The Best Camping Pillows In 2022

Best Camping Pillow in 2021

Have you decided to go to your favorite campground?  Going camping is one of life’s simple pleasures, and choosing the right camping pillow makes it even more delightful. In this round-up of the 11 best camping pillows of 2021, we’ll guide you to choose the best camping pillow for comfortable outdoor sleeping. 

Is it just as very important to choose the right camping pillow as it is to find the best camping stove or tent? We believe so. For most campers, a camping pillow is an essential but often overlooked piece of equipment. But, after a long day of hiking, nothing beats a good night’s sleep. So, here are the best camping pillows from our recommendation list. Let’s jump right into it.

NEMO Fillo Pillow

NEMO Fillo Pillow
  • Price: 39.95$
  • Size : 17” x 11”
  • Weight: 9.2oz 

The Fillo is more costly than most of the best camping pillows on the market, but after sleeping on it for a night, you’ll realize why.  When Nemo’s award-winning Fillo Pillow was first introduced, it caused quite a stir in the industry.  

This pillow manages to be tiny and compact while also being exceptionally comfortable – it’s as close to feeling like you carried your pillow from home as you can get without taking up too much additional space.

For several years, the Nemo Fillo has been one of the most famous camping pillows on the market due to its plush foam topper, which offers excellent support. In addition, it’s made of high-quality materials on the inside and out, including a removable micro-suede cover, a long-lasting air bladder, and a durable valve. 

The soft jersey cover is comfortable to sleep on and can be washed. There are also different sizes available to accommodate everyone, from dirtbag backpackers to glamorous glampers. So if you’re going on a multi-week adventure, this pillow is well worth the money to help you sleep well at night in the wilderness. 

The Fillo, at nine oz., is not light enough for backpacking, but it’s an innovative solution at an excellent price for car camping, travel, and short backpacking trips. Besides its deceptively small size and shape, this pillow is everything but thick luxury foam that offers various comforts without the familiar balloon-like feel of other inflatable pillows.

However, unlike many other high-end backpacking pillows on the market, the Nemo Fillo Pillow provides a fully removable pillow cover that is machine washable for easy cleanup after your journeys.

Product highlights:

  • Lightweight and compact in size
  • Lifetime limited warranty
  • Available in a variety of colors
  • Soft and warm, with supporting materials and a removable foam layer.
  • Integrated storage bag
  • Massive expanded size
  • Extremely comfortable. For added comfort, foam padding is included.
  • It is machine washable. There is a removable pillow cover for easy cleaning.
  • A lot of lofts
  • The baffled air cell construction provides neck support.

Teton Sports ComfortLite Pillow

Teton Sports ComfortLite Pillow
  • Price: 17.99$
  • Size : 18” x 10”
  • Weight: 12oz 

When it comes to cost-effectiveness, the Teton Sports ComfortLite Pillow is the best-rated pillow. In addition, the Teton Sports Camp Pillow is the best comfort camping gear for your next camping trip, from daytime lounging to overnight excursions.

It has a traditional design that appears to be a smaller version of any other bedroom pillow at a first brief look.  It comes in an excellent plaid color that I adore, giving it the ideal outdoorsy vibe for camping. Its superior construction is what sets it apart.

We like best this pillow’s additional size for a camping pillow, which allows you to move around comfortably at night. It also includes a pillowcase made of brushed flannel, soft on your skin without absorbing too much heat, even on hot summer nights.

This pillow, unlike the majority of the others on this list, is not inflatable. Rather than, it fluffs up and is prepared to use right out of the bag. While this feature makes it more significant to carry, it compensates for its larger size by being lightweight enough to accommodate inside your camping bag without combining much weight.

This pillow uses self-inflating technology and simply needs to be unpacked from its included stuff sack to begin inflating. It also has an easy-to-use valve that enhances the firmness of the pillow to your liking.

The Teton Sports ComfortLite Pillow is made with a stretch microfiber fabric topper that gives a super soft sleeping exterior. It also has a non-slip grip base to keep it from slipping around on your sleeping pad at night.

