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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

In This Article

• Our Top Picks
• Other Pillows We Liked

Our Testing Process

• Tips for Buying
• Why Trust T+L

Sitting upright for hours on end or sleeping on unfamiliar pillows can be incredibly uncomfortable, but a reliable travel pillow can make your trip a lot more tolerable. Whether embarking on a red-eye flight, hitting the road on a long car trip, or looking to get a good night's sleep in your hotel room, the best travel pillows will be comfy, supportive, and portable. 

We tested more than 40 travel pillows, looking at traits like comfort, durability, portability, and quality. We narrowed down the best options while using the accessory for road trips, long-haul flights, train rides, and even sleeping at home, making sure each option was comfortable for extended use. We also brought a few options into our Travel + Leisure lab to get a direct comparison, testing them out on our airplane set. After catching some of the best Z's, we rounded up pillow choices for different types of travelers who are looking to get more rest on their future trips.

Best Overall

Ostrichpillow go neck pillow.

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

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

The Ostrichpillow Go Neck Pillow feels like sleeping on a cloud. This travel pillow provided the perfect amount of neck support and comfort when we took it on a flight, allowing us to get more rest 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. Although the memory foam is soft and compressible, it felt more supportive than any other pillow we tried. The materials appear high-quality and luxurious, and it is easy to roll the pillow up to fit inside its compact drawstring sack. We found it a little tricky to roll up at first, but once we nailed the technique, we were impressed with how small it became — ideal for those who don't want a pillow to take up too much luggage space.

The pillow held its shape after being in the bag for long periods of time, which leads us to believe that it will hold up well with prolonged use. The pillow cover is removable and machine washable, 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 allows for better sleep and more comfort on flights.

The Details: Viscosa, memory foam | 10.5 x 9.5 inches | Machine washable | Carrying case included

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Most Comfortable

Cabeau tne s3 travel pillow.

The cozy but firm material and innovative chin strap keep you from bobbing your head while sleeping.

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 — a feature that really sealed the deal for us during testing. The interior of the pillow feels like memory foam, which offers the ideal balance of support and coziness. The pillow's exterior fabric is soft yet breathable so you don't feel too hot or constricted, though it can take some time to find your perfect position.

We also love that the pillow cover 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 feel as good as new. Despite its fairly large size, the pillow is also quite portable as it rolls up into a compact carrying case that you can attach to a bag's exterior or slip into larger backpacks and totes.

The Details:  Polyester, microsuede, foam   | Machine washable | Carrying case included

Travel + Leisure / Anna Popp

Best Infinity-style

Infinity pillow travel pillow.

The modular design of the pillow makes it easy to use to support the neck, chin, or back while sitting.

The cushioning is fairly soft, so the support isn't as stiff as memory foam.

Most travel pillows come in one shape and size, so we love that you can contort this one in various ways to fit your needs. At nearly 40 inches long, the infinity design (yes, like the scarves worn in the early 2000s) can be wrapped once for less support or twice for the type of neck support found in traditional C-shaped pillows. We used the pillow during an all-day road trip and loved that we could wear it around the neck with a looser or tighter fit depending on how much neck support we wanted. We did find that it was still a little too big for us after looping it twice, so users with smaller necks may not get the support they're looking for. That being said, it can be used in many different ways to make sleeping on planes, trains, and cars more comfortable, so minimal support as a traditional neck pillow isn't necessarily a deal-breaker.

We also found that it's much easier to travel with the pillow since the closed ring shape makes it easy to wear around the neck instead of having to pack it away or risk it falling off. The bamboo fabric is extremely soft and breathable, so we never felt overheated or constricted, and the pillow is machine washable for easy upkeep after a trip. We should also note that it took up a lot of space in our luggage, but it may be worth packing a little lighter to be that much more comfortable while traveling. It also comes in a whopping 10 colors.

The Details: Bamboo, nylon | 39.3 x 6.6 inches | Machine washable

Travel + Leisure / Paige VandeWiele

Aeris Memory Foam Travel Pillow

It’s supportive and firm 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 who 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 included circular carrying case that you can clip onto a backpack or suitcase without being a noticeable nuisance. The travel pillow also comes with earplugs and an eye mask, and features a frontal slip pocket that you can store them in. After a trip, you can unzip and remove the carrying case to machine wash it, although we recommend air drying it to prevent any possibility of shrinkage.

