Exped Air Pillow

Comments about Exped Air Pillow:

i love this pillow!!

i travel as lightweight as i can, but i love having something other than my clothes to use as a pillow. i've used everything from oldschool coleman blow-up pillows to comfy yet bulky MSR pillows, and recently started using the exped air pillow. it rocks!

the pillow folds up into a teeny tiny stuff sack and weighs so little, i don't feel bad about bringing it on even my most minimalist journeys. it only takes a breath or two to inflate it, and it's amazingly comfortable for just having air inside. the material is soft and i've been abusing it weekly in patagonia for the last few months and have found it quite durable. i love the shape too. it fits perfectly into the hood of my mummy sleeping bag, which means that i wake up with my head on the pillow instead of finding the pillow lying next to me. this is the perfect pillow, whether you're looking for comfort, convenience, value, or simply an incredibly small lightweight solution for quality sleep. enjoy! :)

Comments about Exped Air Pillow:

I have a couple of herniated disks in my neck and lower back, so carrying a heavy pack or getting a bad nights' sleep can leave me almost crippled the next day.

One continuing challenge has been getting the right neck support while sleeping, but this pillow helps tremendously! I've tried bunching up clothing, using stuffsacks, even other inflatable pillows - but nothing has been as good as this. The best part is that I can release some air to fine-tune the fit, and the baffles do a good job of still keeping the support where I need it - right under my neck. That's where other pillows fail.

The quality and design are first rate - you won't be disappointed. The inflation valve is like the one-way valves in a respirator - ingenious.

Comments about Exped Air Pillow:

The previous reviewer almost said it all. i can add that i have tried the Cocoon Down pillow (was 3 oz not 2.5) and Synthetic pillow (6 oz) plus i have the small therm-a-rest pillow (8 oz) This pillow is lighter than all of them and is as comfortable as the therm-a-rest (especially since it doesn't compress). i even use the Exped for car camping.

Comments about Exped Air Pillow:

This pillow is great. Listen, forget all those stuff sacks that turn into pillows and all that stuff. This product is really light and small, and when blown up, it's actually pretty comfy. The height is perfect and the shape enables it to cradle your head. Put some clothing over top of it and you would hardly know it's air. I also want to say that the quality of this item is top-notch. Exped uses excellent materials that are pretty to look at and touch and are also functional and durable. Highly Recommended.

Comments about Exped Air Pillow:

Cut to the chase: The same shape and angles that made this pillow great for others made it uncomfortable for me. High hopes dashed....A bit more about the shortcomings in a moment, but first the good stuff:1) This pillow is beautifully made, and looks as if it would be very durable. Constructed with the same basic shell as a self-inflating sleeping pad, this breath-inflatable air pillow is of laminate construction, meaning holes can be easily patched from the outside (it even includes a patch kit!). The fabric has a sort of micro-brushed finish that is comfortable against one's cheek and is an attractive color, if that is important.2) If you have a compatible (Exped) pad, the attachment ears will allow you to make this pillow captive in one of two ways -- as a pad extension (adding to effective pad length), or folded back onto the pad (adding to effective pillow height). If you use a different pad, it is the right size to employ the usual trick of slipping a t-shirt or jersey over your pad to keep the pillow captive throughout the night (pillow slips between the t-shirt and the pad, held in place by body weight).3) The packed size and weight are remarkably little, and measurements for both were spot-on with the specs for my example -- ideal for the adventure bicycle touring I prefer to do.4) The basic shape of the pillow is really nice, with a hollow to hold one's head and prevent pillow slippage, and a nice notch to cradle one's neck and allow the pillow to ride atop each shoulder; particularly nice if you sleep a bit like a bird with its head tucked under a wing. One end of the pillow is taller than the other, forming a sort of wedge or ramp between the two ends.Now, for the bad...1) Regardless of how much or little air I put in it, the shape was just wrong for me and several friends who tried it. The "Wedge-Ramp" of the pillow didn't work either way. When the shallow end was under my head, it pushed my chin toward my chest. When the thicker (notched_ end was under my head, it formed a thick neck roll that tipped my head back into the hollow formed by the two lateral grooves. Uncomfortable as this was when I lay on my back, it was worse when laying on my side and caused my head to droop down from my average-sized shoulders, making my neck stiff after a short while.2) Effectively, the pillow is not a thick as it would seem by the measurements, which describe the perimeter. Careful measurement reveals the "hollow" is a full 3/4" lower than the edge, so my head was not elevated as I had hoped. If this pillow had less "dish" in the center, it might have worked for me.3) Obvious, but it bears repeating: This is an air pillow. That means there is a certain feeling akin to sleeping on a balloon, though a tendency toward head-rolling off-center is minimal with the dished center to this pillow. Mostly -- like all air pillows -- it seems to either bounce or feel hard, without the "give" that a foam-filled self-inflator or stuffed pillow enjoys. 4) Again, because it is an air pillow, it is cold in cold weather; there really is no thermal isolation from the surrounding air temperature compared to a foam-filled self-inflator or stuffed pillow. I found it better suited to warm-weather use for this reason.5) I was not particularly fond of the separate inflation/deflation valves. I found the inflation valve hard to inflate when the pillow was flat; the backside of the pillow blocked the valve. When full, I had to take my head off the pillow to bleed-off excess air, making it hard to to find the "just right" setting. For me. pillows with a conventional twist valve adjust more quickly with my head on the pillow.I found nearly all my complaints addressed by the Cocoon Hyperlite pillow [...] Though it is a traditionally shaped pillow with a lens profile, it gives me the height I want while the polyester-filled cover give some cold isolation at the expense of easy patching or repair of the plastic liner in the event of a puncture.My experience simply illustrates just how individual tastes are when choosing personal items like pillows, and shows there is no one-fits all solution. Though it didn't work for me, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Exped Air Pillow to a friend provided they both have compatible shapes. Best advice: Read the reviews, then try for yourself.

