Skip to main content Tom's Guide Tom's Guide Search Tom's Guide View Profile Newsletters Best Picks Entertainment Prime Day Deals Switch 2 Restock Galaxy Z Fold 7 Wordle Today Best Mattress Best laptops Recommended reading These 5 airport essentials are the secret to sleeping through long flights — and they start at $14 Everyone's talking about vagus nerve stimulation — but can it really help you sleep? I tried Pulsetto to find out Pillows & Bedding I tried a hypoallergenic pillow for the first time — here's why I recommend it to side sleepers this summer Pillows & Bedding I tried an adjustable pillow and have never slept better — here's what happened Pillows & Bedding Memory foam pillows won’t save everyone’s sleep — an honest look at their pros and cons Amazon is selling 'game changing' $29 sleep mask for just $23 and it has 73,000+ 5-star ratings Pillows & Bedding Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow review 2025 It has 4 stars on Amazon but this inflatable nap pillow doesn't live up to the hype — here's why Eve Davies 18 June 2025 Why I'm sticking to a standard travel pillow this summer When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Future) In a cramped space with an achy neck and restless legs, sleeping on the go is somewhat of a skill. However, there are now a bunch of accessories available to help you snooze wherever you are (or claim to do that). And the travel pillow market is getting particularly experimental. While you'll never get the same quality sleep as you would resting on one of this year's best pillows, there are innovative pillow designs to help you fit in ZZZs at your desk, on a train or mid flight. With a few trips planned for the summer, I decided to give an Amazon's Choice inflatable travel pillow a go. With an average rating of 4/5 stars and over 400 verified reviews, I was keen to try it out. My verdict? I won't be parting ways with my trusty neck pillow anytime soon. Even though this one is inflatable and packs down neatly, I find a standard travel pillow a more practical and comfortable option. The Amazon Choice pillow I've been using I've been using the Maliton inflatable pillow, which is designed to support your head in various positions while sleeping on planes, trains, in cars or at the office. It's available at Amazon.com for $16.49 now after a 21% discount (was $20.99), or you can find it at retail price of £15.99 at Amazon.co.uk. You may like These 5 airport essentials are the secret to sleeping through long flights — and they start at $14 Everyone's talking about vagus nerve stimulation — but can it really help you sleep? I tried Pulsetto to find out I tried a hypoallergenic pillow for the first time — here's why I recommend it to side sleepers this summer The inflatable pillow is designed with holes for your face and arms and a 45° tilt at the top for optimal neck support. Plus there's extra cushioning around where you place your face for more comfort. Maliton Inflatable Travel Pillow: was $20.99 now $16.49/£15.99 at Amazon The Maliton inflatable comes in four color options including black, navy, dark grey and light grey. You can get it for $16.49/£15.99 now and it'll be delivered for free the following day with Amazon Prime. Why I’ll use a standard travel pillow instead Yes the nap pillow should, in theory, provide a comfortable means of napping no matter where you are. But, in all honesty, I don't recommend it and won't be packing it when I travel this summer. Here's why... It's not as well designed as it claims The Maliton pillow claims to inflate in 5 to 10 breaths. Even after getting myself out of puff countless times, it’s still not fully inflated, which means it’s not very supportive and deflates quickly. The premise behind the pillow is strong. I like the idea of keeping the neck and upper back in correct posture to help you find comfort and avoid aches and pains in compromised sleeping situations. However, the Maliton pillow needs a sturdier build to be effective. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) Even though it can be folded up into a pouch, at 4”x6"x9" when packaged it's still a fairly bulky addition to your hand luggage. Though, I will say it is more smaller than an always-inflated pillow. I'd rather be a polite traveller Pulling out and blowing up this pillow, which stands at 13”x13”x20” when inflated, is likely to draw a few stares in a space-limited cabin. For this reason and safety precautions, some airlines forbid pillows onboard. Plus, with the effort it took to blow up to a half-inflated state, I'd rather slip on a neck pillow and eye mask without drawing attention to myself or disrupting others on public transport. But what neck pillow do I recommend? The memory foam Napfun travel pillow (now $15.86 at Amazon). There are better sleep gadgets For peaceful sleep on board, I'd recommend shopping other sleep products. A reliable sleep mask or sleep headphones, which could be more useful for sleeping while travelling to block out light and noise pollution that’s sure to disrupt your rest. I particularly like the SOMO Sleep Fitness Mask, a luxury soft sleep mask that uses acupressure to help you relax. It comes with a premium price tag ($59). But it can help you sleep while travelling, bag an afternoon nap at home, or sleep better night after night thanks to its durable design. (Image credit: Future) Additionally, a pair of sleep headphones or earbuds can help you drown out a noisy cabin, which is key to getting shut-eye when travelling. These will also come in handy (much handier than a obnoxious inflatable pillow) if you're struggling to sleep next to a snoring partner. Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Sleep Staff Writer Eve is a PPA-accredited journalist with an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University. She is a Sleep Staff Writer at Tom’s Guide and has four years’ experience writing health features and news. She is particularly interested in the relationship between good sleep and overall health. At Tom’s Guide Eve is responsible for coverage and reviews of sleep tech and is our smart and cooling mattress specialist, focussing on brands such as Eight Sleep and Sleep Number. She also covers general mattress reviews, seeks out the best deals to produce tried-and-tested buyer's guides for sleep accessories and enjoys writing in-depth features about sleep health. She has been involved in rigorous testing procedures for mattress reviews in our Sleep Studio and has interviewed experts including sleep doctors and psychologists. When not covering sleep at Tom's Guide, Eve enjoys writing about health and fitness, food and culture. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. These 5 airport essentials are the secret to sleeping through long flights — and they start at $14 Everyone's talking about vagus nerve stimulation — but can it really help you sleep? I tried Pulsetto to find out I tried a hypoallergenic pillow for the first time — here's why I recommend it to side sleepers this summer I tried an adjustable pillow and have never slept better — here's what happened Memory foam pillows won’t save everyone’s sleep — an honest look at their pros and cons Amazon is selling 'game changing' $29 sleep mask for just $23 and it has 73,000+ 5-star ratings Latest in Sleep Tech Garmin launches first sleep-only tracker — a screenless lightweight armband that takes aim at Whoop Save $30 on the sunrise alarm clock customers 'cannot live without' in early Amazon Prime Day deal Don’t waste your money on the Oura Ring 4 — the older model tracks sleep just as well and is $150 cheaper Amazon is selling 'game changing' $29 sleep mask for just $23 and it has 73,000+ 5-star ratings The 5 sleep gadgets that will help you sleep cool this summer Are there any benefits to using a sunrise alarm clock in summer? 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