The Details: Velour, polyester, memory foam | 11.81 x 11.42 x 3.54 inches | Machine washable | Carrying case included

Best Hooded

Pluto pillow pod.

It boasts a cozy hood and built-in eye mask for total darkness even on bright flights.

It's one of the pricer options on this list.

Like the black-out curtains of travel pillows, this option comes with a hood and an eye mask that shields your eyes from any light, which is incredibly useful when you're trying to get some shut-eye on a busy flight. It has a soft neck brace that wraps around the neck with light support, and the hood goes on like a regular hoodie with a drop-down eye mask. Once our head was fully cocooned in the hooded pillow, we found that it was a game changer for travelers who have a hard time falling asleep with light or ambient noise around since it muffles sounds and blocks rays.

While the space-helmet-like shape looks quite different from other travel pillows on the market, it's still easy to put on and offers excellent portability. Plus, this newer model features an easy way to clip the pillow to a backpack or luggage handle. One thing to note is that the price point is quite high compared to other pillows on the market, but the unique design and high-quality fabric and construction make it worth it for those with higher budgets.

The Details: Alcantara fabric, WPS mesh | 12 x 6 x 4 inches (folded) | Machine washable

Travel + Leisure / Dera Burreson

Gingerlily Silk Travel Pillow

The silk material is gentle on skin and hair while traveling.

This pillow is 12 by 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 you can still use it in a hotel bed, and it's perfect for trains, planes, and cars — just make sure you have the space in your personal item bag . After using this pillow for multiple long trips, it still 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 | 12 x 6 inches

Travel + Leisure / Morgan Ashley Parker

TripSavvy / Morgan Ashley Parker

Best Adjustability

Buyue travel neck pillow.

You can swivel it around to support any part of your head.

It comes with a drawstring bag to stuff it in, but the pillow still takes up a good chunk of space in a backpack.

With thick cushioning on one side of the pillow, the unique design of this travel pillow makes it easy to get comfortable in a small space where there isn't much wiggle room. No matter which way your head tilts when you sleep, you can adjust this pillow with the largest part of cushioning rotated to support the side or back of your head, or you can turn it to the front to prevent your chin from tipping forward or bobbing around. After testing the pillow on both road trips and long flights, we found that the fabric is breathable and soft for resting your head on, and we love that the cover comes off to toss it in the wash. Because of the thicker side of the pillow, it does take up a bit more space in a backpack, but it does come with a drawstring bag if you prefer to carry it outside of your luggage.

The Details: Polyester, spandex | 8 x 8 x 8 inches | Machine washable | Carrying case included

Travel + Leisure / Ava Wegner

Samsonite 2-in-1 Magic Travel Pillow

It has a modular design to shift from a U-shape to a rectangular pillow, offering versatility at an affordable price.

The neck pillow might not offer enough support for some since it's on the softer side.

This microbead pillow from Samsonite can be used as a neck pillow if you're sitting upright or you can shift it into a rectangular pillow for leaning against a window or laying on a tray table. The handy two-in-one design already gets bonus points for versatility, but the budget-friendly price makes it all the more better. In testing, it was an effortless process to switch from the U-shape to the rectangle shape by flipping the pillow inside out. Made with polyester and microfiber beads, this pillow is shockingly lightweight and feels nearly weightless to carry around an airport. Because the pillow is on the softer side with the microfiber beads, we discovered it's not as supportive as a memory foam pillow, but it still offered enough support to prevent the neck from uncomfortably craning too far to one side.

The Details: Polyester | 12.25 x 11.75 x 4 inches | Hand wash

Travel + Leisure / Anita Rutz

Best Splurge

Purple harmony anywhere pillow.

This supportive pillow is comfortable enough to sleep on at night and would make any hotel stay feel more luxurious.

At over three pounds, it's quite heavy but feels weightless if you attach the strap to a backpack.

