The Strategist has been singing the praises of the Trtl since writer Lauren Levy set out to find the best travel pillow a few years ago. She was looking for one that would create minimal bulk in a carry-on bag and allow her to sleep on a long flight to Europe. The verdict? This funny contraption that is essentially a padded scarf.
Here’s what she had to say about it: “The Trtl pillow … takes up about the same amount of space as a couple of magazines. Three interconnected bands hidden inside a hypoallergenic fleece exterior hold your head almost completely upright. To keep the Trtl’s small shape, these bands lend support to only one shoulder at a time, so you’ll have to choose which side you prefer nodding off toward, but the whole piece is easily adjustable and customizable with a simple Velcro strap. The tighter the Velcro, the stronger the support. You can even place it beneath your chin to keep your head from drooping.”
Since then, we learned that novelist Celeste Ng is a huge fan. And our colleagues in the U.K. are as well — the pillow allowed writer Emma Cooke to sleep for five hours, “minus the neck cramps but covered in sleep drool,” on a long-haul flight to Thailand.
I can proudly say that I am also on Team Trtl. I don’t have much more to add beyond what’s been said, but what I like most about it is how deeply easy it is to pack into a carry-on and that, well, it lets me sleep. Ng put it best when she told us, “I usually can’t sleep on planes, but with this, I did and do.” At its current sale price (it’s 40 percent off the usual $30), the Trtl is an ideal gift for any traveler in your life (frequent or not), and something you will be pleased to remember you purchased for yourself when you begin packing for your next trip.
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