If you camp, backpack, or even enjoy more luxurious ‘camping’ experiences in a glamping tent, RV, or camper trailer, you still want to consider packing light without sacrificing comfort. Advances in material technologies have introduced a wide range of lightweight, insulating, and compact designs for all your packing needs when on the road creating adventures. Bedding in particular has grown in leaps and bounds in the last decade, and we want to explore a commonly overlooked item in this article: the camping pillow.
When looking to condense your camping items into a smaller, easier to carry and store pack, many people leave out pillows due to their bulk, shape, and size. It is much easier to use rolled up packs or stuff clothing into a pillowcase as a makeshift option, however, this isn’t always a very comfortable choice. You don’t want to be stiff and sore during your adventure, you want to enjoy it. That’s why we have compiled a list of some of the best camping pillows for you to take a closer look at.
| Rank | Product | Highlights | Warranty |
| #1 |  REDCAMP Outdoor Camping Pillow
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| #2 |  TREKOLOGY Ultralight Inflatable Camping Travel Pillow
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| #3 |  Klymit Luxe Pillow – Lightweight Luxurious Inflatable Travel Pillow
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| #4 |  Cozy Hut Portable Memory Foam Camping Pillow
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| #5 |  COOP Home Goods Camping Pillow with Bamboo Cover
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Camping Pillows Defined
Camping pillows are specially designed for travel and are generally made of lightweight, compact materials that can be minimized and easily packed without taking up too much room. The various styles allow you to pick and choose what is most comfortable and supportive, and provide options to clip, roll, deflate, or compress for easy portability. They are often specific to supporting one sleep position (back, side, or stomach) and many can be adjusted for your needs.
Camping Pillow Styles
Surprisingly enough, there are various pillow designs and styles for all your camping needs. Everything from backpacking, where you need to pack as lightweight as possible, to glamping preferences are supported through the different shapes and sizes offered by quality companies.
Compressible Foam
Foam that compresses easily when you roll it provides a quick and easy way to supply a supportive and comfortable place to lay your head in one neat, compact package. Once unrolled they poof back up, but can weigh a bit more than other options simply due to the density of the foam.
Down or Fiberfill
Down alternative, fiberfill, and down feathers are durable, compressible, and lightweight. Casings that contain these options generally fit well into compression sacks and provide a comfortable pillow each night.
Inflatable
Both self-inflating and pump style inflating pillows are usually the most lightweight and compact option you can find. For backpacking, the self-inflating choices are the best to avoid having to bring a pump. They also are surprisingly durable.
Folding
Folding style options are compact, but not always the best choice for when weight and size matters. They are perfect for camping trailer, rv, and tent camping, but aren’t often used when backpacking.
Pillow Case
If any type of travel pillow is simply too much bulk, you can also consider a travel pillowcase that provides you the ability to stuff it with your own clothing. These have a tendency to be adjustable and more compact than traditional pillowcases to ensure you can provide the support you need.
Camping Pillow Benefits
When space and weight is a commodity, a camping pillow is so much more comfortable than using packs or clothing to help support their head each night. Sleeping with proper support is crucial to your physical and mental health as well, and nobody wants to have their travels interrupted by body aches and pains, or poor sleep.
Hauling around your full-size pillows is also inconvenient, even when using a camper trailer or RV. It is simply one more thing to think of packing, and the use of a travel pillow allows you to keep it in place and stored with the rest of your gear; ready to go when you are. Plus, by doing so, you aren’t likely to forget it.
Camping Pillow Considerations
As with any type of pillow purchase, you do want to find one that will support your sleep position well, as well as your camping style preferences.
How do you sleep?
Although most stomach sleepers truly don’t need a pillow, back and side sleepers need the support a pillow lends to their head and neck to influence proper spinal alignment. Back sleepers need a fairly narrow pillow that supports their neck, while side sleepers need a loftier choice to provide both head and neck support in line with their spine.
When do you camp?
If you camp during the heat of the year, you may want to choose natural fibers that influence airflow and polyfills that help create a cooling sensation. Foams and plastics do not breath well, and can create heat sinks, although inflatable choices may stay cooler as well. For colder climates choose foam options, as well as softly compressional fills for insulating purposes.
What is your camping preference?
Backpackers and those who only have so much packing space and weight will want to consider what each product has to offer. Some can attach outside a pack, so size may not be so much an issue as weight. While others may compress down to a small pack to fit inside your bags. If you travel with a trailer or rv, larger choices may be a solution as well.
Our Top Camping Pillow Picks
These options are some of the best we have found and provide various styles, shapes, and comfort levels so you can choose the most comfortable and convenient for your needs. Supported by quality consumer reviews, these are considered some of the most durable and useful options camping companies have to offer.
REDCAMP Outdoor Camping Pillow
Specs:
- Filling- poly fiberfill
- Size- 20 x 12 inches
- Weight- 11.2 ounces
- Warranty- 1 year
Best Traditional Pillow Style Camping Pillow
REDCAMP consistently hit the top of the list when searching for a quality camping pillow. It is designed for any type of camping and weighs in at only .7 lbs. It also expands to 20×12 inches- making it similar to a more traditional pillow in both size and feel. What’s best is that it stuffs down into a compact size with help from the included compression stuff sack.
