face travel pillow

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The 9 Very Best Travel Pillows

“it lets you sleep decently even if you’re in the middle seat.”.

In this article

Best travel pillow overall.

• Best less-expensive
• Best memory-foam
• Best inflatable
• Best for specific seats
• Best for sleeping on the tray table
• Best for traveling with kids

Before I became a travel writer , I thought that travel pillows were simply inflatable, half-donut-shaped options that you buy at the airport for $20. And while those pillows still have their virtues — in a pinch, I’d much rather be with one than without — travel pillows have truly evolved beyond those designs. On the 11 flights I took last year, I put several of those new pillows to the test.

My criteria was simple: I wanted to get a proper rest onboard, and I wanted to be able to pack the pillow into my bag (without eating too much into my carry-on allowance ). The pillows that passed that test came in all shapes and sizes. There were pillows that didn’t look like the classic donut (great for people who never get onboard with the U shape), as well as several that smartly upgraded that donut shape (either with luxurious materials or handily placed headrest straps which meant I didn’t jolt myself awake mid-flight.) I also tested travel pillows designed specifically for which seat I traveled in, from cushy pillows designed to slope against the window, ones for the tray table, and even — when I ended up in the dreaded middle seat — ones that slot over the seatbelt.

Read on for my guide to the best travel pillows I’ve tested. As I only get so much annual leave, I’ve also included recommendations from travel experts who log more miles than I do — as well as chiropractors who explain the science behind them. And once you’ve sorted your travel pillow, make sure to read my guides on the best carry-on luggage and other travel essentials to make your trip as smooth as possible.

What we’re looking for

First, consider the type of travel pillow you’re interested in: U-shaped versions that go around the neck or traditional flat pillows that have been shrunken down for portability are most common. U-shaped pillows are designed to prevent lateral bending in the neck — “it’s that move to sort of pinch the cellphone between [your] shoulder and ear,” says Dr. Carla Fischer , the director of quality and patient safety at NYU Langone Spine Center. That bending to the side she says is the most important thing to prevent, but not everyone sleeps in the same position or has the same concerns, so I’ve included several styles in this story.

Below you’ll find pillows made with memory foam, filled with beads, or just air if they’re inflatable — each of which has its own pros. Dr. Claire Fitzpatrick, founder of Bed Stuy Chiropractic, believes that memory foam is the most “accommodating” when it comes to travel. When I asked her what she meant, she explained that “if you get a medium to medium-firm memory-foam sort of pillow, it accommodates you, but it doesn’t let you dig into it too much.”

When it comes to thickness “the sides should come up to the height of your earlobes,” says Wainani Arnold , founder of the Wainani Wellness Center and in-flight wellness expert for Hawaiian Airlines. “The back of the neck pillow should be flat or only as thick as the distance between the back of your neck to the back of your head (one to two inches). If it is too thick in the back, the pillow will push your neck forward from the chair too much and will potentially dump your head back, which is not ideal for your neck.”

Easy to pack

Between a carry-on and a personal item, both stuffed to the brim, finding room for something as large as a pillow can be cumbersome. The most packable among travel pillows are the inflatable ones. Others filled with memory foam or cotton are a little trickier to deal — but are likely more comfortable. This is a trade-off, depending on how long your flight is. And often, neck pillows often have a snap closure at the front which can easily be used to secure it to the handle of your suitcase.

Shape: Neck pillow | Fill: No fill | Thickness: Thin | Easy to pack

This travel neck pillow is not the traditional U-shape; it has no fill and is very thin, but it still takes the top spot on my list. It had the most recommendations from our experts, which is what gave me the confidence to test it out during a 12-hour flight to Seoul. I was a bit perplexed by its appearance initially, but writer Lauren Schwartzberg explained that it achieves the main goal of a neck pillow — which is to prevent lateral bending in the neck — thanks to the plastic brace stowed inside a padded scarf. The brace is only in one part of the pillow, but you can adjust it “so you’ll have to choose which side you prefer nodding off toward,” Schwartzberg explains.

The first time I tested out the Trtl, I was out like a light. The brace’s angle hits just right: There is no sloping so much that your neck bends unnaturally, but it’s supportive enough for you to relax into a decent sleep. Editor at Pack Hacker Lauren Maternowski’s promise that I would be able to “fully lean against the seat’s headrest,” was completely true. Former Strategist staffer Rosie Percy also found that with the adjustable Trtl she was “able to sleep through a flight for the first time in my adult life, touching down feeling refreshed and without a crick in my neck.” And the Points Guy’s travel editor, Madison Blancaflor , told me, “It’s the only way I can survive long-haul flights in economy.” Scott Keyes of Going (formerly known as Scott’s Cheap Flights) also echoes their praise: “What I like about it is its versatility. It lets you sleep decently even if you’re in the middle seat, and this one is small enough to easily tuck into your backpack.”

Thanks to the fact that it helped me sleep so well, even in economy, as well as the fact that it’s easy to pack, I’m firmly naming the Trtl the best travel pillow overall.

Best less-expensive travel pillow

Shape: Neck and lumbar pillow | Fill: Not listed | Thickness: 2 inches | Average packability

If you aren’t exactly sure if you’ll need neck support or lumbar support, a convertible pillow like this might be your best bet. This neck pillow folds up into a square-shaped pillow that can then be used on your lower back or up against a window. It can also be rolled up into the built-in pocket for storage — which is great for saving space, and also shielding the pillow from any germs in the airport. Taryn White of The Trip Wish List also tells me that it has teeny pockets for earbuds, gum, and mints, a big pro if you usually find yourself rummaging around to find your essentials mid-flight. It has a less convenient hook (compared to a strap) to secure it to your luggage, but the snaps that close the front of the pillow provide another option for strapping it on. I couldn’t track down the fill used in this pillow, but the general consensus from reviewers is that it was “firm but not [too] hard for me & my aching neck,” (according to one reviewer on the Bed, Bath & Beyond website.)

Best memory-foam travel neck pillow

Shape: Neck pillow | Fill: Memory foam | Thickness: 5 inches | Easy to pack

This pillow is an improvement on the half-donut. It’s a U shape, but with slightly raised sides to stop your head from slumping (and supports your jaw to prevent open mouth breathing, says travel blogger Carmen Sognovi .) It’s made from memory foam, and it has a flattened back, which allows it to be flush with the chair. This helps your spine align with the chair, for more comfort (according to Dr. Fitzpatrick). But the best feature is the adjustable strap that fastens the travel pillow to a headrest — which prevents you from flopping forwards once you’re sound asleep. Unfortunately the Cabeau takes up more space than the Trtl, but it is still fairly easy to carry — it comes with a bag that compresses it to half its size, and you can use the bag’s strap to fasten the pillow to your carry-on .

Best inflatable travel neck pillow

The same brand also makes an inflatable version of their travel pillow — and though I generally don’t like inflatable pillows, this one is a good option. It inflates to five inches thick, but is just the size of a soda can when deflated. Just like the memory-foam pillow, this one has a flat back to help keep your neck in line with the seat, and it has a neck strap to keep your head super-stable. “They are a bit higher than most neck pillows and have a special toggle you can connect and tighten so the pillow doesn’t fall off,” says Jennifer Lachs of Digital Nomad Girls . Lachs admits that the memory-foam pillow above is “even more comfortable,” but the inflatable is better if you want to travel light. (Initially I thought that inflatable was synonymous with adjustable — the more air you put in the taller it will be and less air will make it less firm — but Dr. Fischer said it’s a bad idea to not fill up these pillows all the way, as that’s not how they were designed to be used.)

Best inflatable travel lumbar pillow

Shape: Lumbar pillow | Fill: Inflatable | Thickness: 2 inches | Easy to pack

The Travel Pal is a different type of travel pillow — it’s designed for lumbar (rather than neck) support. As a WFH-er who’s rather particular about ergonomic office chairs , I notice the lack of lumbar support on airport seats whether it’s long- or short-haul flights. “In a proper chair, the lumbar part should actually push out to support that curve in your low back, but they don’t do that on planes because if they did, it would affect their seating, so a lot of them curve in,” says Dr. Jared Hoffman of Williamsburg Chiropractic . His recommended solution is this pillow which inflates to two inches thick, and reduces stress on the joints and discs of your low back by supporting that lower-back curve. Dr. Hoffman not only recommends it to patients, but says “this I have used personally and I think it’s one of the best products I’ve come across.” And as it’s inflatable, it’s super easy to travel with — just deflate and roll into your bag once you disembark.

Best travel pillow for the middle seat

Shape: Neck pillow | Fill: Inflatable | Thickness: 3.5 inches | Easy to Pack

On a recent flight to Italy, I chose the dreaded middle seat on purpose to see how well the Travelrest really works. The inflatable pillow is worn like a sash, and it gives you something to loll your head against (apart from the person sitting next to you.)  “I’m obsessed with this hideous inflatable golf club,” says travel writer Teddy Minford, who first told us about the unique travel pillow. “It creates something to lean against, even if you’re in the middle seat.” After testing it, I agree with Minford that the pillow gives you something to rest your head against — and I successfully managed to get a few hours of sleep on my early flight. However, I’m not a middle-seat convert just yet. I still felt myself sloping a little towards the side I was resting on. I was overall impressed with how much the pillow improved the usually uncomfortable experience of middle seating, though, and it was super easy to transport: When deflated, it rolls up to the size of an iPhone.

Best travel pillow for the window seat

Shape: Head and neck pillow | Fill: Polyester filling | Thickness: 3 inches | Average packability

Mercedes Arielle is a window-seat person and says the J-Pillow is best at cradling her head, shoulder, and chin on flights. As someone who favors the window seat myself, I knew I had to try it. It’s almost claw shaped, with a main body that supports the crook of your neck and a cushion extending below the chin to stop your head sliding forward. For Arielle, that three-pronged support is essential “because I rest my head against the window so I can maximize every inch of my window seat.” I particularly liked how the chin cushion didn’t extend too far around the neck (as I mentioned above, the usual doughnut-shaped pillows make me feel as though I’m being choked), and the main body of the pillow opened up in a V-shape so I could really wedge my head inside. The material felt more luxurious than the average travel pillow too — it had a fleecy lining that you can nuzzle down into. Although I love my Trtl, the J-Pillow has become my go-to for train journeys. It’s so cushy that it absorbs the vibrations and rattles that usually keep me awake during a train journey — meaning I can properly snooze. It’s also rather handy: You can compress the pillow to half its size in a carry bag, then use its loops to attach it to your luggage.

Best travel pillow for tray-table sleeping

Shape: Head pillow  | Fill: Polystyrene microbeads | Thickness: Not listed | Not easy to pack

I know that mid-overnight flight, the tray table can begin to look very tempting — but it’s often hard, and all of the vibrations from the airplane can make you feel like there’s a rattling in your brain. To combat that discomfort, Dr. Fitzpatrick told me about this pillow that’s more like a helmet. It covers all sides, including the forehead, so it can be used in a number of situations. There is a hole for your mouth so you can breathe, but otherwise it’s a pillow, eye mask, and noise-canceling headphones all in one. Once out of the box, however, there is no indication that this pillow will compress again, meaning it could be cumbersome to travel with.

Best pillow for traveling with kids

Shape: Neck pillow | Fill: Polyester filling | Thickness: Not listed | Easy to pack

I’ve always wondered how parents can get their little ones to settle on a bustling flight — and writer and mum-of-one Chantel Tattoli told me that this Huzi pillow is her foolproof method. She says it has an an almost mystical effect on her daughter on long flights. “Generally, she seems to accord a magical ‘fairy-ring’ quality to this fluffy circle, as if once she’s thrown it over her, she’s staked some space in which things are pretty good,” she says. The pillow, like an extremely plush scarf, can wrap around your neck or lower back — or even both at the same time — to create a highly customized, optimum sleeping position. For this reason, it’s a great pick for those with scoliosis , too. “Even mild scoliosis can affect your comfortable position in a tight seat,” says Fitzpatrick. “The adjustable lemniscate-type pillows can be good for this.” Wearing it through the airport like a scarf also makes it easy to carry, but if you’d rather throw it in your bag, it rolls up neatly into a little ball.

