When you set out to build a sleep system, don't overlook the importance of a camping pillow. It may get overshadowed by the bigger-ticket items of a pad, sleeping bag or quilt, but the right pillow can be a small key that unlocks your best rest under the stars. 

Here we guide you through our lineup of camping pillows so you can pick the right pillow for your system. With a Therm-a-Rest pillow suited to just about every outdoor sleeping situation, there’s opportunity to add a great deal of comfort to your sleep system without adding much weight or spending too much money. So ditch the lumpy jacket stuffed into the hood of your sleeping bag and give your head the rest it deserves.

Therm-a-Rest® Camping Pillows

Model	Fill	Weight	Dimensions	Thickness	Fabric	Best Use
Air Head™ Pillow	Air + Synthetic Insulation	5.6-oz. / 0.16kg	15.5 x 11 in / 39 x 28cm	4 in / 10cm	Brushed Polyester + Synthetic Fill	Lightweight sleep systems, backpacking, car camping, travel.
Air Head™ Down	Air + Down Insulation	4.9-oz. / 0.14kg	15.5 x 11 in / 39 x 28cm	4 in / 10cm	Brushed Polyester + Down Fill	Lightweight sleep systems, cold weather sleep systems, backpacking, travel.
Air Head™ Lite	Air	2-oz. / 0.06kg	15.5 x 11 in / 39 x 28cm	4 in / 10cm	30D Stretch-Knit Polyester	Ultralight sleep systems, backpacking, travel, losing in your backpack
Compressible Pillow Cinch	Up-cycled foam/Polyester	10-oz./.30kg	13 x 18 in / 33 x 36 cm	6 in /15 cm	Partially Recycled Brushed Polyester	Car camping, base camp, travel, the couch or bed

Specifications in table for Regular/Medium pillows

Air Pillows: Light, Compact, Customizable

When it comes to Therm-a-Rest air camping pillows, inflatable means customizable comfort. Fully inflated in just a few breaths, it’s easy to let out air in search of your perfect support level. Whatever your comfort style—firm, soft, or somewhere in between—a Therm-a-Rest air pillow can do it for you.

Air Head™ Pillow

The Air Head anchors our inflatable camping pillow line, exemplifying the benefits of Therm-a-Rest inflatable camping pillows. It packs small for easy transport and, once inflated, it provides an ample, plush and supportive surface for your head. The inflatable, baffled core provides stability and is wrapped in a soft-to-the-touch, brushed polyester cover. For an extra measure of warmth and next-to-skin comfort, the top side of the cover is filled with the same synthetic eraLoft™ fill we use in our popular synthetic sleeping bags. Plus, the cover is removable and machine washable, making it easy start every trip fresh and clean. The cover also has a non-slip bottom to keep it where you need it, and is made from partially recycled fibers to keep a softer touch on the planet too.

Air Head™ Down

The Air Head Down is essentially the same as the Air Head except—you guessed it—down insulation. The top of the cover is filled with 650 Nikwax Hydrophobic Down™ just like some of our most popular sleeping bags. While this makes it slightly more expensive, it also makes it lighter and creates that quintessential plush feeling only down can provide. Its lower weight boosts its backcountry performance, while still offering the go-anywhere versatility that Air Head pillows are known for. Like its synthetic companion, the polyester cover is partially recycled, it’s non-slip, and is machine washable. Rest assured that if you take care of your pillow, it will take care of you.

Air Head™ Lite

The Air Head Lite is the same inflated size as its series companions, yet weighs just 2 oz. At one-third the weight of the Air Head Down, it's the clear choice for the dedicated ultralight gear kit. The Air Head Lite forgoes the insulated polyester cover of its series companions to cut weight, but has a soft, brushed surface and the same no-slip underside as our other pillows that keeps it where you want it. Aside from the comfort, the most notable attribute of the pillow is that it is literally pocket-sized, allowing you to take it anywhere. It's not only ideal for the backcountry, it's small packed size makess it the ultimate travel partner on planes, trains and beyond.

Foam Pillows: Durable, Comfy, Versatile

Puncture-proof and eco-friendly are two key features of our foam pillows. Rest assured, when you add one to your sleep system, you can expect the camp comfort Therm-a-Rest is known for.

Compressible Pillow Cinch

The apex of comfort, the Compressible Pillow Cinch takes the Compressible Pillow and adds a few key features to make it our most decadent camp pillow. It starts with the same brushed, 60% recycled polyester exterior and up-cycled foam fill as the Compressible Pillow, but we've added a layer of soft and warm synthetic fill to the top surface that makes it feel just like pillows from home. It also features an ingeniously easy way to cinch it down for easy packing, that can also be used to vary density and support to your taste.

 There are a lot of benefits of nights sleeping outside specifically because it doesn’t feel like home. However, we're proud to help help you blur that line because we know that the better you sleep, the better you play. So take along one of our pillows and you'll be sure to get the most out of your next adventure.

Related Posts:

• Bringing a Camping Pillow: Is it Worth the Weight?
• How It’s Made: Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillows
• A Guide to Therm-a-Rest Camping Blankets

Updated. Originally Published August 4, 2020.