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Best Travel Sleep Mask?

A sleep mask is any type of covering that people normally put over their eyes as a means of both keeping out the light, and also to a lesser extent providing some type of comfortable environment internally that allows them to sleep better.

People normally associate a sleep mask with travelling, either on aeroplanes or bus or coach journeys, or when people are abroad in environments that they are not familiar with and can find their sleep pattern is disrupted.

People can also use a sleep mask at home in their normal sleeping situation, if they find difficulty in sleeping.

A sleep mask is different from other type of masks that are available which normally proclaim some type of health benefits either by way of reducing wrinkles or increasing certain vitamins or minerals in the skin around the eyes.

These should not be confused with a sleep mask.

Eye Cover

A sleep mask at its very basic needs to cover both eyes. Not only does it need to cover both eyes, it needs to do so with both a material and a softness does not in any way to irritate the eyes, and provides enough space for the eyelids and eye socket and eyeball to move around freely.

The intent of any type of  garment that covers the eyes is that it should both be comfortable and safe. Many sleep masks do cover the eyes, but people often complain that they are generally ill fitting and can feel quite tight around the head.

There is little point in covering the eyes if the government is so uncomfortable that you do not want to wear it.

Best Sleep Mask

As with many things that are bought with the purpose of travelling in mind, the ideal solution is to buy one beforehand and try it out before you go travelling. With sleep masks this is easier than a lot of other products, because they are often readily available are lots of pharmacists and chemists, as well as other general merchandise stalls.

The important thing is comfortable three when wearing it, and making sure that it is not too tight, and that the material it is made of feels both comfortable against the eyes, and is effective in terms of keeping out the light.

Collagen Eye Mask

A collagen eye mask is one of those masks referred to above that is not actually a sleep mask, but is promoted as having health benefits. Many people believe that it does, others are more sceptical.

In any event, it should not be used as a sleep mask or substitute simply because that is not its intent or purpose. It is also not a good idea to use one in a dish on to a sleep mask at the same time as wearing both could compromise the integrity of both products and possibly your health as well.

Cooling Eye Mask

A cooling eye mask is similar in some ways to a collagen eye mask in that it is more designed for health benefits rather than helping with any type of sleep deprivation.

Where it slightly differs and why it is important is that a cooling eye mask is often promoted as one of these products that can help tired and sore eyes.

Again the truth of these claims is often disputed, and many people would caution against using any type of product, be it a cooling eye mask or any type of eye drops, that are put in or near the eyes themselves.

Cute Sleep Mask

A cute sleep mask is simply a sleep mask that has been designed in such a way that could be described as cute, very simple really.

The reason is simply that manufacturers of sleep masks continually try to come up with new and innovative ways to differentiate our products from other ones, and can come up with all types of different shapes designs and differing images to make their own stick masked standout.

Some people find the idea of cute sleep mask attractive, other people find them pretty hideous, it is really just a matter of taste.

Cold Eye Mask and Heated Eye Mask

Both a cold eye mask, and a heated eye mask should be seen in the context of health benefits, rather than specific masks intended to help with any type of sleep deprivation.

Again as mentioned already, many people will see the idea of a cold cool eye mask and a heated iron mask as having certain health benefits in terms of relaxing or helping to soothe eyes that are deemed to be irritated or sore.

The veracity of these health claims is often disputed, and many people will be wary of putting anything or any product near their eyes in case of any potential problems.

Whilst all of these products are generally deemed to be fairly safe,  it should always be remembered that there are potential dangers with any type of product that is put in or near the eyes, and could potentially leak or not function properly in some other type of way, and could have consequences could adversely affect your health.

If you are going to use any type of eye product that claims to have health benefits it should be researched thoroughly, and independent medical advice sought.

Eye Shades for Sleeping

Many people refer to Eye shades as opposed to eye masks, although in reality they are pretty much the same thing.

It is possible to buy some type of eye shade products that resemble more of an eye patch that you often see people wearing when they have lost an eye or sight in an eye, and some people find these more comfortable than a eye mask that is a single product covering both eyes.

The same principle applies really when buying them, that they be comfortable, that they keep out the light, that they are made of a material that is soft and does not irritate any area of the skin around the eyes, and the product itself can be adjusted sufficiently so that it doesn’t put any pressure on the skull or head.

Travel Eye Mask

A travel eye mask is simply a sleep mask that is sold on the basis that it is used for people when travelling, rather than simply for people who use them in the normal home environment.

There is no real difference between a product, or at least there should be no real difference between a product that is sold as a travel mask or a travel ey mask and a normal sleep mask. Both are in effect interchangeable, and it may be useful to buy a normal sleep mask before travelling to make sure that it is the product you want and is effective in terms of enabling a better sleep pattern.

Men’s Sleep Mask

The idea of a men’s sleep mask as opposed to a woman’s sleep mask, or simply a sleep mask itself, is normally more of a marketing ploy than the need for any specific product that works better for men than for women or children.