Some more travel pillows we’ve written about

Our experts

• Mercedes Arielle, fashion and travel blogger at Calculated Opulence • Wainani Arnold, founder of the Wainani Wellness Center and in-flight wellness expert for Hawaiian Airlines • Dr. Carla Fischer, director of quality and patient safety at NYU Langone Spine Center • Dr. Claire Fitzpatrick, founder of Bed-Stuy Chiropractic • Dr. Jared Hoffman, Williamsburg Chiropractic • Scott Keyes, Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) • Jennifer Lachs, founder of  Digital Nomad Girls • Kat Lopez, freelance writer • Lauren Maternowski, editor at Pack Hacker • Teddy Minford, travel writer • Rosie Percy, former Strategist associate director of e-commerce-audience-development strategy • Dr. Rebecca Robbins , sleep specialist and Harvard Medical School instructor • Stella Shon, writer at The Points Guy • Carmen Sognovi , travel blogger • Chantel Tattoli , freelance writer • Taryn White, founder of The Trip Wish List

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Editor's Choice by Business Insider, Tripadvisor, Washington Post, People, and Travel + Leisure.

The Ergonomic Travel Pillow features an asymmetric shape that surrounds your neck and softly cradles your face to offer you award-winning sleep comfort on your travels.

• 360 Face Cradle Soft, face-cradling bolster rotates around your neck for full freedom on where you want to lean and rest.
• Ultra Compact Footprint Rolls up and straps down to 1/4 of the size for ultra-portability.
• Travel Pouch with Carabiner Protective pouch keeps your pillow clean and clips to your bag or backpack to keep your hands free.

Dimension:  9 L x 10 W x 5 H inches, 0.8lb. 

*Choose Medium if you are 5'7" and below with average build, and choose Large if you are 5'8"+ or simply prefer more sleeping support

"Editor's Choice Award - The best travel pillow in 2019"

"2020 Gift Guide - The Tesla of travel pillows"

"Brings comfort to another level!"

"The essential road trip gear for your next epic drive!"

Award-winning cloud-like cushioning

Enjoy a soft, gentle face cradle for restful sleep on the go.

Comfort meets ultra-portability

It takes mere seconds to pack, clips to your bag and is tiny in footprint.

Business travelers , minimal packing jetsetters , any traveller  or commuter  of short or long distance through plane, boat, train, or car that is looking for better rest to minimize jet lag.

This pillow is designed for those looking for head and chin support to relieve neck pressure while allowing for comfortable face cushion and relaxed sleep.

• 65% Polyester 35% Cotton outer panel, 93% Cotton 7% Spandex inner panel outer shell.
• 100% Extra dense Hyperfoam™, CertiPUR-US certified premium visco elastic memory foam.
• 100% Polyester elastic strap
• 100% Polyester storage bag
• 100% Aluminum carabiner clip This pillow comes with a 1-year limited warranty. Learn more.

Washing - The Travel Pillow comes with a conveniently removable hypoallergenic cover that is machine washable to keep your pillow clean and looking fresh.

Drying - Air dry only.

*The memory foam pillow core is not washable.

Free shipping is included  for the 48 contiguous United States. We charge a flat shipping rate for Alaska and Hawaii. 

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The 10 Best Travel Pillows of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Sleep and relax comfortably on the go with these top travel pillows

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Travel + Leisure

Score our best budget pick, the Cloudz Microbead Travel Neck Pillow , on sale with coupon during Amazon's Big Spring Sale.

Sitting upright for hours on end can be incredibly uncomfortable, but a travel pillow can make your trip a lot more tolerable. Whether embarking on a red-eye flight or taking the train, the best travel pillows will be comfy, supportive, and portable. 

We tested 24 travel pillows based on traits like comfort, durability, portability, and quality. We narrowed down the best options while using the accessory for road trips, long-haul flights, and train rides. Our top pick for the best travel pillow overall is Cabeau The Neck's Evolution S3. We love that this pillow folded down into its own, compact carrying case and comes with a washable cover to keep it fresh between trips. We also found the best pillow choices for travelers who like a softer or firmer pillow along with styles that are perfect for middle seats and budget-conscious travelers, too. 

Best Overall

Cabeau tne s3 travel pillow.

• Comfort 4.5 /5
• Quality 4.8 /5
• Portability 5 /5
• Durability 5 /5

The seat strap system keeps the pillow in place and prevents painful neck cramps.

It can feel stiff at first and takes some getting used to.

This soft and supportive travel pillow is the perfect accessory for long trips, whether you're in the car or in the air. The pillow itself can attach to any headrest with adjustable straps to prevent your head from sagging or falling into uncomfortable positions while sleeping. There's also an adjustable chin strap for added comfort and security. The pillow's exterior fabric is soft and cozy, yet breathable so you don't feel too hot or constricted although it can take some time to find your perfect position.

We also love that the pillow case is machine washable. We tested this pillow on a long international trip where it really got tossed around on planes, trains, and buses, so it felt great to wash the cover at the end of the trip, making it good as new. Despite its fairly large size, the pillow is also quite portable as it rolls up into a compact carrying case that can attach to a bag's exterior or slip into larger backpacks and totes.

The Details:  Polyester, microsuede, foam   | Portable case | Machine washable

Best Overall, Runner-up

Cushion lab ergonomic travel neck pillow.

• Comfort 4 /5
• Quality 5 /5

The pillow has an asymmetrical design that allows travelers to adjust the amount of support needed.

It can have a snug fit.

The Cushion Lab Ergonomic Travel Neck Pillow can make your trip much more comfortable, whether in the middle seat of a plane or a car. With an ergonomic design, one side of the pillow is larger than the other to support the chin if your head tilts while sleeping, and the back has a cushion that is contoured to keep the head in an upright position. During testing, the neck pillow provided a comfortable rest for the chin, and we didn’t feel too hot while wearing it. Although the cushion fits snugly around the neck, it didn’t take long to get used to it, and we could nap comfortably during a train and car ride. The buckled strap was easy to adjust, and we liked having the ability to spin the pillow around to use the asymmetrical sides and back to find the most comfortable position for sleeping in the window and middle seats. With a soft, recycled polyester exterior and Cushion Lab’s extra-dense memory foam, the quality of the travel pillow is luxurious and sturdy, and it folds into a small ball to fit inside a carrying bag that can clip onto a backpack or a suitcase.

The Details:  Polyester, Hyperfoam   | Portable case | Machine washable

Travel + Leisure / Alessandra Amodio

Watch How We Test Travel Products

Best budget, cloudz microbead travel neck pillow.

• Comfort 5 /5
• Quality 4 /5

It molds to the shape of your neck to prevent bobbing.

The cover can't be removed and washed.

The Cloudz Microbead Travel Neck Pillow is a no-frills option that offers generous neck support for a budget-friendly price. It is filled with tiny microbeads that quickly mold to the shape of your neck and prevent your head from bobbing around while sleeping. We appreciated its lightweight but sturdy feel, and that there were no signs of damage after using the neck pillow or when clipping it onto a suitcase to transport. Although the cover can’t be removed, we noted that the fabric is easy to touch up with instructions to spot clean the surface as necessary. Cozy and breathable, the travel pillow did a solid job of regulating temperature and keeping the neck warm during cold flights and cool during hot flights.

The Details: Polyester, microbeads | No portable case | Machine washable

Best Splurge

Ostrich pillow go neck pillow.

The pillow has an asymmetrical design that can accommodate neck, chin, and head support preferences.

It might warm your neck if you run hot while sleeping.

The Ostrich Pillow Go Neck Pillow feels like sleeping on a cloud. This travel pillow provided the perfect amount of neck support and comfort, allowing us to get more rest on a flight than usual. The plush memory foam filling and asymmetric design can be easily adjusted to support the neck, chin, or head with the taller or shorter sides. The materials appear high-quality and luxurious, and it rolls up to fit in a compact drawstring sack. The pillow holds its shape despite being in the bag for long periods, which leads us to believe that it will hold up well with prolonged use. The pillow cover is removable and can be machine washed, but we air dried it to ensure it didn’t shrink (and had no issues putting it back on the pillow). A must-have for those with higher budgets, this pillow allowed for better sleep and more comfort on flights.

The Details: Viscosa, memory foam | Portable case | Machine washable

Travel + Leisure / Susan Brickell

Best Cooling

Cabeau evolution cool pillow.

• Quality 4.5 /5

The mesh air vents make the pillow breathable. 

It’s made of firm memory foam.

The Cabeau Evolution Cool Pillow is a great pick for travelers that get warm quickly. The pillow is designed to prevent heat from building up as you wear it as mesh vents in between two layers of cushiony memory foam filter in the air. We liked the breathability feature and moisture-wicking fabric, and said we didn’t feel overheated while using it on an airplane or road trip. While it took a moment to get situated, once the pillow was in the most comfortable position, it was extremely supportive and firm without feeling too hard. We especially liked the portability of the already lightweight pillow (thanks to its durable-feeling carrying case), and the mesh pocket for storing small accessories. This pillow quickly unfolds to its original shape despite being rolled up and going in and out of the compact case as well.

The Details: Memory foam | Portable case | Machine washable

Best Sustainable

Therm-a-rest compressible pillow.

• Portability 4 /5

It’s made of recycled and upcycled materials that are comfortable and breathable.

It doesn’t offer neck support like a regular travel pillow.

If you’re not a fan of the typical U-shaped travel pillow, the Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow is a great alternative. It resembles the rectangular style of a traditional pillow, and it compresses down to be easily transported whether you’re flying or camping. The recycled polyester fabric is light and breathable, and the foam filling — made from extra polyurethane foam left over after producing REI’s sleeping pads — provides a soft cushion for your head. We also loved how durable it is, especially for various uses like camping, flying, or taking a nap at home. While the pillow doesn’t come with a carrying bag, it has a toggle strap to compress it into a smaller size and a built-in cover that you fold the pillow into for protection while traveling.

The Details: Recycled polyester, polyurethane foam fill | No portable case | Machine washable

Best for Window Seats

J-pillow chin-supporting neck pillow.

It’s easy and intuitive to use for resting your chin and head.

It could be more supportive when you’re leaning against a window.

The J-Pillow Chin-supporting Neck Pillow has a J-shape that wraps around the neck to support the chin and the front, back, and one side of the head. Despite the different design than a typical U-shaped travel pillow, it is easy to use and fits securely while sleeping or resting during travels. The pillow comes with a compact case that can be attached to a piece of luggage to make traveling with it effortless. After being folded up in the carrying case for some time, the J-shape didn’t falter, and remained supportive and soft. We think the J-Pillow is ideal for any type of traveler since it's very portable and lightweight.

The Details: Polyester, memory foam | Portable case | Machine washable

Travel + Leisure / Jennifer May

Aeris Memory Foam Travel Pillow

• Durability 4.5 /5

It’s supportive without feeling too stiff. 

This would be best for travelers who know they prefer a firm travel pillow.

We love the comfortable and supportive Aeris Memory Foam Travel Pillow for travelers that like a firmer neck pillow. The buckle strap adjusts accordingly to fit around your neck, and offers 360-degree support on the chin, jaw, and back. We loved how you can lean back in the car or plane, and the back of the neck doesn't fall backward. In addition to having exceptional support, the Aeris travel pillow folds into a small ball and easily fits into the circular carrying case that can clip onto a backpack or suitcase without being a noticeable nuisance. The holder also has a frontal slip pocket for storing the earplugs and eye mask that are included with the travel pillow. After a trip, the carrying case can be unzipped and machine washed, although we recommend air drying it to prevent any possibility of shrinkage.

The Details: Velour, polyester, memory foam | Portable case | Machine washable

Travel + Leisure / Anna Popp

Best Side Support

Cabeau evolution s3 travel pillow.

• Durability 4 /5

This pillow is soft and durable.

The suede-like outer material has a tendency to pick up lint.

This travel pillow was designed to keep your head and neck supported for even the longest of flights. Not only is the semicircular pillow adjustable, so you can get the shape perfect for you, it also features and adjustable seat strap to prevent your head from dropping while you rest. Right out of the box, we loved the high-quality of the memory foam, which makes it supportive and soft, and the cover material feels great against the skin. It gives users a great balance of softness and support. To keep your pillow protected and prevent any risk that it will end up getting dragged across the airport floor, this also comes with a compact carrying case that compresses down to fit into carry-on luggage.

The Details: Polyester, microsuede, memory foam | Portable case | Machine- washable

Travel + Leisure / Erin Johnson

Gingerlily Silk Travel Pillow

• Portability 3 /5
• Value 3.5 /5

To protect your hair and skin throughout your travels, a silk pillow is the way to go.

