VELPEAU Neck Brace for Neck Pain and Support -Soft Cervical Collar for Sleeping, Snoozing, Sleeping Upright, Anti-Snoring, Sleep Apnea for Women & Men (Khaki, Dual-purpose Version, S: 10.5-11.5"/2.7")

Update: After I initially wrote this review in 2018, Velpeau has now introduced more height choices. Now the old Classic version is called the 'Comfort' version, and the old Plus version is now called the 'Enhanced' version. I'm here to try buying the Enhanced version to see if it works as a collar for sleeping when sitting up on a plane or car ride. I use the comfort version every night in bed for reducing sleep apnea and it is perfect for that, but it is not quite stiff enough to use as an airplane pillow, thus I will try the Enhanced.Original review: Be careful, there are several different models of Velpeau neck collars, there are two on this page (the Plus and the Classic) and a different Velpeau model (also blue) sold on a different Amazon page. I bought the blue VP0201 Classic. If you wanted a harder brace (e.g. to prevent movement), I think you would buy the the Plus (brown). The blue VP0201 Classic has medium support, it is cushiony but somewhat firm. I have tried several types of neck collars and some were a lot softer and some much firmer and all have different uses so it is important to know what you are ordering and what you need.I love that there are different circumference sizes to choose from, and you should measure your neck to choose which one will fit. Unfortunately, there are not different heights, I wish Velpeau would offer that. Based on the reviews for this collar and other collars that I looked at, people with the same neck circumference have a great variety of neck heights. Some say the collar is way too high, others say it is too short. If you don't get the proper height collar, it is just not going to work for you at all.I wear this while sleeping to help reduce sleep apnea episodes and it also seems to help reduce acid reflux during sleep. (If I'm having reflux, I have to really tighten up the collar to push on neck.) Even though I wear a full-face CPAP mask, without a cervical neck collar, my mouth opens and I think my tongue position causes apnea episodes. I am not comfortable wearing a chin strap (or taping my mouth as some people do) and this works much better for me. If I forget to wear my collar on a specific night, my CPAP machine statistics shows I have about 4-5 times more apnea or hypopnea episodes.The shape of this collar works a lot better than most cervical collars I've tried since my chin doesn't drop behind it. This collar is very well designed anatomically, the manufacturer simply needs to make more heights available to fit more people.

I just had cervical spinal fusion surgery. I have the hard neck brace given by the hospital that I have to wear but I can’t wear it at night so I ordered this. It’s exactly right for what I needed. First, the covering is soft, but the collar itself is nice and solid, yet comfortable and supportive while sleeping. I ordered the medium and the height and length are just right for me. It has a Velcro strap so you can adjust it to tighten or loosen if you’d like. I’m very happy with this purchase.

So Amazon has a ton of these Chinese made neck braces that neither reviews nor descriptions actually describe how they are made and how they are different from each other. So I had to order 4 of these and learn myself what they are. There are 3 different types: 1) Cheap - around $10. A single piece of dense foam. Think styrofoam but a bit more spongy. These hold your neck but are uncomfortable after some time since they are not soft. 2) This type (advanced version). Has a core of the same dense foam but the top and bottom are soft foam so it does not hurt for prolonged use. I like this the best 3) soft foam sewn in several pieces (e.g. 3 tubes of soft foam). This is the most comfortable but it doesnt support as much, since it can move a lot. Hope this helps. Also after using this on an overnight flight, this is FAR superior to those neck cushions people carry and also more compact.

it gives a bit of support, but not enough for what I needed

Very good product, soft material with good support. Comes with a sleeve for protection & cleaning. Very pleased with Velpeau product.

Very practical

I thought I was being so smart by using this brace on an overnight flight to Europe to get better support than a neck pillow. Specifically I was interested because my head 'bobs' forward when I sleep and the coverage in the front for the brace is much better than a neck pillow.SO WHAT HAPPENED? It worked fine for the first 3 hours but at some point I slept in a position that put pressure on my carotid artery causing lack of blood flow to my brain. I got nauseous instantly upon waking up. I stood to race to the bathroom and passed out in the aisle of the plane. Fast forward, and they make the dreaded 'is there a doctor on the plane' announcement. After many tests to make sure it wasn't a stroke, heart attack, dehydration, or prescription drug interaction, we did a differential analysis to discover the only thing that changed was the use of the neck brace.I eventually recovered after 30 minutes and had no recurrence of any issues for the rest of the trip.I'm lucky that the lack of blood flow woke me up enough to pass out in the aisle where I was noticed, rather than in my seat with the neck brace still attached.There should be a WARNING on the pillow that the brace should not be used to sleep upright. (or at least a study to confirm if my experience is possible to happen to others.)BTW: never had this issue when sleeping in bed. (this pillow was purchased in 2021 and used for years without issue when sleeping horizontally).

A much better fit at less than the standard height. Really felt supported and stabilized while not looking overtly medical.