Taking time out from our regular routines and stripping it right back to the bare essentials helps us to appreciate what's really important in life. As well as your tent and sleeping bag, one item that is always included in that list of outdoor comforts is a dedicated camping pillow, sure to up the chances of a good night's rest on the ground or in your hammock.
We'll help you decide on either an ultralight inflatable pillow for backpacking, hiking or trekking that focuses on minimising space, or if you're car camping, a more plush yet compact design. Read on to discover our picks on Amazon, Argos, Decathlon and eBay from top-shelf camping brands like Jökel, Thermarest, Vango and Klymit.
Quick List - Top Camping Pillows
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There's almost nothing worse when camping than waking up with a sore neck from an inadequate pillow, setting you up for a day of pain. This simple yet informative buying guide will give you all the necessary knowledge to nip that painful possibility in the behind, ensuring you a great night's sleep in the process.
Camping pillows can be divided into two defined categories that each suit different styles of camping specifically. By looking into the differences as well as the pros and cons of both inflatable and compressible pillows, you'll be able to leave the guesswork at home and find your perfect match.
Let's face it, although camping is a hugely rewarding experience, most of us still enjoy our creature comforts whenever we can get them.
Compressible pillows refer to any type of camping pillow that easily folds into its own little bag. They mirror home pillows and are typically filled with polyester or memory foam that moulds to your head and shoulders for pure, unadulterated, shape-shifting comfort.
Although these pillows pack down into neat, portable carry bags, they are still considered too excessive for the hardcore camping crew. Inevitably, they better suit car campers who plan on driving right up to their tents and setting up a cosy sleeping space as similar as possible to their bed at home.
Suiting any camper who is planning to be on the move, inflatable pillows have the best compact-ability of all. This makes them the perfect sleeping accomplice for backpacking, trekking and festival-going where lugging all your gear around is a mission in itself.
Many of the big-name camping brands put plenty of worth into high-tech inflatable designs; some even go so far as giving your lungs a much-needed rest by offering self-inflating camping pillows.
Modern-day inflatable pillows are best made of polyester as its durability will withstand any wayward sticks, stones or tent pegs in your bag or under your tent. One thing you want to make certain of in the inflatables range is that the headrest is up to scratch comfort-wise, the details of which we'll get into below.
As camping pillows spend a good proportion of their working hours helping to improve your night's sleep, their comfort is of the utmost importance. Compressing pillows score highly in this department by showing up with very similar feels to your cherished at-home bedding – some even come equipped with a fitted pillowcase.
Unfortunately, inflatable types are prone to skimping on this feature. Imagine those plastic, squeaky, inflatable mattresses or a cheap inflatable football and that's what some brands are still running with.
Luckily, the market-leading brands left those sticky, plastic types by the wayside a good few years ago. You're better off investing in a top-tier inflatable with a foam, thermo, canvas or polyester outer as these will give your head a fuzzy feeling of comfort while resting on nothing but air.
Most compressible pillows mould to one's head shape anyway thanks to their foam inners, so any ergonomic design features relate more to the inflatable kind. This is important because, at their very core, these pillows aren't much more than a sack you fill with air, plug up and sleep on.
One modern feature that is sure to make you run, skip, sing and jump in the morning is an ergonomic headrest. These help to keep your head from rolling off the pillow on a downward trajectory to a cold, hard awakening.
Each brand will design their ergonomic headrests a little differently, but for the most part, they work best with a simple dipped middle or with the sides brought slightly up. Of course, this shape won't appeal to everyone, so you'll still have the choice of an inflatable with a flatter, smooth headrest more like a regular pillow.
Counting not just each kilo but also each gram is part and parcel of being a clued-up backpacker or hiker. Basically, any adventurist type who is carrying their whole kit on their back is going to start becoming fanatical about its weight.
If this sounds like you or someone you intend to set off on your adventure with, then finding the lightest camping pillow is a must – around the 100 g mark is what you'll want to be looking for. And yes, you could bet your last can of beans that these lightweight pillows will be of the inflatable kind.
Another aspect that simply cannot be ignored is the dimensions. This will give you an idea of how much pillow space you'll have (which can sometimes be less than expected) along with how well it packs. Although not always included, the folded size will also prick the ears of any avid adventurist who loves squeezing their gear into the smallest bag possible.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jökel Inflatable Camping Pillow | ![]() | An Epic Memory Foam Pillow Stacked With Unique Features | |
2 | Klymit Drift Camping Pillow | ![]() | Reversible Shell for Cotton Comfort and Clever Packing | |
3 | Thermarest Large Compressible Pillow | ![]() | Give Your Head a Familiar, Comforting Place to Rest | |
4 | Hikenture Ultralight Camping Pillow | ![]() | A Premium Inflatable With Removable Soft Cotton Cover | |
5 | Vango Deep Sleep Thermo Pillow | ![]() | Insulated With a Comfy and Breathable Cover | |
6 | Quecha Compressible Camping Pillow | ![]() | Feel at One With Lavishly Soft Memory Foam | |
7 | Trekology Inflatable Camping Pillow | ![]() | Ergonomic and Adaptable for Back, Front or Side Sleepers | |
8 | Vango Self-Inflating Camping Pillow | ![]() | Save Your Lungs With This Self-Inflating Pillow | |
9 | Trespass Snoozefest Camping Pillow | ![]() | Inexpensive Polyester That Packs Tight Into a Bag | |
10 | Quecha Inflatable Camping Pillow | ![]() | A Basic Inflatable for Savvy Campers on a Budget |
Family-run Swedish brand Jökel are new to the outdoor and camping equipment scene, being founded only a few years ago. However, this infancy hasn't stopped them from making superior products and, in turn, ruffling a few feathers of the more established outdoor brands.
