Gone are the days when turning your jacket or arm into a makeshift pillow was considered comfortable enough for camping. Today, you need a portable, compact pillow that guarantees you maximum comfort in whatever you do.
With a camping pillow, you do not need to worry about how you sleep or about nagging neck pains when you’re in the middle of the forest. Just buy one, pack it in your travel bag or backpack, and you are sorted.
Heading out for your next adventure soon? Jump right into our reviews below:
Important Features We Look for in This Review
Size
There are two sizes to look out for, the packed size vs open size. Packed size is when the pillow is fully compressed, while the open size is how big the pillow expands to.
Weight
Portability is one of our most important considerations when compiling this review. A pillow should not add too much weight or baggage to your stuff sack. Instead, it should be lightweight, allowing you to carry it easily.
Best Camping Pillows Reviewed
If you are going out camping, you need the best inflated compressible pillows to make you comfortable. So, we sampled some of the top brands in the market and came up with the following as our best inflatable camping pillows.1. Trekology Ultralight Inflatable Camping Travel Pillow
TREKOLOGY had your comfort in mind when they designed this pillow. The versatility of this pillow means it is a top pick for all kinds of sleepers, such as stomach, back, and side sleepers. It comes with an improved ergonomic design with enhanced neck support technology.
Plus, the pillow will not slip about when you use this ultra-small, light pillow because it features a slip-resistant material that prevents your head from shifting around during your sleep.
Apart from comfort, this is a durable item with added layers made from a TPU fabric, an elastic, highly durable material with extreme water resistance ability.
So whether you are going camping in the most extreme climates or enjoying your time in a hotel room, this feather pillow alternative has your interests at heart and definitely ensures a good night’s sleep while camping.
The pillow also has some unique technology compared to other inflatable pillows that allow you to adjust the firmness to your preferred posture and is well-suited for weekend adventurers and car campers.
- Packed size: 5″ x 2″ inches
- Open size: 12″ x 12″ x 4″ inches
- Weight: 3.3 oz
- Ultra-small, light, highly portable pillow
- Durable material
- Quick deflate feature
- Flexible for all sleep conditions
- No pillow fill under the polyester cover
2. Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Pillow
That is what Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Pillow seeks to help you with; this is a must-have camping/traveling pillow that you can use for any outdoor activity.
The pillow features memory foam cushions fitted in an ultra-soft, micro-suede thin layer cover. The design gives it an ergonomic shape allowing you to rest well.
It is compact and lightweight, two features that make this inflatable compressible feather pillow one of the portable picks for outdoor purposes.
You only need to compress it down into its waterproof sack and fit it in your travel bag.
- Packed vs Open size:
- 9″ x 6″ (12″ x 16″)
- 10 ½” x 6″ (14″ x 18″)
- 12″ x 7” (16” x 23”)
- Weight: 11 oz
- Compact design
- Easy breathing micro-suede cover
- Comes with a waterproof travel bag
- Comes in two sizes that you can choose from
- Slightly lumpy due to foam pieces used for filling
3. Hikenture Camping Pillow with Removable Cover
It comes with a unique one-click valve for your convenience; you only need between 3 and 5 breaths to inflate it, and you can deflate it within seconds.
When inflated, the camping air pillow conforms and curves perfectly on your neck and head, ensuring comfort throughout the night.
It is soft and suits you perfectly whether you are a stomach, side sleeper, or back sleeper on your camping sleeping pad on the tent floor.
It is multifunctional and will serve you well whether you are backpacking, hiking, or just need some lumbar support on your home couch or office chair.
You also get a detachable elastic strap at the back of your pillow to help make your backpacking trip simpler.
Fluffy pillows are a great added comfort to a less-than-ideal sleep set up when camping, so it is advisable to go for fluffier foam pillows for added comfort.
What’s even better is that this car camping pillow relies so much on the Hikenture brand quality and gives you a 100% money-back guarantee. So, this is a risk free-purchase in case your new investment fails to live up to your expectations.
