Stress Management Corner
Travel Neck Pillow Review
by
Ashley Osier
MA, HHE, CPS, CSMT, CAMT, CAYT, CWHP
~ Holistic Wellness for Mind, Body, and Spirit ~
I'm thrilled to add a stress management segment to my blog. There are numerous topics to discuss, but today I would like to talk about Travel Neck Pillows. Over half of my clients travel by plane for work, vacation regularly or have to commute long distances. Traveling and a happy neck are not two words usually used together. Neck pain, as with most other pain, is not fun. I wrote a blog post about neck pain relief and you can read more about that here. When my clients come back from their trips and vacations, their neck is, more than not, tighter than before they left. Plane seats are notoriously NOT body-friendly in my humble but professional opinion. Seats on the subway, on buses, and on boats do not offer any better outcome, but the seats are not as cramped as plane seats.
I also think about students who have to sit all day in chairs that cannot possibly be body-friendly. On top of these unforgiving chairs, students have to carry backpacks that are more than the recommended 10% or less of their bodyweight. Add tech-neck syndrome from cell phone and computer overuse and you have a recipe for disaster. I wonder if some of our young children were able to use one of their short breaks to take a cat nap, whether it would give them a boost mentally and physically or make them more tired. Perhaps this is something doctors and educators will consider in the future. Having a neck pillow that could attach to their backpack would make it easy to travel with or it could easily fit in their locker. Hmm.
Whether you are a student or a professional, I highly recommend having a travel neck pillow handy. I always have a neck pillow in whatever car I am driving and whenever I travel by any other form of transportation. If I ever need to take a cat nap during a break at work, in between classes or during a long drive, I have my handy neck pillow to support my neck and make my rest the best it can be. I've never used it while I was driving, but as a posture specialist, I am considering various strategies that will help people in all situations.
I have tried different kinds of pillows. I have traveled by plane with a small pillow, a regular pillow, a u-shaped travel pillow, a cylindrical pillow and have just used my jacket or sweatshirt in a pinch. I've gone on long road trips with the same options. The most comfortable, easiest and most reliable pillow has been the u-shaped travel pillow.
Now there are micro-fiber, memory foam, microbead, air-filled and others that claim to support the neck. The memory foam is too soft to effectively support the neck in varied conditions, (from my experience and preference) the microbead easily tears and spills everywhere (NOT pet or toddler-friendly), the air-filled is not reliable and many people won't have the lung capacity to refill it, and the other "pillows" that wrap and support will be difficult for many people to operate in cramped sitting areas. Other neck pillows I have seen are simply impractical because they are so bulky...not travel-friendly. So I am back to the u-shaped travel pillows to review. Here are a few that I have found to choose from.
Click on...World's Best This is my favorite. At $10.99-$12.99 (depending on the pattern), so I like the price. With 616 customer reviews, I think it is safe to say this is a credible travel neck pillow. It is comfortable, supportive, won't be too squishy and it can be folded to feel like a pillow (headrest of seat in car to the window). The ends can be in the front, to the side, or toward the back to deter your head from dropping forward. It comes in a number of patterns and colors and the snap allows the pillow to easily attach to your luggage, briefcase, gym bag, purse strap or backpack. If you are a minimalist, you can loop it through your pants' belt loop on a hike or picnic. Here is more info on this neck pillow directly from the site.
