I bought three Kmart kids travel pillows before a 14-hour flight to Tokyo. Two went in the bin at Narita Airport. One actually worked.
Here’s the problem: Kmart’s kids travel pillow range looks identical online. In person, they’re completely different products. Same $9 price tag. Wildly different results.
If you’re about to click “add to cart” on whatever Anko pillow pops up first — stop. The wrong one will have your kid waking up with a stiff neck and you stuck holding them for the remaining 11 hours.
This is what I learned after testing them on planes, trains, and one very long bus ride through regional Victoria.
The $9 Kmart Pillow That Actually Works
The Anko Kids Neck Pillow with Microbeads is the one you want. It’s not perfect. But for $9, it does the job on flights under 5 hours.
Unlike the memory foam version (more on that disaster below), this one uses microbead filling. The beads shift and mold around a kid’s neck without pushing their head forward. That’s the key problem with most kids travel pillows — they’re too thick at the back, forcing the chin to chest. Awful sleeping position.
My 6-year-old used this on a Sydney to Gold Coast flight. She slept for 90 minutes. Didn’t wake up once. The pillow has a snap closure at the front that keeps it in place when she slumps sideways. The cover is polyester — not exactly breathable, but machine washable. You’ll need that after snack crumbs get ground into it.
Specs that matter:
- Filling: Polystyrene microbeads (same stuff as bean bags)
- Cover: Polyester, zips off for washing
- Closure: Plastic snap button, not velcro (velcro catches hair — smart choice here)
- Weight: 180g — light enough a 4-year-old can carry it
- Dimensions: 26cm x 24cm x 8cm — fits kids roughly 3-8 years
Bottom line: For short-haul flights and car trips, this is the best $9 you’ll spend on kid travel gear. It’s not a Cabeau competitor. It doesn’t need to be.
When It Fails
On flights longer than 5 hours, the microbeads compress. By hour 6, my daughter was basically sleeping on a flat piece of fabric. The pillow needs time to re-fluff — about 30 minutes out of the bag. If your kid uses it for a full night’s sleep, it’ll be pancake-flat by morning.
Also: the snap closure is plastic. My 3-year-old nephew ripped his open in about 4 seconds. If your kid is a fidgeter, this won’t stay closed.
The Memory Foam Version: Skip It
Kmart sells an Anko Memory Foam Kids Travel Pillow for the same $9 price. It looks better in the packaging. It’s not.
The memory foam is too dense for a child’s weight. My 6-year-old’s head barely compressed the foam, which means the pillow held its shape instead of conforming to her neck. The result: her head was pushed forward at an angle that looked genuinely uncomfortable. She tossed it on the floor after 20 minutes.
Memory foam also off-gasses. The chemical smell out of the package was strong enough that I washed the cover twice and left the foam insert outside for three days. Still faintly there. On a plane, in recycled air, that smell is amplified.
The cover on this model doesn’t remove fully — it’s stitched at one end. Harder to clean. Harder to air out. Just a worse product at the same price.
Verdict: Don’t buy this one. The microbead version is the clear winner in Kmart’s lineup.
When to Spend More (And When Not To)
Kmart’s pillows work for specific situations. Short flights. Car naps. Occasional use. But there are times when a $9 pillow is false economy.
Spend more if:
- You’re flying long-haul (8+ hours). Kids need proper neck support for extended sleep. The Trunki Travel Pillow ($25) has a wrap-around design that supports side-sleeping. The Cabeau Evolution Kids ($35) has adjustable drawstrings to customize fit. Both outperform anything Kmart makes by a wide margin.
- Your kid has sensory issues. Microbead texture bothers some children. The rustling sound of polystyrene beads can be distracting. A smooth foam pillow like the Bcozzy Kids Travel Pillow ($40) eliminates both problems.
- You travel frequently. Kmart pillows last maybe 10-15 trips before the beads start escaping or the snap breaks. A higher-quality pillow pays for itself after a year of regular use.
