Pillows are the most uncomfortable bit of camping gear, in my opinion. Backpacking camp pillows generally are too small, and the inflatable types make your head slide off. Others just don’t have enough support and give me a kink in my neck come morning. But my opinion may have changed after testing the new Klymit Luxe Pillow. This pillow has a number of key features that makes it not only unique, but downright comfortable.
The Klymit Luxe Pillow features:
- Expanded cushioning
- Hybrid air and polyester fill insulation
- Soft Cradle Design
- Adjustable Height and Pressure
- Sleeping Bag Compatible
I took the Klymit Luxe Pillow on a camping/mountain biking trip at 25 Hours in Frog Hollow outside Hurricane. While I didn’t have much time for sleeping (too much mountain biking) what shuteye I did manage to get between laps was essential to keeping my body going. As a result, I’m very glad that I had the Luxe Pillow with me. Here’s why:
First of all, the Luxe Pillow is relatively large. While it’s nowhere near as large as my pillow at home, it is still the biggest camping pillow I’ve ever seen. However, it is an inflatable pillow, which, when I lay my head on one of those, feels like I’m sleeping on a swimming pool toy. But the Luxe comes with a plush, soft, quilted cover that totally takes away any rubber feeling against the face,
Second, this pillow inflates pretty thick, with a combination of air, and polyester fill on the inside that gives it added loft and insulation.
Third, welded seams create an X pattern on the pillow, like channels. The effect is that the pillow cradles the head for awesome stabilization. With inflatable camp pillows of old, I always find my head sliding off in the middle of the night. This never happened to me when sleeping on the Luxe Pillow.
Fourth, the Luxe Pillow has an easy to use valve, so I can add or release air to raise or lower the pillow height and adjust the firmness to my liking. Show me another pillow that can do that! Also, the pillow packs down really small for something so plush, so it’s still appropriate for backpacking trips.
The only issue I have is this: Klymit says the Luxe Pillow is “sleeping bag compatible” meaning it will fit inside a mummy bag’s hood. I found that, yes, the pillow does fit in the hood of my sleeping bag, but it takes up so much room that I was unable to get full hood-coverage around my head. I had to wear a beanie to keep my noggin warm since it would not entirely fit in the hood along with the Luxe Pillow. On the plus side, having the pillow inside the hood means it won’t slide away in the night, so there is a cost to the comfort.
The Good: Large for a camp pillow, comfortable, endlessly adjustable, keeps your head secure, packs down small and light weight.
The Bad: A bit too big for using inside the hood of your mummy bag.
Final Word: The Klymit Luxe Pillow is pretty much the end-all, be-all of inflatable camping pillows. Nothing else in the category comes close (in my opinion) in terms of comfort and innovation.
You can purchase the Luxe Pillow at klymit.com
This was easily the most comfy camping pillow I’ve ever used. The large size does make it a bit more cumbersome but it ends up being worth it when it’s time to go to sleep at night 🙂