- Packed size: 4″ x 2.4″ inches
- Open size: 17″ x 13″ x 5″ inches
- Weight: 2.8oz
- Money-back guarantee
- One lick valve for convenience
- Detachable elastic strap for more portability
- Valve support to help you adjust to preferred pillow height
- Comparatively expensive
4. REDCAMP Outdoor Camping Pillow
You can use it as a sleeping bag pillow, camping, hiking, or even sleeping at home. It is also an excellent pick for users of all ages and gender.
It comes filled with soft flannel lining and hollow fiber that gives it ultra-softness, and the pillow packs into a compact form for easy storage.
The pillow is compressible, lightweight, and takes up considerably little space; it won’t feel the bulk as part of your luggage and is a very lightweight backpacking pillow.
The Redcap brand provides a limited one-year warranty on all its products. So you can always get 100% of your money back if the pillow you buy doesn’t meet your expectations within this period.
However, there will be no need for that warranty because you will love every bit of this pillow. It is also easy to wash, coming with a removable cover with a side zipper that you can remove anytime you want to do some laundry.
- Packed size: 11″ x 6″ inches
- Open size: 20″ x 12″x 3″ inches
- Weight: 11.2oz
- The soft flannel filling provides comfortable and restful sleep
- Come with a one-year money-back warranty
- Machine washable camp pillow with the removable cover
- Comfy with some nice soft touch, and is huggable
- It is not as portable as other inflatable options
5. REDCAMP Small Camping Pillow
In addition, the size makes it easy to carry, so you won’t feel any extra baggage whether you are using a travel bag or packing your camping items in a small backpack.
This is a convenient item if you want a compact camping pillow that you can take anywhere. It also comes in different colors, helping you spice up the color pallette
It comes in high quality, skin and soft, easy to clean, and replaceable flannel pillowcase.
REDCAMP Small Camping Pillow has a non-woven fabric filled with 250 grams of hollow fiber that provides maximum comfort on your neck, shoulder, and head and can fit well in your integrated stuff pack.
Like most Redcamp products, you get a 100% money-back guarantee on this comfortable pillow if it doesn’t meet your expectations.
- Packed size: 11″ x 6″ inches
- Open size: 20″ x 12″ x 3″ inches
- Weight: 11.2oz
- Variety of colors for different choices
- Lightweight design for easy portability
- Removable cover, for convenience, when cleaning
- Flexible for all outdoor activities
- Less portable than inflatable options
Frequently Asked Question
Are camping pillows worth the weight?
Although camping pillows are not part of the traditional camping gear, they can be a great addition to help you get a restful night.
Camping pillows, in our opinion, is worth the extra weight to carry because there are so many lightweight options in the market today, you may not even feel it in your bag!
How do I keep my camping pillow from sliding on a sleeping bag?
If your pillow keeps sliding off while you’re laying on it, try and inserting it inside your sleeping bag hood. You can also go for the models that have built-in grommets.
With these, you can attach a bungee cork which you can then strap on the sleeping bag to stop the pillow from sliding.
How do I deflate my camping pillow?
Inflatable pillows come with valves that make them easy to inflate and deflate. After using the pillow, open the valve, then allow the air to come out until it flattens
Final Thoughts
A camping pillow could be considered a luxury, but when the nights are cold, and you miss your comfy bed back home, camping pillows can improve your outdoor camping experience.
With pillows shrinking in size, the small amount of extra weight carried is definitely worth the benefits!
The hybrid and inflatable pillows we reviewed are all from reputable brands, so you can rest assured that the pillows you choose will be a great choice.
The pillows all excel in the size, weight, and portability aspects. However, when it comes to ultimate portability, nothing beats an inflatable camping pillow.
So while we recommend all 5 camping pillows, the Trekology Ultralight Inflatable Camping Travel Pillow is still on our top recommended list.