If you're looking for a travel pillow that is just as comfortable — if not more so — than your pillows at home, then this luxurious one from Purple is the one for you. It's a miniature version of the brand's best-selling Harmony pillow, and it boasts the same cooling gel and bouncy, neck-supporting feel as the larger version. During testing, we found this pillow to be noticeably cooling, breathable, and moisture-wicking, which can come in handy for camping. We wouldn't use this pillow during flights because of the plush, rectangular shape that wouldn't work well when sitting upright, but it would be ideal when you're laying flat, like in a hotel room.

It comes with a machine-washable pillow cover, and there is a travel case sold separately . Because this is one of the priciest pillows on this list, we do wish the travel case was included, but we do think it's worth adding on for its carrying straps and compression features. The pillow feels quite heavy on its own, but when you attach the strap to a backpack, it feels weightless to carry. You can also compress the pillow in half if you have the travel case, making it much more portable. Although this is a splurge for a travel pillow, we think it's worth the investment for travelers in search of a comfortable pillow with luxe features like a breathable honeycomb design, a moisure-wicking cover, and strong neck support.

The Details: Talalay latex, knit | 16 x 13 x 6 inches | Machine washable

Travel + Leisure / Jackie Cucco

Best Breathable

Sleep number travel pillow.

The memory foam filling and synthetic fiber exterior let air pass through for superior breathability.

The pillow is large and was cumbersome to carry, especially for light packers.

It can get hot and stuffy on an airplane, so we love that the synthetic materials used to create this Sleep Number travel pillow are light and airy. The memory foam filling is bouncy and lightweight, and the soft fabric pillowcase is cooling enough to prevent overheating while sleeping in a plane, car, or train. Along with an airplane footrest , it could make a flight more comfortable. We used the pillow on a long-haul flight to Ireland and found it was ideal for leaning your head against the window or on the tray table since the pillow is on the larger side. While the size offers extra cushioning and support like a regular pillow, it did make it slightly annoying to carry through crowded airports since it doesn't come with a compact carrying case. However, it does come with a drawstring bag to carry it separately or you can use the clasp to attach it to backpacks, suitcases, or other luggage.

The Details: Lyocell blend, memory foam | 17 x 12 inches | Machine-washable cover | Carrying case included

Travel + Leisure / Emily Johnson

Other Travel Pillows We Liked

Some travel pillows we tested almost made the cut but didn’t due to a few weaknesses, though they still might make suitable options for some travelers.

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

Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow : If you’re not a fan of the typical U-shaped travel pillow, this one is a good alternative. But because of its design, it offers no neck support and isn't the most useful when traveling via plane or train.

Slip Jet Setter Travel Pillow : The silk material is luxurious soft and cooling, but the pillow itself is extremely bulky to wear and difficult to travel with.

Snugl Neck Travel Pillow : Made with soft and supportive memory foam, the pillow is ultra-comfy to use in-flight, but we had a lot of trouble getting it back into the carrying case.

Cushion Lab Travel Deep Sleep Pillow : The comfort level with this pillow is so high that we started using it to sleep on nightly at home. However, it's not very portable, and we had a hard time rolling it up into the case.

Cabeau Evolution Cool Pillow : This is a great pick for travelers who get warm quickly, as the pillow is designed to prevent heat from building up when you wear it. However, we didn't find it as comfortable or supportive as the Cabeau TNE S3 Travel Pillow , so we would recommend that one instead, especially since they retail at similar prices.

Our T+L team tested more than 40 travel pillows to find the very best ones for every type of comfort-seekers. To thoughtfully curate this list, we researched and tested popular options, including pillows with the classic U-shape and rectangular ones, too.

Paying close attention to traits like comfort, quality, durability, and portability, we noted various features that stood out to us for both good and bad reasons. We looked for special features such as cooling designs, firmness, softness, or other claims by the manufacturer to check if they rang true. Our favorite 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. 

After our real-world test, which involved trying the pillows on cross-country road trips and long-haul flights, we brought a few options into our lab to have one team member test them all against each other head-to-head. We then adjusted our results based on the direct comparison, and we will continue to capture testing notes every few months to update our articles accordingly.

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 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 stuff your suitcase full, a compact travel pillow that fits 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 or backpack and not bump into too many things if you’re traversing an airport or train station. It's always more convenient when a carrying case is included, especially if it has a luggage trolley sleeve or straps.

