Exped Mega Backpacking Pillow Evaluation

Backside Line

The Exped Mega Pillow stands out for backpackers and automotive campers who need an uber-comfortable air pillow that’s nearly as huge as their pillow again dwelling. As we’ve discovered to anticipate from Exped, the Mega Pillow leans into consolation and help. 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 automotive 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 the very best purchase for ultralight backpackers. We suggest it for weekend warriors who worth consolation and help and like air pillows to foam tenting pillows. Based mostly on side-by-side testing, it ranked comparatively excessive in our information to the finest tenting and backpacking pillows.

How We Examined

CleverHiker gear analyst Jory Brass adventured by New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness backpacking and automotive tenting with the Exped Mega. Throughout testing, he examined help, consolation, ease of use, and weight/packability. The outcomes of his subject and lab exams are beneath.

Consolation

Exped’s Mega Pillow boasts important consolation for an air pillow. A number of of CleverHiker’s gear analysts desire the texture of froth pillows for a snug evening’s sleep. Nonetheless, the Mega Pillow surpassed the opposite air pillows in consolation throughout our facet by facet exams. Along with testing every pillow individually, our analyst additionally spent an evening rotating by every of the massive air pillows in our information to check their consolation. By the top of the evening, the Exped Mega Pillow was underneath his head – whereas the opposite pillows had been stacked alongside the sting of the tent.

At 20.5 x 12.6 x 4.7 inches, the Mega Pillow gives one of many largest sleeping surfaces of the pillows we examined. Steep-sided baffles helped help the neck once we slept on our sides, whereas the air valve made it simple to fine-tune the inflation to our desired degree of softness and help. The face cloth additionally carried out higher than the competitors. The mixture of the mushy tricot nylon and the refined padding of artificial insulation took the sting off the inflated bladder. This camp pillow paired particularly effectively with the Exped MegaMat for a stable evening 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 assessment, the Exped Mega Pillow positioned across the center of the pack in weight and packability. In line with our gear analysts’ kitchen scale, the pillow weighs 6.8 ounces in its stuff sack. Its packed dimension is barely narrower and shorter than a Nalgene bottle. 

That’s doable for the typical backpacker however too huge and heavy for the ultralighters who submit their pack weights on social media. The Exped Mega Pillow just isn’t as gentle or packable as equally sized choices, but it surely’s simpler to cram right into a backpack. In comparison with automotive 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 help over weight and packability.

Help

The Exped Mega Pillow is likely one of the extra supportive pillows we examined on this season’s lineup. Air pillows is probably not essentially the most comfy alternative, however air resistance gives extra help than compressible foam. With a 4.7 inch top, the Mega is thicker than most camp pillows we examined, so it feels fairly supportive. That above common thickness may be particularly useful for facet sleepers, who usually desire extra substantial camp pillows to maintain their neck supported and aligned. 

In comparison with different luxurious pillows in our line up, the Mega Pillow just isn’t as supportive. For backpackers, automotive campers, and overlanders who need a mixture of consolation and help, the Exped Mega Pillow is definitely 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 straightforward identification. The one-piece valve makes it particularly simple to fine-tune the pillow’s inflation degree: 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 straightforward valve permits us to regulate the air strain 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 huge 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 many 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 choice for space-challenged van lifers and overlanders who respect how air pillows pack down smaller than foam tenting pillows. Total, the Exped Mega Pillow is sensible for automotive campers and backpackers who don’t thoughts paying a premium for a reasonably packable pillow with stable consolation and help.

What Different Tenting Pillows Ought to You Take into account?

Take a look at our full information to the Finest Backpacking and Tenting Pillows for all of the pillows we’ve examined and advisable. Listed here are three different standouts which might be much like the Exped Mega Pillow:

HEST Camp Pillow Evaluation: 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 gentle or as packable because the Exped Mega Pillow. Nonetheless, in the event you’re after a luxurious sleep expertise at a drive-up campsite, the HEST Camp Pillow is difficult to high for consolation. 

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

Sea to Summit Aeros Down Deluxe Pillow: The Sea to Summit Aeros Down Deluxe Pillow affords comparable help 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.