What Can I Use to Inflate My Travel Pillow?

With many airlines tightening their belts and cutting back on comforts, it is a good idea to bring aboard your own pillow to ensure a comfortable flight. Travel pillows are designed to be easy to travel with, usually meaning that they are inflatable. But don't worry if you don't have a large lung capacity, because there are many different things that you can use to blow up a travel pillow, and some of them might already be packed in your carry-on.

Tray Table Pillows

The tray table travel pillow is specifically designed to fit on the tray table in a coach-class seat. The travel pillow has a specially designed sloping cushioned top that is comfortable for people 4 feet 10 inches tall to 6 feet 6 inches tall. People can then comfortably sleep on the pillow by leaning forward and facing the head down or to the side. The tray table pillow can fit in an aisle, window, or middle seat without disturbing other passengers. These pillows have a valve that, once opened, will automatically allow air to seep in and fill it up. The pillow will fill up about 80 percent of the way. You should then re-insert the valve and manually blow up the rest of the pillow with your mouth. If you prefer to blow up the travel pillow before entering the aircraft you can do so by using a hair dryer set on the cool setting or a restroom hand dryer. The pillow deflates in 10 to 15 seconds and can easily be stored in a seat back pocket or carry-on bag.

Neck Pillows

Neck pillows are lightweight and easy to pack into any carry on or even a purse. Neck travel pillows are in the shape of a half circle, and they comfortably cradle and support the neck. Neck pillows are used by placing them on the back of the neck and then resting the head back into it. The neck travel pillow can be inflated at home, at the airport or on board an airplane. It can easily be blown up by the mouth like any beach ball; it can be inflated with a hair dryer set on the cool setting, or even a small hand pump. The hand pump is easy to use and involves squeezing a small rubber oval filled with air that is attached to a tint tube that fits inside the air valve of the travel pillow.