Product highlights:

  • Budget-friendly. A great option for campers on a tight budget.
  • The topper is made of soft fleece and is very comfortable to sleep on.
  • The ComfortTech stretch microfiber top provides a soft sleeping surface.
  • The self-inflating pillow inflates quickly.
  • Valve for rapid inflation/deflation
  • A stuff sack is included.
  • Non-slip grip on the base for added comfort while sleeping.

Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow

Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow
  • Price: 24.95$
  • Size : 18” x 14”
  • Weight: 7oz 

The most comfortable pillow we explored was the Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow. It has the same feel as the pillows we use at home, but it’s more compact and doesn’t matter if it gets dropped in the dirt. If you dislike the feel of inflated pillows but do not want the bulk of foam, Thermarest’s Compressible pillow is an excellent deal. 

While it is more significant than some of the other pillows on our list, we love how comfortable it is and grow more attached to it with each use. This pillow is densely packed with pleasant material, but it still compresses to the size of a water bottle and weighs a moderate-to-light 260g. 

The Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow, with its generous amount of soft foam fill and large, supportive size, provides a hefty dose of home-like comfort, no matter how hard the ground is. For camping, vacationing, and casual backpacking trips, we suggest the Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow. This pillow is available in four different sizes: small, medium, large, and extra-large. 

Aside from being extremely comfortable, you’ll appreciate that the foam is made from upcycled foam, and the cover is made primarily of recycled materials. This pillow also folds flat and is portable, allowing you to take it with you wherever you go.

Thermarest also recommends Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow for flying – it’s ideal for long-haul flights, especially if you dislike inflatable neck pillows, and its versatility makes the pillow’s higher price point more bearable. 

Product highlights:

  • Eco-friendly and Packs down easy
  • Machine-washable
  • Compressible foam padding provides home-like comfort.
  • Eco friendly
  • This is an easy-to-clean item made of durable and comfortable polyester.
  • Comfy foam filling that has been upcycled
  • This pillow includes a variety of sizes and colors.
  • This pillow is inexpensive, soft and warm, long-lasting

Sierra Designs Dridown Pillow

Sierra Designs Dridown Pillow
  • Price: 30$
  • Size : 13” x 9”
  • Weight : 5.5oz / 156g

Somebody who has a down sleeping bag understands that the warmth-to-weight ratio of animal down is unrivaled. The Sierra Styles Dridown Pillow combines versatility and features. Depending on needs, this multi-functional pillow can be a soft, elegant camp pillow or a lightweight backpacking sleep system. 

Sierra Designs Dridown Pillow is flavorful soft and warm, but it’s also very light, making it ideal for camping pillows like the DriDown, weighing only 120g. It’s a real pity that this pillow doesn’t pack very small, but it does fit in a water bottle pocket, which is useful when on the go.

If you don’t mind a little extra weight and bulk, the Sierra Designs Dridown Pillow includes a removable synthetic-filled insert that can be put in the topper for home-like comfort.

This also looks stunning, with one soft quilted side and one cotton-like patterned side, which may not be the essential thing in a camping pillow but is undoubtedly a bonus for campers or van owners who use pillows daily weighing good sleeping experience only, and it also allows you to choose which material you love to sleep on.

Sierra Designs Dridown Pillow is another more highly-priced camping pillow that is well worth the expense if you are a regular camper or van-lifer. It is elegant without adding much weight.

Product highlights:

  • Lightweight and compact design
  • Affordable. Campers will appreciate the low cost.
  • Excellent warmth and comfort
  • Versatile. It is possible to use a compressible or stuff sack pillow.

REI Co-Op Dreamer Pillow

REI Co-Op Dreamer Pillow
  • Price: $34.95 – $39.95
  • Size : 14” x 9”
  • Weight: 6.1oz 

When you lay your head down to sleep at the end of a long day of the tour, you’ll appreciate how the REI Co-op Camp Dreamer self-inflating pillow gently carries you away to dreamland. The REI Co-Op Dreamer Pillow is super cool for car camping, where portability isn’t a top consideration. It’s developed to get a good mix of coziness and features.

This pillow begins to expand to its full size immediately, eliminating the need for manual inflation and saving you time in camp. In addition, you can quickly adapt the inflation setup using the built-in hi-flow flat valve to achieve the desired level of firmness.

At last, for next-to-skin comfort, the REI Co-Op Dreamer Pillow includes a quilted pillowcase that can be machine washed.

