This is a gear evaluate concerning the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow in 2022.
If you’re in search of an ultralight pillow that packs up small and robust sufficient for a weekend tenting journey or multi-month thru-hike then this may very well be for you. I’ve been utilizing this pillow for the final couple of months and right here is my in-depth evaluate.
In-Depth Review: Therm-A-Rest Air Head Lite Pillow
Thermarest Air Head Lite Pillow
Weight Regular:Â 2 oz / 58 grams
Weight Large:Â 2.8 oz / 80 grams
Pros:
> Ultralight
> Machine washable
> Very small packed measurement
> Soft to the contact and Comfortable
Cons:
> Not as snug as your pillow at dwelling however good for an ultralight pillow.
I used the Therm-a-Rest Airhead Lite Pillow for a few months of testing to see simply how good it might be as an ultralight backpacking pillow. It is ultralight and ideal for the ultralight hiker wanting a snug pillow with minimal weight and pack measurement.
While it is probably not as snug as your pillow at dwelling that isn’t why you’ll need a pillow like this. But the compromise in measurement, consolation, and sturdiness makes it value it.
Overall, if you’re an ultralight hiker and are in search of an ultralight pillow then think about the Therm-a-Rest Air Head Lite Pillow as the most effective available on the market in 2022.
Material
The Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow makes use of polyester gentle stretch knit material that’s gentle to the contact. The nonslip material retains the pillow properly within the hood of your sleeping bag. But throughout my testing, I discovered the pillow was higher suited for use exterior the sleeping hood and on the bottom of the sleeping pad. As talked about earlier it does fairly a very good job of staying in place and is comparatively non-slip.
Comfort and Support
Firstly, let’s make it clear that the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is an ultralight pillow and won’t be as snug as your pillow at dwelling. With 4 inches / 10 cm of peak, there’s greater than sufficient help to maintain you snug at evening.
When the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is matched with an ultralight sleeping pad and sleeping bag or backpacking quilt it types a very good partnership for a very good evening’s sleep. And a very good general sleep system for those who need to carry the least quantity of weight, however with essentially the most quantity of consolation.
The outer gentle stretch knit material is gentle sufficient to make it really feel good towards the pores and skin however lacks the gentle velvety really feel of another light-weight backpacking pillows.
For males with a beard or stubble, the outer material is nice and there’s solely a really minimal rubbing sound.
The pillow suits properly into the hood of sleeping baggage and all however the fussiest sleeper will discover it snug. Side sleepers, again sleepers, and abdomen sleepers ought to discover this pillow to be superb.
If something may very well be improved it might be the outer materials that touches your pores and skin. While it feels good towards your pores and skin there are another ultralight pillows which have a way more plush and gentle feeling material however nonetheless maintain the identical weight. Having mentioned that, that is the go-to ultralight pillow that I exploit proper now.
Pillow Size
There are two sizes within the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow vary.
The regular-sized Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is 15.5 inches x 11 inches x 4 inches / 39 cm x 28 cm x 10 cm which is my most well-liked possibility. It packs right into a small stuff sack that’s sufficiently small to slot in your pocket.
The large-sized Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is eighteen inches x 12.5 inches x 4 inches / 46 cm x 32 cm x 10 cm. It packs into a really small stuff sack.
Weight
The regular-sized Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is 2 oz / 58 grams.
The large-sized Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is 2.8 oz / 80 grams.
Overall, the burden of those makes these pillows finest suited to ultralight hikers and backpackers who need the lightest pillow that can be snug.
Durability
The Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is an inflatable pillow that’s sturdy sufficient for a whole lot of nights of use with out difficulty. But as it’s inflatable there’s at all times the potential of getting a gap. Most of those points shall be associated to person error or making an attempt to make use of it exterior in areas with spikey crops or packing it inside your pack close to sharp objects that will rub towards the stuff sack. I recommend packing it inside your sleeping bag could be a good suggestion.
Some hikers might attempt to sit on this when it’s inflated which is a positive strategy to trigger injury. If you utilize this product as a pillow then it’s greater than sturdy sufficient to final for a whole lot of nights of use and abuse.
The Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow comes with a restricted lifetime guarantee which is nice to know if you happen to do have any points. Also, I can affirm that the customer support division is without doubt one of the finest within the enterprise.
Ease of Use
Simply take away the pillow from the stuff sack and with two or three breaths will probably be inflated. When first utilizing the pillow it would be best to mess around with the quantity of air contained in the pillow to find out what strain offers the most effective really feel for you. Once you’ve got that dialed in you’re good to go. The valve and mouthpiece work properly and are easy too.
How to Care For Your Pillow
After a little bit of use, there shall be a little bit of sweat and dust on the pillow. Simply hand wash the pillow with delicate cleaning soap or tech wash to scrub the pillow. Air dry earlier than storing.
Value
Compared with related camp and backpacking pillows the Therm-a-rest Airhead Lite Pillow in all fairness priced and sits in the midst of the vary in comparison with different light-weight backpacking pillows. Some cheaper pillows exist and there are additionally some costlier ones. Overall, respectable worth for cash.
Therm-a-rest Airhead Lite Pillow Vs the Rest
How does the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow examine with all the opposite ultralight and light-weight backpacking pillows?
For ultralight backpackers, this is without doubt one of the finest available on the market in 2022. There are solely a few different pillows that may compete for weight, consolation, and pack measurement similar to these from Nemo and Sea to Summit. For anybody anticipating a pillow as snug as your one at dwelling you could be disillusioned however there are others on the market which may be extra appropriate. Be positive to take a look at the way it compares with different ultralight backpacking pillows.
Conclusion
Overall, the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is without doubt one of the finest ultralight backpacking and climbing pillows for 2022. A mix of light-weight, small pack measurement and good consolation make it a good selection for individuals who think about these options to be of the utmost significance. While the outer material is good and gentle to the robust it may very well be softer. Maybe that’s the reason another light-weight pillows are heavier because the outer materials provides rather a lot to the burden. Having mentioned that it’s a huge enchancment on earlier fashions and pillows from a few years in the past that weren’t so snug. I like this pillow a lot it’s my present ultralight pillow that I exploit for climbing and backpacking journeys. A winner.
Frequently Asked Questions
When it involves ultralight backpacking pillows the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite is without doubt one of the finest available on the market. It shouldn’t be solely light-weight however snug, and sturdy, and packs as much as a really small measurement. Perfect for backpacking.
BikeHikeSafari Gear Review Process
The creator, Brad McCartney from BikeHikeSafari is a small impartial adventurer and outside gear tester who owns and runs BikeHikeSafari.com.
BikeHikeSafari shouldn’t be half of a big weblog community and is proudly impartial. All evaluations on this website are impartial and sincere gear evaluations of out of doors merchandise by the creator.
The creator, Brad McCartney is a really skilled triple crown thru-hiker, adventurer, and bike tourer having spent 1000s of nights sleeping in a tent and sleeping bag (Read extra). He was a supervisor of an out of doors retail retailer and may be very skilled in what’s essential when utilizing and testing gear for evaluations like this.
BikeHikeSafari won’t ever obtain any cash for evaluations and they don’t settle for sponsored evaluations on this web site. All the feedback concerning the gear evaluations are from the creator based mostly on his years of expertise. Hope this impartial evaluate was useful for you.