OstrichPillow Light Travel Pillow Review

• Review
• Specs
• Comments

If you have ever traveled by plane, then you are probably well aware of the traditional horseshoe-shaped neck pillows so popular with travelers. They sit around your neck and provide head support both to your back and side to allow for a more comfortable resting position. Through the years, companies have tried to approve the design, but other than changing the materials used, there has never been too much variation- until now.

Not to be confused with the Original Ostrich Pillow (you can read our review of that here), the Ostrich Lite is designed to meet the needs of a larger variety of consumers. The Sleep Judge review team purchased one of their own to try out, and our review of our experience can be found below.

Ostrich Light Pillow Specs

 Case material: Viscose elastane

 Comfort: travel

 Adjustable: yes

 Warranty: 2 year

Breakdown of the OstrichPillow Parent Company

Started as a Kickstarter investment in 2012 by a UK based company, the OstrichPillow not only made the money they needed to begin manufacturing the original design, but it has also survived to add new, innovative ideas to their line up of office and travel comfort. Committed to ‘outside the box ideas’ that address personal rest within places of work and within public areas, the company has gained a faithful following of their products.

The OstrichPillow Light Overview

The OstrichPillow Light was created to address consumer feedback surrounding the original design (a style that essentially turns your head into a pillow) concerning the need to have something a little less bulky and encompassing. From this, a line was born- the adjustable Light Version that can be used in various ways while at rest to support the neck and/or head, as well as serve as a sleep mask. This has been well received by daily commuters and long-distance travelers. It is less bulky than many U-shaped pillows, and you can easily stuff it into purses, or it can even be worn around the neck as a type of infinity scarf to free up your hands.

Unpacking

The Light came in a well-packaged sliding box that provided the information about use and care. It wasn’t wrapped in plastic within the box, which is actually a good thing as it wasn’t stored in a non-breathable plastic which can increase off-gassing. Although some consumers have complained about off-gassing, I noticed absolutely no smell at all upon unpacking.

First Impressions

I was super excited to try this pillow out as we are a traveling family, and upon opening, I was happy to see that it looked and felt as I expected. Made with similar materials to many of the micro-bead U-shaped neck pillows, the Ostrich Light is malleable and fits easily over your head. I especially loved that you can reverse it and adjust it.

At first, it felt a little bit large around my neck, and I wondered how I could get it up under my head without it slipping, but then I used the adjustable toggle to tighten it, and it snugged up without being too tight.

Features & Benefit Claims

Every product has a series of claims made about it to better help consumers make decisions surrounding it. This is also a way to highlight the features and make a good sales pitch concerning the benefits it may lend to your life.

Adjustable Infinity Shape

Unlike a U-shaped travel pillow, the Ostrich Light in an infinity design sewn in a circle to fit over your head. There is an elastic pull cord secured by an adjustable toggle located through the center of the pillow, which can be accessed through a well-placed opening in order to take advantage of the reversible cover.

At first, I thought this might create some issues with how well it fit over a variety of different size heads, but it is large enough to fit a variety of body types with ease. The elastic cord pulls easily, and it provides a pretty decent range of adjustability. It also secures very well with the toggle and stays put.

Viscose Elastane Reversible Cover

There are a variety of color combinations available, including solid choices that these pillows come in. Most are both material and color reversible. My pillow was a soft cotton feeling, gray and cool, smooth, red Viscose elastane reverse to take advantage of both how it looked as well as how it felt up against your skin. The elastic cord is centralized in the pillow with a circular cut out in one area to allow you to easily adjust the toggle from one side to the next.

Since the pillow can also be ‘worn’ around the neck for ease of carrying or for simple comfort as a sort of scarf, you can color coordinate with these choices. I actually thought this was kind of a fun design idea to better serve the needs of more people and its multiple uses.

Micro Polystyrene Foam Bead Filling

Polystyrene foam beads shouldn’t be confused with styrofoam. It is an EPS resin that is filled with air to ‘puff’ it to the size needed for product use. Often, it is used in bean bags and travel pillows, but more recently, it has been found in other pillow options as well.

If you are familiar with the U-shaped travel pillow feel, you probably have come across this filling and are aware of how it provides a shifting and contouring feel that can also provide a firm support. This pillow is no different, and the beads can be easily adjusted to fit the spaces you feel needs more support. Using the adjustment, it also allows you to provide a more plush or firm feel to find your perfect ‘resting’ spot when traveling and needing something comfortable to nod off upon.

Uses

This is a pretty simple travel pillow design that actually has multiple uses for comfort. When used around your neck, you can take advantage of it as a more traditional travel pillow feel. What is nice is how it provides you with all around support so if your head rolls forward it still is allowed a bit of support.

You also can bring it up around the top of your head almost like a hat. You can then rest your head on a hard surface and still be well cushioned. Your desk at work or the flight travel tray never felt more comfortable.