People are much better off simply experiment in which a different type of mask, and seeing which fits best and works best according to their own personal preferences.

Black eye mask

A lot of people presume that because an eye mask is black it keeps out the light better than other products which are a different colour.

There can be some truth in this, but actually depends much more on how the product is made, lining the product has both  on the inside and also on the outside of the eyepatch.

Eye masks of different colours can be as effective as those that are black depending both on the material and the way it has produced.

 

Which is the Best Neck Pillow

Neck Pillow

Many people like to have some type of neck pillow or travel pillow, often when travelling on a plane or in a car, either as some type of support for because they have some type of neck or back pain that a  neck pillow can often help with.

There are many different types of available, and whilst they are all relatively cheap, it can be a bit tricky finding which one really works best on any type of long journey, or is sometimes effective at all.

Types of Neck Pillow

When deciding what type of Pillow to buy there are a number of things to consider, and ideally you would be able to try one out beforehand, but that always possible.

For some people the issue is simply one of comfort. For others, look and feel as well as practicality are important. Some neck pillows look like toilet seats that you put around your neck. Some people are not bothered by this, other people would not buy one because of this.

Some neck pillows are like a scarf that you can wrap around your neck. Others will have a type of brace that can contain some type of foam support, others will be inflatable and some will  be simply more like a normal pillow that you would find in your living room.

Other neck pillows look like you have a snake wrapped around your neck. For a lot of people how it looks does not really matter, what is more important is that it gives you a degree of comfort whilst you are sitting or lying in a particular position for long periods of time.

Neck Support Pillow

It is worth remembering that some pillows are designed specifically for neck  support. Quite often the design is worked around the premise that the person is going to be sitting in a particular position quite a long period of time, and as such they will be little movement.

This itself can present other health problems, particularly on long haul flights, and it is always advised to get up and move around doing any type of long journey as much as possible.

Anyone who has a particular head or neck or back injury, should take specific advice as to what is the best type of support that they need during any type of journey. If you are sitting or lying in one position for too long without any movement, then your body can tend to seize  up a bit.

Best Pillow for Neck Pain

Some people want a neck pillow because they have some specific health problem in their normal life that cause pain in their neck or lower back, and this can be intensified by long periods of travel. In these cases people would be well advised to seek advice from a qualified medical practitioner who can give specific advise.

Whilst this might seem quite obvious, a number of travel pillows and neck pillows do make claims about how effective they are at relieving neck pain, and it is worth getting some independent advice on this.

Inflatable Pillow

Anyone looking for any type of neck or travel pillow is likely to consider an inflatable one. An inflatable pillow has the main advantage of size and weight. When travelling with any hand luggage or if not carrying any luggage at all, then an inflatable pillow can seem like an ideal option.

Unfortunately, inflatable  pillows can often seem a bit hard, and the very nature of them being inflatable means that it can be quite difficult to get the right level of softness and support from them.

Neck Support

People assume that travel blows always provide a good level of neck support. This is not always the case. Some neck pillows make claims about how they are scientifically proven to provide better levels of neck or back support than other pillows, but these claims should often be taken with a high degree of caution.

Some neck pillows can seem very comfortable which is often the point of them, but can also encourage the body to lean in a particular position which can have potential negative effects on the upper body and the way the spine is leaning if the position is held too long.

Kids travel pillow

Encouraging kids to sleep or at least be quiet and rest on a long plane or bus trip can be a bit of a nightmare. Normally an iPad or similar is what is required, but a kids travel pillow can sometimes help.

If a kid is engrossed either in some type of computer game or tablet, then having some type of travel pillow that helps them feel comfortable and allows them to lean in a particular  position for a period of time can be really helpful.

Neck Cushion

A neck cushion is often different to a neck pillow, in that it is sometimes more like a standard cushion that you would find in someone’s sitting room. People who travel without a neck pillow sometimes use the cushion that is normally on the seat and is normally intended for your lower back. That is fine if it works for you, the problem often is that it is not always very practical.

Other things to consider

If you are a frequent traveller, then you might want to consider the issue of how you keep it clean, is it washable, or can it be kept clean with some type of disinfectant wipe. Some neck pillows  have  pillow cases that can be washed.

Other people like to put their neck pillows in a microwave to clean them, which may sound a bit odd and you should probably be careful  in case  they explode,or more likely the foam burns.

Too comfortable …..

Most people or by a neck pillow or a travel pillow in order to help them feel more comfortable when travelling on a long journey, normally on a plane sometimes on a bus or a car. Whilst there is a lot of benefits of this, being too comfortable with one can also encourage you to stay in that position for too long.

There is a lot of medical evidence that staying seated in the same position for too long a period as often happens on long plane trips can have serious medical consequences.