It's 12 x 16 inches, so make sure you have plenty of room to pack it.

For those who love sleeping on silk pillowcases at home, this mini version for travel is an absolute must. Yes, it can be pricey to buy silk travel accessories , but it's also expensive to ruin a blowout and have to find a salon on vacation (and there's no price to be put on fresh, clean skin). This silk pillow is smaller than a standard pillow at 12 inches wide and 16 inches long, but can still be used in bed in a pinch and is perfect for trains, planes, and cars — just make sure you have the space in your carry-on bag. After using this pillow for multiple long trips, it shows no signs of loose stitches, fraying, or pilling. Rather, the pillow feels like it will last without ever going limp or flat.

The Details: Mulberry silk, cotton sateen, polyester

Travel + Leisure / Morgan Ashley Parker

TripSavvy / Morgan Ashley Parker

Other Travel Pillows We Liked

While we were able to narrow down the travel pillows for our best list, there were some that almost made the cut but didn’t due to a few weaknesses noted by our testers. 

Hest Pillow : This standard pillow is on the softer side yet still provides support and comfort while laying on it, but the fabric is slightly itchy, and it’s bulky to carry around, even when compressed.

Gingerlily Silk Travel Neck Pillow : We love that this pillow is high-quality and made with luxurious material, but it doesn't come with a carrying case, which we think you would need to keep this pillow protected.

Cabeau Evolution Classic Travel Neck Pillow : While the memory foam is the perfect balance of firm and soft, we found this pillow to be just a bit too bulky for frequent travel.

Travel + Leisure / Daniela Galvez

We sent out 24 travel pillows to our testing experts to use during their upcoming trips. To thoughtfully curate this list, we researched popular options to fit a variety of comfort preferences, including pillows made of memory foam and microbeads, and tested different shapes, too. 

On a scale of one to five, our testers rated the pillows based on comfort, quality, durability, and portability. The pillows with the best comfort scores met or exceeded our expectations for special features, including cooling, firmness, softness, or other claims by the manufacturer. Our testers used the pillows for several hours at a time, if not longer, to see how comfy they were while sleeping, reading, or watching a movie while traveling. We asked our testers to note if they were able to sleep with the pillow on, if it caused any neck pain or discomfort, and how warm or cool the pillow felt around the neck. To check for quality and durability, our testers examined the build of the pillow to feel how well-made it appeared. After using the pillows during trips, they judged durability based on their functionality after several uses. The pillows with the highest score for portability were able to compress down into carrying bags that allow travelers to transport the pillow with exceptional ease. The best pillows also kept their shape after being tucked away into a case and always sprang back into their original form with no signs of damage. 

Tips for Buying a Travel Pillow

Prioritize neck support.

When it comes to sleeping in planes, trains, or cars, you should focus on your neck and head support. When your head drops during sleep, it restricts your breathing and can leave you with a sore neck or even a headache. Your travel pillow should be supportive enough that your neck stays securely upright without feeling as though you're being squeezed.

Portability is key 

Whether you pack light or over-pack, a travel pillow that compacts into a small carrying case is ideal for bringing along on trips. Of course, some travel pillows don’t compress, but they should still be easy to clip onto a suitcase and not bump into too many things if you’re traversing an airport or train station.  

Consider the filling material 

Travelers who like a more firm pillow should opt for a memory foam filling that can offer more support than an inflatable alternative. Microbead pillows can be just as supportive as memory foam ones, but they tend to be on the softer side and more suited to travelers that like a little less structure while sleeping. 

Generally, washing instructions will be included with the purchase of a travel pillow or on its tag. Removable covers can usually go through a machine wash, but many of our testers opted to air dry the cover to prevent any shrinkage that could happen in a dryer. If a pillow doesn’t have a removable cover, you can spot clean the pillow by using a wet cloth or rag dipped into soapy water.

Most standard travel pillows have a semicircular shape that wraps around the neck to support the neck, head, and chin. These U-shaped pillows often have memory foam or microbead filling, but there are also inflatable neck pillows. In addition, standard pillows make great travel pillows, and plenty of rectangular-styled pillows compress down for better portability. Finally, while traditional pillows might be better suited for a traveler in the window seat, there are unique J-shaped travel pillows that are perfect for supporting the neck and head of someone sitting in the middle or aisle seat.

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

Anna Popp is a Commerce Writer at Travel + Leisure , where she writes and reviews travel products. She has been travel writing since 2018 and product testing since 2021. Anna participated in this real-world product test and worked with travel editors to determine the results for the best travel pillows based on a series of tests completed during trips taken by plane, car, and train this summer.

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The Best Travel Pillows for Long-Haul Flights

By Lauren Burvill

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

If you travel regularly you’ve probably learnt to spot the difference between a frequent flier and a rookie—the most obvious tell-tale sign being a bulky travel pillow, typically carried by an inexperienced flier, hanging from a backpack or being worn (wrongly) around the back of their neck before they even get on the plane. Many of us are guilty of buying one of these beanbag worms from the airport duty-free shop, only to realize that they’re more trouble than they’re actually worth.

Do a little research though—as we’ve done for you here— and you might be pleasantly surprised to find that the humble travel pillow has upped its game recently. Specialized brands like  Trtl  and  BCozzy  have entered the market, while pillows that range in shape and materials have popped up on Amazon.

So which ones are actually worth taking on a flight ? We asked our frequent flying editors to test out the most reviewed styles.

How we choose the best travel pillows

Every pillow on this list has been independently tested and reviewed by our editors. When testing, we consider quality, price, unique design features, as well as overall function and visual appeal.

Our top picks:

• Best overall travel pillow: Cabeau Evolution S3 travel pillow
• Best for neck support: Trtl travel pillow
• Best for side sleepers: BCozzy neck pillow
• Best budget buy: Dot & Dot Twist memory foam travel pillow

Best travel pillow for: overall comfort

If you're looking for an upgrade to a basic does-the-job travel pillow or suffer from neck or back pain, Cabeau's Evolution S3 travel pillow is the best we've tested so far. The memory foam style has considered everything, from an adjustable toggle clasp to secure the pillow comfortably around your neck, to a handy side pocket—ideal for storing headphones or earplugs. What really sets this pillow apart from the rest are the velcro straps on the back, designed to loop around a plane seat's headrest, helping to keep your head upright and take any pressure off your neck.

Why we love it:  “The foam in this pillow is extremely comfortable, but what I love most is that the back of the pillow is flat, so you can sit right up against your seat, unlike the typical travel pillow styles which tend to be round and tilt your neck down slightly. The straps are a great idea, but if you're short it might not be possible to secure to the headrest, so keep that in mind. It also comes in a sleek cylindrical bag that, when clipped onto your carry-on , you’d never even know there was a travel pillow inside." — Sarah Allard , digital editor, Condè Nast Traveller UK

Best travel pillow for: neck support

Less a pillow and more a supportive wrap for your neck, this unique design from Trtl is ideal if you're short on space and weight in your carry-on luggage—it weighs only 4.5 ounces. The pillow is designed to look like a scarf and features a clever curved U-shaped neck support stand that sits under your jaw and is then secured in place by wrapping the fabric around your neck and connecting the velcro.

Why we love it:  “I often feel like most typical travel pillows are too bulky and hard to get comfortably on, so I was keen to try this style. It's perfect for keeping your neck upright and avoiding any of the nodding that can happen while asleep. I'll admit, it feels a little strange at first to put it on, but the hypoallergenic fleece is soft and warm. It's a great option not just for plane travel, but also long road trips or train journeys.” — Sarah James , deputy digital editor, Condè Nast Traveller UK

Best travel pillow for: upper body support

This clever crossbody-sling pillow offers neck and head support while allowing you to truly relax and lean to one side to fall asleep. The pillow comes with a cord at the top that can be secured in place by looping over your seat’s headrest. You can wear the pillow on either side across your body, or down one side, creating more of a barrier between you and the person next to you. The pillow is inflatable, too, so it takes up hardly any room in your luggage.

Why we love it:  “I really love the shape of this pillow, as it cradles not just your neck, but your whole upper body. Although I usually don’t like inflatable pillows, the rigidity of this style works to make you feel secure while sitting upright.” — Lauren Burvill , senior commerce editor, Condè Nast Traveller UK

Best travel pillow for: red-eye flights

More than just a neck pillow, the Pluto Pod boasts a lightly structured and padded hood, as well as a pull-down eye mask. Do you resemble a bobble-headed, 1950s-style alien when you wear it? Yes, you do. Is it, by far, one of the best travel pillows we've tested? Absolutely.

Why we love it : “The pillow has helped me cut down on my sleeping tools. With the Pod, I can eschew ear plugs and an eye mask because the padded hood dampens noise and the flip-down eye mask blocks almost all light. Sleeping with one is like being inside a mini sensory deprivation tank, except you don’t have to worry about getting wet.” — Juliet Izon , contributor

Read a full review here .

Best travel pillow for: flexibility

Made of memory foam, this twist style pillow can be bent and contoured to almost any shape. Its flexibility means it can be worn in several ways, from around the neck to under your head, shoulders, or even lower back.

Why we love it:  “I often toss and turn a lot when trying to get to sleep, so I find I’m particularly wriggly when trying to get comfortable on a flight. This kind of flexible twist style of the pillow was perfect for me, as I was able to shape it to exactly where I needed it to be. I ended up settling with it half behind my neck and half under my chin, so I could lie on my side and get a couple of hours of precious sleep.” —L.B.

Best travel pillow for: side sleepers

Similar to the Trtl pillow but padded with soft microfleece and covered with microsuede, BCozzy's wrap-around design offers plenty of flexibility in terms of how you wear it. The pillow comes in two sizes and when wrapped around the neck offers double the support for your head, neck, and chin. The real standout of this design is the flat back, which is not only great for maintaining a healthy posture, but also means you can fold the pillow in half and wear it on one side.

Why we love it:  “Even on a plane, I'm a side sleeper. My go-to way to snooze is angling the side headrest as far as it can go so I can rest my head in the corner. Headrests can be very hit-and-miss on planes though, so being able to fold the BCozzy pillow in half is ideal as it can prop my neck and chin up on one side without it feeling too suffocating.” —L.B.

Best for: warmth

This squishy infinity-style pillow is all about the soft and breathable bamboo fabric it’s made from. Coming in one large loop, the pillow is worn by wrapping around the neck twice and adjusting and scrunching accordingly depending on the level of comfort you’re looking for.

Why we love it:  “I’d say this pillow is less about neck support and more about soft and cozy scarf–meets–pillow hybrid. It feels like a sleeping bag for your neck—ideal if you get cold easily and are looking for something that’s more snuggly rather than stiff.” —L.B.

Best travel pillow for : Versatility

Slip this microbead-filled cap over your head and you’ll completely redefine the experience of sleeping on the go. From the outside, the wacky-shaped headpiece may feel a tad like a Teletubbies costume, but once you pull your head through the 27.5-inch opening, any place you find yourself in—no matter how bright or how loud—can turn into a sleep zone.

Why we love it: “And there’s no right or wrong way to use it: On a plane, use it to lean against the wall of the window seat, lie head down on the tray table of the middle seat, or tilt backward on the headrest of the seat.” — Rachel Chang , contributor

This article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller UK .

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11 top-rated travel pillows for long trips

Between crowded seats, crying babies and limited leg room, traveling on long flights can be exhausting and uncomfortable. A perfect pillow makes the trek slightly easier to bear and can help you get some sleep during those travel periods. To help you narrow down which travel pillow is right for you, we consulted sleep and travel experts about what to know before shopping, plus we compiled highly rated options to consider.

SKIP AHEAD Best travel pillows to consider | What are the benefits of travel pillows? | What to consider when buying a travel pillow

select Make your summer travel easier with the best hardside and softside carry-on luggage

Our top picks.

• Top budget : World's Best Feather Soft Microfiber Neck Pillow
• Top splurge : Ostrichpillow Go Neck Pillow
• Top for neck support : Trtl Travel Pillow

How we picked the best travel pillows

The best travel pillows are ones that are comfortable, supportive and easy to carry around, according to our experts. When shopping for a quality travel pillow, they recommended considering the following factors:

Inflatable vs. non-inflatable: You can adjust inflatable pillows to your desired firmness, and easily store them away when deflated. With non-inflatable pillows, on the other hand, you can fill them with more cushioned materials to promote comfort including memory foam and poly-fiber fill.