It is a good choice for back and stomach sleepers, and can be bunched up for side sleep support as well. The cotton flannel case is removable for laundering which makes it ideal for outdoor use.
Pros
- Great pillow size
- Compresses easily and lightweight
- Washable cover is a bonus
Cons
- Slightly thin overall
Who Should Purchase This Pillow
Although it may be slightly soft for side sleepers, this is an ideal choice for both weight and size for all camping needs.
TREKOLOGY Ultralight Inflatable Camping Travel Pillow
Specs:
- Filling- Air
- Size- 16 x 12 inches
- Weight- 3.4 ounces
- Warranty- 100% lifetime guarantee
Best Inflatable Camping Pillow
The TREKOLOGY camping pillow is a backpackers dream in that it weighs only 3.4 ounces and can go from 5×2 inch travel size to a comfortable 16 x 2-inch full size with just 3 to 5 puffs of air. It is fully adjustable and actually provides a decompression button so you can let the air out in small intervals until you find the perfect comfort for your sleep position.
The slightly depressed surface helps hold your head where it belongs no matter whether you sleep on your stomach, side, or back. It also can be used for lumbar support when driving or sitting. The non-slip backing keeps it in place as well, and the velvet feel of the velour surface is gentle on your skin. It also easily wipes clean.
Pros
- Easy to adjust
- Incredibly lightweight
- Durable and long-lasting
Cons
- Slight off-gassing
Who Should Purchase This Pillow
When you need the most compact, lightweight option possible, this is an excellent suggestion. The adjustability and size make it well worth considering.
Klymit Luxe Pillow – Lightweight Luxurious Inflatable Travel Pillow
Specs:
- Filling- Air
- Size- 25 x 22 inches
- Weight- 6.2 ounces
- Warranty- Lifetime guarantee
Best Full-Size Inflatable Travel Pillow
When you are not interested in sacrificing pillow size when camping, this is the choice you want to consider. This full-size pillow expands to 25 x 22 inches with just 3 to 5 breaths, yet packs into a 3 x 7-inch compact space and weighs only 6.2 ounces.
Wrapped in a soft, quilted material, this pillow is fully adjustable and provides you the opportunity to feel like you have a more traditional pillow on hand. The cover also can be removed for washing, and the inside is durable and wipes clean as well.
Pros
- Easy to pack and quick to inflate
- Washable softcover is a nice touch
- Wipes clean easily
Cons
- A little longer to pack than similar items
Who Should Purchase This Pillow
Inflatable pillows are amongst the best for lightweight packing, and this is no exception. Plus the overall size makes it ideal for anyone requiring more support.
Cozy Hut Portable Memory Foam Camping Pillow
Specs:
- Filling- Memory foam
- Size- 16.5 x 8 inches
- Weight- 16 ounces
- Warranty- 30-day distributor returns
Best Memory Foam Camping Pillow
The Cozy Hut Portable Camp Pillow is a comfortable 16.5 x 8-inch sleep surface that compresses to only 8 x 5 inches in the included stuff sack. Weighing only 1 lb, it is one of the most lightweight foam travel pillows you can find. Plus, the contoured surface allows you to adjust to all your sleep position needs.
Covered in soft velour, it also is layered with a thin inner cover to help protect the foam. Both are removable and machine washable. This layer helps support better airflow for a cooler, more comfortable sleep.
Pros
- Very contouring and supportive
- Easy to clean
- Doesn’t flatten when used
Cons
- May be too thick for some people
Who Should Purchase This Pillow
Great for travel, this is a good choice in various situations and provides unparalleled comfort for all sleep positions.
COOP Home Goods Camping Pillow with Bamboo Cover
Specs:
- Filling- Shredded memory foam
- Size- 19 x 14 inches
- Weight- 32 ounces
- Warranty- 30-day guarantee
Best Adjustable, Foam Camping Pillow
COOP Home Goods markets one of the first adjustable pillows made from shredded foam wrapped in a cooling, breathable bamboo cover. Their travel size option is just like the larger version, only much more compact and easily portable. With a full size of 19 x 14 inches, it stuffs down into a mere 10 X 4-inch sack for travel.
At 32 ounces it is easy to carry and easy to pack if you have the room. But as a tent, trailer, or RV option, it is unbeatable. The cover is removable, but the entire pillow can be laundered when needed as well.
Pros
- Awesome adjustability
- Easy to clean
- Compact and comfortable
Cons
- Adjusting may take some practice
Who Should Purchase This Pillow
This tiny version of the company’s best selling standard pillow provides full adjustability for any and all sleep positions. Lightweight, also is fairly compact, although may not be best for backpacking purposes.
When comfort is a must, this smaller version of a best seller is well worth considering for any sleep position on any camping trip.
Conclusion
The use of a travel pr camping pillow when embarking on adventures is a great way to support your rest each night. These various designs are comfortable, and most are easy to adjust to provide you the comfort you need. Getting a good night’s rest helps keep you moving and enjoying whatever vacation or time away you have planned, and all are compact for easy portability and storage. Choose your favorite and let us know below!