We’ve all been there – either on a long car ride or on a red-eye flight. You are tired and limited to your seat for the next few hours. You want to sleep – but just can’t get comfortable. Your neck and shoulders ache as you lean from one side to the other. Sound familiar?

Enter the travel pillow. The right travel pillow can provide you with the needed comfort and support to let you sleep soundly, and say goodbye to stiff necks.

But how do you find the right pillow? With so many travel pillows on the market, it can be a confusing process. Here are 3 things you can do to find the best travel pillow:

Try before you buy:

Some shops let you test the travel pillow out in stores – but not all stores will! Ask your friends and family if you can test out their travel pillows. This will give you an idea of what to look for. We recommend giving them a test-nap if possible on your couch.

Check what’s inside:

The filling of your travel pillow can make or break your experience. Some travel pillows are filled with air, some with foam, and some with fiber-filling. The type of filling in your pillow is crucial for neck support. You want something that will be responsive to your movements, but that still supports your neck and shoulders. One travel pillow that does this well is the Mediflow Travel Pillow. Made with clinically proven waterbase technology, this travel pillow features both fiber and a water pouch to help respond to your movements as you sleep – meaning support and comfort for the whole time it’s in use!

Get a pillow with breathable outside material:

Take care that the travel pillow you choose won’t leave you hot under the collar. Some are lined with polyester or velour, but the best for comfort would be a cotton-based outer layer.