This sleep helmet may be the answer to your dreams.
I have a friend who’s never been able to sleep on planes. So when I asked her to test the Pluto Pod, a ridiculous-looking pillow contraption that claims to help you get some sleep no matter where you are, she was skeptical.
This bizarre sleep helmet has a pull-down, built-in eye mask, a thick neck pillow to cradle your head, and a padded hood to block everything out. Is it a bit much? Yes. But does it work? According to my friend, also yes. She tested the travel pillow on an 11-plus hour flight from Los Angeles to Paris (and back), which can be long even in first class and downright inhumane in economy. Afterward, my friend was happy to report the impossible happened: she slept nearly six hours straight on both flights.
A supercharged neck pillow
The Pluto Pod is essentially a very thick neck pillow with a padded hood, plus a pull-down eye mask. Even rolled up into itself and snapped closed, it makes for a bulky burrito. Other travel pillows take up half (or less) space. But what the Pod does with that space is pretty genius. The neck pillow part of the Pod, which secures in front with Velcro, sits flush against your chin or the side of your cheek, cradling your head gently and securely while snoozing. And as the support surrounds your neck on both sides and the front, unlike most other travel pillows, it allows you to lean your head in any position while sleeping without having to adjust.
For those who have smaller heads (like my friend), the height of the hood part is adjustable (you just clip the back portion to fold back some of the material). But even worn in its fully extended size, she felt comfortable; it just meant that instead of the pull-down screen covering only her eyes, it covered her whole face.
Will you feel a little stupid wearing this thing? Sure. But once you have it on your head, you won’t be able to see your seat neighbor or other passengers, which makes it easy not to care what they think about your neck pillow choice. The eye mask offers near-complete light-blocking, and when it’s rolled up, the sides of the hood essentially block out all peripheral vision, cocooning you in your own little world.
Bulky, pricey, and messes up your hair
One drawback to the Pod is its bulkiness. At least you can wear it onto the plane around your neck or strap it around the handle of your carry-on. Another is its price: at nearly $150, it’s certainly not cheap, even when compared to other top-of-the-line neck pillows and eye masks. The last issue is one of vanity: my friend said it made her hair flat and a little staticky. (She didn’t care; the uninterrupted sleep was worth it.)
Twist’s Take: While the Pluto Pod looks ridiculous, It may also mean you finally sleep on your next flight.
