Best Overall:Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow

Best Stuff Sack Pillow:Zpacks Pillow Dry Bag

Runner-Up Stuff Sack Pillow:Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow

Best Compressible Pillow:Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow

Best Luxury Backpacking Pillow:NEMO Fillo Elite Pillow

Best Washable Pillow:Therm-a-Rest Airhead

Best Ultralight Pillow:Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow

Best Pillow Accessory: Pillow Strap

We tested every backpacking pillow with comfort, weight, and durability top-of-mind. The best backpacking pillows featured here excelled across those three metrics.

Every pillow was weighed and then tested as part of our typical backcountry sleep system, where we paid attention to fabric softness and thickness, inflation levels, valve construction, washability, packed size, and more to determine the top overall picks.

DIMENSIONS:
13.4 x 9.4 x 4.3 in / 34 x 24 x 11 cm (Regular)
16.8 x 11.8 x 5.1 in / 42 x 30 x 13 cm (Large)
23.5 x 16 x 5.5 in / 60 x 41 x 14 cm (Deluxe)

WEIGHT:
2.7 oz / 77 grams (Regular)
4.0 oz / 114 grams (Large)
6.9 oz / 196 g (Deluxe)

FILL TYPE: Air (with a synthetic fill layer between the pillowcase and air bladder)

PRICE: $$

✅ Lightweight

✅ Comfortable

❌ May not be high enough for all side sleepers

❌ Can be punctured

❌ Prone to pressure spots

At Ultimate Gear Lists, the Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow is our favourite backpacking pillow. This pillow is epic! We take it on all our multi-day adventures, regardless of the expected temps, location, or the remainder of our sleep system (e.g. quilt, sleeping bag, etc).

We believe the Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow provides the perfect compromise between weight and comfort. 

In the regular size — which is the size we’d recommend for all backpackers — this pillow weighs in at just 2.7 ounces (77 grams). That is amazingly light for how much comfort this pillow manages to pack in!

The brushed polyester pillowcase is soft to the touch, and much more comfortable than the material of a sleeping bag hood, dry sack, or other make-shift pillow. Couple that with the thin layer of synthetic fill located between the air bladder and the pillowcase and — for its weight — this is one plush ride. However, unlike other pillows on this list, the Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow does not feature baffled air cells, which could lead to pressure hot spots for some sleepers. 

The polyester material is also comfortable in sweaty or damp conditions. And although after a long trip the top layer may start to smell a bit funky — this can’t be blamed on the pillow! — and it’s easy to just hand wash this pillow with a little soap and air dry it. The thin pillowcase and thin synthetic mean that it dries in no time.

The Aeros Premium uses a multi-function valve for inflation / deflation. This works well and allows you to inflate the pillow using one or two big breaths and deflate the pillow in about one second. The valve also allows you to dial in the exact amount of air pressure you desire. Personally we find it most comfortable when the pillow is not quite fully inflated since this provides more stability when laying our head down.

We believe the Aeros Premium is suitable for both back and side sleepers. If you are a side sleeper who has broad shoulders and/or prefers a thick pillow then you may want to consider the large size, or look elsewhere, but for most backpackers the regular size is fine. If you are exclusively a stomach sleeper, then this probably isn’t the pillow for you — but then again — perhaps no pillow is.

Although there are the occasional reports of faulty valves or easy punctures, these seem rare, and we’ve had absolutely no issues with our Aeros Premium. After several years of use, this pillow is still going strong. In any case, Sea to Summit offers a lifetime warranty and seem reliable at following through with any warranty claims.

Included with the purchase of this pillow is a lightweight tiny stuff sack with a drawstring. Personally, we find it easier to just deflate the pillow and throw it into the same dry sack where we store our sleeping bag.

DIMENSIONS (when laid flat, unrolled):
18.8 x 10.0 in / 48 x 25 cm (Medium)
19.8 x 11.3 in / 50 x 29 cm (Medium-Plus)

WEIGHT:
1.4 oz / 40 grams (Medium)
1.8 oz / 51 grams (Medium-Plus) 

FILL TYPE: None (fill it with clothes)

PRICE: $$

✅ Ultralight

✅ Pillow can’t be punctured

❌ Not that comfortable

❌ No spare clothes = No pillow

The Zpacks Pillow Dry Bag is a great solution to a common problem. Most backpackers have — at one time or another — filled a stuff sack with clothes and used that as their cushion-like pillow. But if you’ve done that, you’ll likely know how uncomfortable the sticky, sweaty, drool-non-absorbing, feel of water resistant nylon is. 