Consider the filling material 

Travelers who like a firmer 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 are more suited to travelers who like a little less structure while sleeping. 

Think about how you plan to use it

Travel pillows are a relatively broad category, so you'll want to narrow down your intended use and travel habits before purchasing since they come in all different shapes, styles, and sizes. For example, if you often find yourself in the middle seat while flying, you'll want a pillow with lots of head support like a memory foam, U-shape pillow or an infinity style that you can adjust. However, window-seaters might opt for a rectangular pillow for leaning against the plane wall.

Travel pillows aren't just for flights, either. There are also rectangular options that can help make you more comfortable while camping or staying in hotel rooms, rental properties, or even friend's houses that might not have great pillows. They are also a road trip essential for every adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can generally find washing instructions on the tag of the travel pillow when you buy it. Removable covers can usually go through a machine wash, but many of our team members opted to air dry the cover to prevent any shrinkage that could happen in a hot dryer. If a pillow doesn’t have a removable cover, you can spot clean the pillow by using a wet cloth dipped in soapy water.

Most standard travel pillows have a semicircular shape that you wrap around the neck to support your neck, head, and chin. These U-shaped pillows often have memory foam or microbead filling, but there are also inflatable neck pillows. 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. In addition, standard pillows make great travel pillows for certain situations, and plenty of rectangular-styled pillows compress down for better portability.

Most travel pillows will come with carrying cases to compress the pillow, making it more portable. If the carrying case doesn't have a handle, it should still pack down small enough to fit in a personal item such as a backpack or a tote bag. Some pillows have a luggage trolley pass-through sleeve, which you can slip over the handle of your suitcase, while others may have a strap or a clip that you can attach to a backpack to carry it hands-free.

Some pillows are specifically designed to be worn in multiple different ways, but in general, it depends on your comfort preferences. You can wear a travel pillow backward , forward, or you can lean on it in the window seat — the most important thing is finding the most comfortable position for you.

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

Anna Popp is a New York-based commerce writer at T+L, where she writes most of the team's tested content. Anna participated in testing travel pillows and worked with travel editors to determine the results for the best ones on the market based on a series of tests completed during trips taken by plane, car, and train. We will continue to update this article as we test even more travel pillows.

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11 QVC travel essentials to pack before your next trip — starting at $13

Summer is peak travel season , and we bet you have quite a few adventures already planned now that vaccinations are out and cities are opening back up. But with long vacations and weekend getaways comes the annoying, yet entirely unavoidable, process of packing.

You've planned your outfits and overstuffed your suitcase with items you probably won't even use but ask yourself if you're forgetting something that could make your travels a little bit easier. For starters, do you have a reliable charger in case your plane seat doesn't have a USB port? Or maybe it's a travel-size moisturizer to help keep your skin hydrated while on the go?

Fortunately, there are plenty of affordable finds from QVC to help you get prepared for your next trip. From packable toiletries to cute and functional organizers, the retailer has everything you need when stocking up on travel essentials. Below, we've rounded up 11 must-have items you'll want to load into your carry-on ASAP.

Elizabeth Grant Caviar Cellular Recharge SuperEye Pads, 6 Count

It's hard not to wake up on a flight, especially a red-eye, without feeling like you have bloodshot eyes. But with these hydrating pads from Elizabeth Grant, you can end a long trip looking like you just had a refreshing spa treatment. The not-so-secret ingredients, caviar and torricelumn, instantly hydrate your eye areas and de-puff the skin.

IT Cosmetics Travel-Size Confidence in a Cleanser

Created by a former news anchor accustomed to having to remove heavy makeup, this cleanser works on all skin types. It has a 4.8-star average rating from more than 500 reviews, many of which rave about its gentle formula and hydrating ingredients. The 0.6-fluid ounce travel-size bottle is perfect for a weeklong trip, so you can leave your bulky products behind and worry less about checking a bag.

Lewis N Clark Packing Cubes, 5 Count

Packing can be a nightmare if you're not organized. Luckily, these handy packing cubes can help you find a home for all your travel essentials — and save a ton of storage space in the process. The set is available in four color options and includes five cubes: one small, two large and two extra-large.