Even if using a neck pillow for any type of support, it is also really important that you pay attention to more general travel advice and tips , which includes basic things such as getting up and moving around and stretching as frequently as possible, drinking plenty of water etc.

Do not let the comfort of a neck pillow stop you doing other things which are actually more important for your overall health and well-being when travelling.

 

What are the Best Luggage Scales ?

Luggage scales, in particular portable luggage scales, have become for many people an almost indispensable part of their travelling and holiday planning.

The reason is a very simple one, that more and more airlines are using excess baggage as a reason or excuse for charging additional fees to their passengers or customers.

One of the reasons it is such an effective way for airlines to charge people, is that if you are at an airport and are trying to check in your baggage, if it is overweight then there is very little you can do about it.

Being at a check-in desk, and being told that you will be charged because of excess weight in your luggage leaves you with very little choice.

You cannot simply start unpacking your luggage, although there may be times when you might be able to transfer it to another traveller such as a family member, but that is fairly haphazard.

More and more, airlines are using things such as excess luggage charges, both for luggage that goes in the hold and hand luggage, as a way of making up for money they are losing by advertising cheaper flights generally.

Portable Luggage Scale

This is the main reason that portable luggage scales have become so important. Not simply when you are going travelling abroad, but more often when you are coming back. It is often the coming back where you have bought stuff overseas that  increases the weight of your luggage, and means you’re liable to incur additional costs.

The first thing to do,  is to check exactly what your luggage allowance is in terms of weight, both for main luggage and hand luggage. Obviously the less you take, the more  room you have to bring stuff back with, and the less chance there is of having to pay additional costs upfront. This can be checked via the airlines website in advance

Lightweight Luggage

Next thing is to weigh your luggage with nothing in it. This will give you an idea of how much all luggage weighs, and whether or not it is worth investing in more lightweight luggage. There is a huge market in lightweight luggage nowadays, largely for the above reason. The lighter the luggage, the more you can put in it and avoid having to pay charges.

Knowing how much your luggage weighs, and what your allowances are  in terms of airline weight allows you to know how much you can pack, and check that you do not exceed your allowance.

There are a number of different types of luggage scales available, and some of the most popular can easily be researched online. It is worth having your own set of criteria about what is important to you, especially regarding the practicalities of being able to check how much the luggage weighs.

Suitcase Scales

Some luggage scales will be hand held, others will be able to use some type of support to weigh the package. It is also important that the scales are accurate, and that they are able to be easily read, often in poor lighting.

Beyond that, the choice of luggage scales is largely a personal one, and it is worth you can experimenting with a view to see which works best for you. That is not always possible, and often reviews of luggage scales will give some indication of how easy they are or not to use, especially if an individual has mobility problems or any problems doing any type of heavy lifting.

Pink Luggage

If you do decide to change your luggage or suitcases, it is worth thinking about a set of pink luggage. Over the last few years, many manufacturers of luggage and suitcases have developed novelty and very different designs from the traditional ideas of suitcases and luggage. One of the main reasons for this is that it can be extremely helpful in helping the luggage to stand out both at baggage reclaim, and in fact much easier to keep an eye on on luggage trolleys.

Whilst pink may not be everyone’s favourite colour, it does stand out from everything else, and has quickly become a colour of choice for many people, meaning that there is actually a huge range of different types of versatile and lightweight pink luggage to choose from, well worth looking at.

Best Luggage Scale

Like when deciding to buy any type of product, there is always the question of which one is the best. To answer this clearly, you need to know what your own needs are. If you fly one long haul flight every five years, your needs are going to be different to someone who flies using budget airlines every few weeks or months. Most luggage scales are reasonably cheap, and that is an important factor.

You are buying something to primarily save yourself money, so it is pointless spending any significant amount on such a product. The important things for most people are those mentioned above, where it is light and easy-to-use, is easy to read and, most importantly perhaps, accurate and reliable.

You will find that most luggage scales are digital or electronic nowadays, and so the clarity normally depends upon the size of the digital read out monitor.

Some people find reviews of products helpful, other people tend to think they are mostly written either by people who have had real problems with the product or by people who are either paid or courage to promote it for some reason.

Electronic Luggage Scale

With any electronic luggage scale, reviews can only give a fairly limited impression of how good they are not.

If you do look at reviews and comments on-line, you should soon pick up whether or not any particular set of luggage scales has problems in terms of reliability or readability. If enough people are flagging something up as problem, then it is likely that this product is probably worth avoiding.

Other than that it really is a matter of personal choice.

Travel Scale

It is also worth bearing in mind the type of luggage or suitcases and backpacks that you prefer to use.

Some types of travel scales are more focused on a traditional type of suitcase, others work better for backpacks, and some work best for what I normally referred to as sausage type bags.

It is also important to consider whether or not you have other types of equipment in addition to a suitcase or package that you need to take with you flying, and how easy it is not to weigh these items.

Some best selling luggage Scales include