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WASABI

Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow

$25.95

(54)

Item # 766035

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Brimming with light, soft support, this inflatable pillow offers the ultimate in packable comfort.

Inflatable air core is surrounded by soft, synthetic fill for customizable support
Weighing less than 4 oz., this pillow packs down to the size of a baseball in its ripstop nylon stuff sack (included)
Pillow sports a cozy microfiber shell on one side and a ripstop nylon shell on the other
Easy-to-use twist valve facilitates rapid inflation and deflation

Imported.

Item 766035

View all Cocoon products

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Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow

3.4

(based on 54 reviews)

62%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Lightweight (50)
Compact (49)
Easy to pack (45)
Comfortable (38)
Durable (12)

Cons

Narrow / tight (5)
Tear easily (4)
Slippery (3)

Best Uses

Backcountry camping (42)
Camping (21)
Road trips (15)
Day trip (9)
Kayak / canoe / rafting (6)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid adventurer (34), Casual/ recreational (10), Casual adventurer (6)
- What Is Your Gear Style:
- Survivalist / minimalist (30), Comfort driven (21)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (21)

Reviewed by 54 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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Sep

2010

(29 of 31 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

They ALMOST have something special here

By Lafe Hubert

from Chicago, ILL

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable

Cons

Airbag not durable
Leaks air eventually
Sooner or later will fail
Too thin

Best Uses

If you have a backup
Packs SUPER small
SUPER light

Comments about Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow:

I've read about this pillow and how they have problems. Yesterday I found one at the REI Garage Sale for a whole Ninety-Three Cents, and decided to buy it to deconstruct it and see what it is all about.

The REI return tag said "Didn't stay Inflated" and I believed them. But for under a buck it was worth the effort just to take it apart and see what was inside. The return tag said it was returned in August but I don't know when the member purchased it or how old it was when it was returned. It did look like new and still had that "new" smell.

It wasn't hard to unstitch the spot where they stuffed in the inflatable bag at the factory into the pillow case and take it back out for inspection and possible repair.

What this revealed (see attached picture) was a VERY thin plastic bag that wasn't much thicker than a heavy-duty garbage bag. It was made out of some sort of semi-self-healing rubberized plastic which made the job of finding the smaller holes VERY difficult. Even in the sink under water some of the holes would only leak if you pulled at the material JUST RIGHT -but leak they would when pressure was applied (eventually).

I used Slime-brand "skab" bicycle tube patches and put almost a whole kit's worth (five of six) on all the holes I could find. They worked very well -Yeah, I know how much these kits cost but this was an experiment :-D

I think I might have got them all as it has been holding air with a big book on the bag for a while now. It seems to me that this material is very thin and can be easily damaged. Any more weight on this pillow than just your head when it is inflated and it will surely stress the inner air-bag and cause it to stress-fracture at the seams and elsewhere.

It's a VERY neat idea but the material used in the airbag is just TOO THIN for it to have any real longevity in real-world use, IMHO. I think I've got it fixed now but I wouldn't trust this pillow not to fail again sooner or later -probably sooner. I sure as heck wouldn't take it out into the wilderness without a backup plan which pretty much negates the usefulness (light and packs VERY small) of this neat pillow idea.

At under a buck it was worth the hour of fun I spent deconstructing it and repairing the inner airbag. I can't blame the member who originally returned this pillow after it leaked when they (probably) paid full retail for it -I would have too! I wouldn't want to spend a lot of money on something that just isn't made tough enough to last in the field. Sooner or later it's going to get rolled over onto, or kneeled on in the tent, so that more than just the weight of your head is resting on it and the inner airbag just won't be able to take it. Looking at it "naked" I can't see that it could take much abuse at all. Pillows need to take abuse -that's what they are for.

I suspect there are two kinds of people reviewing this pillow. Those that have had one fail and deflate on them, and those who have not YET had this happen to them. If you are super careful and have a good amount of luck it might last for a week or so in the field. But I wouldn't count on it.

I hope that the newer models have addressed (or soon will) this with a thicker inner airbag. It's all that this thing needs to be a 5-star item. I'm tempted to take a plastic bag from an emptied box-o-wine and use that inside this pillow case -although it wouldn't have the baffles inside that this airbag has in order to keep it from bulging in the middle.

This pillow is definitely coming with me to Peru next month for a torture test. I'll see how long it lasts before it fails again -but I'll have a back-up plan just in case. With so little invested I won't cry if it doesn't come back.

Jun

2008

(11 of 14 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

Not so much

By NikosDad

from Berkeley, CA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Compact
Easy to pack
Lightweight

Cons

Poor Quality

Best Uses

Comments about Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow:

I was very excited to see this product, and begin using it. The pillow compresses down to the size of a soda can, with almost no weight. After inflating the pillow, I found it quite comfortable.

