The Trtl is making travel less painful.
Arriving at your holiday destination with a sore neck could be a thing of the past, thanks to a pair of young entrepreneurs.
Scottish inventors Michael Corrigan and David Kellock have come up with a new pillow they reckon will help cramped travellers get some much-needed rest. They’ve created the Trtl pronounced turtle which is an innovative pillow that looks like a scarf.
The new invention went on sale in December and is already available at Heathrow and Eurostar station St Pancras.
And it was long childhood journeys across the Atlantic and through the USA that inspired 26-year-old Michael, from East Kilbride.
“We’d travel to different parts of America,” he explained.
“It was often a long trip and my abiding memory is of how much of a pain it was.
“My dad produced one of those travel pillows and asked if I wanted to have a go but it was pretty uncomfortable.”
It wasn’t until nearly two decades later Michael would have a chance to improve upon the traditional travel pillow design.
“David and I met while studying mechanical engineering at university,” said Michael.
“We had an idea to start a business and attended a ‘bootcamp’ to help us get started. That’s when the idea for Trtl arrived.”
Trtl stands for Travel Refreshed, Travel Light, and uses a plastic frame inserted in a scarf to support a traveller’s head.
“If you see a sleeping commuter, they’re often supporting themselves with their hand,” added Michael.
“It’s like that, but the Trtl supports the head comfortably with a flexible and not rigid plastic frame. We think it’s more supportive than an inflatable pillow, and fits in your luggage a bit better than a foam pillow.
“It’s quite handy as it helps you get a bit of rest before you arrive at your destination. We think it solves a real problem.
“It also removes the embarrassment factor of a travel pillow. I don’t think they’re bad products, but the Trtl looks quite stylish.”
The Trtl costs £25.
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