So Zpacks thought… why not take our medium-sized dry sack — supplied free with all sleeping bag purchases — and line the inside of it with soft micro fleece. 

The outcome? Every backpacker’s dream. Namely, a multi-functional piece of kit! By day, this dry sack is used to store your sleeping bag, and by night it becomes a luxury addition to your overall sleep system. Simply turn the dry sack inside out, fill it with whatever spare clothes you have available, roll the top down, clip it, and you’re good to go.

Since you are likely to be carrying a dry sack for your sleeping bag anyway (or at least you should be!), the weight penalty for this pillow really only amounts to 0.7 ounces (20 grams). In other words, the weight of the piece of fleece.

The micro fleece used on this pillow is soft, and we find it comfortable against our skin. The manufacturing standard is also high. The fleece is sewn in with awesome craftsmanship, and all seams are taped so that the dry sack remains fully waterproof. Even though we have been pulling our sleeping bag in and out of this dry bag for several years with little care or patience, the fleece lining hasn’t ever torn or separated at the seams. 

It seems like this Zpacks Pillow Dry Bag will go the distance. There are downsides though. First, this pillow is only ever going to be as comfortable as the clothes you stuff inside it. The upside of course is that most clothes are soft. Nonetheless, the pillow can sometimes get lumpy or lack support. Which brings us to the next downside…

You need to have spare clothes! 

In colder climates we will often sleep with all of our hiking clothes on (except for maybe our stinky hiking socks and potentially muddy trousers). This is common practice amongst lightweight backpackers since it means you don’t need to carry unnecessary quantities of spare clothes. But if you don’t have spare clothes, you don’t have a pillow. 

Lastly, the Zpacks Pillow Dry Bag is relatively expensive. If you are in the market for a cuben fiber dry sack anyway (they are lighter than sil-nylon dry sacks and just as waterproof) or if you are purchasing a sleeping bag from Zpacks, then the extra few dollars to upgrade to a fleece-lined Zpacks Pillow Dry Bag is a bargain and — we believe — a worthwhile investment. 

But, if you aren’t planning on purchasing a cuben fiber dry sack anytime soon, then the cost for what amounts to a thin layer of fleece may be too much to swallow for some.

DIMENSIONS (when laid flat): 17 x 12 in / 43 x 30 cm 

WEIGHT: 1.7 oz / 48 grams 

FILL TYPE: None (fill it with clothes)

PRICE: $$$

✅ Ultralight

✅ Pillow can’t be punctured

❌ Not that comfortable

❌ No spare clothes = No pillow

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow is based on the same design principle as the Zpacks Pillow Dry Bag described above. 

In short, this a cuben fiber dry sack with a fleece lining sewn along one half of the inside. Flip it inside out, stuff it with clothes, zip it back up, and you’re good to go.

As with all HMG gear, this is a high quality piece of kit made with care and offered with a one year warranty against defects or workmanship (this is the same warranty as offered by Zpacks).

The key difference between the HMG and Zpacks offerings is the type of closure used. The HMG Pillow Stuff Sack uses a water-resistant #5 YKK zipper located about half way down the stuff sack, whereas the Zpacks option uses a typical dry sack style roll top with a clip closure.

This means that the HMG stuff sack is going to be less suitable for storing your sleeping bag, and more suitable for storing clothes or something similar. This may make more sense for a pillow stuff sack, since you are going to be stuffing clothes into it during the night anyway, but really it’s all much of a muchness, and it just comes down to personal preference as to how you want to arrange and pack your gear.

DIMENSIONS:
15 x 11 x 5 in / 38 x 28 x 13 cm (Small)
18 x 13 x 6 in / 46 x 33 x 15 cm (Medium)

WEIGHT:
7 oz / 200 grams (Small)
10 oz / 283 grams (Medium)

FILL TYPE: Compressible foam (upcycled from manufacturing their sleeping pads!)

PRICE: $$

✅ Comfortable

✅ Durable

✅ Inexpensive

❌ Bulky and heavy relative to lightweight options

❌ No protective cover

❌ Could feel too soft and lumpy for some

The Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow is one of the most comfortable backpacking pillows you’ll find. This is owing to its use of compressible foam — to provide support — rather than any inflatable chamber.