Portability: Look for features like straps (that you can attach to your luggage ) or an accompanying pouch (that you can pack it down into) for ease while on the go.

Travel pillows to consider

Below, we rounded up these travel pillows based on high ratings and expert advice.

Ostrichpillow Go Neck Pillow

Ostrichpillow offers a variety of unique pillow alternatives, from a napping option to a mini hand pillow . This memory foam one, which has an average 4-star rating from over 1,200 reviews on Amazon, has raised edges for neck support and comes with a velcro strap that allows you to customize its fit. The travel pillow can also compress down to snugly fit inside the included travel bag.

Fill material : Memory foam | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : Travel bag

Cabeau Evolution S3 Sleep Pillow

Select editor Christina Colizza says she loves this travel pillow from Cabeau because it prevents slouching by attaching to the plane’s headrest. “As someone who is [very tall], I’ll take all the help I can in getting some sleep while flying, and this pillow makes a huge difference,” she says. “Plus, it compresses down into a small pouch, which makes it convenient enough to schlep around airports.” This travel pillow has a 4.3-star average rating from over 5,300 reviews on Amazon and comes in five colors and patterns including indigo and galaxy.

Calpak Neck Pillow and Eye Mask

This matching travel pillow and sleep mask set from Calpak — which makes some of our favorite weekenders and beach bags — is great for long flights or car rides, especially during the day. It has a removable, machine-washable silk exterior that’s beneficial for acne-prone and sensitive skin since it doesn’t result in too much friction or irritation, experts previously told us in our guide to silk face masks . The set, which has a 4.7-star average rating from 46 reviews on Calpak’s site, also comes with a clear carry bag for traveling.

Fill material : Cotton/polyester blend | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : Travel bag

Bcozzy Chin Supporting Travel Pillow

Few things can jolt you awake faster than your head falling forward while you’re seated. This ergonomic neck pillow, which has a 4.2-star average rating from over 25,700 reviews, offers an adjustable front loop for chin support and a flat back to avoid pushing your head forward. It includes a snap strap that you can hook to your luggage or hang up in your car. The pillow comes in multiple colors and you can choose between various sizes ranging from kids small to extra-large .

Fill material : Polyester | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : Snap closure

SmartTravel Inflatable Lumbar Travel Pillow

Select managing editor Leah Ginsberg says she likes a lumbar pillow for added back support during long flights. This inflatable pillow, which has a 4.3-star average rating from over 800 reviews on Amazon, serves as both a neck and back pillow, and is designed to fit your body’s natural curves and reduce pressure on the spine and neck, according to the brand.

Fill material : Inflatable | Machine-washable cover : No | Portable features : Travel bag

Sunany Inflatable Neck Pillow

Designed to follow the natural curve of your neck and body, this travel pillow’s ergonomic shape can soothe discomfort and reduce pressure points around your head and neck, according to the brand. You can also place your arms and head inside one of the four holes to support a sleeping position that’s most comfortable for you. It comes with a pouch for storage, a matching eye mask and earplugs, and has a 4.4-star average rating from over 5,500 reviews on Amazon.

Trtl Travel Pillow

For those who don’t find enough support from traditional U-shaped travel pillows, this uniquely-shaped option comes with a hidden inner support that can hold your head and neck at any position that’s comfortable for you. You can adjust the support to contour your neck, shoulder or jaw, while the fleece exterior is soft and machine-washable. It’s also highly rated with a 4-star average rating from over 30,800 reviews on Amazon.

Fill material: Mesh fabric | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : Flat design for easy packing

Mlvoc Travel Pillow

With its ergonomic, curved design for neck and head support, this travel pillow comes wrapped in a cover that is both machine-washable and sweat-resistant. The travel pillow has a 4.3-star average rating from over 23,000 reviews on Amazon and can fold down to half its size to fit neatly into the included travel bag. Plus, the built-in snap strap can also latch onto your suitcase for easy portability.

World's Best Feather Soft Microfiber Neck Pillow

This neck pillow’s fleece cover provides soft, thermal comfort, which is perfect when the plane gets cold. It’s entirely machine-washable (not just the cover) and comes with a snap closure to keep it from sliding off of your neck or to connect it to your luggage. The pillow (which has a 4.5-star average rating from over 12,300 reviews on Amazon) is available in over a dozen colors including burgundy, charcoal and purple.

Fill material : Polyester blend | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : Snap closure

World's Best Feather Soft Microfiber Neck Pillow

Crafty world travel neck pillow.

This option comes with a removable and machine-washable cover, so you can easily wash it. It’s made with a memory foam interior and a velour fabric exterior for a soft and comfortable feel, according to the brand. The pillow also has an elastic strap to help you connect it to your suitcase for extra portability. It comes in four colors — black, blue, gray and purple — and has a 4.3-star average rating from over 5,400 reviews on Amazon.

Fill material : Memory foam | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : Elastic strap

select Best white noise machines to consider this year, according to experts

What are the benefits of travel pillows.

Whether your airplane seat is too small or your bus ride endures several bumps, it may be difficult to relax on a long trip. Add noisy conversations and frequent overhead announcements and you have multiple barriers in your way to getting a good nap.

One of the main reasons people struggle to sleep while traveling — especially on international flights with time changes — is because they’re trying to sleep at a time with “low circadian and homeostatic drive” (a time when they would not normally sleep, so they’re not as tired), says Dr. Andrew Varga, a board-certified physician at The Mount Sinai Integrative Sleep Center . The other factor, according to Varga, is the sleeping space, which is usually cramped and doesn’t let you lie recumbent or change positions, except in typically pricey business- and first-class cabins.

“Not everyone is an equally deep sleeper, and people with any sleep issues at baseline will often have a harder time sleeping in a louder and less comfortable environment — such as an airplane,” says board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist Dr. Alex Dimitriu . He noted that posture plays a big role in the discomfort we feel — and as anyone who has slept on a plane knows, “the head tends to fall off to the side or forward, which is both uncomfortable and can cause neck pain, and [can] even make breathing less efficient.”

“Sleeping upright is not at all a natural position,” says Dr. Mayank Shukla , a board-certified pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist in New York City. “Our head weighs almost 10 pounds and flops around the neck when sleeping upright, leading to aches and pain with all that muscle strain.”

Experts noted that travel pillows can provide support for the neck and head, alleviating some pain and discomfort when combating an upright sleeping position while traveling. They’re typically portable, lightweight, ergonomically designed and come in different sizes to fit every type of person, plus some have additional high-tech features like temperature regulation. This is an ideal tool for frequent flyers who hope to maintain a semi-regular sleeping schedule.

What to consider when buying a travel pillow

The best travel pillow is one that you find the most comfortable to use for extended periods of time. Ideally, Dimitriu recommended testing out the pillow beforehand to see whether it’s comfortable and how it changes shape.

“The emphasis for most users should be to see how comfortably the pillow lets you rest with your back to the seat and without your head falling forward,” he says. And while larger pillows tend to provide more cushioning, he noted “airplane seats are tight, and there is such a thing as too much pillow.”

Below, we highlighted two of the most important considerations when shopping for travel pillows: inflatability and portability.

Inflatable vs. non-inflatable

When going on a long-haul trip, most travelers don’t want another thing to lug around. “Inflatable pillows may allow for more cushion and can fold to a smaller size,” Dimitriu says, adding that they won’t take up too much space in your luggage. They’re also typically more adjustable — you can change the amount of air to get more or less firmness, depending on your comfort level.

Non-inflatable travel pillows include various types of filling material including memory foam, polyester fiberfill and microbeads. While the different materials can make it easier to find a more comfortable fit, non-inflatable pillows tend to be bulkier than inflatable ones. When it comes to cleaning, both inflatable and non-inflatable pillows typically have removable covers that you can machine wash or spot clean.

Portability

If you’re on a multipart journey or backpacking through Europe, for example, the size and portability of your travel pillow may be just as important off a plane as it is on it. Some travel pillows have straps that you can attach to your luggage, while with others you can fold to fit inside a small bag.

Meet our experts

At Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

Dr. Andrew Varga is a board-certified physician at The Mount Sinai Integrative Sleep Center .

Dr. Alex Dimitriu is a board-certified psychiatrist, sleep medicine specialist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in Menlo Park, California.

Dr. Mayank Shukla is a board-certified pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist in New York City.

Why trust NBC Select?

Mili Godio is an updates editor at Select and covers a range of sleep topics including weighted blankets , sunrise alarm clocks and blackout curtains . For this story, Godio spoke to three sleep medicine experts to get their recommendations on how to shop for travel pillows and their benefits. She also researched dozens of travel pillows on the market that are in line with experts’ guidance.

Catch up on Select's in-depth coverage of personal finance , tech and tools , wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

Mili Godio is an updates editor for Select on NBC News.

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Watch our video on how to unpack and use your FaceCradle for the first time.

inventor demonstration

Here, the FaceCradle inventor demonstrates the different modes and shows you why it is so much better than any other travel pillow.

what you should know

Click on these images to see why we call FaceCradle an...

"FaceCradle is the best option for sleep in economy - period"

"if i need to sleep, i'd rather fly economy class with a facecradle, than premium economy without one."*, * these statements are a compiled summary of many thousands of comments from satisfied customers.  neck pillows were invented in 1941.  sure, they have evolved but simply don't come close to facecradle and in our view, are a waste of money.  other later designs like inflateables and neck wraps boast more support than neck pillows but just don't have as many comfort positions. basic ergonomics and geometry prove facecradle is by far superior to any other travel pillow..

why it works

By providing many more comfort options with support that holds you where you sleep, this means you get to sleep faster, and stay asleep.

Any angle of your head, closer to horizontal means deep sleep is more likely. 

FaceCradle's Deep Sleep mode,  feels like you are being held on a massage table.  The feeling almost instantly gets you to sleep.

FaceCradle Review [2024]: Is it the Best Travel Neck Pillow?

When you wish to doze off until you reach your destination, a reliable travel pillow is essential to bring along. FaceCradle is the latest brand to hit the market, and it promises just what you need: comfort and security. Here's my review of FaceCradle travel pillows!

Lauren is an adventurous traveler with a passionate heart for writing. She enjoys writing about her experiences in different parts of the world. She also loves to inspire others to explore new cultures and expand their horizons through her writing. When she's not busy writing, Lauren enjoys trying out new recipes from across the globe, and spending time with her family and friends.

Your journey from start to end determines the success of your entire trip, from when you leave home for the airport to your time onboard the plane. For long travels, it's necessary to have something that can provide a comfortable and secure sleeping experience.

To keep yourself warm and comfy, essentials such as  travel blankets  and  travel pillows  come to mind. A travel pillow can be an excellent comfort for a good and peaceful sleep. This is where the FaceCradle travel pillow comes into play.

FaceCradle travel pillows have an ergonomic design that snugly fits your head and neck. But with other brands like  Trtl  on the market, how does FaceCradle stand out?

Well, this is where this review comes in handy.

What is FaceCradle?

FaceCradle  is a brand of travel pillow designed with its unique patented "twin pillow system." Sprung support helps keep your head and neck in the correct position while you sleep, preventing aches and pains.

This makes FaceCradle travel pillows suitable for both long and short trips alike. The company claims its pillows are best for sleeping in economy class on long-haul flights of up to 8 hours.

FaceCradle was invented by portfolio traveler David Scrimshaw, who has also won multiple international design awards. It offers many reliable and comfortable travel pillow options for those who wish to sleep soundly on the go.

Best Features of FaceCradle Travel Pillows

It's wise to first learn about the product's features before purchasing. Here are some of the best features that FaceCradle travel pillows have.

Twin Pillow System with High-Tech Fabrics

As mentioned earlier, the twin pillow system properly supports your head and neck while you sleep. This is the best part of FaceCradle's unique design. The ergonomic system combines high-tech fabrics to provide comfort, support, and breathability.

Adjustable Strap for Head and Arm Support

The adjustable strap makes it easier to adjust the pillow according to your needs and supports your head and arms. This way, you won't have the problem of falling out of the pillow and waking up with an aching neck! Not a good way to start a trip.

Squeeze & Flip Technique

With this technique, you can open the pillow quickly and, after use, squeeze and flip it back. No more struggling to open your travel pillow every time you need it!

