.

5. Weight

Some airline companies impose stringent rules in limiting luggage weight. While some are still lighter than other items, they can still impact your travel experience. If you’re a frequent flyer, this can be a major issue. However, if you’re more inclined to travel in a car or a recreational vehicle, it’s not as significant.

6. Firmness

Pillows come in different firmness levels, and prospective buyers don’t have the means to determine whether the pillow they’re eyeing possesses their preferences. The materials used to stuff pillows often offer a clue, and the user’s body weight and sleeping position impact its performance, too. 

For instance, foam pillows are typically firm while fiber-fills and microbeads are softer. Also, softer pillows provide less support for persons vulnerable to getting stiff necks and other types of body pain.

7. Thermal Control

While the debate goes on whether a person loses heat more easily through the head or not, it can’t be denied that some individuals’ heads get sweaty while they’re sleeping. People suffering from this predicament should look for pillows that facilitate better airflow such as buckwheat, microbeads, shredded memory foam, gel-filled, and water pillows.

Also, check the fabric used for the pillow cover. Cotton and bamboo are the most ideal fabrics to keep you cool. Avoid foam fills that do little to regulate heat. 

8. Adjustable Loft 

A pillow’s height or loft is essential in helping avoid neck discomfort and other forms of body pain. Some manufacturers allow users to adjust this by adding or reducing the volume of fills inside the pillow for best support.

Buckwheat and water pillows, as well as inflatables, allow users to adjust the height, depending on the support needed. Ideally, side sleepers need high loft sleep aids while back sleepers need flat pillows for proper spinal alignment.

Wrap Up 

Being well-rested forms a part of a great travel experience, and not having the right pillow can negatively impact a trip. The features and materials discussed all have implications for a pillow’s comfort, price, and functionality. A traveler may prefer certain features over others, depending on several elements. 

That being said, there’s no magic formula to determine the most suitable travel pillow. Ultimately, the choice for the best one lies in an individual’s specific travel requirements.