When testing travel gear, my criteria are incredibly strict. It must be exceptionally effective, highly durable, and take up absolute minimal space in my backpack.
Here are the accessories I refuse to board an international flight without.
1. ANC Over-Ear Headphones
Do not rely on the airline’s complimentary plastic earbuds. Active Noise Canceling (ANC) over-ear headphones completely shut down the low-frequency drone of the Boeing or Airbus engines. This severely reduces cognitive fatigue. Over-ear models are vastly superior to in-ear buds for a 12-hour flight because they do not physically rub or pressure the ear canal, allowing you to comfortably sleep with them entirely encompassing your ear.
2. Inflatable Ergonomic Seat Cushion
The single biggest game changer for economy class flyers over the age of 30. A hard seat physically pinches the sciatic nerve. I reviewed dozens of foam options, but memory foam is far too bulky to shove into a small laptop bag.
The undisputed winner is an inflatable travel seat cushion with an ergonomic rear tailbone cutout. You inflate it with two breaths of air right before you sit down. The air bladder suspends your pelvic bone off the rigid seat frame. When it’s time to land, you simply pull the valve, smash it completely flat, and slide it right next to your laptop. It weighs less than a t-shirt and prevents 100% of flight-induced tailbone bruising.
3. High-Fidelity Earplugs
If I don’t want to sleep with bulky headphones on, I switch to high-fidelity silicone earplugs. They dampen the roar of the engines by roughly 30 decibels but still allow you to hear the flight attendant asking if you would like the chicken or the pasta.
4. The Foot Hammock
An incredibly simple analog device. It hooks around the arms of the tray table in front of you and allows you to suspend your feet in mid-air. Elevating your feet takes immediate strain off your lower back and significantly reduces ankle swelling by encouraging blood flow out of your calves.
By carrying just these four items, you can effectively bio-hack a $500 economy ticket into mimicking the physiological comfort of a $4000 business class seat.