Internal Frames for Support

Another great feature of the FaceCradle travel pillow is the internal frames which provide extra support. This allows the pillow to maintain a firm and comfortable grip.

What Makes FaceCradle Different From Trtl?

FaceCradle and Trtl are both popular travel pillows on the market. But what makes FaceCradle different from Trtl?

One of the most significant differences is the material of the pillows. While FaceCradle uses high-tech fabrics that keep the face and neck cool, Trtl uses fabrics that keep you cozy and warm. So choose the pillow that suits your needs.

Another difference is the twin pillow system of FaceCradle, which keeps your head and neck in the correct position. This feature is absent in Trtl, as the pillow's design wraps around the neck. 

FaceCradle's popular model Wanderlust II also offers accessories that block light and noise, giving you complete privacy to sleep peacefully. 

One last difference is that the Wanderlust original isn't as light as some of the Trtl models, but it is still lightweight and easy to carry. Trtl can be ideal for those always on the go, as its pillows can be easily bent and packed in a bag.

Top Picks From FaceCradle

With so many options, deciding the right pillow for you can be challenging. Here are my top picks from FaceCradle:

Wanderlust II

The latest and most popular model from FaceCradle, Wanderlust II, is the perfect choice for ultimate comfort and support. It comes with an adjustable strap for head and arm support, which makes it ideal for long trips.

• Internal frames
• Metal hinges and springs to hold your body weight
• Safety harness that connects to head and armrests
• Earplugs  to block noise
• Washable and durable drawstring bag

Price: $79.95(Discounted)

FaceCradle Original

This legendary model has gained over 200 million views on Facebook and sales of over 200,000 to date. It's an ideal option for a comfortable and budget-friendly travel pillow.

• Super soft and breathable fabric
• Reinforced frames with spring and flex
• 5 modes of comfort
• Washable and brushable velour covers with zippers
• Detachable safety harness

Price: $54.99 (Discounted)

FaceCradle Tripster

The outstanding FaceCradle Tripster is for travelers and commuters who want to get the most out of their pillows. It has all the features required for a good night's sleep on the go.

• Hypoallergenic memory foam
• Removable and washable polyester covers
• Fully adjustable, with 5+ modes of comfort
• 4-way stretch fabric

Price: $49.99 (Discounted)

Is FaceCradle Travel Pillow Worth it?

Indeed, the FaceCradle travel pillow is worth it for a comfortable and supportive travel pillow. It's durable, breathable, and offers many features for a good night's sleep.

The unique designs are perfect for long trips. It's a great choice if you prefer a pillow that will conform to your neck and head shape. The many adjustable modes also make it ideal for any sleeping position. 

In short, FaceCradle is one of the best travel pillows on the market today, and it's an excellent option for comfort and support.

Our rating: 4.7/5

• Various modes of comfort
• Various material options
• Frequent discounts
• Some models include accessories
• Bulky to carry around
• Straps may not fit the seat properly
• It's not foldable but squeezable

Travel in Comfort With Pilot!

FaceCradle travel pillows are a fantastic way to travel in comfort! It's comfortable and supportive and has many options for any traveler. A relaxing trip starts with organizing your trip. Plan with Pilot to keep things smooth sailing on your trip.

Disclosure : Pilot is supported by our community. We may earn a small commission fee with affiliate links on our website. All reviews and recommendations are independent and do not reflect the official view of Pilot.

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The Best Travel Pillow

Short of scoring a row of empty seats—dream on!—your best bet for getting at least a little sleep while flying is a travel pillow.

After asking 10 panelists to try on eight travel pillows and after taking four cross-country red-eyes in window, aisle, and middle seats, we think the comfortable and easy-to-pack  Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow is the best travel pillow for most people.

Everything we recommend

Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow

The best travel pillow.

Its tall memory-foam walls let it offer more support than any other pillow we tested. It’s also shaped to sit flush against a headrest, and it compresses to a manageable size.

Buying Options

Cabeau Evolution Classic Pillow

A travel pillow available at airports.

This memory-foam neck-support pillow is highly adjustable, but without a contoured back, it can’t quite sit flush with the headrest. It’s available at many airport stores, though.

Trtl Pillow

A pillow for one-sided neck support only.

It’s a fleece scarf with a built-in plastic brace—like a one-sided neck brace, but softer and cozier. However, it’s not so great if you tend to shift position while you sleep, and it costs more than the other pillows we recommend.

Bcozzy Pillow

Great with large headphones.

Featuring an adjustable design that accommodates over-the-ear headphones, the Bcozzy is an excellent chin-support pillow for people who nod forward as they sleep.

The uniquely angled back on the Travelrest Ultimate sets it apart from other travel pillows because it can lay flat against the seat back. Most other pillows have a rounded back, which pushes your head away from the headrest. The Travelrest also has rubber grip dots to prevent slipping while sleeping. This pillow’s spongy memory foam cushions the entire circumference of your neck, preventing your head from leaning far in any direction, and its adjustable Velcro strap ensures it can fit most necks. The pillow’s cozy velour exterior is removable and machine-washable. Although it doesn’t pack flat, the Travelrest weighs less than a pound and compresses to a quarter of its size when rolled into its Velcro-strapped carrying case.

Our only complaint is that the Travelrest’s high walls, while supportive, can push over-ear headphones off of the ears of people with shorter necks. While the memory foam feels plush, it’s also quite firm; this offers excellent support, but not much give. It also doesn’t let you adjust the fit, like our two wrappable picks: the Turtl and the BCozzy . If the Travelrest fits your neck, it’s an excellent pillow. If your neck is much longer or shorter than this pillow’s 5-inch wall, though, you might prefer the fit of one of our other pillow picks.

If our top pick sells out, or if you find yourself pillowless past security, the Cabeau Evolution Classic Pillow is almost as good a pillow. It lacks the Travelrest’s angled, lay-flat back, but its U-shape, contoured memory-foam core and machine-washable velour cover still provide comparable levels of comfort. Its adjustable string closure also means that you can fit the pillow much tighter around your neck than you can with the Travelrest, making it a good choice for people with smaller necks or people who prefer a more constricted fit. Additionally, it’s the only one of our picks that we’ve regularly seen in stores located behind the security checkpoint at many airports.

If you typically lean to the same side while sleeping, the Trtl Pillow’s fleece-covered plastic frame provides unshakeable support to one side of your neck while remaining comfortable to wear. It’s basically a one-sided neck brace. The pillow’s cozy wraparound fleece will also keep your neck warm, making it a good choice for anyone who gets cold while flying (and a poor choice for those who sleep hot). But the Trtl’s winning quality is its tiny, packable size. Unlike any of our other picks, the Trtl does not need to be compressed or stuffed into a carrying case. It will always take up about as much space as a PB&J sandwich. (It costs a lot more than one, though.)

The Bcozzy , a variation on the hemi-doughnut theme, is our pick for anyone who wears large over-the-ear headphones on a flight or tends to nod forward while they sleep. The pillow’s overlapping ends form a snug cushion that holds your chin in place far better than do the Trtl’s plastic frame or the Travelrest and Cabeau’s chin-facing gap. While the pillow does not provide great support to either side of your neck, if paired with a large pair of headphones, the Bcozzy holds a head in place perfectly. While not as compressible as our other picks, the pillow has a small loop that can be clipped to the outside of most bags so it doesn’t have to take up space inside your bag.

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, how we picked our best travel pillow finalists, how we tested travel pillows, our pick for the best travel pillow: travelrest nest ultimate memory foam travel pillow, runner-up for the best travel pillow: cabeau evolution classic pillow, also great for portability: trtl pillow, also-great chin-support pillow for forward-nodders: bcozzy pillow, other good travel pillows, the competition.

I am a frequent flyer who often takes red-eyes from coast to coast—I now live in Brooklyn but fly home to San Francisco to visit my parents. I’m also an insomniac, so falling asleep on planes has never been easy for me. While writing this article, I tested eight travel pillows on two five-hour flights and slept with our four picks on two more cross-country flights. I also spoke with Rebecca Robbins, a postdoctoral fellow at the NYU Center for Healthful Behavior Change at the time of the interview, to see what she looks for in a travel pillow.

In addition, my Wirecutter colleagues as a whole are an exceptionally mobile group. We’ve worked remotely from every continent except Antarctica, so I asked some folks on staff which pillows they like and use regularly. (They’ve also since contributed some additional testing.)

Boarding a red-eye without a travel pillow in your bag is like choosing to sleep on the floor when there’s a perfectly good futon nearby. Sure, it’s no bed, but it’s a hell of a lot better than hardwood. In an interview she did in 2017 with The Atlantic reporter Kelly Conaboy, Dr. Mary O’Connor, then the director of Yale’s Center for Musculoskeletal Care, said that despite a lack of clinical studies that support the efficacy of travel pillows, “Many of us who travel have experienced falling asleep with our neck in a weird position and it bothering us thereafter. So, I think they can be helpful, but that depends on how they’re used and whether they support the neck.” In other words, using a supportive pillow may decrease the chances you wake up with an unwanted crick. It certainly has in our experience.

However, not all travel pillows are the same, and if you also happen to have a zealous hatred of your travel pillow, you probably have a bad one. So even if you have a generic pillow you picked up at some airport a few years ago, consider upgrading to one of our picks. And of course, these pillows work well on buses and trains, too.

So how can you tell if a pillow is likely to actually support your head? Rebecca Robbins, a postdoctoral fellow studying sleep at the time of our interview, says the best travel pillows will keep your head elevated and in alignment with your spine: “Look for something that would really be supportive. My one gripe with most travel pillows is that they’re too soft and not too full—you want something that will be supportive as you try to get comfortable in your limited space.” Robbins also recommends finding a pillow that can keep you cozy but not too hot, as she says it’s easier to sleep with a lower body temperature.

Robbins does her best to avoid one common travel situation. “My number one sleep tip is to not take a red-eye if you can avoid it,” she said. “If the flight is five hours, you’re going to only have three hours of true rest, because all the announcements—‘lower your window,’ ‘raise your window.’ Those can be significant distractions.”

We also looked at existing editorial reviews for guidance. Ethan Green , founder of the sleep resource blog No Sleepless Nights, compiled an extensive comparative review of popular travel pillows that we found helpful when deciding what models to test.

For people who want a travel pillow that will ease some of the discomfort of sleeping upright on a bumpy plane ride, we’ve identified the following key features:

• Comfort and support: The pillow should offer ample support for the weight of your neck and head but not restrict your movements or feel too tight.
• Portable (but not inflatable): You don’t want your travel pillow to take up so much space in your carry-on that you can’t bring other things you need, so it should compress to a smaller size. Barring that, there should at least be a way to clip it to the outside of your bag or luggage. Inflatable pillows are easy to pack but should be avoided. They inevitably spring a leak, often sooner rather than later.
• Soft: The material should feel plush against your skin but not trap so much heat that it’s uncomfortable to wear.
• Universal fit (or as close as possible): The pillow should allow space for people to sleep with a ponytail or accommodate bigger hair, as well as a whole variety of head shapes and sizes and neck lengths.
• Sleeping styles: It should also accommodate people who move their head in any direction while they sleep. It should also work in a window, a middle, or an aisle seat.
• Speed of compression/decompression: In case you need to quickly stow your pillow before exiting the plane, or if you want to catch some shut-eye in a moment’s notice, it shouldn’t take too long to stuff the pillow into its carrying case or unfold it to full size.
• Weight: Ideally, the pillow shouldn’t add undue burden to your carry-on. While inflatable pillows will always be the lightest option, memory-foam pillows don’t weigh much more and can offer significantly more comfort.
• Grip/traction: Your head will likely move around a bit while sleeping on a plane, especially if there’s turbulence. So any kind of grip or traction around the bottom of the pillow will help it stay in place and keep you snoozing.
• Machine washable: As you might expect from a vessel that ferries hundreds of people back and forth across the sky on a daily basis, planes can be filthy. So you’ll want to be able to wash the whole pillow—or at least its cover—before you take it on your next trip.

We researched more than 40 travel pillows—which ranged from variations on a hemi-doughnut to inscrutable crowdfunded designs—and after comparing hundreds of glowing and enraged Amazon reviews, we decided to test eight. We asked a panel of 10 people to try each of the pillows in a chair pushed against the wall of a conference room (the closest we could come to airline conditions in our office) and surveyed them on the fit, comfort, and support of each pillow. The panelists all had a variety of neck lengths and jaw sizes, and one even had a substantial beard. We also ran all of the pillows or their detachable pillowcases through a washing machine as instructed to see how well each stood up to a spin cycle and tumble dry.

