Neck Pillow
Many people like to have some type of neck pillow or travel pillow, often when travelling on a plane or in a car, either as some type of support for because they have some type of neck or back pain that a neck pillow can often help with.
There are many different types of available, and whilst they are all relatively cheap, it can be a bit tricky finding which one really works best on any type of long journey, or is sometimes effective at all.
Types of Neck Pillow
When deciding what type of Pillow to buy there are a number of things to consider, and ideally you would be able to try one out beforehand, but that always possible.
For some people the issue is simply one of comfort. For others, look and feel as well as practicality are important. Some neck pillows look like toilet seats that you put around your neck. Some people are not bothered by this, other people would not buy one because of this.
Some neck pillows are like a scarf that you can wrap around your neck. Others will have a type of brace that can contain some type of foam support, others will be inflatable and some will be simply more like a normal pillow that you would find in your living room.
Other neck pillows look like you have a snake wrapped around your neck. For a lot of people how it looks does not really matter, what is more important is that it gives you a degree of comfort whilst you are sitting or lying in a particular position for long periods of time.
Neck Support Pillow
It is worth remembering that some pillows are designed specifically for neck support. Quite often the design is worked around the premise that the person is going to be sitting in a particular position quite a long period of time, and as such they will be little movement.
This itself can present other health problems, particularly on long haul flights, and it is always advised to get up and move around doing any type of long journey as much as possible.
Anyone who has a particular head or neck or back injury, should take specific advice as to what is the best type of support that they need during any type of journey. If you are sitting or lying in one position for too long without any movement, then your body can tend to seize up a bit.
Best Pillow for Neck Pain
Some people want a neck pillow because they have some specific health problem in their normal life that cause pain in their neck or lower back, and this can be intensified by long periods of travel. In these cases people would be well advised to seek advice from a qualified medical practitioner who can give specific advise.
Whilst this might seem quite obvious, a number of travel pillows and neck pillows do make claims about how effective they are at relieving neck pain, and it is worth getting some independent advice on this.
Inflatable Pillow
Anyone looking for any type of neck or travel pillow is likely to consider an inflatable one. An inflatable pillow has the main advantage of size and weight. When travelling with any hand luggage or if not carrying any luggage at all, then an inflatable pillow can seem like an ideal option.
Unfortunately, inflatable pillows can often seem a bit hard, and the very nature of them being inflatable means that it can be quite difficult to get the right level of softness and support from them.
Neck Support
People assume that travel blows always provide a good level of neck support. This is not always the case. Some neck pillows make claims about how they are scientifically proven to provide better levels of neck or back support than other pillows, but these claims should often be taken with a high degree of caution.
Some neck pillows can seem very comfortable which is often the point of them, but can also encourage the body to lean in a particular position which can have potential negative effects on the upper body and the way the spine is leaning if the position is held too long.
Kids travel pillow
Encouraging kids to sleep or at least be quiet and rest on a long plane or bus trip can be a bit of a nightmare. Normally an iPad or similar is what is required, but a kids travel pillow can sometimes help.
If a kid is engrossed either in some type of computer game or tablet, then having some type of travel pillow that helps them feel comfortable and allows them to lean in a particular position for a period of time can be really helpful.
Neck Cushion
A neck cushion is often different to a neck pillow, in that it is sometimes more like a standard cushion that you would find in someone’s sitting room. People who travel without a neck pillow sometimes use the cushion that is normally on the seat and is normally intended for your lower back. That is fine if it works for you, the problem often is that it is not always very practical.
Other things to consider
If you are a frequent traveller, then you might want to consider the issue of how you keep it clean, is it washable, or can it be kept clean with some type of disinfectant wipe. Some neck pillows have pillow cases that can be washed.
Other people like to put their neck pillows in a microwave to clean them, which may sound a bit odd and you should probably be careful in case they explode,or more likely the foam burns.
Too comfortable …..
Most people or by a neck pillow or a travel pillow in order to help them feel more comfortable when travelling on a long journey, normally on a plane sometimes on a bus or a car. Whilst there is a lot of benefits of this, being too comfortable with one can also encourage you to stay in that position for too long.
There is a lot of medical evidence that staying seated in the same position for too long a period as often happens on long plane trips can have serious medical consequences.
Even if using a neck pillow for any type of support, it is also really important that you pay attention to more general travel advice and tips , which includes basic things such as getting up and moving around and stretching as frequently as possible, drinking plenty of water etc.
Do not let the comfort of a neck pillow stop you doing other things which are actually more important for your overall health and well-being when travelling.
