WHAT: A blanket that folds and slides into a pillow case.
PROS: The cozy coverlet in baby-soft fleece is a good size for a plane seat . . . Folds up easily and slips right into the pillow case . . . Comes with an eye mask.
CONS: Since the blanket constitutes the pillow's guts, you can't use both pillow and blanket at the same time . . . Pillow case is made of that odd not-quite-paper/not-quite-fabric hybrid that airlines also use.
• Bare Essentials Pillow Coat (925-631-6878). $240.
WHAT: A pillow that unsnaps into a chic women's rain coat.
PROS: Coat folds into itself without effort -- no spare pillow case to lose, nor complicated folding instructions -- and snaps closed, to size of laptop . . . Jacket's comfy inside lining creates the outside of the pillow case . . . Waterproof material is impermeable to drool.
CONS: As a pillow, it's flat and dense and doesn't give much support . . . That's a lot of money to pay for a pillow.
• Travel Essentials Auto Neck Rest (800-523-5029). $21.95.
WHAT: A battery-operated massager that straps around a plane seat's head rest.
PROS: For those who suffer from neck, shoulder or upper-back discomfort, the 10-inch-long tubular bolster could make for as restful a flight as using a pillow . . . Has two speeds and fits easily around a head rest with an elastic band.
CONS: With a whirring motor in your ear (particularly at the higher setting), you might feel as if you were sitting on the plane's engine.
• Snuggl'up pillow (305-705-1608, www.snugglup.com). $25.
WHAT: A pillow for children, invented by a mom who cut up a pair of silky maternity shorts to make a pillow for her son.
PROS: No tiny beads or pellets within -- the Snuggl'up is filled with worry-free polyfiber fill blend and can go in the washing machine . . . Even finicky kids can find a fave design among the 30 patterns.
CONS: A bit large (around the length of a baguette) and difficult to stuff in a small carry-on.
