Hi all,
Do neck pillows really help you sleep on transatlantic overnight flights? Thinking of buying one, but wasn't sure if it was worth it.

They help a little. I can doze for an hour with one. I prefer the buckwheat ones to the bead ones.

I suggest you try one at home, sit in an armchair (not a really comfy one!)and try napping with a neck pillow.

I think it varies from person to person.

I use an inflatable one from Samsonite and like it. It keeps my neck/head from moving too much. DH has the same neck pillow but he doesn't like it as much.

I always buy inflatable ones so that it won't take up much space.

Ah, we just returned last week from Italy and received these as Christmas gifts. The Komfort Kollar from Magellans.

http://tinyurl.com/26bdxu


Made a huge difference for me because I have the worst time sleeping up right. Highly recommend.

If I had a choice between using a neck pillow or not, of course I use one.. it is impossible without one, the airline seats are designed to not support your neck at all, very very uncomfortable.
I use an inflateable one as they take up no room in luggage, but the stuffed ones do look very comfy!!I buy the inflateable ones that re flocked,,they are only about 6-10 bucks, and I bring a spare so I don't have to buy one for the return trip at the airport at an inflated price( LOL , pun intended,) .

I did buy one of those inflatable ones once, but don't think it really does much good. The main reason I cannot sleep is that I absolutely cannot sleep sitting up, and that's that. Having a pillow around my neck really doesn't make much difference, in fact, I think it can even make it a little more difficult to be comfortable sometime--I like to get a window seat and then put one-two real pillows (the ones the airline give you) between my head and the wall/window so I'm kind of leaning a little. In some airplanes, that isn't possible any more as there is a space between the seat and the window now.

Those inflatable ones are actually kind of hard to inflate as you blow them up, but then the air comes out quite a bit by the time you get the plug stuck in it.

I do use them, and they help a lot, in my case. My problem is that I keep waking up when my head flops over. These keep my head from doing that. I've also used them as a regular pillow when leaning forward on the seat ahead of me (strange picture, I know). I've seen these before, and would love to try them:

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/s...low-164788.php

I've used them and find them not very helpful - not worth the space and weight they occupy. A lot of airlines long haul planes now have headrests with sides that can be tilted up, to keep your head from rolling from side to side. I find this works well enough for me.

I have a tempur-pedic neck pillow from Brookstone that my husband bought for me. It is quite heavy and bulky. BUT I used it on a recent 10+ hour trip and it worked like a charm -- really gave me a way to rest my head and kept it from flopping around. I slept more comfortably than I ever have before on an airplane (in coach).

I'd suggest borrowing one from a friend and seeing if you like it.

I always pack an inflatable one (takes up no room)with mixed results as a headrest but a lifesaver for poorly designed seats. I've flown four flights where the headrest doesn't seem to match the body at all, and by sitting on the inflatable headrest, I managed to "match."

So you're assuming I'm short, right? Uh-uh. I'm quite tall. What big guys must go through makes me wonder. Would just l-o-v-e to meet both the seat designers and the airline executives who went along with the purchase of the seat design.

On some very long flights (12 plus hours), I also take a beaded version that is much more effective. Have a long neck and it's a problem.

Hi

I use this one - http://www.abackrubco.com/index.asp?...amp;ProdID=146. I also use it for lumbar support. It's very lightweight. I was actually able to sleep for the first time on a long haul flight!

I've never been willing to bother to drag along one more thing. But if I did take a pillow, I'd get a regular little rectangular travel sized down or foam filled one (instead of those neck 1/2 rings).

I've used several, and my favorite is the one in the link provided by worldinabag. It's not officially a neck pillow, but I find that it squishes around my neck when I lean against the seat and gives better support than the semicircle ones.

Using a pillow really does seem to help minimize neck pain. My husband and I both use them.

Has anyone tried the 1st Class Sleeper? I've purchased one and am hoping it will be able to give me a full nights sleep!

I can't deal with the horseshoe-shaped ones; they feel like a straitjacket to me and seem to push my head too far forward. (I'm a side sleeper, by the way.)

But I found a different style that I do like called the Hedbed: http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...berId=12500226

It's inflatable and has a removable fleece cover so I can wash it.

You might need to shop around until you find the style you like.