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Let’s talk about camping and backpacking pillows! There are a lot of options on the market and it can be overwhelming to find a good one. So instead of focusing on every camp pillow ever made, I looked through the search results on Amazon, gathered some of the top-rated pillows on Amazon, and put them to the test.

If you’re looking for a comfortable and affordable pillow for backpacking or camping, this post will hopefully help you make a good decision.

I’m going to give you the specs and my review of each pillow.

At the end of the post, I summarize which one I liked best for car camping, and which one I liked best for backpacking (when weight and size are more of a factor).

Let’s start with the things I considered during my review process.

Pillow Considerations (before you buy):

How do you sleep?

What type of sleeper are you? Do you sleep on your side, back, or stomach?

Side sleepers might like a pillow with a little more height to support their head, while back and stomach sleepers might want a pillow with less height.

Pillow Weight

Pillow weight is a huge factor when it comes to backpacking. When backpacking, you have to carry all of your gear and food. A heavy, bulky pillow just won’t make the cut.

A lot of people choose to skip a backpacking pillow to keep their pack lighter and smaller. If you want some extra comfort out on the trails, bring the pillow! No judgment here.

If you’re going to carry a pillow into the backcountry, make sure it’s one that you really like!

Pillow Size When Packed

Size is another important consideration for backpacking pillows.

Since space is limited in your backpack, and often filled up with essential survival gear and clothing, you want your backpacking pillow to be small and packable when not in use.

If you’re just out car camping, size might not matter too much if you can just pack all your gear in the car and drive up to a campsite.

Sliding

When you put the pillow on your sleeping bag or sleeping pad, does it slip right off? There have been so many times that I packed a pillow camping, only for it to slide right off my sleeping bag all night long!

That being said, one way to prevent this is to put the pillow inside the hood of your sleeping bag to better hold it in place.

Insulation

For the inflatable pillows, the air temperature inside the pillow will transfer to your body. A lot of pillows have a fleece, foam, or down layer to provide insulation and keep you warmer. I think these layers add some comfort too!

Surface Material

Is the surface material comfortable on the face? Is the pillow noisy as you move around at night, or is it quiet?

Camping & Backpacking Pillows on Amazon

I set out to find the best backpacking and camping pillows you can buy on Amazon! See what I thought by watching the video below or reading below.

For reference as you watch/read: 1 pound is 16 ounces.

1) Trekology Ultralight Inflatable Pillow 2.0

Price: $15
Amazon Reviews: average 4.5 stars
Weight: 3.4 oz (100g)
Pillow Thickness (when inflated): 4 inches

Pros: lightweight and small when packed, has rubber anti-slipping dots to increase friction between your pillow and the sleeping mat, latch strap can further prevent the pillow from moving around while you sleep, 1-way value, good price

Cons: no insulation

Field Tested Review: I’m really surprised by the quality and comfort of this pillow, especially for the price! The 1-way valve and anti-slipping rubber dots are a really nice touch, and they’re features that none of the other pillows on this list have. I think this pillow is overall comfortable. For back sleepers and side sleepers, this pillow might work really well if you need something that’s lightweight and small.

2) KlymIt Pillow X

Price: $30
Amazon Reviews: average 4-stars
Weight: 3.2 oz (90.7g)
Pillow Thickness (when inflated): 4.25 inches (10.8 cm)

Pros: small and lightweight

Cons: no insulation and the shape can take time to get used to, not suited for all types of sleepers

Field Tested Review: The X design helps to keep your head in the center of the pillow and it fits inside a mummy sleeping bag hood so it doesn’t slide around. I think this pillow is best for back sleepers. This was not my favorite pillow. The X design keeps your head in the center, but if you move around as you sleep and/or sleep on your side or stomach, the X design might be uncomfortable.

3) Nemo Fillow Inflatable Travel Pillow with Cover

Price: $40
Amazon Reviews: average 4.5 stars
Weight: 9 oz (255 g)
Pillow Thickness (when inflated): 4 inches

Pros: soft and comfortable insulating foam layer on top to keep you warm, you can take the cover off and wash it

Cons: bulky, relatively heavy, and the underside is very slippery

Field Tested Review: This pillow is super comfortable for me. I love the soft foam layer on top. The underside is slippery on a sleeping pad, but if you put it in your sleeping bag hood, you can eliminate sipping. For backpacking, this pillow is a little bulky and relatively heavy.

4) Teton Sports Camp Pillow

Price: $15
Amazon Reviews: average 4.5 stars
Weight: 12 oz (400 g)
Pillow Thickness: 4 inches

Pros: machine washable cover, poly fiber fill lofts on it own so no inflating necessary, makes no noise

Cons: heavy for backpacking, feels cheap

Field Tested Review: This was my least favorite pillow that I tested. While it’s a good price, the poly fiber fill just feel cheap and over time, I think this pillow would be flat. In addition, I think this pillow is too bulky and heavy for backpacking.

5) Therm-a-rest Compressible Travel Pillow

Price: $24 – $34 depending on the size you buy
Amazon Reviews: average 4 stars
Weight: 7 oz (small), 9 oz (medium)
Pillow Thickness: 4 inches

Pros: comfortable, warm, soft, inexpensive

Cons: bulky and relatively heavy for backpacking, might not have enough height for side sleepers

Field Tested Review: I love this pillow. It has over 2,000 reviews on Amazon with an average of 4 stars – that’s pretty good! This pillow is so soft, warm, and comfortable – 3 very important things for me. It comes in all sorts of fun patterns and colors. I think this pillow is great for car camping, but for backpacking, unfortunately, it’s just too bulky for me to pack. I don’t mind carrying a little extra weight for some comfort, but this simply takes up too much room in my pack for backpacking.

Overall Best Pillow for Backpacking and Camping

For car camping:

If weight and size are not a concern like when I’m car camping, the Therm-A-Rest compressible travel pillow is definitely my favorite!

For Backpacking:

For backpacking, when I want things to be lightweight and compact, the Trekology Ultralight Inflatable Pillow would be my top pick on this list. I think the Trekology pillow is an all-around good pillow for most types of sleepers, but if you want even more comfort and don’t mind carrying a little extra weight – give the Nemo Fillow Pillow a try!

I hope this camp pillow review was helpful! If you have any questions about these pillows, ask me in the comments below!

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