Trouble is, halfway through the night there was no air left. I actually bought two of these pillows, and had the same problem with both. I inflated them again, making sure that the valve was tightly sealed, but the air still escaped. So, I will be returning these and buying more traditional compressible pillows.

Jun

2009

(8 of 8 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

better than anything else

By urban escapee

from Long Beach, CA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Compact
Easy to pack
Lightweight

Cons

Slippery

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Backpacking

Comments about Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow:

I was super-hesitant to buy this pillow having read all the other reviews here but I was just so fed up with other (more common) brands/methods of head support that I decided I had to give it a chance and develop my own opinion. My first complaint about other pillows was how much space they took in my backpack even when fully compressed. This pillow packs down very nicely to about the size of a tennis ball which was my first consideration in making the purchase. Next up...the expandability? Other camp pillows I've used tend not to expand much at all after being packed in a backpack for hours which translates into very poor support and an almost useless pillow. This pillow is inflatable and adjustable for fine-tuning your level of comfort very similar to an inflatable sleeping pad and it won't collapse under the weight of your head like other open-cell-foam-type pillows. It's also super light, I think it's easily the lightest/comfortable pillow available on the market. My only complaints are that on a common sleeping pad the pillow tends to slide around a lot under my head and that it's still not as comfortable as a my pillow in bed at home...but so far it's really the best thing I've found. I've used it for a total of one week backpacking in the wilderness and it hasn't leaked at all. Like others have mentioned...you have to make sure the valve is shut tight and that there isn't any of the pillow fabric caught in the valve. If your like me and you just can't go without a pillow in the back country this is your best bet.

Jun

2008

(8 of 11 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

When the air goes out. . .

By Santa Fe Hiker

from Santa Fe, NM

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Compact
Easy to pack
Lightweight

Cons

Bad Construction

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping

Comments about Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow:

I had the same experience as NikosDad. I was excited to find this lightweight, compact, and comfortable pillow at REI, but when I took it on a back country camping trip this week, it kept deflating all through the night and I had to keep re-inflating it. I thought I probably just had a lemon and would buy another, but after reading NikosDad's review, I think I'll return it and find something more traditional, too.

Dec

2009

(6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

This pillow works!

By yellow jacket

from Weddington, NC

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Compact
Easy to pack
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds
Road Trips

Comments about Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow:

I have used this pillow for 2 different nights and have not had a problem with it. The first night I had too much air in it and I let a little out and all was fine. I guess some may not get the valve tight enough and that is what is causing the slow leak. I used the pillow in a mummy bag and had no problems with pillow moving away. I am really excited about the pillow being added to equipment check list. It packs so small. My only suggestion would be for the carry case be a little bigger.

Nov

2009

(6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Worked great!

By lono

from oklahoma city

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Compact
Durable
Easy to pack
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping

Comments about Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow:

Read about other people not being able to keep it inflated all night but no problems here. You can see where the flap might get caught in the vavle but you would have to be pretty stupid not to catch that. Actually let some air out of mine in the middle of the night in the dark as it was a bit too hard. Bought two more to take on flights to Europe etc... very nice product and it packs down to the size of a tennis ball! Tough to beat that 17 miles from the car.

Dec

2009

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Great inflatable pillow

By davis6654

from Tokeland, Wa

About Me Getting Started

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Compact
Durable
Easy to pack
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds
Day Trips
Winter Conditions

Comments about Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow:

I have only used this pillow a couple of times but have had no problem with it going flat. I don't inflate it to the point of explosion though either. I like a soft pillow so inflate it about half way full and it is perfect. It didn't slip out of my bag and compresses easily.

Sep

2009

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Fantastic pillow

By leinad2327

from South Carolina foothills

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Compact
Easy to pack
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds

Comments about Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow:

Very comfortable. Did not get headache as with makeshift stuffed fleece or down pillows. Slept like a log.

Oct

2008

(4 of 11 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

I can not believe it goes flat

By scottalyon

from salt lake city

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Lightweight

Cons

Goes flat

Best Uses

Return to REI

Comments about Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow:

I did not believe the reviews and purchased this product. I was looking for a very small pillow for Travel and Backpacking, and this product looked great. I went home, blew it up, put a phone book on top of it. It went totally flat in under 6 hours. (It may have been faster)

I cannot believe that a manufacture would make a product like this.

Aug

2008

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Lightweight and worked great for me.

By MikeyB

from Apple Valley, MN

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Compact
Easy to pack
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds

Comments about Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow:

Not sure about the other reviews but I have used my pillow for 7+ nights and have never had a problem with it deflating. I only inflate the pillow 3/4 so it is more comfortable. I've tried the Thermarest pillows but the foam goes flat after a couple hours and they are bulky to have in your pack.