This was published 6 years ago
Dream Sling: Travel pillow that claims to let you comfortably sleep anywhere, even in the middle seat
By Soo Kim
The embarrassment of falling asleep on your neighbour's shoulder in the middle seat of a plane, bus or train, could be resigned to the past with a new travel pillow that claims users can "cradle themselves to sleep" while sitting or even standing anywhere.
The Dream Sling attaches a pillow to a sling that "takes advantage of the gravitational force of your arms and redirects it to help support your head".
Weary travellers can rest their heads on an expandable microbead pillow which conforms to the shape of their head and is supported by the weight of their arms pulling down on the sling.
Dream Sling claims that travellers can now sleep comfortably sleep anywhere, even in the middle seat.Credit: kickstarter.com
While at first glance it might look like you're just wearing a sling to support a broken arm, the Dream Sling is said to be useful in nearly every situation, from sleeping outdoors while hiking or camping, to queuing for gigs or sleeping while sitting bedside during overnight visits at the hospital.
The new pillow, which launched on Kickstarter, a crowdsourcing website, last month, is priced from $US60 ($A79) and expected to be available from this summer.
The Dream Sling joins a string of unusual travel pillows that have been proposed in recent years and has a similar feel to the disc-shaped NapAnywhere pillow, introduced in 2013, which also claimed to allow travellers to fall asleep wherever they are. The portable and collapsible foam structure can be twisted into shape and perched between your head and shoulder. The pillow comes with a strap that is pulled diagonally across your chest and tightened to keep it in place.
The NapAnywhere pillow is small enough to fit into a briefcase or laptop.Credit: NapAnywhere
Back in 2015, JetComfy claimed to be the "best travel pillow ever" by its designers when it was launched on Kickstarter. Connected to a swivelling and tilting pole that can be adjusted to any height and strapped to any handle bar, the JetComfy pillow was said to be the only "comfort pillow" on the market to offer "real support" for your head and neck for sleeping in planes, airport terminals, trains, cars and even the office.
In 2012, the unusually-shaped Ostrich Pillow was introduced, claiming to "enable power naps anytime, anywhere", including in airport lounges and on planes, and help counter the negative effects of long-haul flights.
Stuffed with synthetic material – "for maximum performance and lightness" – the distinctive-looking pillow has a hole in which to put your head, and a mouth hole designed to allow its wearer to breath easily. It also has two side holes where you can put your hands if needed.
The 'Ostrich Pillow': inventors say will "enable power naps anytime, anywhere," including in airport lounges and on planes.Credit: Kawamura-Ganjavian
But if you're looking for something a bit more discreet, the lightweight scarf-shaped Trtl Pilow, which packs down to about the size of a tablet, might be a better option than traditional U-shaped pillows.
Or get a hoodie and pillow-in-one with the HoodiePillow, introduced in 2014. Essentially a hood with an inflatable travel neck pillow attached, the hood has two drawstrings which can be used to adjust it around your head and "cocoon yourself away" for more privacy and shield your eyes from any unwanted light in the morning or at night.
The Telegraph, London
Ideal for sleeping anywhere: The Hoodie travel pillowCredit: hoodiepillow.com
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