Top 5 compared
The best camping pillows
A proper pillow in the tent after a long day, instead of a rolled-up fleece under your head.
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The top 5 at a glance
A camping pillow packs down small enough to travel with a sleeping bag, then sits under your head in the tent. Air pillows are the lightest and smallest when packed, and a valve lets you set how firm they are. Foam ones are heavier and bulkier but feel more like a bed pillow, with nothing to blow up or puncture; they squash into a stuff sack or cinch down for the trip.
On a backpacking trip the light air pillows earn their place; for car camping, festivals and flights, comfort counts for more than ounces. Some clip or strap to a sleeping pad, so they stay put through the night.
What matters
- Size in use: bigger is comfier, smaller packs better.
- A curved shape, for support under the neck.
- A cover that washes, or a pillow that goes in the machine.
#1Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow (Regular)
$30–$50
An air pillow with a soft, brushed knit face, curved to cradle the head and neck, that weighs 2.8 oz and packs to 3.3 x 2.8 in. One multi-function valve blows it up, lets it down fast and fine-tunes how firm it is.
What owners say: Light, tiny once packed and very soft, it fills and empties in seconds, and people take it traveling as often as camping. A few point out it isn’t the cheapest pillow around.
A closer look: Blow it up most of the way, then let a little air out through the valve until it gives under the head, which is comfier than drum-tight. Clipped to a Sea to Summit mat with PillowLock it stays put through the night, and a hand wash freshens the knit face after a trip.
- Curved to cradle the neck
- Packs to 3.3 × 2.8 in
- Fits Sea to Summit mats
Best for: Backpacking, every ounce counts
- Type
- Inflatable
- Weight
- 2.8 oz
- Size in use
- 13.4 x 9.4 x 4.3 in
- Adjustable firmness
- Valve
- Cover
- Fixed knit face, hand wash
#2Wise Owl Outfitters Memory Foam Camping Pillow (Medium)
$30–$50
Shredded memory foam under a silky microsuede cover that molds to the head and neck, then squashes into the waterproof stuff sack that comes with it, at under 12 oz. The cover comes off for the washing machine.
What owners say: Long road trips and plane rides are where many use it most, and they like the head and neck support and how small it packs. On softness they split: cushy to some, firmer than expected to others.
A closer look: Take it out of the stuff sack when camp goes up and give the foam a few minutes to puff back up before bed. The whole pillow can go in a cold, gentle wash with the cover on, and a short tumble on low fluffs it up again.
- Waterproof stuff sack included
- Shredded foam molds to head
- Silky microsuede cover
Best for: Car camping and flights
- Type
- Memory foam
- Weight
- Under 12 oz
- Size in use
- 14 x 18 in
- Adjustable firmness
- No
- Cover
- Removable, machine washable
#3Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow Cinch (Regular)
$30–$50
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: Comfortable and easy to travel with, car campers especially say, and it cinches down for the trip. The foam divides people: some find it lumpy and less compressible than they hoped, and a few feel it costs too much.
A closer look: Pull the cord tight to shrink it into a corner of a backpack, 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 leftover sleeping-mat foam
- 60% recycled polyester cover
- Made in the USA
Best for: Anyone put off by air pillows
- Type
- Compressible foam
- Weight
- 11 oz
- Size in use
- 18 x 14 x 6 in
- Adjustable firmness
- Cinch cord
- Cover
- Machine washable, whole pillow
#4HIKENTURE Inflatable Camping Pillow with Removable Cover
$20–$30
The air sits in a separate, thickened TPU bladder inside a soft cotton-faced cover, which zips off to wash. An elastic strap on the back holds it to a sleeping mat.
What owners say: Easy to blow up and let down, with good support for the neck and lower back, and light enough for backpacking. Durability is the catch for some, with reports of it losing air or the valve breaking after a few uses.
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 it doubles as a lumbar cushion on long journeys.
- Separate inner air bladder
- Cotton-faced cover
- Elastic strap for a mat
- Carry bag included
Best for: Sleeping on cotton, not plastic
- Type
- Inflatable, removable cover
- Weight
- 5.6 oz
- Size in use
- 17 x 12 x 4.7 in
- Adjustable firmness
- One-click valve
- Cover
- Removable, hand wash
#5TREKOLOGY Aluft 2.0 Inflatable Camping Pillow
$10–$20
A small, curved air pillow of 3.84 oz that folds to 5 x 2 in, smaller than a soda can, and blows up to 16 x 12 x 4 in. Rubber dots on the back and a latch strap stop it from sliding off a sleeping mat in the night.
What owners say: Its tiny packed size and low weight win most people over, on planes as well as at camp, and it packs away fast. Some wish it inflated higher, and reports on how long it lasts are mixed.
A closer look: Five to eight breaths fill it, and a little less air makes it softer for side sleepers; press the valve to let it all out in seconds. Strap it to a mat at night, or blow it up halfway as a lumbar cushion for a long drive to the trailhead.
- Fills in 5–8 breaths
- Folds to 5 × 2 in
- Anti-slip dots and mat strap
- Water-resistant fabric
Best for: Side sleepers and small packs
- Type
- Inflatable
- Weight
- 3.84 oz
- Size in use
- 16 x 12 x 4 in
- Adjustable firmness
- Valve
- Cover
- No cover, hand wash
How they compare
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| Feature | #1Sea to Summit Aeros Premium | #2Wise Owl memory foam | #3Therm-a-Rest Compressible | #4HIKENTURE with cover | #5TREKOLOGY Aluft 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | ||||
| Picked Rating | 9.1 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.6 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 | $10–$20 |
| Type | Inflatable | Memory foam | Compressible foam | Inflatable, removable cover | Inflatable |
| Weight | 2.8 oz | Under 12 oz | 11 oz | 5.6 oz | 3.84 oz |
| Size in use | 13.4 x 9.4 x 4.3 in | 14 x 18 in | 18 x 14 x 6 in | 17 x 12 x 4.7 in | 16 x 12 x 4 in |
| Adjustable firmness | Valve | No | Cinch cord | One-click valve | Valve |
| Cover | Fixed knit face, hand wash | Removable, machine washable | Machine washable, whole pillow | Removable, hand wash | No cover, hand wash |
| Best for | Backpacking, every ounce counts | Car camping and flights | Anyone put off by air pillows | Sleeping on cotton, not plastic | Side sleepers and small packs |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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