The Zempire Chill-Pill V2 is meant to pack like an inflatable but feel like a foam pillow, and it blows itself up. We’ve tried everything from a rolled-up jumper to small inflatables, so we wanted to see whether it could become our regular pillow for car camping. It cost us $55.
What’s in the box
A self-inflating pillow, 38 × 28 × 10 cm, with a foam core, a soft stretch top that zips off for washing, a tough bonded 75D polyester base and a 3D shape that supports your neck. It has a one-way flat valve and comes rolled up in a small carry bag. It’s black and grey.
What we like
- Inflates itself quickly
- Great neck support
- Tough 75D base
- Stretch top zips off to wash
- Easy to set the firmness
What we don’t
- Hard to get back in its bag
- Heavy for backpacking: 405 g
- Firm foam won't suit everyone
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Zempire |
| Material | 75D polyester baseStretch fabric top |
| Colour options | BlackGrey |
| Weight | 405 g |
| Size | 38 × 28 × 10 cm |
| Packed size | 28 × 13 cm |
| Features | Self-inflating3D shapeRemovable cover |
Comfort
Inflated, it’s very comfortable. The stretch top and foam core shape to your head, a bit like memory foam, and the 3D shape and 10 cm of height support your neck better than many camping pillows, so we don’t wake up with a stiff neck. At 38 × 28 cm there’s plenty of room for your head. The foam feel is on the firm side, which won’t suit everyone.
Self-inflating
Unroll it, open the valve and the foam does most of the work: it fills quickly and soon looks like a pillow. A few breaths into the one-way valve give it the firmness we like, and letting a little air out softens it. The valve seals tightly, so no air leaks out overnight. After a long day of driving, that beats blowing a pillow up from flat.
Packing and build
The bonded 75D polyester base is rugged and resists tearing, so we’re happy using it on rough ground or in the tent, and the cover zips off for washing. Packing is the catch: it took us a couple of tries to get all the air out and roll it tightly enough to fit back in its bag. Rolled up it’s 28 × 13 cm, which slides into a gear box, and at 405 g it’s too heavy for backpacking but fine for car camping.
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, the Mountain Designs Pillow is a similar size at about half the weight, and the two Hikemans, the Memory Foam Camping and the Memory Foam Pillow, are solid memory foam.
This one Zempire Chill-Pill | Biggest Foam Core (Deluxe) | 2-sided Hikeman Grey | Shaped Hikeman Yellow | Lightest Mountain Designs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pillow Lock | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Type | Self-inflating foam | Foam core and fill | Memory foam | Memory foam | Self-inflating foam |
| Size | 38 × 28 × 10 cm | 56 × 36 × 16 cm | 38 × 25 × 10 cm | 43 × 22 × 12 cm | 37 × 28 × 10 cm |
| Packed size | 28 × 13 cm | 37 × 12 cm | 25 × 12.5 × 12.5 cm | 21 × 14.5 cm | 26 × 9 × 9 cm |
| Weight | 405 g | 474 g | 360 g | 445 g | 220 g |
| Price paid | $55 | $55 | $85 | $75 | $20 |
| Our score | 9.0 | 9.4 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 8.9 |
Conclusion: Zempire Chill-Pill Self-Inflating V2Conclusion
The Zempire Chill-Pill V2 is a comfortable self-inflating pillow for car campers: it fills quickly, supports your neck well with its 3D shape, and has a tough 75D base and a cover that zips off for washing. At 405 g it’s too heavy for backpacking, it’s hard to get back into its bag and the firm foam won’t suit everyone, but for car camping it’s a very good pillow for $55.
A very good pillow for car camping.
It inflates itself quickly, supports the neck well and has a tough 75D base, and the stretch top zips off to wash. At 405 g it's too heavy for backpacking, it's hard to get back into its bag and the firm foam won't suit everyone.
- Car campers
- Travellers
- 4WD tourers
Yes, for car camping. It inflates quickly, supports your neck and has a tough 75D base at a good price. At 405 g it’s too heavy for backpacking and hard to get back in its bag.
