REVIEW: Even as a home officer, I can be an occasional road warrior. I go to hockey tournaments, host television media tours from NYC, watch Gator games at UF, and generally do my part to support the travel and lodging industries.

And, invariably, those trips involve sleep on the road.

So I often bring along that horse-yoke inflatable collar / pillow-like thing that’s supposed to keep me comfortable when I’m stuck in an airplane seat or slummin’ it at LaGuardia when bad weather’s cancelled my flight home.

What is the traveler to do? Blow up your TravelRest pillow.

Like home office furniture for the road warrior, this new-fangled, inflatable, tube-like pillow-thing resembles one of those similarly-styled inflatable, plastic noise-makers that have become common at sporting events — or the homes of families who’ve just returned from said venue with a splitting headache and kids intent on continuing the use of said noise-maker.

Actually, the “most revolutionary travel pillow ever invented” (so sez the literature supporting this $26.95 invention) resembles a three-foot comma made of soft washable material (in gray, blue or red). It stretches the concept of an inflatable travel pillow with a patented ergonomic shape and tethered design. “Attaching to any seat back, the pillow nestles against your head and neck providing unparalleled support and comfort while in flight or on the road.”

They also say you can “tether it, wear it, cuddle it.” But that’s just plain weird.

Inventor John Mittelstadt writes on the site that falling asleep upright can take 50% longer (yeah, they never met me — cuttin’ Zs before the cabin door’s closed). On an overseas flight, Mittelstadt tethered his airline pillow to his seatback using his shoelaces (I’m still trying to envision how he did this — and wondering what fellow passengers thought as JM was pulling laces from his shoes…)

Sometime later, he created “something I could lean my entire body into, and at the same time rest my head against without falling over.” A four-foot cord lets the user tie the pillow to the seatback, and a snap-secured loop at the bottom secures the base to the seatbelt. The TravelRest is great for kids on car trips, and can even be worn “freestyle” — slipped over the body like a messenger bag for those otherwise uncomfortable overnighers at LaGuardia. The novel “quik-valve” seals the pillow simply — and opens with a slight tug.

Roll it up, use the snap-loop to close it up, and stash the TravelRest in or on your carry-on. Pretty cool. I’m getting tired just writing about it…

PS – As a journalist / blogger, I really dig the people at TravelRest.net and how they’ve already optimized their site and content for bloggers.