Therm-a-Relaxation Air Head Down Pillow Overview

Backside Line

The Therm-a-Relaxation Air Head Down is likely one of the most comfy backpacking pillows on our checklist of the perfect tenting pillows. It’s one among two down-top pillows that we’re glad to suggest to backpackers.

We’re followers of the Air Head Down’s dimension, form, and softness. Throughout our side-by-side consolation checks, it rose by the ranks due to its ergonomic form. Plus, its prime layer of down padding takes the sting off the air bladder, making it cushier and simpler on the ears than the typical air pillow. 

Our side-sleeping tester verified that the Air Head Down has sufficient assist for his cranky neck. Our solely nitpick was its twist valve. It’s not an issue – simply mildly annoying once you need a absolutely inflated pillow. 

Of the 2 down-top pillows we examined and reviewed, the Air Head Down is the marginally extra comfy however barely much less packable choice. If you happen to’re searching for a backpacking pillow, it’s one among our prime three suggestions. 

How We Examined

For months, CleverHiker Editor and Gear Analyst Jory Brass has been toting 20 completely different tenting pillows into the New Mexico wilderness to check aspect by aspect. These area checks drove our rankings of the Air Head Down’s consolation, weight and packability, assist, and ease of use. He additionally supplemented these backpacking journeys within the Gila Wilderness and Pecos Wilderness with house checks to maximise how a lot time he slept on every pillow.

Consolation

The Therm-a-Relaxation Air Head Down provides a down prime layer to the favored Therm-a-Relaxation Air Head Pillow to melt it up. This little addition makes it one of the comfy inflatable pillows we examined and reviewed. 

Inflatable pillows just like the Air Head really feel firmer than compressible foam tenting pillows, particularly when absolutely inflated. The Air Head Down tackles this potential consolation drawback by wrapping a polyester cowl across the agency air bladder and stuffing it with duck down. This skinny layer of padding makes it noticeably softer than the typical air pillow. 

Its form is one other consolation plus. Therm-a-Relaxation gave the Air Head Down a barely curved form for an ergonomic match across the neck and shoulders. We discovered its crescent-moon design cozier than a conventional, rectangular pillow – significantly when sleeping on our sides. 

In our side-by-side area checks, we most popular the texture of compressible foam pillows, which aren’t the perfect for backpacking as a consequence of their weight and packed dimension. Nevertheless, we had comfy nights of sleep on the Air Head Down throughout one among our backpacking journeys by the Gila Wilderness. On a bitterly chilly night time within the Tecos Wilderness, we discovered the Air Head probably the most comfy inflatable pillow of the 4 we carried into the backcountry. 

In brief, this pillow isn’t as plush as a campground pillow, nevertheless it’s extra comfy than most inflatable backpacking pillows due to its beneficiant down cushioning. If you happen to’re selecting between the 2 down-top pillows in our information – the Air Head Down and Sea to Summit Aeros Down – we discovered the Air Head to be the extra comfy choice. 

Weight & Packability

The Air Head Down additionally scored within the prime 5 for weight and packability once we examined it alongside a dozen different tenting pillows.

Tipping our kitchen scale at 5.3 ounces (it’s listed at 4.9 ounces for the Common dimension), the Air Head Down doesn’t add a lot pack weight. It’s solely a pair ounces heavier than our prime picks for backpackers. The additional consolation enhance you get from the Air Head Down might simply justify the added weight – except you’re a ruthless gram-counter. 

The Air Head Down can also be one of the packable pillows we reviewed. We discovered it easy to stuff this pillow into its cylindrical stuff sack. As soon as compressed, its quantity falls someplace between a baseball and a softball. 

We wouldn’t hesitate to hold the Therm-a-Relaxation Air Head Down into the backcountry. It’s lighter and extra packable than most backpacking pillows. Even so, this pillow’s essential competitor – the Sea to Summit Aeros Down – weighs a pair ounces much less and packs down even smaller. 

