Bear Grylls Inflatable Camping and Backpacking Pillow, Black

The price for this inflatable pillow was very good, so I thought it wouldn't hurt to pull the trigger and try it. First of all, the size and shape are perfect for a true camping pillow. The size and shape cradles your head and feels both natural and comfortable. The thickness is just right for my posture. The material isn't fully flocked, but it does have a flat sheen, so it feels more like fabric than vinyl. The temperature is warm to the touch, and doesn't feel like a vinyl inflatable. It also doesn't make the annoying crinkle noises some inflatables do when you lay on them. The valve operation is very good. It uses a double-action valve, which fills quickly with only a few breaths, through a one-way valve, and when deflating, you just pull out the larger stopper and roll and fold the pillow until all of the air is out. Once fully deflated and carefully folded/rolled, this thing is extremely compact. You can actually fit it in your pocket if you want to. I tested it under real conditions for several hours and it held it's air and shape perfectly. It did not leak at all. You can inflate this to be very firm or softer, depending on your preference. If works either way. The black color is a little unusual for a camp product, but it doesn't affect the functionality. It may get warm if left in the sun though. And while the seams appear to be thin, they never leaked and seem to be solid and rugged. This product hits the right balance between light weight, compact size, usefulness, comfort and value. I can highly recommend this camp pillow...

The shape, texture, compact size deflated, and ease of rolling it up and putting it into the storage bag are all perfect. The 2-part opening is genius - a valved nozzle for inflating it, and then the nozzle pops out and there's a large hole for deflating it. I bought this camp pillow because of it's kidney shape, and it works really well. I'm a side sleeper and the pillow is a little thin, as all pillows are, so I put some clothes underneath it and it works perfectly.

Quality was good but did not like the design.

I have used many different things as pillows in the past while camping and they are not all created equal for sure. Towels, jackets, sweat pants, sweat shirts, backpack, etc. all are great in a pinch, but they are not ideal. I refrained from getting most inflatable pillows because they felt cheap like inflatable pool toys with a little felt over them. They weren't even soft. I did eventually get another nicer one that is similar to this Bear Grylls one but it did not last. A leak developed along one of the seams and it seemed impossible for me to repair it. I guess I didn't try hard enough since I just used duct tape. There is purpose designed tape that adheres to fabric covered material that I should get in case this pillow develops a puncture. Inflating this pillow is easy as it has a double function valve that has a large diameter. You pull the smaller center plug and you can blow into the stem and fill up the pillow. There is a one way valve that allows you to blow and not lose air. It took me about 4-5 blows to fill it completely. Capping was easy and there were no leaks at all. To empty the pillow, just pull the larger plug and air is evacuated quickly. The pillow is a great size and works great with my mummy bag all cinched up at the top. The best part of this pillow is the stretchy material that it is made with. The surface is soft, smooth and flexible. It's not thick and rigid. The material flexes and stretches with pressure making laying my head on it very comfortable. My last pillow that was similar to this had material that was soft but not forgiving and it was a bit on the louder side. This pillow is quieter but it still will be louder than your regular pillow for sure. Overall, I like this pillow for the softness and stretchy nature of it. Fingers crossed that the seams are good and don't leak after a lot of use.

...this is actually very comfortable once you dial in your pressure preference (puffpuff)...works great in a tent hammock and compacts nicely...

I used this on a 3 day backpacking hike up Mt. Whitney and it was perfect. Super light and compact. It takes only 3 breaths to inflate it. The fabric feels nice and I slept directly on it the first night with no issues. I wrapped it with a shirt the next two nights and it was even better. You don't need those expensive backpacking pillows when you have everything you need with this.

A small travel pillow is a better option. Not comfortable. Not effective.

The best inflatable pillow

Great pillow. It’s about 80 g and I’m using it as a second pillow for side sleeping while backpacking. I like it so much that I went to buy one for my husband and they’re currently unavailable. I hope they come back soon.

This year was the second camping season with this pillow. While it doesn't get a lot of use it still works after over a year. I find it very comfortable, easy to inflate and deflate and doesn't squeak. I have another inflatable pillow that I can't use because every time you move your head it squeaks, so rather pleased with this purchase.

The cushion stays inflated but your head seems to roll all over the place.