Product highlights:

  • The pillow compresses a little and packs into its pocket for compact portability in your backpack or suitcase, making it ideal for camping.
  • When unpacked, the pillow nearly instantly expands to full size; no inflation is required.
  • The instant inflation design simplifies the setup.
  • The integrated valve allows you to adjust the firmness.
  • The hi-flow flat TPR valve has inflated and deflating options and helps you to fine-tune pillow firmness.
  • It is machine washable, and it comes with an easy-to-remove pillowcase.
  • The foam fill provides additional padding and insulation.
  • Pillow fits into the integrated stuff sack of the pillowcase.

Therm-A-Rest Lumbar Pillow

Therm-A-Rest Lumbar Pillow
  • Price: 39.95$
  • Size : 16” x 7”
  • Weight : 3.6oz / 102g

If you are suffering back pain because of the unstable camping pillow, no more suffering, we have the best camping pillow that we can recommend for you. Therm-A-Rest Lumbar pillows are frequently a must-have item for campers suffering from back pain to sleep comfortably. 

With the Therm-A-Rest Lumbar Pillow, you can forget about trying to make makeshift extra support out of your clothes. Instead, this lumbar pillow is designed with a die-cut foam center and a self-inflating chamber that provides a comfortable experience while sleeping.

Furthermore, the pillow has a built-in valve that allows you to adjust the firmness to a more personalized level.

Another significant aspect of the Therm-A-Rest Lumbar Pillow is its ability to save weight. It’s one of the lightest models on the market, weighing only 3.6oz, making it an ideal choice for those looking to keep weight to a minimum in their packs without sacrificing comfort.

Product highlights:

  • For portability, it is lightweight.
  • Polyester fabric is both soft and durable.
  • The self-inflating design can also be adjusted to achieve the ideal firmness.
  • The self-inflating design allows you to tailor your comfort

Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow

Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow
  • Price: 42.95$
  • Size : 13.4” x 9.4”
  • Weight: 2.7oz 

Among other Sea to Summit to summit pillows our favorite choice goes to Aeros premium pillow. It has an excellent balance of features to make it both comfy and lightweight.

The Premium isn’t quite as sizable as the Aeros Ultralight, but it provides excellent support for side sleepers and features the same fantastic high-flow valve that allows you to purge air quickly. 

The Aeros Premium has a friendly theme to the Aeros Down Pillow but costs nearly $20 less and has a softer fabric against the skin. The Aeros Premium Pillow from Sea to Summit takes comfort and portability to a whole new level.

Because of its inflatable construction and included stuff sack, the Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow is also very portable. This pillow, made with a multifunctional mini-valve, is simple to inflate, deflate, and adjust so you get the right amount of firmness every essential other time.

Because of its curved internal baffles and scalloped bottom edge, this pillow provides back sleepers with long-lasting neck and head support. In addition, its Aeros Premium construction design and 50D brushed polyester shell fabric provide a perfect balance of comfort and softness while sleeping.

The Aeros Ultralight pillow ($40-60) is contoured to provide secure comfort while sleeping and is made of a 20-denier stretch-knit polyester laminated on a TPU air bladder.

Product highlights:

  • Super lightweight and compact
  • Compresses perfectly
  • Curved baffles create a more natural sleeping environment.
  • Curved internal baffles create contours that cradle your head.
  • The brushed 50D polyester knit is exceptionally soft and comfortable.
  • Inflate the pillow in a few breaths and fine-tune it quickly with the multi-functional valve.

HEST Pillow

HEST Pillow
  • Price: 79$
  • Size : 14” x 9”
  • Weight: 2 lbs. 3.2 oz. 

The HEST pillow provides home-pillow comfort in a compact, adventure-ready package, allowing you to get the most out of your zzz when you’re encircled by natural light, air, and trees.

Test out the brand new HEST Pillow if you’re looking for a way to add more relaxation and comfort to your camping or travel adventures. It provides the comforts of home in a small package that is easy to transport and maintain.

The design offers appropriate support, comfortable alignment, a soft surface, and plenty of airflows to maintain a comfortable sleeping temperature. Infill, a blend of shredded improved memory foam and polyester, provides the support of a home pillow with high resilience, without flattening or having lost shape.

