A pillow is easy to leave behind when space is tight, but a rolled-up jumper is no substitute. The Hikenture Inflatable Camping Pillow weighs 140 g and rolls up to the size of a soda can, so there’s no reason not to bring it. It blows up in a few breaths, the valve lets you set the firmness, and silicone strips help it stay on the mat. It cost us $29.
What’s in the box
A contoured air pillow with a thickened TPU air bladder inside a soft, washable cover: grey fabric on the side with the valve and the grip strips, quilted green fabric on the other. It comes rolled up in a grey drawstring pouch, and besides green it’s sold in blue, grey and khaki.
What we like
- Packs to the size of a soda can
- Blows up in 3–5 breaths
- Valve adjusts the firmness
- Silicone grip strips
- Removable, washable cover
- Only 140 g
What we don’t
- No strap to fix it to a mat
- Firm if you over-inflate it
- Flimsy carry pouch
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Hikenture |
| Material | TPU air bladderWashable cover |
| Colour options | BlueGreenGreyKhaki |
| Weight | 140 g |
| Size | 43 × 27 × 11 cm |
| Packed size | 15 × 8 cm |
| Valve | One-clickAdjusts the firmness |
Blown up in a few breaths
The valve is the best part. Flip the cap open and it takes three to five breaths to fill the pillow, and the valve doesn’t let the air back out while you take a breath. To make it softer, press the black button inside the valve halfway and let a little air go; press it all the way in and it’s flat within seconds.
Don’t overdo it: blown up hard, it feels firm and a bit bouncy. A few seconds of letting air out gets it right, and it’s easy to reach even when you’re already lying down.
Grip strips keep it on the matGrip strips
Inflatable pillows tend to slide off the mat in the night. The Hikenture has curved silicone strips at both ends of the grey side, which grip the mat and help it stay where you put it. There’s no strap to fix it to a mat, though, so if you toss and turn a lot it can still end up beside you.
A soft cover over the air bladderSoft cover
The air bladder sits inside a cover, so you lie on soft fabric rather than crinkly plastic, and there’s no chemical smell. The cover comes off the air bladder and is washable, which helps after a few dusty or sweaty nights, and the contoured shape gives your head and neck more support than a flat air pillow.
Rolls up to the size of a soda canPacked size
Packing up takes seconds: press the valve all the way in, fold the pillow lengthways and roll it from the far end to push the last of the air out. It rolls up to about 15 × 8 cm, small enough for a jacket pocket or the lid of a pack. The drawstring pouch is thin and flimsy, so we wouldn’t count on it lasting as long as the pillow.
How it compares with other inflatable pillowsVs other inflatables
We’ve tested four Trekology inflatable pillows as well. The Aluft Pillow 2.0 is lighter and smaller but has no cover, the Aluft Deluxe adds a soft, quilted foam cover, and the Aluft Ultra is a big pillow the size of the one at home. The three head pillows have a strap to hold them on the mat, which the Hikenture lacks. The Trekology Aluft Neck is the U-shaped travel pillow of the range, for naps sitting up.
This one Hikenture | Quilted Aluft Deluxe | Lightest Aluft Neck | Dots Aluft 2.0 | Biggest Aluft Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mat strap | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Size | 43 × 27 × 11 cm | 40.5 × 28 × 10 cm | 37 × 29 × 11 cm | 40.6 × 30.5 × 10 cm | 60 × 38 × 12 cm |
| Packed size | 15 × 8 cm | 15.2 × 10 × 7.6 cm | 7.5 × 12 cm | 12.7 × 5 cm | 19 × 10 × 10 cm |
| Cover | Soft fabric, washable | Quilted foam, removable | Polyester & cotton, removable | None, bare TPU | Velvet, removable |
| Breaths to fill | 3–5 | 3–5 | – | 3–8 | 4–6 |
| Weight | 140 g | 120 g | 100 g | 110 g | 265 g |
| Price paid | $29 | $33 | $25 | $34 | $46 |
| Our score | 7.9 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 7.7 | 7.8 |
Conclusion: Hikenture Inflatable Camping PillowConclusion
The Hikenture Inflatable Camping Pillow is a small, light air pillow that’s easy to bring on any trip. At 140 g it rolls up to the size of a soda can, it blows up in three to five breaths, the valve makes it easy to set the firmness, and the soft cover and silicone grip strips make it more comfortable and less slippery than a bare air pillow. There’s no strap to fix it to a mat, it feels firm if you over-inflate it and the pouch is flimsy, but for $29 it’s a good pillow for hikers and anyone short on space.
A tiny, light inflatable pillow that packs to the size of a soda can.
It blows up in three to five breaths, the valve lets you set the firmness and silicone strips help it stay on the mat. There’s no strap to fix it to a mat, it’s firm if over-inflated and the pouch is flimsy.
- Hikers
- 4WD tourers
- Travellers
Yes, for hikers and anyone short on space. At 140 g it packs to the size of a soda can, blows up in a few breaths and stays on the mat, but the pouch is flimsy.
