3 Top Picks
4 Reviewers
8 Hours of Research
18 Products Considered
One of the biggest priorities when you go camping is resting up so you can get a good night's sleep and feel energized for the next day's adventures. Besides your sleeping bag and sleeping pad, your pillow gives you the support and comfort on those summer nights. While it may not as essential of an item, there are many pillows out there that can up your backpacking game and take you next level.
But there is a lot to consider when buying the right pillow. How do you sleep? What material is comfortable on your face? Are you backpacking or car camping? Too many questions and far too many answers. With many new styles, materials, and things to balance, it can be daunting and overwhelming to look at all the pillows from various outdoors companies out there.
We've done the research for you and looked at dozens of backpacking pillows to help you find the best one. We've found our favorites (and won't let them go!) so read on to look at our reviews of the ten best backpacking pillows to find the one that's right for you.
View the Best Backpacking Pillow Reviews Below
Editor's Rating:
When it's pack up, it has a length of 5 inches, a height of 3 inches, and a depth of 3 inches. When fully inflated, it has a length of 14 inches, a height of 4 inches, and a depth of 10 inches. Its weight comes in a 4 oz. What this pillow lacks in weight it makes up for in comfort.
The interior is comprised of thermoplastic urethane (TPU) and is quick to inflate and deflate for your backpacking needs. Caring for it is also easy, as you can hand wash spots but also throw it in the washing machine after a long and dirty outdoors trip.
It's our top rated backpacking pillow and feels like the design and comfortability were highly cared for in the process of making it. Though it's not as large as other backpacking pillows, we have nothing but love for this one.
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Our number one choice is also the best value on this list. Additionally, it is very comfortable. Inflatable pillows are a great way to maximize comfort and minimize space whether you're car camping or backpacking, and this pillow comes through here to deliver you a good night's sleep out in the woods with brushed cotton padding and a full air bladder.
It packs down to 7.5 x 4 inches, like a russet potato, and expanded, blows up to 20 x 11 x 4.0 inches. It's noticeably wide if you move around a lot when you sleep. Furthermore, the wideness makes it feel a lot like an actual pillow.
There are also varying sizes that can go down to a weight of 9 ounces if you're looking for a version of this pillow for the backpacking trail. It comes with a lifetime warranty but many people recommend that you wash it before using it. As mentioned earlier, this pillow may be expensive, but is well worth the investment if you're into comfort in the mountains.
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This pillow is a hybrid that provides foamy comfort and an air chamber that inflates for dual comfort. It's probably the most comfortable—though expensive—and it's width allows you to move your head around freely in the night without worrying about falling off the damn thing.
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The Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow is one of the more popular camping pillows out there, and with good reason. This pillow comes in a range of sizes for your preference. However, the regular size comes weighs in at 2.8 oz, which is hard to beat for a backpacking ultralight pillow (the large comes in at 4 oz).
Additionally, the curved internal contours of this pillow cradle your head. Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow places synthetic fill between the fabric and thermoplastic urethane air bladder increases comfort and wicks away perspiration if the nights are hot or your blowing it up for a little nap. Moreover, this is great for side sleepers, as you can inflate, deflate, or fine-tune your inflation for firmness. It's no wonder why this is one of the best backpacking pillows on the market.
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Extremely comfortable and lightweight (again, only 2.8 oz!), the Sea to Summit Aeros may be the best pillow for ultralight backpacking. Though a little expensive, this pillow makes great outdoors products that last long and are comfortable for sleeping in the mountain.
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The Leisure Co Loftlite Compressible Foam Pillow is our favorite and best compressible backpacking pillow. Made of ultra-soft quilted microsuede for luxurious comfort, this pillow is great on the go, whether you're going backpacking, car camping, or even traveling on planes or staying at a friend's. The 6 inches of lofted foam that molds to your neck for a great nights sleep.
It's not as firm, so side sleepers be careful, but it is the closest thing to real pillow that we can bring with us outdoors or traveling. It has a weight of 10 oz, which can feel heavy after a long day. It expands to 17.5 x 14 x 6 inches when it is not in its stuff sack, but when compressed, it only takes up 10 x 5 x 5 inches, which is not bad for a compressible backpacking pillow.
It is also wide like the NEMO Fillo Pillow, which allows you sleep if you move a lot in your sleep or simply just like the space. It may take a second to expand and may need some fluffing up, but you'll feel right at home with this guy.
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The best compressible pillow is cozy with its polyester microsuede. It has great cushion and give from its polyester foam too. While we don't really recommend this to side sleepers, it's best to use this to kick back and relax with this pillow, which you can bring just about anywhere.