Help

Like all inflatable tenting pillows, the Air Head Down doles out loads of assist. The strain constructed up contained in the air bladder presses up in opposition to your head and neck to offer extra assist than what you get with compressible foam pillows.

Our side-sleeping tester – who wants extra neck assist than the everyday backpacker – discovered the Air Head Down supportive sufficient for his creaky neck and crooked again. The Air Head’s air bladder didn’t give method to the burden of his higher physique, holding up his head and neck whereas sleeping within the backcountry. This pillow is 4 inches thick, which we’ve discovered to be the minimal thickness wanted for aspect sleepers to maintain their heads and necks aligned.

The pillow’s crescent form will get an help right here for assist (in addition to consolation). Its ergonomic design gives essential assist the place the neck and shoulders meet. Facet sleepers specifically could respect this slight uptick in assist in contrast with rectangular tenting pillows. 

Once we in contrast pillows’ assist aspect by aspect, a pair inflatable pillows ranked above the Air Head Down. Particularly, we discovered the Sea to Summit Aeros Premium (4.3 inches thick within the Common dimension) and Exped Mega Pillow (4.7 inches thick) barely extra supportive in our area checks. 

That mentioned, we gave the Air Head Down a slight nod over the Sea to Summit Aeros Down for assist. Whereas the latter is thicker at 4.7 inches, the Air Head’s curvature supported our tester’s neck higher than the oblong Aeros Down.

Ease of Use

The Therm-a-Relaxation Air Head Down is straightforward to make use of, however its twist valve isn’t our favourite. You want to twist the valve open to explode the pillow and twist it shut to lock the air within the bladder. Although straightforward, there’s one awkward second with a twist valve: As soon as the pillow’s absolutely inflated, it loses air as you twist the valve shut. The answer is barely disagreeable: stopping the air holes together with your tongue whereas concurrently twisting the valve or spinning the pillow. 

Our Therm-a-Relaxation valve labored advantageous, and its twisting motion makes it straightforward to let loose a little bit air to melt the pillow. However many of the different pillows we examined had less complicated valves that didn’t require French kissing plastic air nozzles. 

Like most tenting pillows we examined, the Air Head Down comes with a color-matched stuff sack that’s straightforward to make use of. The stuff sack dimensions simply accommodate stuffing and unstuffing the pillow. You possibly can take away the pillow’s polyester and down cowl for cleansing. We suggest utilizing a down wash (not standard laundry detergent) to protect the loft of the down. 

Ought to You Purchase the Therm-a-Relaxation Air Head Down Pillow?

Because of the consolation enhance of its down prime, the Therm-a-Relaxation Air Head Down is one among our favourite inflatable pillows for backpackers. Heck, it’s comfy sufficient for the campground, too. 

It’s not as ultralight or as packable as our prime picks, nevertheless it’s a legit backpacking choice at round 5 ounces. If you happen to’re weighing our two suggestions for down-top pillows, we want the consolation and assist of the Air Head however the weight and packability of the Aeros Down.

What Different Tenting Pillows Ought to You Think about?

See our full information to the perfect tenting pillows for a dozen alternate options, or browse these three evaluations of comparable pillows:

Sea to Summit Aeros Down Overview: If you happen to dig the concept of a down-top backpacking pillow, the Aeros Down is one other favourite. It’s lighter and extra packable however not fairly as comfy or supportive because the Air Head Down.

Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Overview: If you happen to’re not dedicated to a down prime, we’re additionally massive followers of the Aeros Premium. It’s not as soft as a down-top pillow nevertheless it’s ultralight, packable, and supportive. 

NEMO Fillo Pillow Overview: If you happen to like the concept of an air pillow with a soft pillow prime, the Fillo incorporates a thick foam layer that’s considerably softer than the Air Head Down. The most important trade-offs are a better weight and bigger packed dimension.