Vera Bradley Lighten Up Hanging Travel Organizer

Available in 12 fun prints, this Vera Bradley travel organizer can double as your next favorite fashion statement piece. But more importantly, it's functional. It's made of water-repellent fabric and includes four compartments designed to fit must-have toiletries. Thanks to the metal hook, it hangs easily and doesn't need to take up precious counter space.

ban.do Happy Place Getaway Travel Pillow

They give massages in airports because travel can take a toll on the body, especially the neck. With this travel pillow, you can get the support you need for the duration of your journey. It features a super-cute design and even ties together nicely with a pink bow. Better yet, the cover is machine-washable and is even safe to drop in the dryer.

Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Backpack

If you're worried about pickpockets, have peace of mind with this anti-theft backpack, which features a locking compartment for your precious valuables. The pack also includes slash-resistant straps and a front pocket organizer made with RFID contactless technology to protect your credit cards and IDs.

Skullcandy Stash Fuel Portable Battery Pack

Keep your devices charged and ready to use with this portable battery pack from Skullcandy. It's wireless and can charge multiple devices via USB-C and micro-USB. Unlike other portable battery packs, this one shows what percentage of power your device has left. So, you're never caught by surprise!

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Body Butter

This velvety body butter might be a bit pricey, but your soon-to-be super-soft and nourished skin will thank you for the small splurge. This argan oil-infused body butter has nearly 1,200 reviews and comes in several scents, including Juicy Peach, Lavender Citrus, Vanilla Bean and Vanilla Fig. For $36, you get an 8-ounce product and a 2-ounce travel-size container.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Travel-Size Eye Primer

If you plan on wearing eye makeup during your travels, don't forget this travel-size primer. It smooths your skin's surface and preps it for makeup, ensuring it won't cake or crease. Made by trusted beauty brand Anastasia Beverly Hills, it's no surprise that this product has an impressive 4.6-star average rating from nearly 200 reviews.

Benefit Cosmetics BadGAL Bang! Volumizing Mascara Mini

It's hard to find travel-size mascaras in stores, but it's definitely worth ordering if you're worried about not having enough room in your trusty Ziploc bag. This mini mascara from Benefit Cosmetics adds impressive volume to your lashes the same way its full-size product does — it's just easier to travel with and takes up a fraction of the space.

Juicy Couture 100% Cotton French Terry Jogger Pants

Normally $55, these comfy French terry joggers are now more than 40% off. They're the perfect pair of pants to wear on a long flight when you want to feel like you're curled up on the couch at home — not sitting in coach. They also make the ultimate road trip pants! Because no one wants to drive in denim longer than they must.

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The Best Travel Pillow

By Sabrina Imbler

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.

The 36 Best Gifts for Frequent Travelers

by Samantha Schoech

We’ve put together a selection of fun, useful and clever gifts for that person who always has a trip planned.

The Best Pillow for Side Sleepers

by Jackie Reeve

We recommend the Xtreme Comforts Shredded Memory Foam Pillow for most side-sleepers. If you prefer a smoother cover, get Nest Bedding's Easy Breather Pillow .

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The spectacular rise and fall of the ‘Communist Concorde’

H ad you been peering up at the heavens precisely 25 years ago today, somewhere out in the fields on the vague periphery of the Moscow conurbation, you may have seen a ghost.

Not a ghost in the supernatural sense, obviously. This phantom would have been wholly tangible at ground level, all metal and wiring and paint. But it was also built of things you couldn’t have touched; flailing over-ambition, wild impatience and bitter military rivalry.

And this is why it was a ghost; a fragment of aviation history that would be fully and finally redundant the second it touched down that summer’s day.

June 26 1999 was the end. The last flight of the Tupolev Tu-144. “Concordski”. The “Communist Concorde”.

In truth, the Soviet incarnation of supersonic air travel was already on the metaphorical scrapheap, having been mothballed two decades earlier.

And yet at one point, it had been the great hope of aeronautical engineering beyond the Iron Curtain; a grand feat that was going to be faster and more remarkable than anything the enemy could accomplish.

What might have been a considerable triumph resulted in failure and mortification, which makes for a story worth retelling – one of self-inflicted problems and soaring achievement brought low.

Because it is as much a tale of Cold War politics, politburo posturing, and all-round hubris, as it is an account of the race to break Mach 1.

