Nobody loves waking up with a sore neck after a night on a bundled-up fleece. The Mountain Designs Standard Pillow is a self-inflating foam pillow that feels close to the one at home and still packs small, and it has come on various trips with us. It cost us $20.
What’s in the box
A rectangular, self-inflating pillow, 37 × 28 cm and 10 cm thick, with anti-fungal repurposed foam inside a soft 30D polyester stretch fabric with a TPU coating and heat-welded seams. It has a heavy-duty twist valve on one corner, and comes in a roomy black drawstring pouch with a carry strap, plus a small repair kit. Ours is the grey Raven colour.
What we like
- Soft stretch fabric
- 10 cm of anti-fungal foam
- Self-inflating, adjustable firmness
- Packs to 26 × 9 × 9 cm
- Roomy pouch and repair kit
What we don’t
- Not for ultralight packs
- Needs a few breaths to firm up
- Bulkier than air-only pillows
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Mountain Designs |
| Material | 30D polyester stretch fabricTPU coatingAnti-fungal foam |
| Weight | 220 gin its pouch |
| Size | 37 × 28 × 10 cm |
| Packed size | 26 × 9 × 9 cm |
| Colour | Raven |
| Included | Carry pouchRepair kit |
Self-inflating
Out of the pouch, the pillow unrolls flat. Open the valve and the foam expands and draws in air on its own; in a minute or two it’s mostly full. A couple of breaths through the valve bring it to the firmness you want, and opening it again lets the air out quickly. The heat-welded seams hold the air well, so you don’t wake up at 3 am with your head on your sleeping pad.
Comfort
The stretch fabric is the first thing you notice: soft, and a big step up from the plasticky feel of air-only pillows. With 10 cm of foam inside, it supports your head and neck well, and even with some air let out for a softer feel it doesn’t bottom out. We like being able to set the firmness for back or side sleeping, and the rectangular shape feels more like a normal pillow than the contoured ones. The foam and fabric also stop your head sliding around in the night.
Packing it away
To pack it, open the valve, fold it in half and roll it towards the valve to push the air out, then close the valve. Rolled up it measures about 26 × 9 × 9 cm, and the pouch is roomy enough that you don’t have to fight to get it back in. With the pouch it weighed 220 g on our scale. That isn’t one for an ultralight pack, but for car camping, a rooftop tent or a long flight it’s no trouble to carry.
Build and care
The TPU-coated fabric feels durable and puncture-resistant, and the foam is treated against fungus, which helps when the pillow stays packed for a while. The small repair kit is a nice touch for long trips off the grid. To clean it, close the valve, wash it with mild soap and water, and let it dry completely before you pack it away.
Vs other foam pillows
We’ve reviewed four other foam pillows. The Sea to Summit Foam Core is the biggest and the most like a pillow from home, and locks to Sea to Summit mats; the Zempire Chill-Pill is a similar size but nearly twice the weight; and the two Hikemans, the Memory Foam Camping and the Memory Foam Pillow, are solid memory foam. The Mountain Designs is the lightest of the five.
This one Mountain Designs | Biggest Foam Core (Deluxe) | 2-sided Hikeman Grey | Shaped Hikeman Yellow | Heavier Zempire Chill-Pill | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pillow Lock | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Type | Self-inflating foam | Foam core and fill | Memory foam | Memory foam | Self-inflating foam |
| Size | 37 × 28 × 10 cm | 56 × 36 × 16 cm | 38 × 25 × 10 cm | 43 × 22 × 12 cm | 38 × 28 × 10 cm |
| Packed size | 26 × 9 × 9 cm | 37 × 12 cm | 25 × 12.5 × 12.5 cm | 21 × 14.5 cm | 28 × 13 cm |
| Weight | 220 g | 474 g | 360 g | 445 g | 405 g |
| Price paid | $20 | $55 | $85 | $75 | $55 |
| Our score | 8.9 | 9.4 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 9.0 |
Conclusion: Mountain Designs Standard PillowConclusion
The Mountain Designs Standard Pillow is a comfortable, self-inflating foam pillow: soft stretch fabric, 10 cm of anti-fungal foam, adjustable firmness and a durable TPU-coated build, rolling down to 26 × 9 × 9 cm in a roomy pouch with a repair kit. At 220 g it isn’t for ultralight packing, and it needs a couple of breaths to firm up, but at $20 it’s a lot of comfort for the price.
A comfortable foam pillow that packs small.
The soft stretch cover sits over 10 cm of self-inflating foam that supports your head without bottoming out, and it rolls into a 26 × 9 × 9 cm pouch, for $20. At 220 g it isn't for an ultralight pack, and it takes a couple of breaths to firm up.
- Car campers
- 4WD tourers
- Rooftop tents
Yes. For $20 the 10 cm of foam and the soft stretch cover are far more comfortable than an air-only pillow. It’s too bulky for an ultralight pack.