Plus, it can be brought up over your eyes as a type of sleep mask. It is soft and still provides good airflow, all while allowing a good shadow over your eyelids to shut out the light.

Size & Weight

Overall, the pillow is 14 inches wide when laid flat, 3 inches thick, and 6 inches tall. It seems larger when viewing the measurements, but actually, it is a pretty compact design overall which I found can be packed easily into small spaces. Because of the quilting of the pillow, it helps keep the beads within their respective ‘tubes’ so it doesn’t become too bunched up in any one area.

This also allows for it to fold and become more shapeable, so if the 6 inches height is a bit much for a smaller person, it is easily folded to make a narrower space. At only 3.8 ounces, this is a very lightweight design that is easy to carry and pack. It doesn’t pull on your neck or create pressure points when in use, and this product is overall very easy to carry.

Spot Clean Only

The fill of this pillow is NOT conducive to machine washing or drying. If you do need to clean the pillow, be sure to only spot clean it by hand and make sure it is well dried out to avoid compromising the structure of the beads.

2-Year Warranty/30-Day Guarantee

The company does protect against your purchase with a 2-year warranty that covers all quality and material defects. Plus, it comes with a 30-day guarantee with a full refund if you just decide you aren’t impressed with the product or if it doesn’t work well for you.

Consumer Reviews

The only true problems that seem to arise with this product are concerning quality within the first few uses. Uneven seams that have been sewn prior to filling have given way under stress, but the reports have been few, and it is a problem that is covered by the warranty. Some people felt it could be more compressible (although that defeats the purpose of the fill), and many wish it came with a carrying bag despite liking it as a travel pillow choice.

Otherwise, this seems to be a popular product with comments made about how light and comfortable it is as well as how great a purpose it serves while traveling. The versatility of it that allows you to lean against stable objects (such as the plane seat in front of you or the side of the plane) while cushioning your head makes it popular with those who spend a lot of time in the air. Others claim it’s the perfect afternoon nap product to help block out light or allow you to rest your head on a desk at work.

My Trial Experiences

Like I mentioned, I was very excited to try this pillow out, especially since I had a few days worth of air travel coming up. Of course, I couldn’t wait until then and had to slip it over my head and get a feel for it. Although it felt sort of large and loose at first, it did adjust easily and become snug, but it is not at all tight around my neck. I liked right away how I could lean my head one way or another from back to the sides and still feel as if my head was well supported. I also found I could easily bunch it up under my neck to rest my chin on it.

I tried it out over my eyes and around my head, and although I personally prefer a true sleep mask, it was comfortable to rest my head, face down on a desk surface to catch a quick bit of quiet and recharge time. I can’t nap like this at all, but I can see how it would be very beneficial to those who work in a busy office setting to help rebalance themselves during a busy afternoon. You can kind of tuck it down to muffle noise over your ears as well.

Since it doesn’t come with a carrying bag, I borrowed the one my old trusty U-shaped travel pillow was in to tie to my bag and keep it close while traveling. This is really the only complaint I personally had about the pillow, but since I had an easy solution, it really wasn’t that of a big deal. Once I boarded the plane, I took it out and got comfy. Since it was a seriously early morning flight, I was looking forward to getting a few hours of sleep and wasn’t at all disappointed. I had the aisle seat and definitely had nothing to lean against, but the pillow allowed enough support so I lean and rest easily on my shoulder. In fact, the flight attendant asked me what kind of pillow it was as it looked so comfortable.

Overall Travel Pillow Rating: 4.2

Honestly, this is a unique travel pillow that can be used at home, in the office, or commuting and traveling by car, plane, train- or pretty much anywhere that requires a bit of comfort while in a more of a sitting position. Plus, with the versatile uses, it provides a wide variety of consumers the opportunity to take advantage of it.

I personally felt the size was spot on for just about any size person, plus the ability to pick and choose your colors and reverse it for a smooth, cool fabric feel to a soft cotton was a nice touch. The adjustability is also a huge perk to customize your own comfort. The 2-year warranty, in my mind, voids out any material or construction defects that may occur as the company obviously stands behind the product and recognizes issues may arise during the mass production.

The only complaint I have is that it really should come with a carrying bag. I was disappointed it didn’t have one, and I think it makes it easier to travel with when it can be more easily accessible with its own case to attach to your purse or carry on.

Sure there are a few issues with overseen quality control. But Wise Owl responds to each of its review complaints with their contact info and a promise to make it right. Who doesn’t love personalized, going-above-and-beyond customer service? I sure do.

Conclusion

Looking for a bit of comfort for your commutes to work each morning or just a dependable comfort product for travel in general? Then you should consider the Ostrich Light Pillow as it truly is an item that works well in a variety of situations and provides cushioning and comfort to allow you to rest. It’s become a popular travel product in my household that my boys have to take turns with when napping in the car during long road trips, although it is still reserved for mom when traveling on a plane.

If you have any questions about the product, please let us know below in the comments!