Top 4 compared
The best camping pillows
A proper pillow for the tent or the van, instead of a rolled-up fleece after a long day.
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The top 4 at a glance
A camping pillow is a small pillow that packs down to carry. There are three kinds. Air pillows are the lightest and pack smallest, and the valve sets how firm they are. Compressible foam is heavier but feels most like the pillow at home. A fibre-filled packaway pillow needs no blowing up and squashes into its own bag.
Every pillow here can be cleaned, though not the same way: the foam and fibre ones go in the washing machine whole, HIKENTURE’s cover comes off for the machine, and the Eono wipes clean with soapy water. A little less air makes an air pillow softer, and the smaller ones double as a cushion on trains and planes.
What matters
- How small it packs, and what it weighs.
- Size in use: bigger is comfier, smaller packs better.
- A soft face rather than bare plastic against the skin.
- A strap to hold it on the sleeping mat.
#1Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow Cinch (Regular)
£20–£30
A foam pillow that feels closer to the one at home than any air pillow, with a cinch cord to squeeze it smaller for packing or firmer for sleeping. It’s stuffed with offcuts of foam left over from making Therm-a-Rest’s sleeping mats.
What owners say: Owners say it feels like a proper pillow rather than a camping one and like how far it squashes down for a trip, though firmness divides them, with some finding it lumpy, and a few think it dear.
A closer look: Pull the cord tight to shrink it into a corner of a rucksack, then loosen it at camp and let the foam spring back before bed. The whole pillow goes in the washing machine after a summer of campsites and festivals, and it suits anyone who finds air pillows too bouncy or too squeaky.
- Filled with mat foam offcuts
- 60% recycled polyester cover
- Top layer smooths out lumps
Best for: A pillow that feels like home
- Type
- Compressible foam
- Weight
- 325g
- Size in use
- 46 x 33 x 15cm
- Adjustable firmness
- Cinch cord
- Cover
- Machine washable, whole pillow
#2HIKENTURE Inflatable Camping Pillow with Removable Cover
£20–£30
The air sits in a separate, thickened TPU bladder inside a soft cotton-faced cover, which comes off for the washing machine. An elastic strap on the back holds it to a sleeping mat.
What owners say: Owners say it fills in a few breaths and empties in seconds, and take it camping, on holiday and to the beach, though several report theirs wearing out after little use.
A closer look: Click the valve to blow it up, then click again to let the air out in seconds; a little less air makes it softer. The breathable cotton face is kinder to the skin than bare plastic on a warm night, and the cover comes off for a wash.
- Separate, thickened air bladder
- Strap fixes to a mat
- Soft cotton-faced top
- Carry bag included
Best for: A cover that comes off to wash
- Type
- Inflatable, removable cover
- Weight
- 159g
- Size in use
- 44 x 31 x 12cm
- Adjustable firmness
- One-click valve
- Cover
- Removable, wash at 30°C
#3Eono Ultralight Inflatable Camping Pillow
Under £10
From Eono, a simple arc-shaped air pillow of 100g that blows up in three to five breaths and folds to about 13 x 8cm, small enough for a coat pocket.
What owners say: Owners find it roomier than they expected once blown up, and comfortable for something that folds so small, though one or two have had the valve fail early on.
A closer look: Wipe it over with mild soapy water after a trip and let it dry before rolling it away, as the maker suggests. The curve fits the neck lying down, and it works as a back cushion on trains, planes and long car journeys too.
- Inflates in 3–5 breaths
- Arc shape fits the neck
- Doubles as a back cushion
- Fits in a coat pocket
Best for: Light packs and long journeys
- Type
- Inflatable
- Weight
- 100g
- Size in use
- 45 x 32 x 10cm
- Adjustable firmness
- Valve
- Cover
- No cover, wipe clean
#4Trespass Snoozefest Packaway Travel Pillow
Under £10
Nothing to blow up and nothing to puncture: a soft polyester-filled pillow in a polycotton cover that squashes into its own drawstring bag, small enough for a rucksack’s side pocket.
What owners say: Owners take it on long-haul flights as well as camping trips, and like how light it is and how small its pouch is; some find it too small or lumpy for a night’s sleep.
Heads up: At about 40 x 30cm it’s smaller than a bed pillow, sized for a tent, a plane seat or a sun lounger.
A closer look: Shake it out of its bag when the tent goes up, so the filling has time to loosen before bed. Trespass says the whole thing is machine washable, so a muddy festival weekend isn’t the end of it, and it stuffs back into its pouch in seconds.
- Packs into a drawstring bag
- Fits a rucksack side pocket
Best for: Flights, festivals and sun loungers
- Type
- Fibre-filled
- Weight
- 230g
- Size in use
- 40 x 30cm
- Adjustable firmness
- No
- Cover
- Polycotton, machine washable
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 4.
| Feature | #1Therm-a-Rest Compressible | #2HIKENTURE with cover | #3Eono ultralight | #4Trespass Snoozefest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.1 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.1 |
| Price | £20–£30 | £20–£30 | Under £10 | Under £10 |
| Type | Compressible foam | Inflatable, removable cover | Inflatable | Fibre-filled |
| Weight | 325g | 159g | 100g | 230g |
| Size in use | 46 x 33 x 15cm | 44 x 31 x 12cm | 45 x 32 x 10cm | 40 x 30cm |
| Adjustable firmness | Cinch cord | One-click valve | Valve | No |
| Cover | Machine washable, whole pillow | Removable, wash at 30°C | No cover, wipe clean | Polycotton, machine washable |
| Best for | A pillow that feels like home | A cover that comes off to wash | Light packs and long journeys | Flights, festivals and sun loungers |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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