The Best Backpacking Pillow | 2023
We looked at the top 15 Backpacking Pillows and dug through the reviews from 64 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Backpacking Pillows.
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Our Picks For The Top Backpacking Pillows
- The Best Backpacking Pillow
- 1. Gold Armour Anti-Slip Compact Backpacking Pillow
- 2. Nemo Jersey Integrated Storage Backpacking Pillow
- 3. TREKOLOGY Anti-Slip Latching Backpacking Pillow
- 4. Wise Owl Outfitters Waterproof Machine Washable Backpacking Pillow
- 5. Hikenture Water Resistant Inflatable Backpacking Pillow
- 6. Therm-a-Rest Packable Soft Foam Backpacking Pillow
- 7. Coop Home Goods Memory Foam Hypoallergenic Backpacking Pillow
- 8. Rugged Camp Ultralight Cotton Backpacking Pillow
- 9. WELLAX Ergonomic Tear-Resistant Backpacking Pillow
- 10. TREKOLOGY Ultralight Inflating Backpacking Pillow
- 11. MARCHWAY Neck Support Anti-Slip Backpacking Pillow
- 12. RikkiTikki Portable Long-Lasting Backpacking Pillow
- 13. TETON Sports Extra Soft Washable Backpacking Pillow
- 14. HuTools Inflatable Ergonomic Backpacking Pillow
- 15. Rest-A-Camp Inflatable Ultralight Backpacking Pillow
Multiple Color OptionsYou'll find this backpacking pillow comes in a choice of 10 fun colors, including purple, seafoam, orange and pink.
As Small as a MangoThis backpacking pillow weighs just 9 ounces and has a cover that can be removed and cleaned in a washing machine.
Budget-Friendly OptionThe affordable price tag on this backpacking pillow allows you to keep your camping costs to a minimum.
Most VersatileIn addition to using this backpacking pillow when hiking, it's also perfect for air travel, road trips and camping expeditions.
Why we recommend these backpacking pillows?
Products Considered
Products Analyzed
Expert Reviews Included
User Opinions Analyzed
Our experts reviewed the top 15 Backpacking Pillows and also dug through the reviews from 64 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Backpacking Pillows.
DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.
The Best Overall
Gold Armour Anti-Slip Compact Backpacking Pillow
Our Take
This lightweight backpacking pillow folds up to fit in the palm of your hand, which means it won't take up much room in your pack. The pillow can also be inflated with as little as three breaths. Campers will love the soft fabric, as well as the anti-slip dots and the elastic band that keep it firmly in place during the night.
The Best Bang For Your Buck
TREKOLOGY Anti-Slip Latching Backpacking Pillow
Our Take
You won't want to hit the trails without this backpacking pillow. It's comfortable, compact in design and available in six fun colors. The pillow also does an excellent job of supporting the head, neck and spine when sleeping, which is important for a restful night's sleep.
What other experts liked
What other experts didn't like
Overall Product Rankings
4. Wise Owl Outfitters Waterproof Machine Washable Backpacking Pillow
7. Coop Home Goods Memory Foam Hypoallergenic Backpacking Pillow
Our Backpacking Pillow Findings
Gold Armour Anti-Slip Compact Backpacking Pillow
What We Liked: This lightweight backpacking pillow folds up to fit in the palm of your hand, which means it won’t take up much room in your pack. The pillow can also be inflated with as little as three breaths. Campers will love the soft fabric, as well as the anti-slip dots and the elastic band that keep it firmly in place during the night.
Nemo Jersey Integrated Storage Backpacking Pillow
What We Liked: Unlike other backpacking pillows on the market, this model has more of a natural shape. It’s filled with air sacs that inflate quickly and has a foam layer for added comfort. You can get the pillow in canopy green, abyss, goodnight gray or koi stripe.
TREKOLOGY Anti-Slip Latching Backpacking Pillow
What We Liked: You won’t want to hit the trails without this backpacking pillow. It’s comfortable, compact in design and available in six fun colors. The pillow also does an excellent job of supporting the head, neck and spine when sleeping, which is important for a restful night’s sleep.
Wise Owl Outfitters Waterproof Machine Washable Backpacking Pillow
What We Liked: This backpacking pillow is a cinch to keep clean, as it’s machine washable. The pillow features a soft micro-suede exterior and a plush memory foam interior. Included with your purchase is a handy carry bag, which can be placed inside a backpack or suitcase.
Hikenture Water Resistant Inflatable Backpacking Pillow
What We Liked: Don’t worry about your backpacking pillow slipping out from under your head, this has a strap that you can use to affix it to your sleeping pad in a way that keeps it put where you want it. The washable cover is clutch when you’re often going to be sleeping on this pillow after a long day on the trail or at your campsite.
Our Backpacking Pillow Buying Guide
Backpacking is a game of numbers. It involves hiking as many miles as you can during a day. Or, perhaps for you, it’s more about the elevation you can gain and the views that come with it. Whatever your goals (and how hard you like to push yourself!), most backpackers will agree that lowering the weight of your pack is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself.
Why bother carrying something that’s bulky and heavy like a traditional pillow when you only have one bag on your back and you’re carrying it for days on end? This desire drove the industry to design the smallest and lightest pillows for this purpose because sleeping with a pillow for your head to rest on is good for your neck and back, which are parts of your body that you really don’t want acting up when you’re countless miles from civilization.
The ideal backpacking pillow will be lightweight and small enough to not take up noticeable room in your pack. Inflatable pillows are currently the best in these regards since the air from your lungs will end up creating all the volume and cushion that you will feel when you rest your head on it.
Inflatable pillows are often made from materials that are similar to your sleeping pad. When you are looking at inflatable camping pillows, look at the material that the covers are made of. The covers are like robust pillowcases that will often have their own small amount of padding and they are made from much softer materials like bamboo or cotton. Some backpacking pillows even have a strap that can be used to fix it to your sleeping pad and ensure the pillow remains in place.
The cover of an inflatable pillow will probably get grimy as you use it, so it benefits you to find one that is washable so you can keep it fresh over the course of its life.
Ergonomics play a big part in how comfortable we are when we sleep. Backpacking pillows can have ergonomic design features built into place like a rounded pillow that creates a concave surface where your head lays. This will allow your neck to be supported while your head can be slightly lower, which is a natural alignment that is comfortable for your spine.
Backpacking pillows are a small luxury when you’re in the wilderness, and their size also makes them very useful for putting behind your lower back when you’re sitting at the office or on public transportation. These small pillows will give your lumbar support when you need it and they can become used daily rather than just once every while when you’re on the trail.
DWYM Fun Fact
Pillows are so useful and common that they extend well beyond the world of civilized humans. We can find examples of animals in nature using their arms as pillows or even piles of leaves or sticks. The idea is that your spine wants to be in alignment and the use of a pillow is often the best way to achieve this. For us humans, we want our neck to be supported by the pillow but our head should rest slightly lower than the neck portion; this allows our spines to be as straight as possible and we end up getting better sleep with fewer neck issues this way.
The Backpacking Pillow Tips and Advice
- Choose unique colors so you and your camping party can all know which pillow is theirs.
- Backpacking pillows make great lumbar pillows for times when you’re on long flights, public transportation or even at the office.
- Wrapping a slick pillow in one of your t-shirts is an easy way to have a makeshift pillowcase if your pillow tries to slide out from under you. The shirt even adds soft comfort to the mix, further enhancing your slumber.
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