camping pillows
Are they worth the weight?
Depends how comfortable you like to be and how tough your hike or portages will be. If I'm going on a relaxing trip with only a few short portages, I definitely prefer a camping pillow to a balled-up wad of whatever clothes I'm not wearing. And I'm not gonna lie, the older I get, the more I appreciate the small comforts.
A good night's sleep makes a huge difference on the trail, so if you have room in your pack and your trail isn't going to be killer tough, I say go for it.
camping pillow Reviews
Therm-a-Rest Compressible Cinch Pillow
This pillow has a soft, 60% recycled polyester cover, added top layer of insulation and is filled with upcycled foam to be Earth-friendly. Unroll it out from its integrated stuff sack, then pull the cinch cord to adjust the firmness.
It comes in three sizes: Small 15 x 11 inches (38 x 46 cm), Regular 18 x 13 inches (46 x 33 cm), and Large 22 x 15 inches (56 x 38 cm).
Thickness ranges from 5 - 7 inches (13 - 18 cm) and the pillow weighs in at 7, 10 and 15 ounces (198, 283 and 425 grams) respectively. I'm not gonna lie, these pillows are a touch bulky for backcountry trekking.
Our snoring back sleepers highly recommend the soft comfort and consistent lack of lumpiness. Our side sleepers complained a little about sore necks in the morning, but were otherwise satisfied with the quality.
Washing the Therm-A-Rest compressible pillow before use (as per instructions) gets a fluffier pillow feel. Store the pillow uncinched so the foam can expand fully. This helps it bounce back easier on the camping trip. Or, if you're like most of us, uncinch it and chuck it in the washing machine when organizing gear on the living room floor a day or two before your back country adventure. Stuff it back into the sack when you're packing to go.
This pillow has a super-soft polyester exterior, with curved baffles that cradle your head.
It uses a multi-function valve for quick inflation and deflation so it's easy to adjust to your preferred comfort level. A few breaths - or use the pump sack (or pump) you've already got for the sleeping mat - and you're good to go.
The pillow comes in two sizes: Regular 13.4 x 9.4 inches (34 x 24 cm), and Large 16.5 x 11.8 inches (42 x 30 cm). Note that the Deluxe model isn't contoured to cradle your head.
Thickness ranges from 4.3 - 5.1 inches (11 - 13 cm). The pillow packs down in its stuff sack to 2.8 and 4 ounces (79 and 114 grams ) respectively. Tidy!
I recommend this premium pillow over the Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Inflatable Camping Pillow because the premium pillow has a smooth neck surface. The ultralight inflatable pillow has a slight skirt-join in the neck surface that feels a little scratchy.
It's nice and durable, with a well-constructed design that withstands regular use, although the material can be noisy when moving around at night. One solution is to buy a Sea to Summit sleeping mat so you can secure the pillow using the Pillow Lock system.
Pillow is hand-wash only with warm water; air dry.
There are occasional reports that the pillow may need to be re-inflated during the night, as it gradually loses air over time, but we haven't encountered that yet.
NEMO Fillo Luxury Pillow
Combining memory foam with an inflatable bladder, this pillow is almost as comfortable as the one you left at home. 3-inch I-beam baffled air cells create the natural pillow shape and the microsuede or jersey fabric cover is machine washable.
Measuring 20 x 11 x 4 inches (51 x 29 x 10 cm), this pillow is designed for large shoulders. The shock-cord lacing on the underside holds folded up clothing for extra height. Let me tell you, as a big guy with wide shoulders, this is a bonus!
This bad boy packs down to 7.5 x 4.0 inches in diameter (19 x 10 cm diameter) in an integrated stuff sack and weighs in at 12 oz (340 g). If you're ultralight backpacking, this is not the pillow to take.
The air valve is tucked on the side of the pillow, in a corner. Without a pump or air sack, inflating and deflating the pillow can take a while.
GOT FEEDBACK?
If you've used one of the camp pillows I reviewed and you have something to add, I'd love to hear it.
Same, if you have a camp pillow you love (or hate) that's not reviewed here, tell me about it and I'll check it out.
