The BCozzy pillow’s wraparound design solves the problems of regular travel pillows and makes it easier to fly comfortably in coach class.At this year’s Travel Goods Show, a showcase of new travel products held annually in Vegas, there were very many new types of travel pillow on offer, few of which showed any promise or potential to be practical solutions to the perennial problem of how to get some sleep in coach class on a long flight.
For a long time, my favorite solution has been the Caldera Releaf product (click to visit my review).
And then, out of the blue, I came across an interesting product – the BCozzy Pillow. At first it seemed to be nothing more than a traditional (and therefore useless) U-shaped travel pillow. But, it isn’t just a U, it is more like a spiral, with the two ends overlapping for about 150°. And therein lies its magical transformation for useless to useful. This overlap solves the appalling weakness of the traditional travel pillow (ie the inability to support your neck and head so it doesn’t fall forward). It also solves the other weakness of a traditional travel pillow (too much bulk at the back) because it has less bulk at the back that on the sides and surely much less than where the two sides overlap.
After almost falling asleep at my desk, I continued to evaluate the product. It can also be used by rotating the overlapped area to the side if you wish to have more side support than front support, and the entire unit can be folded in half and doubled over on itself to give you still more options as to thickness and location of support. It has some sort of foam inside – probably poly-urethane, and vaguely like memory foam but not exactly the same, and has a sewn cloth/velour type cover that can’t be removed for cleaning.
I quickly found myself liking it as much as my Releaf, and possibly even more.
But there is one small issue. The Releaf folds up to a nice compact size, the BCozzy, even after some compression, remains probably twice the bulk/volume of the Releaf, maybe even closer to three times. It is also slightly heavier, but an ounce or two here or there really doesn’t matter, it is more the bulk that is the challenge. Perhaps recognizing this, the BCozzy comes with a loop that can be used to clip it around the handle of a roll aboard or other piece of luggage, thereby carrying it externally rather than within your bag.
The BCozzy comes in both adult and child sizes, and is priced at $29.97 or $24.97 (adult/child). It is available in several color combos – suggestion, get muted soft colors, not bright colors. This compares to the Releaf with pricing generally between $16 and $20.
The Bcozzy can be purchased directly through their website, or if you want faster shipping, through Amazon too, of course.
Finally – which is better? The BCozzy or the Releaf? The BCozzy is every bit as comfortable as the Releaf, making this a very hard call; it is also slightly easier to put on or take off, and perhaps looks a bit more ‘normal’ when worn (in case that matters to you).
On the other hand, the Releaf is easier to pack (although you can carry the BCozzy on the outside of your bag), very slightly lighter, and somewhat less expensive.
Both are very good, and whether you get one or the other, you really need to get one of these two fine products. Your coach class travel experience will be positively transformed.
I’m not going to say ‘get one of each from Amazon and then return the one you don’t like’ because by some accounts, Amazon is getting a bit more strict on people with too many returns. But maybe get one of each and give the one you don’t like to a less-favored distant relation next Christmas!