The brushed polyester used for the face fabric is soft against the skin. The combination of the soft face fabric and the soft compressible foam results in a pillow that is not only comfortable, but also quiet to sleep on — something that many other backpacking pillows can’t claim! The foam also helps to cradle your head so that you don’t feel as though you are balancing atop a beach ball. However, if you prefer a firmer pillow, the Therm-a-Rest Compressible may feel too soft for your preferences.

The obvious downside of using foam as opposed to an inflatable chamber is that the packed size of the pillow is larger… and by that, I mean much larger. You can expect a 5-10x increase in packed volume relative to some of the ultralight inflatable pillows.

Having said that, it isn’t at all infeasible to fit the Therm-a-Rest Compressible in your backpack. The packed volume of the small size is somewhere just over two liters. So if you have a reasonable volume backpack, or are just heading on a weekender, then it might be fine. On the other hand, for ultralight backpackers with a smaller volume backpack the packed size might be an issue.

Additionally, unlike inflatable pillows, the Therm-a-Rest Compressible cannot be adjusted to suit your pillow firmness preferences. For some, this pillow may feel too soft, leaving you with no option to add a little more air to increase the firmness.

This pillow boasts 5 inches of vertical support. But due to the compressible foam, much of that evaporates once you place your head on it. In its natural form it is more suited to front and back sleepers. But if you’re a side sleeper, we’ve found that you can fold the pillow in half over itself (even with the small size) and get enough support to comfortably sleep on your side.

This makes it pretty flexible — being one of the few backpacking pillows that can easily transition between front to side sleeping without too much hassle. Most inflatable pillows require plenty of air for side sleeping, and then need to be partially deflated for front sleeping — but you can’t do that transition in the middle of the night. Whereas switching the Therm-a-Rest Compressible between flat and folded is easy to do and means you have a comfortable and supportive pillow no matter how much you toss and turn during the night.

At 7 ounces, and with a slightly larger packed size, the Therm-a-Rest Compressible might be too much of a stretch for some. But if you are willing to accept the slight weight and volume penalty, it is a super comfortable, quiet, and inexpensive pillow to take backpacking — perfect for the weekend backpacker or those who value a good night’s sleep.

DIMENSIONS: 15 x 11 x 3 in / 38 x 28 cm x 7.6 cm

WEIGHT: 3 oz / 85 grams

FILL TYPE: 3 inch air chamber + PrimaLoft insulation

PRICE: $$$

✅ Very comfortable

❌ Heavier than other inflatable pillows

Although the NEMO Fillo Elite Pillow is not as light as our favorite inflatable backpacking pillows, it makes up for the modest addition in weight with supreme comfort and usability. If you are a backpacker who prioritises comfort over weight, then this pillow may be just what you were looking for. It is also a great choice for travelling, car camping, bike touring, or kayaking trips.

The Fillo Elite consists of an inflatable chamber that allows you to choose exactly how much air pressure you want inside the pillow. That means that it is suitable for front, back or side sleepers, since you can dial in the perfect height for your sleeping style.

The inflatable chamber is complemented by a layer of PrimaLoft Insulation. This is the real joy of this pillow, since it leads to a much softer, more dreamy and more stable ride than the other (lightweight) inflatables on our list like the Sea to Summit Aeros Premium. This layer of insulation also improves the durability of the NEMO Fillo, offering a protective layer against punctures.

The microsuede pillow case is a joy to sleep on. And the pillow packs down nicely  into an integrated stuff sack. But, if you’re after real luxury, to hell with pack weight you could also consider the standard NEMO Fillo. It is triple the weight, but features a full inch of memory foam for a comfort rating that is truly unbeatable.

Regardless, If you want to ensure a good night’s sleep on your next outdoor adventure while keeping your pack weight down, then the NEMO Fillo Elite Pillow is your ticket.

