One of the most frustrating parts of loving the beach is the inability to have a soft, comfortable place to lay my head on a lounger or on a towel in the sand. Rolling up a towel never seems to work as it almost always comes unrolled and is too hard and uncomfortable. I’ve tried different travel pillows but they really aren’t designed for the beach. While some may work okay for a while, the covers get dirty, are full of sand, and often times cannot be cleaned.
When I met the folks from Ziiz Beach products (pronounced Z’s, like sleeping – get it?) at a travel show and they showed me their inflatable beach pillow, I knew they were on to something. It looked simple enough and made so much sense, an inflatable pillow that you can travel with easily and clean after using. Genius!
I was asked to give their pillow a try and our trip to Curacao was the perfect opportunity to put the pillow through its paces and see if it was truly the answer to my beach-loving prayers.
Presented in a simple black box, I found a well-made, zippered, terry cloth “pillowcase” in a beautiful shade of turquoise with the inflatable pillow and convenient carry pouch.
A big plus is that the pillowcase is easy to clean and since it’s terry cloth if it gets too wet, I could just remove the pillow chamber and wring out the water. Super easy, super beach friendly! Not to mention if it gets sandy from all the fun in the sun, I could shake it out and not worry about getting sand inside the carry bag.
On the back of the “pillowcase” is a wide, sturdy elastic band that can be used to wrap around a lounge chair to keep the pillow in place once it’s inflated. The strap is easily adjustable so it will fit just about any width of lounger or chair you want to choose.
I used it on both the lounger where we were staying in Curacao as well as a chair at the airport (we had a long layover home) and it fit perfectly, without slipping.
Inflating the pillow is super easy. In 3 breaths, I had the pillow fully inflated and ready to go. One thing I like is that I can control the firmness of the pillow by decreasing the amount of air I blow into it. The pillow is made from a thick, sturdy product which I believe will hold up well use after use, especially in the hot sun.
While the directions say to inflate the pillow before inserting it into the case, I recommend putting it in the case and then inflating. It was much easier for me to manage that way.
Once I was done in the sun, I simply deflated the pillow, rolled it up, and placed it in the travel bag. The pillow packs easily and does not take up much space at all, about the same as 2 pairs of socks
Overall, I think the ZiiZ beach pillow is an ingenious answer to a problem that I’m sure many beach or pool lovers have had and does it beautifully. It’s easy to pack, easy to set up, and can be used in a multitude of applications besides the beach.
This post was written in collaboration with ZiiZ beach products. While we may have been compensated, all opinions are our own.