And because simulations are rarely enough, I brought eight travel pillows on two cross-country flights to see how the pillows felt in the specific back design of an airplane seat. As I was lucky enough to have unnecessarily kind and understanding neighbors (thank you, Mike and Deborah!), I wore each of these pillows in a window, a middle, and an aisle seat to see if they felt comfortable in each configuration. I also tried on Deborah’s Muji travel pillow (as she offered), but determined it had much less support than our picks. I also carried all of our picks on two more cross-country flights on a different airline to ensure the pillows did just as well in different seat designs.

The Travelrest Ultimate remains our top pick after several years because its plush but firm memory-foam core offers more support to your neck than that of any other pillow. It’s also one of the few pillows we tested that felt specifically designed for an airline seat, with an angled, grippy back that aligns perfectly to both upright and reclined positions and ensures the pillow won’t slide down as you nod off. The velvety-soft pillow supports heads and necks of all sizes and can be fitted with an adjustable cord and clasp. In the tried-but-true shape of a hemi-doughnut—imagine a doughnut with a bite taken out—the Travelrest Ultimate may look like other pillows, but a number of thoughtful details make it a softer, more supportive pillow than all the rest.

The Travelrest offers better all-around support than any other pillow we tested. Its broad, marshmallowy walls hug the whole circumference of your neck. It feels supportive but not stifling. The easy-to-fasten Velcro strap means it can be adjusted to a snug fit for necks of many sizes. There’s even a small crevice for curlier hair or a ponytail.

In addition to fitting your neck, the Travelrest’s back tapers up to a point to fit flat against an airline seat back. Most neck pillows lack this tapering on the back and the excess padding can push your neck away from the headrest, causing your neck to droop forward. Additionally, the Travelrest has grippy dots on the back that prevent it from slipping.

In addition to its excellent support, the Travelrest is very comfortable and cozy to wear. Its memory-foam core is wrapped in velour, which kept my neck warm without overheating it. The Travelrest’s velour also felt softer and smoother against my skin than similar coverings on other pillows, such as the Cabeau Evolution. It’s also easy to clean: The Travelrest’s cover is easily unzipped and machine-washable. The velour retained its softness after going through a wash and dry cycle.

While the Travelrest isn’t inflatable, it packs down to the size of a roll of toilet paper in its carrying case. Once you fold it cinnamon-roll style and it’s small enough to fit inside the bag, a Velcro strap on the pouch helps you compress it even further. If there’s still not enough space for it in your bag, you can always clip its drawstring to any exterior loop.

All of these thoughtful details were not lost on our testing panel. They gave the Travelrest the highest marks of any pillow in comfort and neck support, and two-thirds of our testers picked it as their favorite pillow.

How the Travelrest has held up

After over a year of use, this pillow had lost none of its supportiveness. The memory foam was just as firm and springy as it was when we bought it. Its velcro strap was still easy to secure. If it fits you, this is a pillow that stays secure and comfortable on your neck for the duration of a long flight. However, we’ve also heard from multiple travelers that this pillow doesn’t fit them. The memory foam is quite firm, which offers excellent support, but not much give. If a pillow of up to 5 inches doesn’t fit comfortably on your neck, we think you’ll be happier trying one of our other picks.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Travelrest Ultimate will never compress to the thin, flat size of a tiny pillow like the Trtl. But its unparalleled, cushiony support can still pack down to a reasonable size, and its 13 ounces won’t make your carry-on noticeably heavier. And if saving space is your highest concern, we think the Trtl provides space-conscious support without the spit-filled fuss of an inflatable pillow.

While the Travelrest’s voluminous plush can support all heads that lean left, back, or right, the pillow may not hold up the chins of people with smaller faces. When my head bobbed forward, my small face sank into the gap between the pillow closure and my neck. You can adjust the Velcro strap for a tighter fit, but the short strap cannot be pulled as tight as the Cabeau’s adjustable strings.

The Travelrest Ultimate’s unbeatable support is in part due to the height of its sides, designed to come up to the jaw of the wearer. This means the pillow may be incompatible with larger over-the-ear headphones for people with shorter necks. For instance, when I tried to wear the Travelrest Ultimate with my noise-cancelling Bose headphones , the pillow pushed the headset uncomfortably far up on my head, taking my earlobes with it. However, my editor, who has a longer neck, didn’t have this problem.

If you want a tighter, more adjustable fit, the Cabeau Evolution Classic  (which used to be called just the Evolution) is the way to go. Its contoured memory-foam design offers almost as much neck support as our main pick does, albeit without some of the Travelrest’s luxurious height. But the Cabeau’s adjustable clasp allows a far greater range of cinching than the Travelrest. In other words, the pillow can fit as tightly as you like.

Like the Travelrest, the Cabeau’s hemi-doughnut shape offers 360 degrees of support for anyone wearing it. It also boasts a cushioned memory-foam core and a contoured top that will keep your neck upright and head in place. But unlike the Travelrest’s gently arched bottom, the Cabeau’s flat bottom won’t sit as securely on your shoulders and may move around during your sleep. The Cabeau also lacks the Travelrest’s smartly tapered, grippy back that helps keep the pillow in place during flight. The Cabeau’s velour cover is also machine-washable, but it feels less soft than the Travelrest’s.

Although the Cabeau’s fit and shape aren’t quite as good as the Travelrest’s, this pillow is more adjustable. It can be tightened or loosened with two adjustable strings that clip together, which results in a far more adjustable range than the Travelrest’s short strip of Velcro. If you have a smaller neck and know you find a tighter grip on your neck comforting, the Cabeau may be the way to go.

Like the Travelrest, the Cabeau also packs down to a quarter of its size, thanks to an adjustable strap bisecting its carrying case. But at 15.2 ounces, it’s a bit heavier than the Travelrest.

Unlike any of our other picks, the Cabeau Evolution is sold in many of those ubiquitous news stores inside airports. So if you find yourself lacing up your shoes after security and wishing you had bought one of our picks before your flight, look for the Cabeau’s contoured shape among the novelty hemi-doughnuts dangling off the travel pillow racks. It’s the best pillow you can buy at an airport. But if you have the chance to order online, the Travelrest offers more support.

There is a newer model of the Evolution Classic, the S3 , which has straps to hook onto a seat’s headrest. We think it’s a good choice if the Classic version is out of stock or otherwise unavailable. It’s still supportive and comfortable, but not as thick or soft as the Classic.

The Trtl Pillow , though odd-looking and unconventional, won a contingent of ardent fans with its firm support and slim, packable size. But it’s not our top pick because it works on only one side, and its warmth-trapping fleece can cause your neck to overheat. It’s also the most expensive of our picks. The Trtl consists of an arched plastic skeleton inside of a soft, fleece scarf that wraps once around your neck and then closes with Velcro to hold the pillow in place. You just lean your head against the convex end of the bendy frame, wrap the pillow around your neck, and your head has a soft but firm pedestal on which to rest while you sleep. It sounds weird, but it’s not that different from a neck brace—only it’s one-sided and softer.

Because the Trtl Pillow is little more than a scarf with a plastic plate in it, it packs down to the size of a sandwich and can lay flat against the back of your bag. This is the smallest travel pillow we tested and also requires none of the squashing or awkward cinching it takes to stuff the Travelrest or Cabeau into their holding bags, which are also easy to lose. Unlike any of the other pillows we’ve seen, the Trtl is small enough to fit inside a briefcase or handbag, making it the best option for people who don’t normally travel with backpacks. And at a featherweight 5 ounces, the Trtl is the lightest pillow we tested.

Though the Trtl can support your head from only one side, the tall, bendy plastic frame inside offered more support on that one side than either the Travelrest or Cabeau. Yet even with its soft, wraparound design, it lacks the all-around support provided by our top and runner-up picks. If you are an asymmetrical sleeper (if you prefer sleeping with your head leaning to one side), the Trtl may be a good choice. However, it’s not a good choice for people who nod forward—the plastic insert is too stiff. If that’s you, we prefer the Bcozzy, which we talk more about below .

Some testers found the Trtl’s quasi-corseted-turtleneck design off-putting. But then again, no one looks cool wearing any travel pillow. And on that note, the Trtl’s cozy fleece will keep your neck toasty. So if you know you run hot, the Trtl may not be the pillow for you.

Wirecutter’s Ganda Suthivarakom swears by the Trtl: “It packs almost flat, weighs next to nothing, and can be helpful for sleeping even when you are stuck in a middle seat. As someone who is always cold on the plane, I don't mind the whole fleece scarf design, either.”

Trtl has a more padded version of the pillow that claims to be more adjustable; one of our longer-necked staffers tried it and reported that it is indeed more comfortable for him than the original Trtl was. However, the same limitations of the original apply to the new version.

The Bcozzy is a snakelike spin on the traditional hemi-doughnut that’s perfect for anyone traveling with large headphones or people who tend to nod forward while sleeping and wake themselves up. It lacks the tall, supportive sides of our other picks, but the overlapping front is the perfect height to keep your chin from nodding forward as you doze off. It’s not as supportive on the sides, but this leaves ample room for big headphones.

The Bcozzy’s best advantage is its overlapping circular design, which allows you to adjust the pillow to degrees of personal preference. You can place the overlapping ends of the pillow around any point of your neck (though it only really makes sense in the front or on the sides), and wear the pillow as loose or as tight as you’d like. We think it’s most comfortable when the ends meet right under your neck—and in that position, it cushions your chin better than any other pillow we tested.

The longer, leaner Bcozzy lacks the plush, ensconcing neck support of the Travelrest Ultimate or Cabeau Evolution. It lays so low on your shoulders that it might not even touch your jaw. But this makes the pillow perfect for anyone who likes to wear over-the-ear headphones along with a travel pillow while they sleep on the flight. I personally like to fall asleep to music and drown out the dull roar of an airplane, so the Bcozzy works perfectly for me.

We still think the Travelrest Ultimate is a superior overall hemi-doughnut pillow, but the Bcozzy is an excellent choice if you plan to wear big headphones or know the feeling of that sharp, waking drop when your head falls forward on a plane.

The Bcozzy is also one of the least packable pillows, as it doesn’t come with a carrying case and does not compress particularly well. But its 7.4 ounces is around half the weight of the Travelrest or Cabeau, and it does comes with a little loop that clips onto the outside of a backpack or duffel. And even when squished down at the bottom of a bag, it doesn’t take up that much more space than the Travelrest Ultimate or Cabeau.

If you’re a back sleeper who can fall sleep sitting upright in your seat, facing forward, and not need to curl up or lean your head on the airplane window: You may want to try the Posture+ Travel Pillow, which is a U-shaped neck cushion, padded with memory foam, that looks like the back half of a cervical collar. When testing it, we slept surprisingly well, but it won’t suit all (or even most) sleep styles. It’s also not machine-washable, and it is pricy.

If you have a shorter neck and tend to run hot on planes and would prefer a pillow designed to keep you cool: Consider the ventilated Cabeau Evolution Cool —the combination of a silky polyester cover (similar to spandex) and vented design did feel mildly cooler against our necks. And we liked the pillow’s silky feel, packable size, zippered carrying case. But it was significantly smaller than the standard Cabeau Evolution and the Travelrest Ultimate, and it left the chins of long-necked testers totally unsupported. It’s also more expensive—now about $20 more than the Travelrest.

If you always lean to the same side when sleeping: Consider Travelrest’s All-in-One , which has a novel across-the-shoulder design that could be comfortable in such a situation. It has a similar fabric to the company’s winning Ultimate Memory Foam Neck Pillow, but in our tests its bulky inflated tube offered no structured head support, which could pose a problem in bumpy conditions.

If you tend to be a forward-falling head bobber: Consider the Caldera Releaf , which is less travel pillow and more neck brace. It does offer superior neck support, but it constricted the throat too much for our comfort.

The Trtl Pillow Plus , a later addition to the Trtl lineup, is more height-adjustable and has more padding than its older sibling . Our self-described “giraffe-necked” tester said that it did indeed fit him better than the original Trtl had. However, it still supports your head from only one side, making it not a great choice for sleepers who nod forward. It’s also bulkier than the original and costs nearly twice as much.