A pyrrhic victory

In the grinding post-war struggle between East and West, there were always unspoken battles to be won. Supersonic aviation was just one such arena of tacit “conflict”.

Much like the atomic bomb and the space rocket, flight at a rate faster than the speed of sound was a holy grail, sought by big brains on both sides of the global divide. And where Britain and France conjured Concorde , Russia and its friends forged the Tupolev Tu-144.

In this particular sprint, the Soviet Union was the winner. Initially at least. Similar in shape – all long pointed nose-cone and graceful broad wingspan (though with a pair of retractable “moustache canards”, for better handling at low speed, adjacent to the cockpit) – the Tupolev beat Concorde into the air by more than two months, taking off for its first test flight on December 31 1968 (Concorde followed on March 2 1969).

It could also fly quicker than its Anglo-Gallic competitor , reputedly able to zip along at a maximum 1,651mph (Mach 2.15) – where its western rival could “only” hit 1,566mph (Mach 2.04).

It was a pyrrhic victory. The aircraft was named after its designer, Alexsy Tupolev, a Russian aeronautics mastermind. He was a gifted man, also responsible for the “Soviet space shuttle”, the Buran. But his most famous plane soon became a byword for poor reliability.

An unnecessary deadline didn’t help. The departure of the first Tu-144 passenger flight was an exercise in pomp and circumstance, serenaded beforehand by a series of verbose speeches.

The date, November 1 1977, was not chosen at random. It was meant, as near as possible, to coincide with the 60th anniversary (November 7 1917) of the Communist Revolution which had pulled the Tsar from his throne and pushed Russia (and the planet) into a new era. Here was this reinvigorated superpower, just six decades on from its Year Zero, leading the world in shaping the most advanced transport technology.

The fact that Concorde was now properly airborne – its first commercial departures had taken off from London and Paris on January 21 1976 – was an inconvenient truth, not worth mentioning.

Whether the Tu-144 was ready to carry people at this stage is another matter. The flight, a two-hour dash from Moscow to the then-capital of Kazakhstan, Alma-Ata (now Almaty), took place without incident. But signs of a rush-job were everywhere – wonky ceiling panels, broken reading lights, and toilets that did not work. It was an inauspicious start.

Things were scarcely better on subsequent services. Insufficient cabin pressurisation made the experience exceedingly uncomfortable for those on board; engine noise within the aircraft could be excruciatingly loud.

One departure, on January 25 1978, proved especially troubled, as a plane crammed with foreign television and newspaper journalists suffered a series of system failures – the most concerning of which was an alarm that began to sound immediately after take-off. 

Unable to silence it, the crew had to resort to stuffing pillows into the speakers. Amid the din, rumours spread that the Tu-144’s front and left landing gear could not be extended, that a crash was all but unavoidable – to the point that Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was kept informed of the plane’s fragile progress. As it transpired, it landed safely, but the raw stench of embarrassment lingered.

French fiasco

Only 16 Tu-144s were made. They only ever operated on that one route, to Kazakhstan. Even in the less safety-conscious environment of the Soviet Union, the plane’s wheezy performance made expansion into a wider network impossible.

By the early months of 1978, Tupolev himself was required to be on hand at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport prior to every flight – there to sign off on the departing aircraft’s mechanical worthiness.

The worry was understandable. The Tu-144’s career was book-ended by disaster. True, Concorde, notoriously, suffered an accident which, along with financial factors, propelled it into retirement.

But, having beaten it into the air, the Tu-144 was also the first to crash.

On June 3 1973, a development model plummeted to earth when a demonstration flight at the Paris Air Show went badly wrong – the plane twisting into an irretrievable nosedive. 

The wall of silence was immediate, but two explanatory theories were proposed. One was that the Tupolev crew had been distracted by a French aircraft, sent up to photograph their display, and had lost control while taking averting action.

A second was that, in following a Concorde which had flown earlier, the Soviet pilots were indulging in a game of one-upmanship, and had attempted manoeuvres of which their Tu-144 was incapable.

Whatever the cause, the accident took 14 lives – all six of those on board, as well as a further eight unfortunate bystanders, killed as the consequent inferno devoured 15 homes.

