How to Travel With Your Own Pillow (Without the Hassle)

How to Travel With Your Own Pillow (and Why You Should)

You’ve booked the flights, sorted the accommodation and planned the itinerary. Then you arrive, climb into a strange bed and spend the night wrestling with a pillow that’s either flat as a pancake or hard as a brick.

Sound familiar? You’re not fussy. You’re just someone who likes to sleep well. And a good night’s sleep is the difference between a trip you love and one you drag yourself through.

Here’s how to travel with your own pillow, minus the awkwardness.

Why bring your own pillow?

Hotel and rental pillows are a lottery. You don’t know how old they are, how they’ve been washed, or whether they suit the way you sleep. Your own pillow is the one thing that smells and feels like home, which helps when everything else is unfamiliar.

It’s useful well beyond the flight, too. Think of the first night in a new place, a long road trip, a caravan or campervan, a stay with family, or a few nights at the bach.

Can you take a pillow on a plane?

Yes. Airlines generally treat a pillow as a personal or carry-on item, but rules vary, so check with your airline before you fly. A pillow that’s carried in a bag, rather than tucked under your arm, is much easier to manage through check-in, security and boarding.

5 tips for travelling with a pillow

1. Pick a pillow that suits you and your trip. A small, supportive pillow that compresses well is easier to travel with than your big bed pillow.

2. Protect it. Airport floors, overhead lockers and luggage carousels aren’t kind to bedding. A cover or carrier keeps your pillow clean and ready for bed.

3. Make it easy to carry. If your hands are full of passports, coffee and boarding passes, a pillow under your arm gets old fast. Choose something you can sling over your shoulder or clip onto your bag.

4. Don’t pack it away. Keep it with you on the plane, in the car or on the train. It doubles as comfortable back or neck support while you travel.

5. Use it everywhere. Take it into the hotel room, the Airbnb, the campervan and the guest bedroom at your sister’s. It’s your constant in a changing set of beds.

Make carrying your pillow easy

This is exactly why I created the Dream First™ Pillow Bag. I’ve always travelled with my own pillow, and I was sick of lugging it around awkwardly. The Dream First™ Pillow Bag is a premium pillow carrier with a single strap that clips on in different positions, so you can carry it the way that suits you.

It comes in four prints: Flora, Sole, Haven and Tropic. It’s made to keep your pillow protected and easy to carry, so good sleep goes with you wherever you go, not just on the plane.

Shop the Dream First™ Pillow Bag

Frequently asked questions

Is it weird to travel with your own pillow?
Not at all. Plenty of people do it, and once you’ve had a proper night’s sleep in an unfamiliar bed, you’ll wonder why you ever didn’t.

What’s the best way to carry a pillow when travelling?
A pillow carrier or pillow bag with a strap. It keeps your hands free and your pillow clean.

Can I take my pillow in my carry-on?
Usually yes, but check your airline’s current baggage policy before you travel.

Does a travel pillow bag work for road trips and camping?
Yes. It’s useful anywhere you want your own pillow with you, from campervans to weekends away.