- Feather-soft microfibers wrapped in soft-plush fabric for the ultimate in travel comfort
- Perfect hypoallergenic alternative to down-filled pillows
- Entire pillow machine washable. Guaranteed to be as soft and every time you use it
- Filled and finished in the USA
- Environmentally friendly fill and packaging. We use recycled materials like water bottles which are transformed into our soft micro-fiber filling
Click on...BCOZZY I like this travel pillow for a few reasons. There are 2,260 reviews on this travel pillow and 71% gave 4+ stars. This makes it a credible travel neck pillow in my book. It stays in place so you are not constantly having to adjust it. The ends stack to lift your head so it doesn't fall forward or to the side (if your head usually rests to one particular side). You can twist it to act like a pillow. It comes in adult and child sizes. I think this is a practical idea. On the other hand, I am not a fan of it wrapping around the entire neck. Some people may feel "strangled", especially if you have a large neck. If you have a sensitive throat, this would not be my first choice for you. Stick with World's Best. It doesn't easily attach to anything unless you wrap it, so I'm not confident it is as easy to travel with as the World's Best travel pillow. I'm also not thrilled on the price tag of $29.97, but it could be worth it for some people. Here is more info on this neck pillow directly from the site.
- • THE BCOZZY PILLOW is the only travel pillow that stops the head from falling forward; the patented neck pillow wraps gently around the neck and provides SUPER SOFT AND BEST SUPPORT simultaneously to the head, neck, and chin;
- • IDEAL FOR AIRPLANE FLIGHTS because it is comfortable and actually works; YOU CAN conform and twist it in several positions and control how tight it will be around your neck. The design is perfect for full support while sleeping upright without getting a stiff neck; EXCELLENT ALSO FOR ALL FORMS OF TRAVEL- car, train, or bus ride;
- • PERFECT FOR THE HOME – THE SPECIAL DESIGN is crafted for relaxing the head and neck muscles when watching TV or READING and for stabilizing the head for people having trouble holding the head up and need support or to sleep in an upright position.
- • GREAT FOR CHILDREN because its unique design gives the child a sense of comfort and security while PREVENTING THE CHIN FROM SNAPPING or dropping forward and sideways, especially during a car ride; Not a safety device, for comfort only; Do not leave child unattended while using;
- • EASY CARE AND CARRYING since it is durable and FULLY MACHINE WASHABLE; it can be easily attached to side of the carry-on with a SNAP STRAP or easily compressed into the hand bag;
I would love to hear what travel neck pillows you guys are using and what you like about them. If you don't have one yet and purchase one of the ones above, leave a comment and photo on how it is working for you. Is your body more relaxed and rested? Is it easy to travel with?
Remember that sleep is really important, especially to our ability to properly perceive and effectively manage our stress. Rest is also important in being able to maintain good posture! I take cat naps often to give myself a mid-day boost, especially when I am keeping odd hours or stay up late to make deadlines. Set your alarm to wake you up after 10-20 minutes and you will feel refreshed. The first time you may feel a little groggy, but after a couple of times, your body will start to kick in and you will get an extra boost of energy. If your office chair is not practical, take your nap in your car. If you are taking the subway but you have an office, bring a blanket or stretch mat to lie on in your office. If you are a student and your teacher is staying in the classroom, take a towel or stretch mat with you and use it on the floor in the classroom. Schools need to be providing this option for our children. Adequate rest is as important, if not more than exercise. A 10 minute nap for an elementary or middle school aged child would bless many teachers, I'm sure!
I hope you have enjoyed this post and review. If there is anything you would like me to review in the future, let me know in the comment section. If you haven't seen any of my posture videos, you can check them out at theposturespecialist.com. Make sure to start with the 3 Lock Mountain video. I have an official series list of foundational posture videos to watch which you can find here.
Until next time...Happy Posturing!!
Ashley
The Posture Specialist
Instagram (@theposturespecialist)
eastwestsomatherapy.com
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Ashley Osier is a holistic health educator and therapist, stress management therapist, corrective posture and corrective exercise specialist, an acupressure and massage therapist, stretching, massage, acupressure, and self-acupressure instructor and creator of the Point Release™ Technique and StretchFit™ Method. She specializes in working with stress management, injury prevention and pain relief, therapeutic stretching for individuals and couples, and posture awareness. She also offers coaching in nutrition and support for women going through divorce. Appointments can be scheduled by contacting her at ewsomatherapy@gmail.com.
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Helpful, thanks!
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