My cheap travel pillow popped on a flight to Chicago, and I'm rethinking the whole 'buy the cheapest gear' idea.

It was a $7 inflatable pillow from a discount store, and it just gave out with a sad hiss somewhere over Ohio. I had to stuff my jacket under my head for the rest of the trip. Is it better to buy the absolute cheapest thing and replace it, or spend a bit more on something that might last a few trips? What's your rule for budget travel gear?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim3731mo ago

Honestly, that cheap gear often costs more when it fails you (like right over Ohio).

taylor_hayes251mo ago

That "sad hiss over Ohio" is the worst feeling. I've been there with a busted backpack strap in an airport. My rule is to buy the cheapest version first if I'm not sure I'll even use the gear much. But if it's something I know I'll need on every trip, like a pillow or a bag, I save up for a mid-range one. Replacing the same broken cheap thing over and over just wastes money and ruins your trip.

sam1729d ago

Four hundred dollars for a pillow? Nah, I'll just wad up my hoodie and hope for the best. But your point about the cheap strap snapping at altitude hits home. I once had a suitcase wheel explode in Denver, and I swear it did it on purpose just to make me drag it through three terminals.