Comments about Exped Air Pillow:

I'm a really picky sleeper. For the last few years I've been on a mission to find a pillow for backpacking. I wanted it to be lightweight, comfortable and not take up a ton of room. I've tried a travel size memory foam pillow, clothes, and a cheaper blow up pillow. At the time I decided I was probably never going to find anything that worked for me. Luckily I stumbled upon the Exped pillow. The pillow is awesome you cannot tell it from the pictures but the rubbery fabric is soft kinda suede like. The fabric also expands so it gives the pillow a more fluffy feel. I found that I can throw the pillow inside my mummy bag and it fits perfectly. I like the valve design, you have two valves one for deflating and one for inflating. The inflate valve is a one way valve so you do not have to worry about air rushing out. I found that if you don't inflate the pillow too much it nearly replicates the feel of a pillow. I'm so happy I no longer need to loathe sleeping in the back country! Oh yeah the thing packs small too so luxury does not cost space or weight.

Comments about Exped Air Pillow:

After 8 years of primitive camping/backpacking without a pillow, I decided to add a bit of comfort. Reviewed many pillows. Suprise: the Exped met all my demands: ergonomic so more comfy, UL, no leaking, burp valve for fine adjustments, well made, outside feels good so no cover needed (less weight), and I can pack it folded on top of my sleeping bag, losing the stuff sack.

Comments about Exped Air Pillow:

This is such a great pillow.

Ive slept on several different kinds of camping pillows from compressible types, other inflatables, to stuff sacks filled with clothes. No other camping pillow has ever satisfied me like this one has.

The pillow's material feels a little like a microfiber suede. It doesn't get sticky or clammy from sweat or drool. ( stuble gribs this material a little bit, so you can feel resistance and hear your stuble as you slide your face around. Its nothing unpleasant though) The back side has a rubbery lable printed on which really helps the pillow stay put. It also has little loops so you could attach to your pad/bag etc. The fabric has a slight stretch to it, so when laying on it no matter how inflated it doesnt become rigid, feeling like it will burst with any more weight on it. Instead it just stretches a little and your head can subtly bounce around until your comfortable. Which wont take long due to its neat shape. The center is a little thinner so it craddles your head nicely. The curved side sits great between your shoulders and being the thickest there, it gives great support for your neck. If your a busy sleeper like me switching from back to side to stomach to somewhere in between constantly. The wedge shape makes it easy to get comfortable quickly. Just spin it or add more air to get different kinds of support. No more rearranging clothes in stuff sacks or having to fold pillows! Its an all around perfect thickness, something a little thicker would be nicer for when im sleeping on my side, but I have somewhat broad shoulders. Its just thick enough so that I wont wake up with a sore neck or shoulders from side sleeping. Its a great size too. Its a little bigger than the 14" laptop Im on now ( closed ). Its easy to inflate with only two breaths, which is a one way flow so no need to try and close it quickly before it deflates. Everything feels of high quality and very durable. And best of all it packs down so small and weighs so little! No matter how minimalist Im packing I never care about taking it along.

The only minor issue I have is it still has a little bit of that crackly crinkly sound inflatables can have when moving around. But thats a very small issue. Thats the only thing that would keep me from saying its as good as a pillow from my bed at home!

Comments about Exped Air Pillow:

This pillow is amazingly comfortable. It is super simple to inflate/deflate. Also it feels good against the skin.

Comments about Exped Air Pillow:

For years I've hiked in the outdoors and used cloths as a pillow, to say the least, I never got a good night's rest. In more recent times I used a thermarest pillow but returned it because it takes up way to much bag space and offers little support when trying to sleep.

When I got the Exped pillow home I was amazed to see how big it was un-inflated. It's about the size of a fist! Blown up it's much bigger than the thermarest and so much more supportive. Another plus is that things get dirty in the outdoors, all you need to do is wipe this pillow down and it's good for another trip. The others have to be washed or dry-cleaned. The valves seem tight fitting and I hope little air will get out if any at all. It does come with a repair kit in case of accidental puncture.

I have yet to take it on a trip but I strongly hope that it is as durable as it is comfortable!