This is a premium product through and through. The construction includes a multi-function valve for customised sizing along with a memory foam layer and a cationic cotton cover. Including the carry bag, it packs down into a mere 102 g, resulting in a shining example of what a high-functioning camping pillow can represent.
Filled with shredded memory foam, the Klymit compressible camping pillow is a comforting force to be reckoned with. The removable and reversible cotton-polyester blend cover has all the necessary hallmarks to trick you into feeling like you're resting at home.
The pillow folds down into itself and comes with a strap to keep it packed. This is the kind of product that is uncompromising in its sumptuous ideals of bringing comfort to the campsite above all else. Give your head the comforting Klymit touch, because, you know, it's worth it!
Thermarest have rested at nothing to bring this green-minded product to the market for the environmentally-conscious folk. By upcycling excess foam from mattress production, their range is helping to reduce landfill waste with each and every pillow bought.
Packing down into its own cover eliminates the need for an extra carry bag and keeps the weight low at just 300 g. The brushed polyester cover is irresistibly soft to touch too, and its earthy-toned pattern gives it a fun, homely edge that most camping pillows lack.
Hikenture's inflatable pillow is an excellent choice for hiking and backpacking campers who want their gear to be light and easily packed but with a certain level of comfort too. Featuring a removable soft cotton cover, you'll be getting all the plush sleeping feels with this one.
The ergonomic design has been shaped in such a manner that it eliminates the chance of your head rolling off in the night while still maintaining a relatively 'normal' pillow shape. The removable cover is also washable, perfect for any rugged campers or festival-goers.
Scottish-born Vango aren't just about the self-inflating camping goods. Their large yet relatively light 'Deep Sleep' pillow features hollow fibre insulation for added warmth alongside a soft polyester outer shell.
This makes it a great inflatable for the comfort-focused campers who don't fancy the compressible options. The fast flow valve will have you filling the inner sack quick smart, saving you time for the more fun aspects of camping, like everything else!
Another inclusion by the mighty and well-priced Quecha, this compressing camping pillow is all about bringing a little slice of luxury to the campsite. The construction includes a memory foam inner with a polyester and cotton outer shell destined to make your head feel right at home.
Quecha haven't skimped on the size of this pillow either, in fact, it has the largest surface area of all our picks. However, this increased size also makes it the weightiest at 570 g, so it's better suited to drive-up car camping than anything else.
Trekology's inflatable pillow has plenty of ergonomic features to give you a secure night's rest whether you sleep on your front, back or side. Featuring a ribbed and dipped headrest in addition to raised sides, your head certainly won't be falling victim to any ill-fated falls during the night.
The unique addition of slip-resistant rubber dots on the underside only adds to its thoughtful design, plus, weighing just over the desirable 100 g mark makes it suitable for backpacking too. The only hitch is that it may actually be too secure for campers who prefer to find their own groove.
Much like the best camping mats, the Vango self-inflating pillow saves your lungs by inflating itself with a special valve that sucks air in, instead of letting it out. This unique design makes it a great pick for campers who prefer to let their gear do all the work – especially those planning on hiking to their spots.
It packs tight into the included carry bag to weigh 244 g, which is light for a compressing pillow, but the heaviest of the inflating pillows on this list. The brushed polyester top fabric will at least feel reasonably soft, but no headrest has been built into the product.
UK-owned and operated Trespass are another widely popular outdoor clothing brand that make great value-for-money products. The Trespass compressible camping pillow is a solid option for people wanting to spend around £10.
Featuring an all-polyester construction, this pillow includes a soft, built-in cover, while the carry bag means it's easily packable as well. One note of concern is that, at 180 g, it weighs very little, which for a compressing pillow instructs that it's unlikely to prop your head up very much. It's also quite small at 35 x 23 cm.
Quecha are Decathlon's signature camping brand who are in the business of offering savvy campers decent gear for more than decent prices. This is their entry-level inflatable camping pillow that features a simple dipped headrest and fibre outer.
The fibre outer ensures a certain level of non-stick but sadly, it leaves a lot of comfort to the imagination. One way around this would be to place a jumper or t-shirt over the pillow before laying your head to rest. This is a basic product that will do its job well but nothing more.
No. 1: Jökel|Inflatable Camping Pillow
No. 2: Klymit|Drift Camping Pillow
No. 3: Thermarest|Large Compressible Pillow
No. 4: Hikenture|Ultralight Camping Pillow
No. 5: Vango|Deep Sleep Thermo Pillow
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