Tap to Read ➤

Why You Should Carry Travel Neck Pillow While Travelling

Sujata Iyer
If you are required to sit upright for long periods during your flights. Your neck and upper back generally bear the brunt of this upright position. A travel neck pillow is quite a handy item to have when you're traveling.
If you're a frequent traveler, then you're probably used to the long hours of flying, jet lag, and other such conditions that too much traveling can cause. And you must also be painfully aware of the discomfort that this excess traveling causes on your body.
Especially it causes severe strain on the neck and upper back muscles. This strain can spread over to other parts of your body, leading to serious discomfort. The next time you travel, carry with you a neck pillow that will keep you comfortable and also ensure that you have a good sleep.

What is a Travel Neck Pillow
Specially designed to fit around your neck and shoulders, a neck pillow gives you a feeling of being in the comfort of your own bed. While the most common pattern is in the form of a horseshoe, you may find slight variations too.
The forms and materials in which they are made are different for different manufacturers. However, it can be safely said that the best pillows are made using soft and comfortable fabric and stuffing.
Travel neck pillows can either be stuffed or they can have an inflatable mechanism. The inflatable ones are easy to store and carry around and take only as much as 5 to 10 seconds to inflate and around 3 seconds to deflate.
The deflated ones are very easy to store and pack too. Even stuffed ones are quite easy to store because of their small size and peculiar shape. You can pack around them in your hand baggage.

How to Pick One
Using travel pillows for neck pain is a very comfortable option that many people opt for. However, if you do not get the right one or yourself, you could end up in more pain and discomfort than before you began using one.
Let us see some things that you should keep in mind while picking out a neck pillow for yourself and your family.
The shape of the pillow is very important. The most comfortable is the standard U-shaped one, especially for frequent fliers. When you use this pillow, your neck, head, and upper back get enough support, thus relieving your neck muscles from undue stress.
The size of the pillow matters too. Buy a pillow that is proportionate to your body frame. This means that if you have a large frame, then a small pillow does not make sense.
Ideally, the pillow should be able to give adequate support to your head, your neck, and also to your upper back, when you wear it. If this does not happen, there's no doubt that you're going to have a very uncomfortable flight.
Make sure, that the pillow fits you well. If it is too loose, there are chances of your head drooping down and losing the support of the backrest of your seat. If it is too tight, there are chances of choking. Make sure that the pillow is perfectly fitted and does not allow your head to move around too much.
The most important thing that you should take care of is that you are not allergic to any of the materials that have been used to make the pillow. Else, they might be comfortable but might keep you up all night, sneezing.