Now that travel within Australia is starting to pick up a little, we’re here to give you all the sleep and travel content to prepare for your next interstate holiday! Support local, stay safe and be kind to others this holiday season.
Ever gone on a trip where you brought a travel pillow with you? You’ve likely been tempted by the novelty, or you might have even purchased one at the airport gift shop.
Having a travel pillow is quite handy during a trip, but have you ever thought of travelling with a regular-sized pillow?
Some people would find it unusual to bring your own pillow when travelling, but it does have its perks!
In this article, we look at the doubts people have about bringing a pillow and some reasons why we should consider packing them for our travels.
The Cons of Bringing a Normal Pillow
The main concern about bringing a full-size pillow is that it is too bulky to travel with. You often have to carry the pillows around as they wouldn’t easily fit your carry-on baggage.
Because of its size, it’s often annoying to carry, especially when walking around the airport to do some shopping or when presenting your travel documents at the gates.
Although having a nice, fluffy pillow to hug during a long-haul flight or when you arrive at your destination is a godsend, the sheer size of a pillow has discouraged most people from bringing them on trips.
You might have asked yourself: Should I just bring my pillows from home?
What about Inflatable Travel Pillows, Aren’t They Portable?
Inflatable travel pillows take up significantly less space, and you can just bring them out whenever you need them.
But the problem with the inflatable pillows is that they’re never as comfy as a real foam pillow, nor do they offer the same amount of neck support as a real pillow.
Likewise, since inflatable pillows are designed to hold air inside, they’re not breathable, and they tend to feel quite warm whenever you use them, which is not great for the summer holidays.
In the case of u-shaped travel neck pillows, well… they’re only ideally used when you’re seated during a long drive or during your flight – they don’t serve many purposes beyond that.
Why Should a Full-Size Pillow Be Included in Your Travel Accessories?
Bringing Your Own Pillow Is More Hygienic
Although hotels always wash the pillowcases after every use of their guests, the pillows inside the cases aren’t usually cleaned.
They may be sanitised occasionally, but it isn’t a standard procedure in most hotels. Although it’s trending to disinfect everything we use, it can be a hassle.
Just thinking about hotel room pillows being in contact with a stranger’s face or mouth can be a bit problematic, especially with current times and people being more mindful of germs and bacteria.
Because a pillow is in direct contact with your face and is within close breathing range, it’s safer and more hygienic to just bring your own pillow when you travel.
You Get the Same Comfort as When You Sleep at Home
Most people are pretty particular about the pillows they use. When you sleep on the same pillow daily, you become accustomed to it, and everything else feels wrong and uncomfortable.
Bringing your own pillow ensures that you have a good night’s sleep wherever you are, and you’ve got a small piece of home wherever you go, even in the most exotic hotel beds! This is one reason why the bring-your-own-pillow hack should be a thing.
You Wake Up Feeling Better
What’s great about checking in to nicer hotels is that they usually have very comfortable, plush mattresses, which are always a treat to lie down on.
The weakness of hotel bedrooms is usually the quality of the pillows.
Hotel room pillows can be too soft or too plump, or too thick or thin. Finding a hotel room pillow that perfectly suits your comfort needs is rare.
If you bring your own pillow when travelling, you don’t need to worry about whether or not you’ll be comfortable; you know you will be.
Typical hotel pillows are stuffed with cotton or down, so if you’re used to sleeping on a memory foam pillow, you might have difficulties sleeping or wake up with a stiff neck.
Bringing your own pillow ensures you don’t have to deal with hotel pillows that don’t fit your preferences.
They’re Great during Road Trips
If you’re not driving the car, having a full-sized pillow inside the vehicle can increase your comfort during a long road trip.
Due to the larger size of a regular pillow, you can place them against your door to serve as a cushion when you sleep.
Without a pillow, putting your weight on the door might numb your arms a bit as you sleep, not to mention they serve as a suitable headrest so you don’t bang your head on the windows when you doze off.
Some Full-Size Pillows Today Have Become Compressible
Given that the primary concern about bringing normal pillows is their size, it’s great to know that a lot of pillows are now available that are compressible.
The bulk of the pillow can now be compressed into a small size using compression bags that suck the air out of the pillow. This means it can flatten and easily fit inside your carry-on without taking up much space.
Compressing is particularly great for memory foam pillows, as the materials quickly expand back to their original size and shape right after taking them out of the bag.
What’s the Best Pillow to Bring On Your Next Trip?
The Ecosa Pillow not only offers great features, comfort, adjustability and is ergonomically designed – it can easily fit your travel bag too!
Your Ecosa Pillow will come with two compression bags to shrink it to its packable size and a machine-washable removable cover to make cleaning much more manageable.
The memory foam is infused with activated charcoal that promotes odour control and antibacterial protection, making it a hygienic and hypoallergenic option for hotel rooms.
Ecosa offers free shipping for the pillow Australia-wide and a 100-night trial, giving you enough time to ensure it’s the perfect fit and hopefully fall in love.
