The Trekology Aluft Deluxe is an inflatable pillow that doesn’t feel like one. A soft, quilted foam cover sits over the air bladder, so there’s no plasticky crinkle when you turn your head, and a strap holds it on the mat. It weighs 120 g and folds down to about the size of a soda can. It cost us $33.
What’s in the box
A curved inflatable pillow with an air-tight TPU core, a removable cover with a grey top and a black quilted foam underside, a two-way valve and a strap that wraps around your mat. It comes with a grey stuff sack.
What we like
- Soft, quiet quilted foam cover
- Cover zips off to wash
- Strap holds it on the mat
- Curved shape cradles the neck
- Only 120 g
- Inflates in 3–5 breaths
What we don’t
- Air pools at the sides when soft
- Fine-tuning firmness is tricky
- Cover best washed by hand
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Trekology |
| Material | TPU coreRemovable quilted foam cover |
| Weight | 120 g |
| Size | 40.5 × 28 × 10 cm |
| Packed size | 15.2 × 10 × 7.6 cm |
| Valve | Two-way |
| Features | Mat strapWashable cover |
A quilted cover that zips offQuilted cover
The cover is what sets the Deluxe apart from Trekology’s bare Aluft 2.0. The foam padding feels softer against your face, damps the crinkly noise of an air pillow and breathes better than bare TPU. It zips off for washing after a dusty trip, though Trekology recommends washing it by hand. The curved, kidney-bean shape cradles your neck on your back or your side.
A strap to keep it on the matMat strap
A strap with a snap at each end wraps around your sleeping mat and holds the pillow in place, which fixes the most annoying thing about inflatable pillows: waking up with it halfway across the tent. It suits mats about 51 and 64 cm wide, and it unclips when you don’t need it.
Blown up in a few breaths
Three to five breaths through the two-way valve fill it, and the valve holds the air while you breathe in. You can let small bursts out to soften it, but getting it just right takes a little fiddling, and if you let too much out the air pools at the sides. Open the valve fully and it’s flat in seconds.
Next to the Aluft Ultra
The Trekology Aluft Ultra is the big brother: 60 × 38 cm instead of 40.5 × 28 cm, with a velvet cover, but more than twice the weight at 265 g. The Deluxe is the one for a pack; the Ultra suits the car.
How it compares with other inflatable pillowsVs other inflatables
We’ve tested four other inflatable pillows. The Trekology Aluft Pillow 2.0 is 10 g lighter but has no cover, the Trekology Aluft Ultra is much bigger and heavier, and the Hikenture has a washable cover but no mat strap. The Trekology Aluft Neck is the U-shaped travel pillow of the range, for naps sitting up.
This one Aluft Deluxe | Grippy Hikenture | Lightest Aluft Neck | Dots Aluft 2.0 | Biggest Aluft Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mat strap | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Size | 40.5 × 28 × 10 cm | 43 × 27 × 11 cm | 37 × 29 × 11 cm | 40.6 × 30.5 × 10 cm | 60 × 38 × 12 cm |
| Packed size | 15.2 × 10 × 7.6 cm | 15 × 8 cm | 7.5 × 12 cm | 12.7 × 5 cm | 19 × 10 × 10 cm |
| Cover | Quilted foam, removable | Soft fabric, washable | Polyester & cotton, removable | None, bare TPU | Velvet, removable |
| Breaths to fill | 3–5 | 3–5 | – | 3–8 | 4–6 |
| Weight | 120 g | 140 g | 100 g | 110 g | 265 g |
| Price paid | $33 | $29 | $25 | $34 | $46 |
| Our score | 8.2 | 7.9 | 8.3 | 7.7 | 7.8 |
Conclusion: Trekology Aluft Pillow DeluxeConclusion
The Trekology Aluft Deluxe is the inflatable pillow to get if you don’t like the feel of one. The quilted foam cover is soft and quiet and zips off to wash, the curved shape cradles your neck and the strap keeps it on the mat, all for 120 g and a packed size about that of a soda can. Fine-tuning the firmness is tricky and the cover is best washed by hand, but for $33 it’s a very good pillow for the pack.
A light inflatable pillow that doesn’t feel like one.
The quilted foam cover is soft and quiet and zips off to wash, the curved shape cradles your neck and the strap holds it on the mat, all at 120 g. Fine-tuning the firmness is tricky, and let too much air out and it pools at the sides.
- Backpackers
- Hikers
- Ultralight
Yes. For $33 you get a soft, quilted cover, a mat strap and a curved shape at 120 g, features cheaper pillows skip. Fine-tuning the firmness takes some fiddling.
