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I love to travel. I don’t love sleeping on the go. Why? Think about it: the average adult human head weighs roughly 11 pounds—as much as a bowling ball—and balances on the very precious neck. So when you nod off, seated upright, or even Cabeau Evolution S3 Travel Neck Pillow ($40). It’s made of memory foam, which is great, but the feature that Redditors really seem to love are the two straps that allow you to secure the pillow to your headrest.

I should also admit that I suffer from a serious case of tech neck. I’m stiff and sore and misaligned frequently, so I try to do all I can to counteract the time I spend on computers in both the exercise that I do and the ergonomic support I give myself when I travel.

I put the Cabeau to the test on a 14-hour road trip, and I’ll gladly admit that, yet again, Redditors delivered! This neck pillow is SERIOUSLY comfortable, and it doesn’t move around, which allows you to adjust yourself without having to constantly re-adjust the pillow. I was able to sleep with the pillow, and I woke up without that crunchy, over-exerted feeling my neck can sometimes get when I cram it into the door of the car, using only my arms as support.

The Cabeau bills itself as the “Best Travel Pillow of 2024” according to CNN Underscored, and I can honestly say it gets my vote, too. —Ryleigh Nucilli, Digital Managing Editor, ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ

BONUS: Best for the Low-Maintenance Traveler

The Puffy Jacket Hack

The best story I ever heard about head-tipping, that jolt that startles you awake when you were just drifting off to sleep while upright, was from two climbers on El Capitan who got stuck—ughhh—sitting out the night in their harnesses. One of them got tired of the tilt, pulled out a roll of duct tape, and—kid you not—taped his head to the wall.

I have certainly awoken due to the same movement on a plane, but I’m not going to tape my head to the seat. Nor do I want to carry a neck pillow. I had one once, but gave it away. I’m juggling enough when I go anywhere: I’ve always got my phone out, and a laptop in a carry-on, and am now strict about carrying a water bottle rather than wasting more plastic. No need to be dropping a pillow on the dirty floor.

The perfect trick came from my friend Eliza, an international flight attendant, who over the years tried all manner of neck pillows purchased at home and abroad. And it turns out that her favored method meshes with my habits. If there is one thing I always carry to travel, it is a light, packable puffy jacket, which will save you if you get stuck in an airport overnight or even in cold airplane AC.

I have a , but other kinds would do; I pack it into its own pocket, as intended, while leaving the jacket arms hanging out. Boom, it makes a firm little shoulder pillow. Tie the arms together to hold the padding in place on either side of your neck. —Alison Osius, Senior Travel Editor, ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