So less than a month after you wrote about this, I was asked by my elderly in-laws to buy them a new traversin the next time I did the shopping. They're in their 80s and they've never slept on anything else - neither did my husband until he was over 30 and moved to the big city (Lyon) where he switched to (square) pillows. I took a photo of it laying across the back seat in the car and my husband didn't understand why I was laughing. :-)
I may be the odd one here, but I love traversins so much that when I found out about them (some 30 years ago ) I bought one for my home in Italy and have been using it ever since. To be fair, mine isn’t hard at all, but rather soft as a normal pillow, and I use it to prop my sleeping pillow against it to read in bed - it fills up nicely the gap between the pillow and the stuffed headboard, a bit like a lumbar cushion on a sofa. I also happen to love the look of the pillows against it, they make the bed look cosier. And, last but not least, it can be useful when you have a cold and a cough, helping you sleep in a slightly upright position (but it has to be soft as mine is, otherwise I agree it’s a neck nightmare)
Hi David, that traversin looks ghastly! I also travel with my own pillow to avoid aggravating my neck issues and I recently purchased blow up pillows from a camping website that have been a game changer...I no longer have to carry a special bag just for my pillow but can roll or fold the blow up version and cram it into a small space in my luggage...happy (hotel) camper...:)
Hi David, the photo of the square pillow you showed us is the same as the ones I use as a decorator pillow on our bed, known here as European pillows. The traversin must have been someone’s idea of a joke, or maybe they did use that as an additional piece of decor on the bed. It is a real ritual in the evening in our home, taking two cushions, two decorator pillows and the two European pillows off the bed, leaving the two comfortable, bed hugging pillows for us to sleep on, which always come with us when we travel within Australia. I hope with everyone’s input you finally get a good nights sleep. 😴💤
Our furnished apartment in Paris came with square pillows. We're not crazy about them and it's on our to-do list to buy rectangular pillows -- that are also considerably firmer. If anyone has good recs, I'd love to hear them.
I hear you! Here in my part of the world, that "traversin" pillow would be called a bolster. I highly recommend a small travel pillow. I have neck issues and have found that, while travelling, most pillows are far too firm or far to thick for my neck. Sometimes I resort to rolling up a bath towel and use that for a pillow. The pillow I have has travelled throughout Europe, Mexico and the US and Canada. It's washable. It has a reservoir for water but I've never bothered with that. The idea of hearing water sloshing about and growing bacteria just doesn't appeal. One problem with that little pillow is, there are no pillow cases made for that size pillow that I have ever found. I put it into a regular pillow case and have at least 1/2 the pillow case flopping around. I fold it under the pillow and go to sleep.
I use a travel pillow also. Though I haven’t found a pillow case for it, I did find a zippered pillow cover at Walmart in the pillow section. It fits perfectly. It might do so for your pillow also.
The square ones are the European pillows but I use them on top of our "normal" American feather pillows. This post is hilarious - who knew you could make a whole article about the bolster pillow of France?
One thing I remember from Germany and Austria from 25 years ago if the prevalence of feather duvets and pillows and seriously comfortable beds. Disappointed that now regular ol' poly and cotton seem to have taken over (but not in my house - feathers all the way). Ah, to travel around the globe in search of the most well-made beds... Future research?
in singapore, this is a normal sight in most households! we call it the bolster and use it to hug to sleep, or give our legs a slight elevation while resting
They sell them at Ikea now too, which is something another commenter pointed out, may have led to their "success" (or at least acceptance) in France. I got ours there, too!
Well, they are fine for supporting your lower back when you are sitting up and reading in bed.
So less than a month after you wrote about this, I was asked by my elderly in-laws to buy them a new traversin the next time I did the shopping. They're in their 80s and they've never slept on anything else - neither did my husband until he was over 30 and moved to the big city (Lyon) where he switched to (square) pillows. I took a photo of it laying across the back seat in the car and my husband didn't understand why I was laughing. :-)
The traversin seems like a prison pillow
...or a weapon!
You put on your stomach so you can prop a book on top and a place for your elbows to rest…
Where do you put your head, when it's the only pillow?