The Cabeau Evolution S3 is a newer version of our runner-up pick , the Evolution Classic. We liked it, and we think it’s a solid choice if the original Evolution isn’t available. It has added straps that you can hook onto a headrest to keep your head from falling forward while you sleep, but our runner-up pick is softer and slightly thicker, which offers a bit more support. We did find the S3 to be easier to roll up into its carrying case, however.

Intrigued by one of the stranger innovations that we’ve seen in travel pillow design, we tested the Huzi Design Infinity , but we can’t recommend it. Instead of cinching or clasping at the front, it is designed to be looped several times around the wearer’s neck like an infinity scarf. But the pillow failed to support our testers’ necks. Regardless of who tried it, testers found that looping it twice was too loose and thrice was too tight. It was also the largest and least compressible pillow we tested.

The J-Pillow offered a singular, three-pronged design that proved impossible for anyone to figure out without instructions. After some explanation, our testers could wear the pillow correctly, but they still felt that its squishy stuffing offered insufficient support, and only to one side of the head. It’s also impossible to pack away efficiently due to its pyramidal shape. If you want a one-sided pillow, skip this and go for the Trtl instead.

We tested the inexpensive Travelrest Curl because we loved its plush and contoured big cousin, the Travelrest Ultimate. But while the Curl contains the same luxurious memory-foam filling as the Ultimate, the pillow is so small that many testers found that it didn’t even come up to their jaws when worn. It does have an attractive price, but its skimpy size and unsupportive design could support only the shortest of necks.

We found the air-filled Sea to Summit Aeros Traveller Pillow to be similarly lacking. We liked how easy it was to fill—its dual-valve inflation mechanism means it won’t let air out between breaths—and we appreciated that it weighed only about a fifth as much as the Travelrest, but the Travelrest’s 360-degree support made it too hard to go back to an open-ring design that offers no support in the front. Also, one of our former freelance writers recently reported that when she pulled her pillow out of storage, after a few years of not using it, its internal bladder disintegrated in her hands.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Rebecca Robbins, postdoctoral fellow at the NYU Center for Healthful Behavior Change , phone interview , October 20, 2017

Meet your guide

Sabrina Imbler

Sabrina Imbler is a former staff writer for Wirecutter, where they covered kitchen tools and HVAC.

Further reading

Pluto Pod Travel Pillow: A First-Class Sleep Experience in Economy

by Dorie Chevlen

This travel pillow is so great you won’t even care if you look silly wearing it.

The Silly-Looking Trtl Travel Pillow Is the Only Way I Can Sleep on Flights

by Elissa Sanci

You might look funny while wearing the one-sided Trtl travel pillow in flight, but you won’t care when you land at your destination bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Air Travel Is Chaos. This Gear Will Help Get You Through the Exasperating Delays.

These things don’t make your flight take off any faster, but they can make the wait a little more tolerable.

The 32 Best Gifts for Frequent Travelers

by Samantha Schoech and Dorie Chevlen

Here we present practical and whimsical finds to delight any intrepid traveler.

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Hundreds of people in Mexico City stretch out for a ‘mass nap’ to commemorate World Sleep Day

Lolling with bright blue yoga mats, sleeping masks and travel pillows, hundreds of Mexicans laid sprawled out on the ground on Friday at the base of the city’s iconic Monument to the Revolution to take a nap. Dubbed the “massive siesta,” the event was in commemoration of World Sleep Day. (Mar. 16) (AP/ Fernanda Pesce)

Lolling with bright blue mats, sleeping masks and travel pillows, people lie sprawled out at the base of the iconic Monument to the Revolution to take a nap, in Mexico City, Friday, March 15, 2024. Dubbed the “mass siesta,” the event was in commemoration of World Sleep Day. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

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Equipped with mats, sleeping masks and travel pillows, a child and a woman take a nap at the base of the iconic Monument to the Revolution, during an event dubbed the “mass siesta,” commemorating World Sleep Day, in Mexico City, Friday, March 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Equipped with a mat, sleeping mask and travel pillow, a man takes a nap at the base of the iconic Monument to the Revolution, during an event dubbed the “mass siesta,” commemorating World Sleep Day, in Mexico City, Friday, March 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Equipped with mats, sleeping masks and travel pillows, people lie sprawled out at the base of the iconic Monument to the Revolution to take a nap, in Mexico City, Friday, March 15, 2024. Dubbed the “mass siesta,” the event was in commemoration of World Sleep Day. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Those walking through the milling streets of downtown Mexico City on Friday were greeted with a strange and sleepy sight.

Lolling with bright blue yoga mats, sleeping masks and travel pillows, hundreds of Mexicans laid sprawled out on the ground at the base of the city’s iconic Monument to the Revolution to take a nap. Dubbed the “mass siesta,” the event was in commemoration of World Sleep Day.

It was also meant to be a protest to push for sleep to be considered an essential part of health and wellness.

Some participants wrapped themselves in bright orange blankets, while others prepped their phones to play soothing music as they slept.

Among the nappers was 52-year-old mariachi musician Manuel Magaña, who was popping in earbuds next to his wife, and 9-year-old daughter, who fell asleep holding hands. Magaña heard about the event on the news while he was looking for something fun to do with his granddaughter.

He said the idea struck a chord with him because as a mariachi he would work long and irregular hours, often going to bed as the sun would come up.

“As a musician I work at night, and I rarely sleep well during the day. Sometimes we forget to eat, sometimes all we get is a little nap,” he said.

The event was organized by the Center for Sleep and Neurosciences and the Mexican Society for the Investigation of Medicine and Sleep (SOMIMS).

As participants began to drift to sleep, organizers on stage chanted and lead participants through the meditation. They also listed off tips for helping people fall asleep, like getting plenty of natural light during the day and turning their phone off at night.

Oscar Sánchez Escandón, a director of the event and president of SOMIMS, said the event was meant to highlight “sleep inequality” around the world.

“We live in a society that is full of economic, social and political commitments, where everything matters other than rest. That can have a strong impact on health,” he said.

Nearly half of Mexicans are reported to have trouble sleeping, according to a study by the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Mexico was listed as the most overworked country in the world by a 2019 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report, which compared working hours among dozens of countries across the planet.

Last year, Mexico’s congress debated a proposed reform to officially lower the weekly work hours from 48 – the average for many Latin American nations – to 40, standard for much of the world. The initiative was put forward by Mexico’s ruling party, Morena, but the debate got kicked back to 2024.

Gabriela Filio, a 49-year-old nurse, brought along her 25-year-old daughter with the hopes that Mexico’s younger generations would push for a better work balance.

“We are in a country where the paychecks often don’t add up. Sometimes we have to work two jobs, but we also need to make sure to care for our sleep quality,” Filio said, stretching out to take a quick rest.

St Petersburg

Planning a trip to Saint Petersburg? Our travel guide contains up-to-date, personal information on everything from what to see , to when to visit , where to stay , and what to eat !

Saint Petersburg

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Why visit Saint Petersburg?

Saint Petersburg, Petrograd, Leningrad... under any of its names, it's an elegant city with an eventful past . Built by Peter the Great in the early 18th century as a display of the power of Imperial Russia to the world , it's an important artistic and cultural center thanks to the wealth of monuments  and museums  that tell its story.

The City of Tsars and the former Russian capital, Saint Petersburg is also intrinsically linked to the water, earning it the nickname " Venice of the North " for its impressive number of canals and bridges . Lavish palaces, exquisite gardens, and some of the world's best museums complete the city's offering for locals and tourists alike.

Relive the elegance of Imperial Russia by visiting Saint Petersburg's fairy tale chateaux: Peterhof Palace , the Winter Palace , and Catherine Palace await you in all their glory. For a well-deserved break after sightseeing, stop in at a local restaurant to indulge in Russian specialties: caviar, vodka, and beef Stroganoff anyone?

From May to June, the White Nights make Saint Petersburg even more magical, with impossibly beautiful sunsets bringing almost-endless summer nights to a close.

Where to start?

If you're going to travel to Saint Petersburg and you don't know much about the city yet, the first thing to do is to dive into its legendary history - understanding the past will help you understand the present. Next, check out our practical hints and tips on traveling to the city, before discovering which of its most important museums , monuments , and attractions pique your interest.

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Booking your accommodation in advance is the best way to get great discounts. Our detailed guide on where to stay in Saint Petersburg  will help you decide which neighborhood you'd like to look for hotels or apartments in, and our hotel search engine will find you the best deals!

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Why is our Saint Petersburg travel guide the best?

Introducing Saint Petersburg is a  city guide written by travelers for travelers , and contains personalized advice to help you make the most of your trip to the city.

All the information in this guide is valid as of April 2021. If you find any errors or have any comments, please feel free to contact us .

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Home » Europe » St. Petersburg

11 BEST Places to Visit in St. Petersburg (2024)

Moscow may be the capital of Russia, but if you’re a culture vulture, then St. Petersburg is the city for you. A port city on the Baltic Sea, it offers everything you could want from a city break and more.

Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, it is home to some of the most impressive architecture and art in the whole of Russia. There’s so much to do here, it can be hard putting together your Saint Petersburg itinerary. That’s where I come in!

The city is chock full of palaces, parks, cathedrals, and theatres, and there are far too many to fit into one visit, so only my favourites have made the list of the best places to visit in St. Petersburg.

I’ve also thrown in a few off the beaten track and unusual places to make sure you get to see all the best attractions in Saint Petersburg, as well as some hidden gems that only the locals know about!

So, when you’re ready, let’s take a look at the best places to visit in St. Petersburg.

Need a place quick? Here’s the best neighbourhood in St. Petersburg:

These are the best places to visit in st. petersburg, faq on the best places to visit in st petersburg, final thoughts on places to visit in saint petersburg.

The Tsentralny District is the beating heart of St Petersburg. It sits at the centre of the action and is home to some of the cities most famous and fascinating landmarks, including the Winter Palace and St Isaac’s Cathedral.

• Browse the State Rooms of the Stroganov Palace.
• Climb to the top of St Isaac’s Cathedral and enjoy the views.
• Delve deep into the history of Russia’s royal family at the spectacular Winter Palace.

Visiting the BEST places in any city should be accompanied by the BEST accommodation, but that requires knowledge of the BEST areas of the city and where to find it.

I’ve got you covered! Be sure to check out where to stay in St. Petersburg and then you may enter the palace below!

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#1 – State Hermitage Museum – Possibly one of the most important places to visit in St. Petersburg

• One of the world’s greatest treasuries of art and antiquities
• See the intricate and beautiful peacock clock – it’s amazing
• The hermitage museum is spread out across several sites

Why it’s awesome: No St. Petersburg itinerary is complete without a visit to the State Hermitage Museum. Not only is it one of the most astounding hermitage museums in Russia, but the entire world!

I’d recommend setting aside a whole day for visiting St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum. Incredibly, there are over 3 million works from around the world here! If you are short of time, you can marvel at the incredible outside facade from the palace square, as the building itself is just as beautiful as the exhibits inside.

The main building is the Winter Palace, which houses Greek and Roman antiquities, centuries of European art, and the staterooms of the Russian Imperial family from the 18th and 19th centuries! The whole palace is full of russian art and historic pieces that are truly special to this museum.

If you liked the Winter Palace, Catherine Palace is another marble palace worth checking out. It’s the summer residence of the Russian tsars and is a World Heritage Site. The building itself is stunning as the stucco details are drowned in gold. The north-side carriage courtyard is particularly stunning. But, it is a bit of a distance out of the city center so if you are running low on time and can only see one, go to the State Hermitage Museum.

What to do there: If you aren’t blessed with a lot of time for the museum, take a guided tour to see the highlights. One of the most curious things you won’t want to miss is the peacock clock.

The mechanical 18th century automated clock still sings today. It’s the largest example of 18th-century robotics that has survived to the present day without any alterations!

Some housekeeping – since the museum is so big it’s a great idea to get a map which covers the 6 buildings. That way, you can choose the things you’re most interested in.

It’s absolutely impossible to see everything! Also, the museum can get very popular in summer, so consider purchasing skip the line tickets!

#2 – Mariinsky Theatre

• See a ballet performance from the “Imperial Ballet of Russia”
• A world-class concert hall
• One of the most renowned cultural attractions in St. Petersburg

Why it’s awesome: This huge theatre is one of the most famous in the world. Built-in the 19th century, for over 150 years it has hosted some of the best actors, performers, and dancers in the world.

