Klymit Pillow X Inflatable Camp Travel Pillow

The Klymit Pillow X Inflatable is an excellent camp pillow and easily one of the two best on the market. At $20 it is half the price of its only serious competitor: the also great Sea to Summit Aeros and Aeros Ultralight pillows. Compared with the Aeros, I think it offers comparable performance (arguably even slightly better thanks to the great "X" design) and actually weighs less at only 1.9 oz! The pillow inflates very easily with 2-3 breaths and allows for quite a lot of variation in its firmness. Unlike any other travel inflatable pillow, this pillow can be used while fully inflated thanks to the "X" design, which allows it to cradle the head securely. Every other inflatable pillow I've tried has to have at least a little air let out to prevent a center bulge that tends to roll your head to one side or the other, but in this case, the "X" shape really does make an effective cradle. Of course, at full inflation, it's a tad too stiff for my tastes. I let out about 10-15% of the air for a softer feel, while still retaining approximately 3" of loft/height to support my neck. I use a ThermaRest RidgeRest Solar sleep mat, which is only about 0.7" thick and has plenty of room to put this pillow on top of the pad, where it stays put nicely and gives plenty of support. If you're using a much thicker pad that does not have enough length to spare for this pillow, you might find (as you would with most travel pillows) that you'll need to prop up the pillow with other gear to give it adequate height for your comfort and good neck support. Also, if you're using a nylon-coated pad, you might find that this pillow (which is also nylon coated, not fleece or cloth faced) may slip around on you. Those haven't been problems in my case, but I thought I should mention them. When you want to deflate the pillow, just pull outward gently on the inflation stem and gently roll and squeeze the fabric to work the air toward the valve. It deflates fairly quickly, but the baffles sewn inside to create the "X" pattern can trap a bit of air until you get the hang of how exactly to work the air out as you roll it. Once you do get the hang of it, it is very quick and easy to evacuate all of the air and fold it up into a very compact little bundle (about the size of a deck of playing cards, and half as thick, except for the hard valve). It's hard to see how Klymit can improve on this design. The "X" shape provides an excellent, stable cradle-like feel for your head if you're a back sleeper like me. And if you like to sleep on your side, the "X" also prevents your ear from getting crushed against your head and allows more air to circulate than is typical for a nylon inflatable travel pillow, reducing some of that sweaty effect on warm evenings also. Of course, side sleepers will probably need to prop the pillow up to get added height for neck support. At full inflation, this pillow has about 4" of loft/height, but as I said earlier, it's also a tad stiff and for most people, it realistically offers 2.5 to 3" of loft/height when inflated to a comfortably soft/pliable state. The only potential quibble I can think of is that this pillow does not have a soft fabric (fleece, tricot, cloth, etc.) coating on one side to provide a little cushy softness; however, in practice, it isn't actually a problem. I find that folding a t-shirt in half and laying it on top of the pillow accomplishes the same goal. While inflatable travel/camp pillows will never be as comfortable as a fine pillow you use at home, the Klymit Pillow X is about as good as it gets for ultralight, packable comfort. I find it considerably better than just stacking clothes on top of hard gear items, and I especially appreciate the "X" cradle design. Well worth the weight and price in my opinion. Highly recommended! Read more

Pillows are luxury for some, and necessity for others. I have had significant neck surgery at a very young age (26) due to a work place injury - I feared that my form of therapy was at stake. It turns out, not only am I fine (if not better) when I'm out in the woods, it takes very few ounces to add absolutely immeasurable amounts of comfort to your sleep system. The pillow x is tiny in it's packed down form, literally nearly inexistant. It will absolutely fit into the sleeping bag or sleeping pad bag without issue. It's comfortable and you're able to slowly leak the valve for the highest level of comfort. The big ass, bright red side shows which side you should lay on. Your head will be cradled by the super soft 30 denier polyester, sit firmly in the pillows design and you will slumber beautifully. Your temples will be massaged by back country angels (named Cletus and moose) as you rest in your outdoor sanctuary. These are also good for putting in a bag or something to pull out, look slightly crazy at work, or on a plane (bomb styled pillow case not included), blow this joker up and be the envy of the free world. The only complaint I have would have to do with how tony they pack down. Yo, it's ridiculous. And cheap. And awesome. And light. And works so well. Just ordered the damn thing. Read more

I have the Klymit Insulated Static V pad so I thought this would be a perfect compliment. It is very lightweight (2 oz) and compresses down to nothing. It is small enough that it will fit in my pad's stuff sack so I always have them together. It is extremely easy to blow up and adjust the amount of air in the pillow (I find that it is the most comfortable not to inflate this pillow completely). The only issue that I have with this pillow is the material is pretty slippery. It has kind of a "plastic-y" feel because it is made out of the same material as the sleeping pad. It seems pretty rugged - I don't feel worried about puncturing it - but the texture is not very cozy. Because of this, I carry my extra clothes in a flannel pillow case (rather than a stuff sack). When I set up camp, I put the pillow in the flannel pillow case and tie a knot in the case so the pillow won't slide out. That seems to help quite a bit. Overall, this is a really good product - especially considering the size, weight and price. Klymit makes some really good gear at a fraction of the cost of the other, more well known camping gear companies. Definite recommend! Read more

I found this pillow light and comfortable. I used it once a month for just under 2 years. Then the seam let go, right on the place where it folds up to go into the little carrying bag. I have reached out to Klymit multiple times about the "limited lifetime warranty", but they have not returned my emails. So I give the product a medium recommendation. Pro: Light, packs small, comfortable, easy to inflate and deflate. Con: No support from the manufacturer for the lifetime warranty Read more

Perfect for adding to the backpack for light weight backpacking or reducing weight and size in your BOB. The size is minimal but is still comfortable, easy to inflate and is very durable. Nice design, easy to use and makes the night's sleep way more comfortable. Read more

It’s not exactly a feather pillow, but for someone who never used a pillow before (#stubborn) this is a great first step. And to be able to test the water at a low cost and a low weight made it really easy. I highly recommend if you are considering a first pillow purchase … you might just love it! Read more