GeeWiz… The “ only” takes me by surprise …
I may be the odd one here, but I love traversins so much that when I found out about them (some 30 years ago ) I bought one for my home in Italy and have been using it ever since. To be fair, mine isn’t hard at all, but rather soft as a normal pillow, and I use it to prop my sleeping pillow against it to read in bed - it fills up nicely the gap between the pillow and the stuffed headboard, a bit like a lumbar cushion on a sofa. I also happen to love the look of the pillows against it, they make the bed look cosier. And, last but not least, it can be useful when you have a cold and a cough, helping you sleep in a slightly upright position (but it has to be soft as mine is, otherwise I agree it’s a neck nightmare)
Hi David, that traversin looks ghastly! I also travel with my own pillow to avoid aggravating my neck issues and I recently purchased blow up pillows from a camping website that have been a game changer...I no longer have to carry a special bag just for my pillow but can roll or fold the blow up version and cram it into a small space in my luggage...happy (hotel) camper...:)
Thank goodness I've never been confronted with a traversin during my travels in France, but the pillows are invariably square -- truly a conundrum!
Love your comments on pillows!
Witty and charming as always! Picture a heart here because I have no emojis on my computer. (grin)
Hi David, the photo of the square pillow you showed us is the same as the ones I use as a decorator pillow on our bed, known here as European pillows. The traversin must have been someone’s idea of a joke, or maybe they did use that as an additional piece of decor on the bed. It is a real ritual in the evening in our home, taking two cushions, two decorator pillows and the two European pillows off the bed, leaving the two comfortable, bed hugging pillows for us to sleep on, which always come with us when we travel within Australia. I hope with everyone’s input you finally get a good nights sleep. 😴💤
Our furnished apartment in Paris came with square pillows. We're not crazy about them and it's on our to-do list to buy rectangular pillows -- that are also considerably firmer. If anyone has good recs, I'd love to hear them.
I got mine at Ikea (the rectangular ones) https://www.ikea.com/fr/fr/p/groenamarant-oreiller-haut-80503667/ which are pretty good. I also got the pure linen covers which are very nice too.
I hear you! Here in my part of the world, that "traversin" pillow would be called a bolster. I highly recommend a small travel pillow. I have neck issues and have found that, while travelling, most pillows are far too firm or far to thick for my neck. Sometimes I resort to rolling up a bath towel and use that for a pillow. The pillow I have has travelled throughout Europe, Mexico and the US and Canada. It's washable. It has a reservoir for water but I've never bothered with that. The idea of hearing water sloshing about and growing bacteria just doesn't appeal. One problem with that little pillow is, there are no pillow cases made for that size pillow that I have ever found. I put it into a regular pillow case and have at least 1/2 the pillow case flopping around. I fold it under the pillow and go to sleep.
I use a travel pillow also. Though I haven’t found a pillow case for it, I did find a zippered pillow cover at Walmart in the pillow section. It fits perfectly. It might do so for your pillow also.
Thank you, Janet! I will go have a look.
Allerease Travel Pillow Zippered Pillow Protector. Amazon has them also. Happy travels!
The square ones are the European pillows but I use them on top of our "normal" American feather pillows. This post is hilarious - who knew you could make a whole article about the bolster pillow of France?
One thing I remember from Germany and Austria from 25 years ago if the prevalence of feather duvets and pillows and seriously comfortable beds. Disappointed that now regular ol' poly and cotton seem to have taken over (but not in my house - feathers all the way). Ah, to travel around the globe in search of the most well-made beds... Future research?
in singapore, this is a normal sight in most households! we call it the bolster and use it to hug to sleep, or give our legs a slight elevation while resting
That's what I'd use it for, too. But when it's the only pillow - guess it's for under your head!
I’ve seen rectangular pillows for sale in my local Monoprix. Cheap, probably not great, but preferable to the alternatives.
They sell them at Ikea now too, which is something another commenter pointed out, may have led to their "success" (or at least acceptance) in France. I got ours there, too!
Wow I learned something new about the French way of life David! Loved reading this, I can appreciate American pillows a bit more now :)