Airslyng Review: This Travel Accessory Is My Secret for Sleeping on the Plane—And It's Only $40

There are two types of fliers: those who pass out with ease before the wheels come up and those, like me, who struggle to find a restful position the whole way through. While the market for travel sleep gear has exploded in recent years thanks to a proliferation of travel pillows, sleep masks, and packable blankets meant to help both camps get more rest, in-flight sleep can still feel elusive. But what if I told you that you could ditch the piecemeal packing for a single item that finally lets you sleep like those gifted slumberers next to you?When I tested the AirSlyng on a six-hour flight from New York to Calgary, my needs were high but my expectations were low. As a travel writer, I clock a lot of air miles. In my quest for sleep at 35,000 feet, I’ve tried everything, from your run-of-the-mill neck pillow to more complicated products like this inflatable behemoth, but the former could never win against the inevitable head lull, and the latter proved too bulky to squeeze into the ever-shrinking economy seat (and forget it if the person in front of you reclined). And so my quest for the perfect pillow continued.AirSlyngThree-in-one airplane sleep support systemHow the AirSlyng worksTraveler contributor Lara Kramer putting on the AirSlyng during a recent flight Lara KramerAn hour into my flight to Calgary, when I started to feel adequately sleepy, I took a deep breath, crossed my heart, and unzipped the AirSlyng from its compact case that took up about as much carry-on space as a reusable water bottle. Inside, I found a Velcro sleep mask and a blanket sling. While it did admittedly take me a second to figure out how to put it all together, it was quickly intuitive which was a relief for someone with a visceral aversion to complex instruction manuals and IKEA-style furniture assembly.The cushioned case functions as your pillow, attaching to your seat's headrest and serving as an anchor point for the eye mask, which fastens across your face and attaches to the pillow, blocking out light and gently keeping your head from rolling forward. The sling slips around your neck, allowing you to tuck in your arms and pull the blanket snugly around your chest until you're enveloped in a perfect cocoon-like embrace. I've watched a swaddled baby drift peacefully to sleep in a dark nursery, and I imagine this is the closest to that experience an adult can get.Overall, it’s every bit as delightful as you’d expect. Plus, as any good sleep product should be, all fabric components of the AirSlyng are removable and machine washable, allowing my fellow droolers to truly submit to deep sleep.Why I love it for travelKramer was able to sleep comfortably in an economy seat with the AirSlyng Lara KramerThe key to the AirSlyng’s success is the harmony of its three-in-one system. Not only does it provide your own set of personal blackout shades and the comfort of a cozy snuggle, but it’s the elimination of thrashing that is the ultimate game changer. No head bob that snaps you awake, no awkward nap on your seatmate’s shoulder, and no startle reflex thanks to the just-snug-enough sling hold.The upright sleeping angle works for any traveler whose head reaches the seat’s headrest and ensures that you not only arrive at your destination rested, but without any bodily aches from trying to awkwardly contort yourself into a snoozing position in 42C. When you’re finally ready to swap sleep for an in-flight movie, the entire system folds back into its case and can easily be stashed under the seat in front of you.As we descended into Calgary, I awoke just in time to lift my window shade and catch the distant outline of the snow-capped Canadian Rockies. I’m sure it would have been a beautiful vista regardless, but getting my first glimpse of the mountains feeling fully rested was a treat this in-flight-insomniac-no-more could finally fully appreciate.