Therm-a-Rest  Compressible Pillow

Perfect for travel and camping. Got tired of bringing my pillow from home on camping trips. I also wanted a better pillow for traveling and I am not disappointed! I bought the small and medium pillow and if you're not saving every little inch backpacking I highly suggest the medium pillow. It was a lot firmer than the small and after putting it in a stuff sack, it packed down almost as much as the small. Very happy with my purchase and highly recommend.

We’ve had one of these for 5 yrs that I always take with me yakpacking and sometimes backpacking. I decided to get another so me and my partner could both have one when we go in trips together. The problem is that the updated design doesn’t pack down nearly as small, despite being the same size pillow as the older one. You can no longer cinch it down once it’s packed into its flap. There’s now just an elastic loop and bar that holds it together, but it doesn’t compress it. So even if this thing loses some loft as it ages, it will still be able to fluff up to fit the dimensions this passive closure allows, and it’s a much larger set of dimensions then the older design. Space is everything on the trips I intend to use it on. The cost (in terms of space occupied) of taking a pillow like this has always been a little steep, but for the comfort I decided it was a luxury I could afford. With the redesign and loss of cinching when stowed, that cost has risen and it’s no longer worth the space it occupies. You could use it for car camping, but then why not just bring an actual pillow which is way cheaper and more comfortable? So I’m not really sure what niche this pillow fits anymore, but it's been redesigned out of utility for the purpose it used to (marginally) serve. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But that’s exactly what thermarest has done.

I recently purchased two of these pillows in size Small (one for me and one for my boyfriend) as a luxury item for backpacking. The size of the pillow is great, packs up to slightly taller than a nalgene, and overall has a good build. However, one pillow had significantly less “fill” than the other, even after leaving them unpacked overnight to fluff up again. You can see the difference in the photo. We ended up returning the flatter one and hope to get luckier on a re-purchase, because the “good” pillow is extremely comfortable.

I bought this pillow for a 7 week trip to Europe, and was grateful for it everyday! Some nights I used it as an actual pillow, but most often I used it as a my hug pillow (that really helps provide shoulder support). It also worked amazingly on airplanes if I had a window seat, and I bet it will be great for camping! Basically, this pillow is THE BEST!! I love how small it packs down, just discovered that it's MACHINE WASHABLE, and will be part of my life for a long time. If they made a slip cover for the consolidated pillow (so it can stay clean even while clipped to a backpack, etc. while traveling) for it I would give it 11 stars.

When I first got this pillow, I thought it wasn’t filled enough, and I thought it was lumpy. Took it just as it was packaged, and went camping that first night. Then on the second or third day, I guess the foam completely expanded and I was dealing with a completely different pillow. I loved it! This is now my travel to go pillow. I leave it unrolled when we’re not camping, so that foam continues to stay expanded and it goes back to fully expanded so much quicker. Lightweight, compresses down to a very packable. On the third time after camping I washed it, and now it is even fluffier! Love the size (large), and the cover is super soft. I’m a fan.

As someone who gets migraines without a proper sleep, a good pillow is a non-negotiable in terms of camping. I ordered a Large-sized Therm-a-Rest compressible pillow, and was so surprised with how comfortable and soft it was while being able to pack down so small. Although not as small as some other travel pillows, the fact that I can now travel with what is essentially a queen-sized pillow that can still fit in my backpack or attach to the outside of my bag is a major plus. I like that I can adjust the firmness by cinching the strap, and the real magic happens if you're able to throw it in the dryer for a few minutes. You'd never know that it was a camping pillow! Comfort: 5/5 Ease of Use: 5/5

What can I say other than it’s a pillow. It’s a bit bulky for my like, and feels lumpy when I hold it in my hands. However, once I fluff it up after I unfold it, it doesn’t feel as lumpy! When I use it, it doesn’t feel lumpy either. The pull cord to adjust firmness is a nice touch, but I don’t notice much difference. I am a side sleeper and regularly use two pillows at home. This one doesn’t feel thick enough for me, so I had to ball up a jacket to use underneath. (I really think that’s a personal issue and not a pillow issue though!) My backpacking buddy bought this same pillow after she tried an inflatable pillow and much preferred this one!

I love this pillow. As a migraine sufferer it is the closest thing to a regular pillow for the migraines that pop up on trail. I can sleep on either side and not wake up with a sore neck. I never worry about popping it. It's worth every bit of space it takes up in my pack.

This is the best backpacking pillow I’ve ever used. The foam does not get flat when it is cold, like the REI version of this pillow, so you get loft and comfort all night. The only cons I have with this pillow, and the reason I deducted the star, are because the cover is not removable for washing. (This is gross, because I am often sweaty or dirty, when camping and backpacking), and it does not pack down very small. However, not backing down very small is expected due to the materials used, and to me the space and weight of this pillow are worth not having an uncomfortable night sleep on an inflated pillow.

So far I have used this pillow for one (1) camping trip, and it did the job. I followed the recommendations of every review and I unrolled the pillow as soon as it arrived so that the foam would have time to expand before the trip. Rerolling the pillow was difficult and it definitely is not a back packing pillow. Great for camping! Not so great when you are trying to save space - I'm not a fan of inflatable pillows which is why I went this direction. It's comfortable, I had no issues sleeping on it, and overall it did what I needed it to do.