We examined 5 viral journey merchandise on a long-haul financial system flight — have been they definitely worth the hype?

Huzi Infinity Pillow

Cost: $44.99

How much space does it take up?

The infinity pillow is quite bulky. It doesn’t compress well, and even when rolled up filled about half of the large compartment of my backpack. It measures around 8.5 inches in diameter and is 6 inches tall. Fortunately, as an infinity pillow, it’s designed so that it can be worn like a comfy scarf when in use, so you could just wear it onto the plane to save space in your carry-on — which is what I ended up doing.

How silly did it make you feel?

I’d give it a 3 out of 5 on silliness. It’s not the most inconspicuous item in the world and is bulkier than your standard U-shaped travel pillow. But as you’ll see later on in this list, it’s far from the silliest-looking pillow you can bring onto the plane. And frankly, I found it comfortable and versatile enough to override how odd I might have looked wearing an obscenely cushioned scarf onto a flight at the start of summer.

Comfort scale: 3.5 out of 5.

It’s certainly more versatile than your standard travel pillow, but I wouldn’t say the filling alone is more or less comfortable than any other travel pillow. Being able to contort it into a bunch of different shapes does make it a great companion on a flight. It’s also made from bamboo fabric, so it’s soft like a standard sleeping pillow but with a small amount of sustainability kudos — no bead filling here.

Is it worth it?

The price is steep for what it is, but this was the most effective product I tested on my trip by a significant margin.

I could wear it cross-body, like a sling, to support my neck and arms while reading my Kindle, and in my aisle seat, I was able to wrap it around my neck twice for solid neck support to sleep. During meal times I was able to wear it around my waist for extra back support. The pillow also covered my ears when wrapped twice around my neck, which helped reduce some of the usual noise distractions you find in economy while sleeping. Had I been sitting in a window seat, it would have been easy to manipulate the pillow for more support against the window. Review photos on Amazon show the pillow twisted into just about every configuration imaginable, so no matter how you prefer to relax on a flight, there’s likely a way this pillow can make it happen.

Fount FlyKitt

Cost: $114 (including shipping)

How much space does it take up?

The entire kit fits into a zippered pouch that’s 8.5 inches long, 5 inches wide and 3 inches thick. While it doesn’t take up too much space in your carry-on or personal item, you need it readily accessible throughout your travels to take the supplements and use the glasses that come with the kit.

How silly did it make you feel?

4.5 out of 5, purely because of the weird Terminator-style sunglasses it asks you to wear (while indoors) during certain periods both on and off the plane. They are supposed to help block blue light, which, according to some studies, can improve melatonin production and help you sleep. Scientifically, this may hold some weight, but I felt ridiculous wearing these sunglasses inside at the airport and in the already-dark plane cabin, and they also affected my ability to read my Kindle (which is set to dim light and dark mode).

Comfort scale: 2 out of 5.

The glasses, while annoyingly tinted, were comfortable to wear. And the supplements weren’t any more cumbersome to swallow than your standard vitamin packs. However, the system is rather irksome due to how prescriptive the schedule for meals, sleeping and taking supplements is.

Is it worth it?

In my opinion, no. Sticking to the provided schedule was often difficult due to meal time constraints during travel days and nights. I was also unable to carry out all of the kit’s instructions and missed more than one scheduled supplement (when I missed a meal that had an associated supplement, I avoided taking the supplement in case taking it without food gave me an upset stomach).

Sure, I didn’t have any jet lag in Japan, but as I couldn’t fully stick to the kit’s instructions, I’m skeptical about how much this was due to the effects of the product or other psychosomatic influences.

Looking into the products themselves, the supplement packs could easily have been bought over the counter at a lower cost and consisted of common-sense vitamins and supplements: instant coffee to help you stay awake, B vitamins to help with energy, melatonin to help with sleep, fish oil for immune health.

Inflatable travel pillow

Cost: $24.99

How much space does it take up?

Compressed, the pillow fits into a bag that measures 8 inches long, 5 inches wide and 4.5 inches thick. You can’t wear it around your neck to save space like with other pillows, and it takes up enough room to be annoying in a carry-on or personal item. When fully inflated, the pillow is obnoxiously large. If the passenger in front of you reclines their chair, it’s impossible to blow up the pillow fully in the already-limited lap space found in a standard economy seat.

How silly did it make you feel?

5 out of 5. I kept apologizing to my middle-seat neighbor (who already had to sacrifice a little bit of armrest space because I am plus-sized and take up more room in a small economy seat) while attempting to blow up the pillow, and I felt like a jerk for even attempting it since it took up so much room. Plus, the thing looks absolutely ridiculous. More than one passenger passing me to go to the restroom gave me a weird look while I was setting it up (though, thankfully, it’s relatively easy to blow up, so at least I wasn’t huffing and puffing to inflate it).

Comfort scale: 0 out of 5.

The pillow lining is made of “PVC flocking” — and I’m no closer to understanding what exactly that is after a Google search. It’s soft enough, and no parts of the pillow poked uncomfortably into my skin when I tested it out on my couch. But seeing as it was impossible to use in the way it was intended on the flight itself, this one was a complete failure.

Is it worth it?

No, especially not for a plus-sized traveler. I couldn’t fully inflate the pillow because there wasn’t enough space in my economy seat. The pillow might make more sense in premium economy or if you are in a bulkhead-row seat without anyone reclining in front of you. But there isn’t enough room to use the pillow as intended in a standard economy seat.

On a positive note, the pillow comes with a sleep mask. It’s a minimalist design, but the eye area in the mask curves away from your eyes just enough to remove pressure on your eyelids while sleeping. While the pillow itself was useless, the mask was an unexpected bonus and one of my favorite things from all the products tested during this trip. I even used it at the hotel to block out street lights from the window, and I will continue using it on future trips. However, you can probably save money and buy a similar sleep mask separate from the pillow.

Manta Sleep Mask

Cost: $39

How much space does it take up?

Minimal. It’s thicker than the size of a standard sleep mask, but it’s not at all bulky.

How silly did it make you feel?

2 out of 5. It looks more or less like a normal sleep mask.

Comfort scale: 3 out of 5.

It wasn’t as comfortable as the thinner sleep mask that came with the inflatable pillow, and it was constantly being jostled by my pillow anytime I shifted in my seat. It’s made from soft foam and a cotton blend, and it was soft against my skin. But even still, I much preferred the other sleep mask.

Is it worth it?

Not for the price. The mask felt a bit weird on my face with the padded rings that stuck out from the eyes, and since my pillow of choice came up over part of my face, the mask was constantly being shifted by the pillow. While it wasn’t uncomfortable, it wasn’t worth $40. Honestly, I preferred the sleeping mask that came for free with the inflatable travel pillow.