Had this been an isolated fiasco, the plane might have lumbered on. But on May 23 1978, another Tu-144 screamed down to terra firma, during a test flight. When a fire broke out in the right wing, sparked by a fuel-line rupture, the aircraft belly-flopped. Two engineers died.

This was too much, even in the Soviet Union – where life was cheap but losing face was unforgivable. The last ever passenger service took off just eight days later, on June 1. And that was that. The operational history of the Soviet supersonic superstar amounted to seven months and 102 flights – of which only 55 carried passengers.

However, in formal terms, the death was slow. The Soviet decree which cancelled the Tupolev programme did not arrive until July 1 1983. In the intervening half-decade, basic engineering plodded on. The final Tu-144 in production – 77116 – was unfinished when the instruction to down tools finally came.

Its incomplete fuselage lay rusting on the airfield at Pridacha Airport – alongside the Voronezh Aircraft Plant, in western Russia – for years afterwards.

At the root of the dysfunction was a lack of research. Concorde underwent 5,000 hours of tests before being certified for passenger service; the Tu-144 was subjected to half as much scrutiny (about 2,500 hours) before receiving its rubber stamp.

Its initial test-flight took place on so odd a day – amid the winter weather of New Year’s Eve 1968 – because it had been written into the 1963 government decree that launched the programme that the first flight would happen in five years. Simply, the Tu-144 took off at the last minute, irrespective of its state of development. In the hard context of the Soviet Union, it had to .

A last hurrah?

There were, of course, attempts to revive the corpse. The 1978 grounding of the Tu-144 fleet could not have come at a more awkward juncture for the Kremlin, two years ahead of a Moscow Olympics (July 19-August 3 1980) for which the politburo had envisaged Tupolev flights across European airspace.

Behind the scenes, through gritted teeth and back-channels, quiet requests were made to Concorde technical teams for assistance with parts and knowledge. The pleas were firmly rebuffed at ministerial level, including by Downing Street, amid fears that such expertise would find a path into Soviet fighter jets.

And yet, in the surging tides of Cold War antagonism, no idea was ever entirely dead. As the United States pushed new boundaries with its Space Shuttle missions in the early 1980s, Moscow strove to keep pace.

And its eye alighted, once more, on the Tupolevs now mouldering in hangars. Between 1985 and 1988, two Tu-144s were press-ganged into high altitude – redeployed as training craft and “flying laboratories” for cosmonauts hoping to go into orbit on the Buran. They never would. The “Soviet shuttle” completed a single, unmanned, spaceflight, in 1988 – before the curtain fell on the Soviet era in 1991. 

Even then there was an unexpected footnote – one which sounds as utterly implausible now, in the summer of 2024, with Moscow waging war in Ukraine , as it would have done to the various protagonists of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

For a short period in the 1990s, as relations thawed, East and West came together to talk about the final frontier. 

And they did more than talk. With the Berlin Wall – as well as the Soviet Union – gone, and Boris Yeltsin in the Kremlin, there was a brief window where the US and Russia collaborated on aerospace matters.

Nasa was taking cautious steps towards a second generation of supersonic passenger aircraft, sketching out a blueprint for what was known, clunkily, as HSCT (high speed civil transport).

To make progress, it needed existing gadgetry. And so a deal was struck. In 1995, Tu-144 77114 was dragged out of storage, given a $350 million (£275 million) overhaul, and sent back into the sky.

It made 27 test flights in 1996 and 1997, before a lack of further funding brought the partnership and project to an end in 1999. Images of the time show the aircraft with a highly unusual design on its colossal tailfin; the Stars and Stripes and the Russian Tricolour, displayed together.

Fast-forward to today, and sightings of the Tu-144 are just as rare. The surviving aircraft are now museum exhibits, and only one can be found outside Russia – 77112 , which was acquired by the Technik Museum Sinsheim (near Stuttgart, in south-western Germany) at the turn of the millennium.

As of 2001, it has been stationed on the museum’s roof, positioned next to an Air France Concorde. This is the only location in the world where the two supersonic passenger planes can be glimpsed side by side; Cold War rivals of yore, now brothers in arms, their visual similarities clear.

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Blush Mirage Iridescent Moscow Mule Mug

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