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Seat to Summit is back on our list again and we have to admit we really like their products. This hybrid pillow is the best for side sleepers, as the inflation and down padding loft and support your head. The horizontally cut lines prevent down feather movement and clumping. The down over the TPU air bladder make it a lighter backpacking pillows with down on the market.
Furthermore, the multi-function mini-valve provides easy inflation, deflation and fine tuning. It also comes in three sizes: regular, large, and deluxe. The regular blown up comes out to 13.4 x 9.4 x 4.7 inches, while the weight is only 2.5 ounces, making it one of the lightest pillows on this list!
However, we recommend going for the large for just a little more comfort, with dimensions of16.5 x 11 x 4.7 inches and a weight of 3.4 ounces. (Don't be afraid to step up to the next size either!) It may be a little noisy, but we really enjoyed this pillow.
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With an incredibly low weight, this is a fantastic backpacking pillow. It has great loft and support as you sleep on your side and you can tweak the firmness of it too. Very compact in its stuff sack and takes up little space in your pack as well.
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Also known as a great travel pillow, the Cocoon HyperLight Air-Core Pillow doubles as one of the better backpacking pillows. It is extremely lightweight with an inflatable air core surrounded by soft polyester fill to provide an adjustable level of comfort and support. It also has a twist valve on it which allows quick firmness adjustments.
It also has a really low weight of 2.7 oz and dimensions of 11 x 15 inches when full size. Additionally, its compacted size is 4.3 x 2.5 inches. It's very simple, and a great pillow. We'd probably give it the most simple backpacking pillow award in a humble and no-fuss way..
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Extremely simple and easy on your budget. May not be the most flashy or have all the extra goodies that some other ones have, but this backpacking pillow gets the job done and is great for plane and train rides too.
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Therm-a-Rest is pretty much a household name at this point, making great sleeping bags and pads. This hybrid pillow is a great option if you sleep on your back or side. It's ergonomically shaped, unlike other Therm-a-Rest compressible pillow options and provides great support. It's got a solid size when blown up to not take up a lot of room in your tent or sleeping bag and compacts well.
It comes in two sizes but the regular size blows up to 15.5 x 11 x 4 inches. The down feather cover layer gives it additional comfort though it adds a little weight. A major plus is that the care for this pillow is fairly easy as it is machine washable. Overall we see this crossover of Therm-a-Rest compressible and inflatable pillows as a great backpacking item.
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It's small when blown up and compact in its stuff sack, which is great for us on the trail. We love down and try to get it where we can—though it adds weight—and we prefer this over herm-a-rest compressible pillow options or inflatable ones. We recommend the regular size.
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Designed for sleeping comfort, the asymmetrical build of the Exped Air Pillow allows comfortable head support for both side and back sleepers. This is inflatable camping pillow has two valves that you can tweak to fine tune your comfort. This pillow isn't crazy by any means, but gets the job done.
The Exped Air Pillow comes in two sizes: Medium, 15 x 10.6 x 4.3 inches at 2.5 oz, while the Large size comes in at 18.1 x 11.8 x 4.7 inches and 3 oz. It's a pretty simple design, almost too simple, not really standing out against other camping pillows. It can also be noisy if you're someone who shifts a lot in their sleep. Overall, it gets the job done, but you may want to upgrade soon after a few trips with this backpacking pillow.
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Exped Air Pillow is a classic backpacking pillow. It is the most compact in size while in its stuff sack and one of the lightest in weight, but it is not tremendously comfortable and can make some noise. However, it is affordable. If you're going for a couple nights or need a backup, this pillow works great for that.
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Probably the most bare bones of all outdoors pillows is the Therm-a-Rest Trekker Pillow Case. It is exactly like it sounds: a stuff sack to put your clothes into make a pillow. The Trekker Pillow Case is made of brushed polyester to give you additional comfort beyond your clothes.
It has a weight of 2.3 oz, which is not great for what is essentially a sack. Furthermore, its dimensions are 14 x 17 inches, though the height depends on how many clothing items you put into it.
But simply, it works. We're not saying it's glamorous, but it will give you a place to put your head instead of directly on your sweaty and stinky clothes. Some people swear by this one.
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The Therm-a-Rest Trekker Pillow Case is simple and very bare bones. It's incredibly cheap and gives you a layer to sleep on.
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The Klymit Pillow X is a classic backpacking pillow that lends you a home for your head. Not known as the most comfortable and slippery at times, it has a lifetime warranty that will carry you through your backpacking career.
It has a blown up size of 15 x 11 x 4 inches and an extremely light weight of 1.95 oz. However, this pillow really supports people who sleep on their back and don't move as much. The modest size can cause it to get away from other kinds of sleepers, but if light weight is your game, this is a great pillow for you.
