Exped Mega Backpacking Pillow Evaluate

Backside Line

The Exped Mega Pillow stands out for backpackers and automobile campers who need an uber-comfortable air pillow that’s virtually as massive as their pillow again house. As we’ve realized to anticipate from Exped, the Mega Pillow leans into consolation and assist. It combines a thick, extra-large sleeping platform with a velvety face cloth that caresses our faces when it’s time to catch some z’s. For Gear Analyst Jory Brass, this was essentially the most luxurious air pillow in our newest testing lineup, primarily based on two months of backpacking and automobile tenting throughout New Mexico’s mountains and excessive desert. 

Nonetheless, the Exped Mega Pillow can also be one of many costlier pillows we examined. With common weight and packability, it’s not one of the best purchase for ultralight backpackers. We advocate it for weekend warriors who worth consolation and assist and like air pillows to foam tenting pillows. Based mostly on side-by-side testing, it ranked comparatively excessive in our information to the greatest tenting and backpacking pillows.

How We Examined

CleverHiker gear analyst Jory Brass adventured via New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness backpacking and automobile tenting with the Exped Mega. Throughout testing, he examined assist, consolation, ease of use, and weight/packability. The outcomes of his subject and lab checks are under.

Consolation

Exped’s Mega Pillow boasts important consolation for an air pillow. A number of of CleverHiker’s gear analysts favor the texture of froth pillows for a cushty night time’s sleep. Nonetheless, the Mega Pillow surpassed the opposite air pillows in consolation throughout our facet by facet checks. Along with testing every pillow individually, our analyst additionally spent an evening rotating via every of the big air pillows in our information to match their consolation. By the tip of the night time, the Exped Mega Pillow was beneath his head – whereas the opposite pillows have been stacked alongside the sting of the tent.

At 20.5 x 12.6 x 4.7 inches, the Mega Pillow supplies one of many largest sleeping surfaces of the pillows we examined. Steep-sided baffles helped assist the neck once we slept on our sides, whereas the air valve made it simple to fine-tune the inflation to our desired stage of softness and assist. The face cloth additionally carried out higher than the competitors. The mix of the smooth tricot nylon and the delicate padding of artificial insulation took the sting off the inflated bladder. This camp pillow paired particularly nicely with the Exped MegaMat for a strong night time of sleep within the Chihuahuan Desert on the foot of the Organ Mountains.

Air pillows can really feel too agency for some campers and backpackers – particularly in the event that they’re absolutely inflated. Nonetheless, this pillow’s form and premium supplies mitigated a lot of that discomfort, giving it a slight consolation increase over others.

Weight & Packability

In contrast with different tenting and backpacking pillows in our overview, the Exped Mega Pillow positioned across the center of the pack in weight and packability. In keeping with our gear analysts’ kitchen scale, the pillow weighs 6.8 ounces in its stuff sack. Its packed measurement is barely narrower and shorter than a Nalgene bottle. 

That’s doable for the typical backpacker however too massive and heavy for the ultralighters who put up their pack weights on social media. The Exped Mega Pillow isn’t as mild or packable as equally sized choices, but it surely’s simpler to cram right into a backpack. In comparison with automobile tenting pillows, the Mega doesn’t take up mega-space. It’s considerably smaller than the compressible foam pillows we’ve examined and reviewed. That’s respectable for a camp pillow that prioritizes consolation and assist over weight and packability.

Assist

The Exped Mega Pillow is without doubt one of the extra supportive pillows we examined on this season’s lineup. Air pillows will not be essentially the most comfy selection, however air resistance supplies extra assist than compressible foam. With a 4.7 inch peak, the Mega is thicker than most camp pillows we examined, so it feels fairly supportive. That above common thickness could be particularly useful for facet sleepers, who usually favor extra substantial camp pillows to maintain their neck supported and aligned. 

In comparison with different luxurious pillows in our line up, the Mega Pillow isn’t as supportive. For backpackers, automobile campers, and overlanders who need a mixture of consolation and assist, the Exped Mega Pillow is actually a contender.

Ease of Use

No camp pillow is especially complicated, however the Exped Mega Pillow is particularly simple to make use of. There’s no hidden stuff sack or valve that wants an instruction guide to inflate and deflate. This pillow packs down simply into an exterior stuff sack that’s branded and color-matched for simple identification. The one-piece valve makes it particularly simple to fine-tune the pillow’s inflation stage: merely blow into the opening to inflate and use your finger to press down on the valve stem to set free air. 

We like how that easy valve permits us to regulate the air stress in a single day with out even lifting our heads off the pillow. The one draw back is the shortage of a second dump valve to deflate the pillow quickly. That’s no massive deal, although – it solely takes ten seconds to deflate the pillow by urgent on the valve stem.

Ought to You Purchase the Exped Mega Pillow?

Exped markets the Mega Pillow as a luxurious tenting pillow for individuals who wish to splurge on consolation. Based mostly on our facet by facet testing, its consolation compares favorably to different air pillows.

Its weight and packability are mediocre by backpacking requirements, but it surely’s a great possibility for space-challenged van lifers and overlanders who recognize how air pillows pack down smaller than foam tenting pillows. General, the Exped Mega Pillow is smart for automobile campers and backpackers who don’t thoughts paying a premium for a reasonably packable pillow with strong consolation and assist.

What Different Tenting Pillows Ought to You Think about?

Try our full information to the Greatest Backpacking and Tenting Pillows for all of the pillows we’ve examined and really helpful. Listed here are three different standouts which can be much like the Exped Mega Pillow:

HEST Camp Pillow Evaluate: Over two years of testing, CleverHiker Gear Analysts have been blown away by the consolation of the HEST Camp Pillow. It’s not almost as mild or as packable because the Exped Mega Pillow. Nonetheless, should you’re after a luxurious sleep expertise at a drive-up campsite, the HEST Camp Pillow is tough to high for consolation. 

Therm-a-Relaxation Compressible Pillow Evaluate: This can be a plush different to the Mega Pillow. This compressible pillow is softer than the Mega air pillow however not fairly as mild, packable, or supportive. Because of its consolation, nonetheless, the Therm-a-rest Compressible Pillow is one among our high picks for tenting pillows. 

Sea to Summit Aeros Down Deluxe Pillow: The Sea to Summit Aeros Down Deluxe Pillow affords related assist and luxury with its skinny layer of down cushioning. It additionally edges the Exped Mega Pillow in weight and packability, making it somewhat extra interesting to backpackers.