The Best Travel Pillow for Kids: An Honest Review

Whether you travel on the road or in the air, travel pillows are super convenient add-ons to your travel luggage. As important as adult pillows are, that’s not why we’re here. We want to talk to you about the best travel pillow for kids.

If you are looking for toddler travel pillows, kids travel neck pillows, or even older kids travel pillows then you’re in luck. Keep reading to find out which one we have voted the best travel pillow for kids by age group! Or skip down to the good stuff!

Need some awesome toddler luggage or kids carry ons? Check out our post here for the top reviewed kids luggage sets!

Wait! Can Toddlers use Neck Pillows?

They can, and they do! Our youngest toddler loves a good travel pillow to keep her head in place. Our oldest one hates the idea of being confined so one of us slips it on him after he falls asleep.

These are 2 and 3 year old road-trippers so I would definitely say travel pillows are a go for toddlers.

We have field tested a large variety of travel pillows for kids so please know three things: 1. there is not a one size fits all travel neck pillow for kids, 2. each child will have a preference on size, breathability, and positioning, and 3. just because we like it does not mean your kiddo will.

We rated our pillows on preference by our kids, overall size/material, price, and ease of use.

We should also note here that using a neck pillow or travel pillow for kids under the age of 18 months is not recommended by the companies that manufacture these. Each one has its own age recommendations but they are generally not recommended for “babies.”

The Best Travel Pillow for Kids

We have listed below seven noteworthy travel pillows and an in-depth review of each. These are our opinions (or our kids’ opinions) but we have tried to be as objective as possible to help you make an informed decision. Check them out before you make your purchase!

Bcozzy Child Travel Pillow

When we first started researching travel pillows for our kids we kept seeing Bcozzy pop up and assumed it was just a trendy brand at the time. After looking into the Bcozzy child travel pillow we realized that this pillow features something the others do not: an extra layer of support to go under the chin.

What does that mean? It means your kids do not look like they have broken necks while they are napping in the backseat!

A far as car travel pillows go, this one is pretty cool. It has a lower back so that it does not push little heads forward.

It also has a higher front to keep their heads from falling forward. In the picture above, the back of the pillow is where the blue tag is.

The Bcozzy child travel pillow actually comes in a wide variety of sizes to accommodate children and teenagers! The first size option lists ages 3-7 as its primary audience. Our three year old was able to wear this one perfectly but our 2 year old (she JUST turned 2) did not quite have enough room under her chin to support the overlapping design comfortably.

The next age range lists 8-12 as its target audience. This pillow would be a good catch all for kids who are a little bit older but not quite teenagers yet. If you have younger kids that like animal themes, Bcozzy also offers a travel pillow that stores in an animal bag for some extra fun!

The last option is an adult size that I would recommend for ages 13 and up. I am a small-ish adult and felt like I could make it fit comfortably. My husband has a wider neck than I do and he was able to adjust his comfortably as well!

This last link will save you some money if you are looking to purchase a family set of four Bcozzy travel pillows. This bundle will save you $5 per pillow!

Infanzia Kids Travel Neck Pillow

The Infanzia kids travel neck pillow offers a unique design with a very breathable material covering the outside. It is highly elastic and “squishy” which allows it to easily mold to any neck. This car travel pillow is designed for toddlers and younger kids, ages 2-8.

The pillow features a snap in the front that holds the side panels together to provide extra chin support. My two year old still flopped forward because she could fit her face inside the pillow. I did not feel comfortable with her wearing it because I was not sure if she could breathe well.

However, my three year old wore it well. It prevents range of motion to the sides of their neck so it is really only good for sleeping with rather than wearing for extra comfort on a long ride.

Dot&Dot Twist Memory Foam Travel Pillow

The Twist Memory Foam Travel Pillow is not specifically designed for kids, meaning it is a full-sized travel pillow. However, this is necessary because of how many combinations you can create with the full length.

This car travel pillow would be great for older kids (7+), teenagers, or adults. I would not recommend it for toddlers due to its size.

This travel pillow is perfect for any child not in a booster seat or anyone who likes to sleep up against the window/door of the car. It bends and folds in a variety of ways to make virtually any sleeping position more comfortable in the car.

However, it does not fit well within carseats which is why we would not recommend it for toddlers or younger kids.

Trtl Pillow Junior

The trtl pillow (junior) is a really unique design that is a great option for kids. The trtl pillow features a metal framed brace wrapped in padding and then covered in fleece.

Its design keeps your head and neck in an ergonomic position while sleeping upright. This is a perfect car travel pillow and would probably be the best travel pillow for kids on a plane, as long as they can hold their heads up well.

Things you should know before you buy: first, this is designed for older kids. Trtl recommends this neck pillow for ages 8+. They also have an adult-sized version if you are interested in one for yourself!

