😴 Travel pillow

Travel pillows have no restrictions anywhere in the world, so screeners will not stop you or require you to check it. The pillow can stay in your carry-on or you can wear it around your neck — either way, it sails through the checkpoint without any intervention.

Both types are fully permitted in carry-on and checked baggage everywhere — neither inflatable nor memory foam pillows are restricted. The difference is purely practical: an inflatable pillow can be deflated to nearly nothing for packing, while a bulky memory foam pillow takes up significant space in your carry-on and might be better attached to the outside of your bag.

Gate agents will only ask you to check a bag if it exceeds the airline's size or count limits, and a travel pillow alone is not going to trigger that. If your carry-on bag is already at the size limit and you have a large memory foam pillow stuffed inside, reducing the bag's size by wearing the pillow around your neck at the gate is a simple solution. The pillow itself is never the reason for a gate check.

For inflatable pillows, deflating and packing inside your bag is easy and keeps your hands free. For memory foam or microbead pillows that are too bulky for your carry-on, wearing it around your neck or attaching it to the outside of your bag with a strap or clip is the most practical option. Either approach is fine at the security checkpoint — screeners have no issue with either.