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The light weight is the clear victor here. While not the most friendly in terms of sleeping, this one is perfect for people who need a simple pillow while they rest on their back.
Buyer's Guide
Before you go out there and buy your backpacking pillow, consider the following things to ensure you get what's right for you.
Types of Backpacking Pillows
There are four kinds of backpacking pillows. The first kind is compressible pillows. These are filled with down, synthetic materials, foam, or anything that squishes down to a small size to fit well in your pack without taking up too much space. Additionally, they are pretty lightweight, but not as much as inflatable pillows. Their support is decent, but not as firm, but their sleep quality is closest to the one you get at home as your head sinks into it a little more.
The second kind is inflatable pillows, which use an air bubble for you to rest your head on. Sometimes called an air bladder, these pillows use that chamber for firmness. They are usually more supportive and better for side sleepers, but can still work for back sleepers. They compact well for your backpack as well and are more lightweight than their compressible cousins.
The third kind is hybrid pillows, which use both a mix of inflatable and compressible, which provide a means of multiple comforts. We really enjoy these backpacking pillows as they tend to be the best of both worlds. They weigh and compact down to something
Finally, the fourth one is stuff sack pillows. This backpacking pillow is more primitive, but easy and usually very affordable. Some companies make stuff sacks
How You Sleep
Knowing how you sleep is crucial to the pillow you buy. Are you a side sleeper? Back sleeper or sleep on your stomach? The way you rest at night and support your head is very important, as you'll be needing all the energy you can get the next day.
Side sleepers will need a bit more height and support out of their pillows so they don't wake up with any cricks in their necks while hiking. Some people believe that hybrid pillows are best, as they are a mix of both air and a compressible material.
Back sleepers will also need support, but not as much if you're sleeping on your side.
Backpacking Pillow Face Fabric
Our preference is for brushed materials, like brushed cotton or polyester or even fleece. This is an essential item as it will determine how you sleep as your face will rub up against this material.
People tend to prefer less slippery fabrics when looking for a pillow for camping. Another alternative is nylon and even silk, which tend to be more slippery and this pillow may be less comfortable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of backpacking pillows are there?
There are four kinds: compressible, inflatable, hybrid, and stuff sack pillows. All are very important to consider when backpacking in regards to space, weight, and preference. Our favorite is a hybrid of compressible and inflatable. Stuff sack pillows are a little more primitive and compressible ones tend to take up more space.
What is the best backpacking pillow?
Our pick is the Leisure Co Moonlite Inflatable Pillow. We love it because it is compact and comfortable with brushed cotton. It's also easy to clean and maintain. Supportive and firm, this backpacking pillow contours to your body as you sleep. It's one that we've turned our friends onto easily, and few have also stolen this pillow from us because it's so comfortable and compact.
We also like the NEMO Fillo Pillow, the Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow, and the Leisure Co Loftlite Compressible Foam Camping Pillow.
What kind of pillow should I use for backpacking?
This can come down to two things: how you sleep and what kind of support you like. People who sleep on their side tend to have a harder time in the mountains as they can weigh through their sleeping pads (I know this from experience), so prefer inflatable pillows with more height, loft, and firmness to spare our necks. Inflatable backpacking pillows are great for conserving space in your pack as well.
If you're looking for something more pillow-y, go for compressible pillows for that cushion and give.
Do I need a backpacking pillow?
If you're going for a night or two and don't camp very often, you can save the bucks. But depending on your frequency, you might want to invest. In the long term (and especially for you older campers), a backpacking pillow is a great option to boost comfort, as sleep is one of the more valuable resources and currencies in the mountains or woods.
What alternatives to use as a pillow when backpacking?
Some of the best creative hacks you can use as a pillow camping alternative are using a sleeping bag full of clothes or sleeping on a camelback/water sack. One of our favorite hacks is using an airline pillow that a friend gave us, tiny and somewhat compressible and feels more like a pillow from home.
What is the best backpacking pillow for side sleepers?
The Sea to Summit Aeros Down Pillow is the best for people who sleep on their side. It is a hybrid pillow that uses and air chamber along with down feathers. It has a height of 4.5 inches for great support and it's one of the best pillows camping has given us.
Conclusion
As you build out your overnight game of your sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and camping pillow, consider all the great options. Remember to figure out what you need as a sleeper to get that good night of rest.
Expert Tip
Pack your backpacking pillow near the top of your bag. This will allow you to access it easily so that you can nap on it during the day.
Did You Know?
Pillows were popularized by the Industrial Revolution. However, men at the time did not want to use them, as they were seen as a sign of weakness. No way we'd go in the woods without one now.