Stick with Kmart if:
- You’re taking one or two trips this year
- Flights are under 5 hours
- Your kid is 3-6 years old (the sizing works best for this range)
- You need something you won’t stress about losing at the airport
I left our Kmart pillow in a seatback pocket on a Jetstar flight. Didn’t care. That’s the real value proposition — it’s disposable travel gear that works well enough.
What Actually Matters in a Kids Travel Pillow
Most parents buy based on price or whatever character is printed on the cover. That’s backwards. Here’s what determines whether your kid actually sleeps:
| Feature | Why It Matters | Kmart Microbead | Trunki | Cabeau Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neck drop distance | Space between shoulder and ear — too much = tilted head | 5cm (adequate for ages 4-7) | 4cm (adjustable with velcro) | 3-6cm (drawstring adjustable) |
| Front closure | Keeps pillow in place when kid slumps forward | Snap button (can pop open) | Velcro wrap (secure but catches hair) | Toggle drawstring (best design) |
| Washability | Planes are filthy. Cover must come off. | Full zip-off cover | Machine washable whole | Zip-off cover |
| Packability | Does it clip to a backpack or compress? | No clip, no compression | Clips to Trunki suitcase | Compresses to half size in bag |
| Weight | Kid has to carry it through the airport | 180g | 210g | 250g |
The Kmart pillow wins on weight and washability. Loses on everything else. But at $9 versus $25-$40, that’s a reasonable tradeoff for occasional travelers.
One thing nobody talks about: neck drop distance is the single biggest predictor of whether a travel pillow works. Kids have shorter necks than adults. If the pillow is too tall, it pushes their head sideways. If it’s too short, no support. Measure the distance from your kid’s shoulder to just below their ear. Anything over 6cm of pillow height will tilt their head. The Kmart microbead pillow sits at about 5cm — right in the sweet spot for younger kids.
The Mistake Parents Make With Any Travel Pillow
Buying the pillow is step one. Using it correctly is step two. Most parents get step two wrong.
The most common mistake: putting the pillow opening at the front. That’s where the bulk of the pillow sits, and it pushes the chin down. The opening should go at the back of the neck. The thicker part supports the side of the head when the kid leans sideways. This is true for every U-shaped travel pillow, not just Kmart’s.
Second mistake: expecting a pillow to fix a bad seat position. If the airplane seat is too deep for a child’s legs, their lower back slumps, their shoulders roll forward, and no pillow in the world will make their neck comfortable. Bring a small roll-up blanket or jacket to put behind their lower back. That does more for sleep quality than any pillow upgrade.
Third mistake: not testing at home first. Let your kid use the pillow during a movie on the couch. If they fidget with it constantly or toss it aside, it won’t magically work at 35,000 feet. Return it and try a different style.
Are Kmart Kids Travel Pillows Actually Safe?
Short answer: for kids over 3, yes. Under 3, no travel pillow is recommended for unsupervised sleep — the risk of suffocation or positional asphyxiation is real with anything that wraps around a toddler’s neck.
The Kmart pillows don’t carry any specific safety certifications beyond standard Australian consumer goods requirements. They’re not tested to any sleep safety standard because travel pillows aren’t classified as sleep products. That’s true of every brand in this category, not just Kmart.
The microbead filling is the same polystyrene used in bean bags. If the cover rips, you’ll have tiny white beads everywhere. They’re not toxic, but they are a choking hazard for kids under 3. The snap closure on the microbead version is small enough to be a choking risk if it breaks off — inspect it before each trip.
For the memory foam version: the off-gassing smell is unpleasant but not dangerous at the levels present. If your kid has asthma or chemical sensitivities, skip it. The microbead version has no chemical smell.
One thing Kmart does right: both pillows have a warning label stating they’re not suitable for children under 3 years. It’s small print on the packaging most people throw away, but it’s there.
If you’re traveling with a baby or toddler under 3, skip travel pillows entirely. A rolled-up muslin cloth tucked beside their head in the carrier or car seat does the same job with zero risk.
Travel gear for kids always involves tradeoffs between convenience, cost, and safety. The Kmart microbead pillow sits at an acceptable point on that triangle for short trips with preschoolers. For anything longer or younger, spend the extra money or use what you already have.