It’s pretty much complete, and the shredded memory foam filling offers firm but not flat support. The HEST Pillow is one of the highest-weight and bulkiest pillows we checked, weighing 2 lbs. 3.2 oz., so it performs effectively as a luxury pillow for car camping and travel when comfort is a key focus.

Product highlights:

  • Comfortable
  • Soft and warm
  • You can adjust and customize your loft level, thanks to the zippered access.
  • When sleeping in a more upright posture, its curved shape contours to your head and neck while staying in place.
  • Packs compactly into an integrated zippered cover
  • The PU-coated nylon cover is water-resistant, keeping the pillow clean while traveling.
  • Supportive and design with quality materials
  • Machine washable

Kammok Puffin Pillow

Kammok Puffin Pillow
  • Price: 35$
  • Size : 17.5” x 10”
  • Weight: 2.9 oz. 

Camping pillows frequently fail to meet the needs of hammock campers because they slide around in the hammock. This is where the Kammok Puffin Pillow comes into play.

This inflatable pillow has a micro-adjust twist valve that allows you to adjust the firmness to your liking. It also has a curved, scalloped bottom edge that provides adequate neck and head support while you sleep.

Finally, the Kammok Puffin Pillow has a velvet-like cover fabric for next-to-skin pleasure. It also comes with a hammock accessory kit, which allows it to remain securely in place at all times.

Product highlights:

  • It does not sway while you sleep in a hammock.
  • Comfortable for any camping plan
  • Firmness can be adjusted. The twist valve allows you to fine-tune the pillow.
  • Portable and compact design
  • The scalloped shape offers good neck support.

Big Agnes AXL Air Pillow

Big Agnes AXL Air Pillow
  • Price: 39.95$
  • Size : 16” x 10”
  • Weight: 1.6 oz. 

If portability is your top priority, the Big Agnes AXL Air Pillow might be just what you’re looking for. Don’t even think about using your jacket as a pillow. Have you ever woken up with a stiff neck and been unable to relax?

All of this will become obsolete, even for ultralight travelers. The AXL Air Pillow is light, weighing only 1.6oz, and has numerous advantages, including the ability to pack down to the size of an energy bar.

This pillow was designed with thru-hikers in mind, making it one of the most portable on the market. The pillow’s lightweight is due to its minimalistic I-Beam construction, which allows it to inflate and deflate quickly.

In addition, the Big Agnes AXL Air Pillow has an antimicrobial treatment built into the air bladder to keep mold and mildew at bay. It also features reflective heat technology to keep you warm on cold nights.

Product highlights:

  • Lightweight. One of the most transportable options.
  • This pillow built-in advanced heat reflective technology
  • Mold growth is prevented by antimicrobial treatment.
  • Stuff sack – included.
  • Antimicrobial treatment within the pillow inhibits the growth of microorganisms.
  • Heat reflective technology provides additional warmth.

Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Pillow

Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Pillow
  • Price: 19.95$
  • Size : 16” x 10”
  • Weight: 1.6 oz

The Camping Pillow from Wise Owl Outfitters ($17-20) is a good option if you want to save money on comfort. Wise Owl Outfitters is known for making long-lasting camping hammocks so that you can predict the same quality from its camping pillow.  This camping pillow has a soft microsuede cover and expands to 5 inches thick to hold your head cushioned all night.

This pillow takes great pride in being one of the few products on the market that provides a memory foam texture without the typical bulk. Another notable feature is its ease of storage. It rolls and folds up tiny into the included carrying bag, but when you pull it out, it expands into a puffy, firm pillow with just the correct balance of thickness.

When packed into the included waterproof stuff sack, the foam compresses to 12 x 7 inches for the large pillow. We appreciate that it is machine washable and dryer safe. This is a massive plus for droolers (you know who you are) and for removing the odor of campfire smoke.

The fact that it is available in three different sizes is a massive plus for me. In addition, this pillow is an excellent travel accessory to have with you when going camping with the family, as the smaller-sized versions are ideal for children.

This camping pillow is fully compact, making it ideal for packing your gear. It includes a free drawstring bag and a water-resistant, stain-proof cover that is simple to wash and clean. It also comes in a variety of colors.

