​​First of all, your neck pillow must be able to adapt to different changes in position and support the natural curvature of your neck and head. It should not restrict your head movement or feel too constricting and tight. Inflatable pillows, however inexpensive and light, miss out on this criterion. They are often too bulky and annoying and can feel too tense around your neck.

​​According to your preference and the way you sleep, you may want to test out multiple types and find out what’s best for you. Ideally, your neck pillow must be able to keep up with all your position changes and stay in place by the window, and even when you’re in the aisle seat. Usually, travel pillows are designed to hang around your neck. Still, there are also travelers that prefer square or rectangular pillows, which are reminiscent of ones back home.

​Travel pillows must mimic your actual bed pillow preferences to give you maximum comfort and support. The pillow must feel plush and gentle around your skin and must be covered with breathable fabric to prevent discomfort and excessive sweating around the head and neck. 

You may also opt to buy travel pillows made with memory foam, which is considered to be one of the most comfortable types. It actually sculpts and forms according to the curves and shape of your head and neck. This helps to reducee tension in these areas.

​​Your travel pillow must be compact and take-up as little space as possible. Again, if it’s inflatable, there’s a chance that you can store it away more easily, but save yourself the trouble of puffing it up again when you need to. If it can’t be compressed to a specific size, it must have latches or straps where you can attach it to your luggage handles. When all else fails, it must fit perfectly around your neck and be comfortable enough to stay there for hours on end.

​​This criterion generally depends on the traveler. For minimalists and on-the-go passengers, they may opt for sleek, streamlined designs that are surprisingly super comfortable (but might cost a bit more). Of course, if you’ve been freed-up from all the carrying, it may be easy for you to choose something fluffier. Just make sure that it doesn’t add unwanted weight, or feel too heavy on your shoulders.

​With changing positions, you’d want your head to feel at ease. If there are bumps along the way (turbulence and other disturbances), your pillow might slip out, and your head might bump on something hard. Make sure that you buy pillows that stay in place, preferably pillows with some traction or texture on the flip side. Some pillows even come with velcro straps, so you won’t have to worry about them lodging out.

​Choose a pillow that will be able to accommodate various head and hair sizes, or even those with ponytails. Don’t choose models which are too constricting - they won’t do much for your comfort. Also, you must make sure that your pillow is easy to store, especially when you’re in-between flights and have no time to fumble with your belongings.