DIMENSIONS: 11 x 15.5 x 4 in (length/width/height) / 28 x 39  x 10 cm

WEIGHT: 5.85 oz / 165.8 grams

FILL TYPE: Air chamber and eraLoft Synthetic Insulation

PRICE: $$$

✅ Removeable

✅ machine-washable cover

❌ Twist valve makes full inflation difficult

Therm-a-Rest’s Airhead pillow provides backpackers with a relatively lightweight and compact option to get a great night’s sleep. Featuring a synthetic-fill top and a brushed polyester exterior, this pillow is soft and plush against your skin. A key feature of the Airhead pillow is the removable, machine-washable cover, making it easy to toss in the wash along with all your other stinky gear at the end of a trip.

At four inches tall when fully inflated, the Airhead is one of the taller backpacking pillows on the market, making this a good option for side sleepers who prefer a higher pillow. The slight curve at the base of the pillow also offers increased comfort. The Airhead also features a baffled core which helps to reduce pressure hot spots and provide increased stability. However, when fully inflated the pillow’s thickness can feel like overkill, not unlike sleeping on top of a balloon.  

While the twist valve makes it quick and easy to let out a little air in the middle of the night, it also means that you must blow and twist simultaneously in order to fully inflate. If you prefer a fully-inflated pillow, you may prefer a pillow with a one-way valve, like the Sea to Summit Premium Pillow.

Overall, the Therm-a-Rest Airhead is a good pick for those who prefer a taller pillow and don’t mind a little extra weight and expense for increased comfort and convenience.

DIMENSIONS: 13.4 x 9.4 x 4.3 in | 34 x 24 x 11 cm (regular)

WEIGHT: 2.02 oz / 57.5 grams (regular)

FILL TYPE: Air chamber

PRICE: $$$

✅ Extremely light

✅ well-designed multi-use valve

❌ No plush layer

❌ Feels less secure

Ultralight backpackers will appreciate the size and weight of Sea to Summit’s Aeros Ultralight Pillow. At only 2.02 ounces (57.5 grams), including the stuff sack, this pillow won’t take up valuable space or significantly add to the overall weight of your pack. If weight is your priority, it’s hard to beat the Aeros. 

Inflating and deflating the Aeros Ultralight Pillow is effortless due to Sea to Summit’s signature multi-use valve. No more frantic twisting to prevent the escape of air! The multi-use valve makes this pillow easy to adjust according to your preferences. Covered with stretch-knit polyester, the surface of this pillow is soft and touchable. The Aeros Ultralight Pillow also features a welded construction to ensure durability on long, rugged trips. 

The lack of additional padding on the surface of the pillow saves precious grams. Its minimalist design results in a more wobbly feel than some fluffier pillows, like the NEMO Fillo Elite. While this pillow may feel a little less plush than other, heavier options, the thoughtful baffling and the scalloped shape still provide a comfortable enough experience. However, if you are a sensitive sleeper or are easily bothered by the sensation of using a balloon as a pillow, you may want to trade a few extra grams for something a little more plush.

DIMENSIONS: 3.75 x 1.5 inches / 9.5 x 3.8 cm (small)

WEIGHT: 1.8 oz / 51 grams

PRICE: $$$

✅ Washable

✅ Convenient

❌ Expensive

❌ Made of uncomfortable nylon

Say goodbye to the infuriating problem of the vanishing pillow. No longer will your precious night’s sleep be interrupted because your pillow betrayed your head by slipping away in the middle of the night. That’s the sales pitch made by Pillow Strap — a pillow case that securely straps to your sleeping mat to keep your pillow in place all night long. 

With a variety of sizes and colours, Pillow Strap will fit most backpacking pillows and sleeping mats. The Pillow Strap serves an additional purpose in that it protects your backpacking pillow from your grimy face and can be easily hand-washed at the end of a trip. Made primarily with Nylon, the Pillow Strap fabric is arguably less comfortable than pillows made with polyester because nylon doesn’t absorb moisture and can get sticky and slippery. If your pillow features soft polyester, you may want to think twice before covering it up with sticky nylon.

However, at $50 - $62 and 2 ounces, the Pillow Strap costs and weighs as much as some backpacking pillows themselves. Alternatively, the Pillow Strap can also be stuffed with clothing to act as a makeshift pillow. However, if you are the type of backpacker who opts to use balled-up clothing instead of a dedicated backpacking pillow, you likely won’t appreciate the added weight of the Pillow Strap when one of your stuff sacks could do the job almost as well. Regardless of your choice of pillow strategy, whether or not the price of the Pillow Strap warrants the added convenience of pillow stability is up to you.