Although you can see operas and plays at the Mariinsky, it’s best known for ballet. In fact, this used to be known as the Imperial Ballet of Russia, so that should give you some idea of how revered it was (and still is)! Recently, the theatre has expanded.

In 2006, it added the concert hall and a second stage for opera and ballet in 2013!

What to do there: If you’re limited on a budget or time, you may not be able to extend to a show at the Mariisnky Theatre.

Although that’s a shame, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out completely. We’d definitely recommend taking a tour around the grand auditorium, one of the most beautiful and richly decorated in the world.

If your budget does cover it, don’t miss a show at this incredible place off your St. Petersburg itinerary. It’s also a great place to admire from the outside. Make sure you get pictures of the colourful buildings from Theatre Square!

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#3 – Saviour on the Spilled Blood – One of the best religious places to see in St. Petersburg

• The most unique places of worship in the city
• Home to one of the world’s biggest collections of mosaics
• One of the most recognizable landmarks in St. Petersburg

Why it’s awesome: This incredible church known as Savior on Spilled Blood, was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was killed in an attack, which explains its macabre and graphic name of “spilled blood”.

Although St. Petersburg is filled with churches, this is arguably the most beautiful, and the reason it’s made it onto our list! The colourful church is just as bright and gaudy on the inside, where you’ll find one of the world’s biggest collection of mosaics.

Most people compare this to St Basil’s Cathedral in Russia, another of the country’s most famous landmarks!

What to do there: Any guided tour of the city will take you past the Saviour of the Spilled Blood Cathedral. Probably more than once! That’s because it’s right by the State Russian Museum, and plenty of other attractions are nearby. Also, Alexander II was a very important figure in Russian history.

If you have time, it’s definitely worth getting an hour-long audio tour of the church. It’ll tell you about the church’s history and construction.

Another religious building well worth your time when you travel to St. Petersburg is St Isaac’s Cathedral and Colonnade. It’s easily recognizable by its golden dome!

#4 – Peterhof Palace – A beautiful and scenic place to check out in St. Petersburg

• Once the main summer residence of the Russian Tsars
• Excellent location overlooking the Gulf of Finland
• Have a picnic in the Lower Park

Why it’s awesome: Since it’s located 45 minutes from the city, you’ll need to dedicate at least half a day to visiting Peterhof Palace. However, it’s well worth it!

Situated on the Gulf of Finland, this opulent palace is also known as the “Russian Versailles”. It’s not hard to see why, whether that’s down to the gilded domes, or the fountains throughout the extensive landscaped gardens.

Unbelievably, there are more than 60 fountains and 200 sculptures throughout the gardens at Peterhof. The most famous, The Grand Cascade, is one of the must-see St. Petersburg attractions!

What to do there: Don’t miss going inside the stunning Peterhof Palace. Classic staterooms, the ornate Ceremonial Staircase, and the Grand Ballroom are just some of the highlights of the interior.

Outside, there’s more to the gardens than just the incredible selection of fountains! The Lower Park has a canal that empties straight out into the Gulf of Finland and is a great spot to have a picnic.

Like many other St Petersburg attractions on this list, Peterhof gets very busy in summer. It’s definitely worth booking your ticket in advance, especially if they enable you to skip the queues!

#5 – Tsarskoye Selo and the Amber Room

• Experience the lavish wealth of the Romanov Imperial Family
• See a recreation of the Amber Room, thought to be lost in World War II
• One of the most famous attractions in St. Petersburg

Why it’s awesome: By now, you’ve probably realized that the palaces in St. Petersburg are pretty extravagant. It’s possible that the 18th century Tsarskoye Selo is the most opulent and lavish of them all, built for Empress Elizabeth by the architect responsible for the Winter Palace, Bartolomeo Rastrelli.

It’s a day trip out of the city, to the town of Pushkin, widely regarded as one of the prettiest neighbourhoods in St. Petersburg. The Amber Room is undoubtedly a highlight. Thought to be lost forever in the Second World War, the painstaking reconstruction of the room is impressive nonetheless!

What to do there: As well as visiting Tsarskoye Selo, while you’re in Pushkin there are a few other cool places to check out.

One of the top attractions in St. Petersburg is Catherine Palace, where you’ll find the Amber Room. Attached to that is also the Catherine garden, which is landscaped with a variety of English, French, and Italian techniques.

If you want to find somewhere a little quieter to escape to, check out Alexander Park. They’re a little more overgrown and spread out, but there are some interesting buildings hidden away in there!

#6 – Museum of Hygiene – Quite the quirky place to visit in St. Petersburg

• Educate yourself on the dangers of germs and disease
• See one of Pavlov’s dogs!
• One of the more unusual points of interest in Saint Petersburg

Why it’s awesome: Yes, St. Petersburg is fascinating. However, if you’re just visiting palaces and cathedrals, it’s definitely not out of the question that you’ll get palace fatigue. You can only take so much of walking around all those long hallways and being astounded by art after all!

For a perfect tonic, head to the unusual Museum of Hygiene. It was established in the early 20th century to educate the city’s locals on good health practices. It’s especially worth a visit if you want to learn about the gruesome medical practices from the turn of the last century!

What to do there: There’s plenty to see in the display cabinets here that you won’t find anywhere else in St. Petersburg! Check out both female and male models with movable internal organs, wax anatomy models, and even some displays explaining the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Perhaps don’t eat before you visit here! One of the coolest displays you’ll see is Pavlov’s taxidermy dog. This may not be one of the most famous places in St. Petersburg, but it’s certainly worth a visit. Especially if you’re into science!

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#7 – Grand Maket Rossiya (Grand Model of Russia) – One of the more unique places to visit in St. Petersburg

• Rent binoculars to see the whole scale of this cool recreation of Russia
• The second biggest model in the world
• See all of Russia’s most important cultural and geographical attractions in just one day!

Why it’s awesome: If you don’t have time to cover all 17 million kilometres of Russia (and let’s face it, who does?), then this is your next best opportunity! The Grand Model of Russia is the second biggest model in the world after Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg.

It’s not entirely to scale, but it does mean you can visit Moscow, the Ural Mountains, and Vladivostok all on the same day! There is 2.5km of train tracks which miniature trains run on, and over half a million LED lights, which you’re guaranteed to see as a day only lasts 15 minutes!

What to do there: Russia is so big that it may not even be possible to get around the whole model of it one day! If that’s the case, rent a pair of binoculars so you can take in the whole of this amazing model. If you do have a bit more time, fantastic.

You can have a go at controlling some parts of the model yourself! There are buttons on the side where you can control the speeds of the cars and trains in the model. Sometimes it’s just enough to watch what’s going on though.

Old women feeding their chickens, a tiny UFO, and escaping prisoners are all part of one of the most unusual attractions in St. Petersburg!

#8 – Nevsky Prospekt

• 5km street dissecting the city from east to west
• Great for shopping – high end boutiques and designer shops here
• Check out some of the best places to eat in Saint Petersburg

Why it’s awesome: One of the most bustling streets you’ll find anywhere, the central avenue Nevsky Prospekt is considered one of the greatest streets in the world.

As well as the Hermitage and the Mariinsky theatre, you’ll find some places that didn’t make our list of the best places to visit in St. Petersburg but are still worth your time!

These include Kazan Cathedral, the House of Books, and the Eliseyev Emporium. Just be careful when you’re crossing – much of the street is 4 lanes on each side!

What to do there: If you’re visiting St. Petersburg, you’re bound to end up on this thoroughfare at some point. It was originally planned as one of the roads to Moscow but is now one of the central points of restaurants for tourists!

If you want to walk the whole length of Nevsky Prospekt, you’ll need at least two hours, and possibly a little more if you’re to take in its major sights.

As well as historical and cultural sites, make sure to stop off to window shop at some of the city’s most exclusive boutiques, or sample Russian delicacies at the best places to eat in St. Petersburg.

#9 – St. Petersburg Metro – A great place to see in St. Petersburg if you love architecture

• How to see Saint Petersburg in more ways than one
• Marvel at the Grand columns of Avtovo Station
• Some of the coolest architecture in the city

Why it’s awesome: St. Petersburg’s rapid transit system is about more than just getting from A to B. The stations here are opulent and rival the palaces and cathedrals above ground for their intricate architecture.

Although walking is often the best way to see a city, don’t miss out on taking the metro – even if it’s just to be astounded by the beauty of the stations!

What to do there: Moscow’s subway was the first built in Russia and St. Petersburg’s system was designed to mimic its beautiful architecture.

All 8 lines on the first line built-in 1955 are considered places of cultural significance. Check out the grand marble and glass columns of Avtovo Station and the sport-themed Sportivnaya. Spending a day on the metro may seem boring, but not here in St. Petersburg!

#10 – Slam City – A great place to visit in St. Petersburg at night!

• A great example of alternative St. Petersburg nightlife
• See live performances from local musicians
• A club run by cassette-focused Russian record label

Why it’s awesome: Saint-Brooklynsburg is a cassette-focused Russian record label, but what on earth is that? Well, it’s responsible for one of the coolest additions to the city’s nightlife scene.

The music mixes American-style garage rock with old-school cassettes to give a very distinctive sound. The club has super cool décor, and it’s the perfect place to spend a party at night after a day visiting the museums and palaces of the city!

What to do there: Don’t miss a live performance from one of the coolest bands on the city’s music scene! The dress code is pretty extravagant, so make sure you pick out your brightest colours to fit in!

Slam City is at its most vibrant and raucous on a weekend, so go then if you can. It’s a St. Petersburg must-do if you want to experience the city’s alternative music scene!

#11 – Peter and Paul Fortress – The city’s historic citadel

• A great example of historic Russian empire defences
• A quick attraction to visit on a stop-over
• Intricate Baroque detailing throughout

Why it’s awesome: The Peter and Paul fortress is the original citadel of the city found on a small island facing the Neva River. It was built in 1703 by Peter the Great when the Russian empire was the strongest empire in Eastern Europe. For a long time, it served as a prison for political criminals, from the early 1700s until the early 1920s.

It was designed by Domenico Trezzini, Peter’s court architect and the pioneer of the Petrine Baroque style that was introduced by the Russian Empire. The complex has six bastions (each named after close associates of Peter) with intertwining stone curtain walls. The structures have been adapted and embellished over the years, and while it is beautiful, whether it was actually a good defensive structure has been up for debate.

Within the fortress is the Peter and Paul Cathedral, which was one of the first buildings to have been made. Originally it was made of wood and consecrated on 1 April 1704, but it was eventually replaced with stone a decade or so later.

What to do here: You can wander around the entirety of the Peter and Paul Fortress and visit the cathedral inside. The whole complex isn’t huge, it’s like a village inside a high wall, but it has a lot of intricate detailing that you might like to stop and marvel at.

It’s located right in the heart of the city center so it’s one of the best Saint Petersburg attractions to visit for a short stop-over. Across the river you will find the Palace Bridge, leading to Palace Square and the State Russian Museum.

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Find out what people want to know about the best places to visit in Saint Petersburg

What is a free place to visit in St Petersburg?

Nevsky Prospekt is a free place to visit, but as it’s famous for its shopping, you might want to bring your wallet with you. Otherwise, it’s a great free place to visit to admire the architecture.

Is St Petersburg Russia worth visiting?

Yes, St Petersburg is worth visiting if you’re a fan of architecture and art.

What is St Petersburg Russia famous for?

St Petersburg is the cultural capital of Russia and is famous for its Baroque and neoclassical architecture, cathedrals and palaces.

Is St Petersburg in Russia a safe place to visit?

St Petersburg is generally a safe place to visit for tourists. Most crimes are not directed at tourists but you should always keep an eye out for pick pockets.

So, that concludes my list of the best places to visit in St. Petersburg. I hope that you’ve found it useful and helpful in planning your trip!

I think the 11 places we’ve chosen are just enough places to visit in Saint Petersburg in 3 days. However, if you’re planning on staying longer, you’ll certainly find that there’s more to do.

I hope that my list has not only showed you how to visit Saint Petersburg, but how to live like a local too. As well as seeing all the most famous attractions the city has to offer, you’ll get off the beaten track too. Who knows, you may even make Russian friends and practice your language skills?!

Just make sure that whatever you do on your trip, you’re armed with our list of the best places to visit in Saint Petersburg. It’ll help you plan out your holiday and really help you to make the most of your vacation!

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Alya and Campbell

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