Product highlights:

  • 100% Polyester
  • Versatile and comfortable design
  • Budget-friendly
  • This backpacking pillow is lightweight and portable, and it easily compresses into its waterproof stuff sack.
  •  Pillow is machine washable and dryer safe, making cleaning a breeze.

Best Camping Pillows – Buying Guide

We know you have doubts about how to choose the best camping pillow for you. It’s no surprise that selecting the suitable model for your needs can be challenging.

Following that, here are the essential primary durable considerations for camping pillows to bear in mind as you shop.

Best Camping Pillow in 2021

Materials of pillow

If you’re often camping, your pillow should be made of a comfortable, soft, and easy-to-clean material, preferably with foam fill or cushioning. 

On the other hand, if you’re going backpacking, you should look for an inflatable camp pillow made of a tough-yet-comfortable material, such as polyester fabric or thermoplastic polyurethane. Camping pillows are made from pretty complex materials. Here’s what you should know:

Outer layer

Most camping pillows have a brushed polyester outer fabric for coziness, providing a soft sleeping surface area. Even so, some, such as the Big Agnes AXL Air Pillow, choose a nylon fabric to save weight at the cost of comfort.

Inner layer

Most breathable models use memory foam or synthetic fill material, which is soft but not remarkablyUnfortunately, camping packable. Inflatable pillows have baffled air chambers that provide stiffness and neck support while you sleep. Several other hybrid choices incorporate down insulation into the air chambers for maximum comfort and insulation.

Camping Pillow Varieties

There are numerous types of camping pillows available, each with its own set of pros and cons. Here’s how they fare in real life:

Inflatable air pillows

Inflatable air pillows, such as the Big Agnes AXL Air Pillow, are famous among backpackers because they provide reasonable comfort in a relatively small package.

The disadvantage is that they don’t feel like regular pillows, so most backpackers have to get used to them.

Compressible pillows

Compressible pillows, like the ENO ParaPillow, are tightly populated with foam or synthetic insulation. This enables them to simulate the comfort of your pillow at home when you’re not at home. This enhanced comfort, of course, comes at the cost of weight savings and size and density, so they’re ideal for car camping trips where portability isn’t a primary concern.

Hybrid pillows

Hybrid pillows, like the NEMO Fillo Pillow, assemble the portability of a compressible pillow with the added comfort of a compacted alternative into one pleasing package.

 This sort of pillow, as intended, does not excel in either portability or comfort, but it offers a happy medium for campers who do not want to give up either feature.

Stuff sack pillows 

Stuff sack pillows, such as the Sierra Designs DriDown Pillow, include a comfortable outer shell that can then be filled with extra clothing for extra padding.

The main benefit of this type of pillow is that it is lightweight and portable. Regrettably, they are not always as comfortable as some of the alternatives, and they are inconvenient if you need to wear all of your spare clothing to bed.

Size and portability of pillows

It is not whether you need a strongly packable camping pillow is entirely dependent on your camping outfit. If you are taking your pillow into the backcountry, it must be portable and packed down to a small, compact size. 

You desire your backpacking pillow to be compact and packable into a small ball, so it’s almost barely noticeable in your pack. Else the, if you’re car camping, packed size isn’t as important.

Backpackers favor more compact models, such as the Big Agnes AXL Air Pillow, which weighs less than 2oz (57g).

Pillows that weigh below 4oz (113g), pack down to less than 4″ x 6″, and have an unpacked size of about 10″ x 16″ (25cm x 41cm) or less are ideal for backpackers.

Less packable choices with large unfolded surface areas, such as the Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow, work great well and are often more comfortable for car campers. Weight is less of an issue in these situations, so a pillow weighing less than 1lb is more than adequate.

Traditional or inflated

The majority of the best camping pillows available are either ‘air’ pillows that unfold and inflate or insulated pillows that compress into a stuff sack.

Pillows filled with foam or insulation are generally more comfortable than inflatable pillows, which can feel a little balloon-like under your head. On the other hand, inflatable pillows are typically far more lightweight and portable, making them the best option when space and weight are limited.

Whatever style you choose, we recommend getting a pillow with a removable, washable cover and its storage sack.

Read More:

Scroll to Top