This Neck Pillow Doubles as Extra Packing Space

A good travel pillow keeps your head from rolling into your seatmate and your neck from being stiff on the first day of vacation. But a better travel pillow does all that and sneaks an extra day’s worth of clothing onto the plane without catching a gate agent’s attention. 

People have discovered this hack with the Dot&Dot pillow from Amazon. They simply unzip the jersey case and remove the memory foam insert, then fill it with socks, pants, and tops. Instantly, you have an extra carry-on bag at no extra cost. The best part is that this dual-purpose travel accessory is half off at Amazon right now.

Dot&Dot Twist Memory Foam Pillow

Although you should always check the airline’s policy about personal item allowances — some like Alaska Airlines explicitly state that neck pillows don’t count towards carry-on limits — gate agents often let passengers slip through with one, especially when worn around your neck, making it a free way to pack a few extra things that won’t fit in your main bag.

Unlike the classic C-shaped pillow, this one is shaped more like a tube that you can bend and twist. The cover is made of a soft jersey-like material that unzips so you can remove the cylinder of pliable memory foam and launder the casing. (Or, so you can stuff it with your extra clothes.)

“I was able to put 24 hours’ worth of clothing in the cover by removing the foam insert,” one reviewer wrote. “I easily put pajamas, a change of clothes, and a sweater rolled inside the case.” Another shopper said they’ve also experimented with “removing the heavy memory foam and structural, bendy ‘snake’ inside, [and] replacing them with clothes,” adding that it “worked like a charm.” Even without the original memory foam insert, the pillow was still comfortable, thanks to the soft jersey fabric.

Dot&Dot Twist Memory Foam Pillow

The Dot&Dot Twist Memory Foam Pillow is one of the top 10 travel neck pillows at Amazon, with an average 4.2-star rating — with over 8,000 of them touting perfect five stars. Customers love the softness of the gray material, specifically, which is reportedly softer than the velvety finish of the other colors. The gray style is the only one that’s half off and, luckily, it’s the comfiest one. You could also shop other versions, including a “mini” size that’s 23 inches (ideal for kids), plus one that has a drawstring cord to help keep it more secure around your neck.

When you don’t need to use it for extra packing space, reviewers say you’ll find the memory foam insert superbly comfortable. Inside the foam is a flexible rod that helps maintain shape, whether you choose to wrap it around your neck or your waist for lumbar support. While typical places to use it are on the plane or in the car during a road trip, some found it useful while camping, with one person calling it a “lifesaver” when their blow-up pillows weren’t cutting it. Another person says, “It goes everywhere I go.”

Try this clever travel hack while the accessory is 50 percent off, or shop more deals on stuffable neck pillows below.

Shop More Travel Pillows at Amazon:

DreamShore Stuffable Neck Pillow

Tube Original Stuffable Pillow

Brookstone Free-form Memory Foam Twist Pillow

Samsonite Microbead 3-in-1 Travel Pillow

Vokelater Stuffable Neck Pillow

At the time of publishing, the price started at $20.

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