The second thing you should know is that the fleece wraps around your entire neck from top to bottom. If you are a person who feels easily claustrophobic or does not like to be warm around your neck then this might not be the pillow for you.

It is not tight by any means but the pillow is held to your head by the fleece that wraps around your neck. See picture below:

The trtl website frequently runs sales on these neck pillows so you can find them ranging anywhere from $12 (on sale) to $25 full-priced.

Cloudz Plush Animal Neck Pillows for Kids

Cloudz car travel pillows are designed for kids who can hold their heads up or at least lean them over to the side. These would be fun for toddlers/younger kids to snuggle with but not nearly as functional as some of the other options out there.

My toddlers actually voted these kids travel neck pillows as number one but that was really just because they wanted to play with them! We, personally, would not recommend these for toddlers or young children that need additional neck support.

They come in a variety of animal shapes. Click the link or image below to choose the animal you prefer!

These pillows have a soft outer shell and they are filled with fiber-fill made from recycled materials. They are machine washable as well! One thing we did not like about this pillow is that it does not adjust and is not super soft/flexible like some of our other options.

It has a relatively wide u-shape which is why we recommended it for older kids. I think these would be great for kids who like to have a travel “buddy” to carry along in the car, on a plane, or to have in a hotel room while sleeping.

MOOB Baby Travel Neck Pillow

This is one of the best travel pillows for younger toddlers and older babies because of its size. It is specifically designed to be a car travel pillow for toddlers but can also fit older children if they are on the smaller side. It is soft and cushy but does not compress down so much that it impacts its effectiveness.

The pillow comes in a variety of colors and features a snap on the front to hold it in place. The pillow is not very thick so it is possible for older toddlers to still flop to the sides and to the front but it would help reduce how far their heads fall.

You can find these on Amazon for about $15.

Themed Memory Foam Travel Pillow by Niuniu Daddy

This is the perfect travel pillow for a kiddo who wants a pillow “friend.” Once you look through the options you will understand what I mean.

The character designs feature everything from dinosaurs to avocados to axolotls, and in a wide variety of colors.

The Niuniu memory foam travel pillow is designed for ages 3-8 years old and features a snap front for security. This also helps secure the pillow to luggage during transport!

The pillow’s memory foam is very soft, but also very dense.

You can find these on Amazon here!

Which Brand of Travel Pillow is the Best?

Car travel pillows come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. We have had many readers and friends ask us which brand we recommend for kids. I have always given the same answer: it is not about the brand. Finding a travel pillow that works for your kids is about comfort! As a mom, I am also looking for ease of use, breathability, material preference, and ease of washing.

We bought (and returned) 8 car travel pillows before we set out on a 6-hour road trip to the beach last year. EIGHT. You can imagine how frustrated I was when I returned the 8th one. We tried memory foam, cotton, and beads. We tried shaped like animals, adult-sized, and toddler-sized. We tried firm and squishy.

Ultimately we landed on one that worked best for both of our kids: Bcozzy child travel pillow. See below for why we recommend this pillow.

Our Top Pick: Bcozzy Child Travel Pillow

Of all of the kids travel neck pillows out there, this one takes the cake for us. We hated seeing our kids’ heads hanging down onto their chests while they napped but we could not find an alternative to us holding their heads back (yes, we did that for almost a year). Regular car travel pillows are great for older kids that are not in car seats but they typically provide too much support for kids in a carseat (which is already providing some support).

The Bcozzy child travel pillow is our top pick on our list of best travel pillows for kids. It comes in a variety of sizes and colors, it is fully washable, and it provides that extra chin support that no other travel pillow seems to have.

How can I make my child sleep in the car more comfortably?

In addition to travel pillows, you can try a variety of other items to help your child sleep in the car more comfortably. The first of these would be a good blanket. For toddlers or kids who are still in car seats, lightweight fleece blankets are best because they do not fall of off laps as easily.

A travel buddy or stuffed animal is also a great choice because it gives young travelers something to hold on to while they try to fall asleep. Both of our kids travel with a stuffed animal that helps them sleep in the car and sleep more comfortably in a new place.

Lastly, we often play classical music on Pandora or Youtube if we are traveling during nap time. It creates a calm environment in the car that helps ease our kids to sleep while on the road.

Looking for ways to entertain your toddlers?

So your toddler has taken a great nap thanks to his/her awesome car travel pillow. Now what? Waking up to an awesome bag of super fun stuff makes a road trip way better.

Check out our post for the top travel toys for toddlers if you need some ideas!

Do you have a personal favorite travel pillow for your kids?

Drop a comment below and let us know which one we need to add to our list and why! We are always looking for a new favorite. Also, let us know if you’ve tried any of our suggestions! Happy traveling!