There’s always room in the car for one more pillow if it’s small enough. The Sea to Summit Aeros Down Pillow is ours: a super compact inflatable pillow with a down top that we keep as a backup in the back of the Prado. It takes up next to no space, and it’s still very comfortable. We paid $120 for the Large, which is pretty expensive.
What’s in the box
One inflatable pillow in the Large size, Grey, with a stuff sack. It’s an adjustable TPU air bladder with a cushion-top of premium duck down, under an ultra-light 10D face fabric, the same kind of fabric Sea to Summit uses on its Spark and Flame sleeping bags. It has Sea to Summit’s multi-function valve and a Pillow Lock patch underneath.
What we like
- Very comfortable for its size
- Super compact: packs tiny
- Light: 91 g in its sack
- Soft duck down top
- Valve fine-tunes the firmness
- Pillow Lock fits Sea to Summit mats
What we don’t
- Pretty expensive at $120
- Thin 10D fabric needs care
- Smaller than a bed pillow
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Sea to Summit |
| Material | 10D face fabricDuck downTPU bladder |
| Weight | 91 g |
| Size | Large |
| Valve | Multi-function |
| Features | Pillow Lock |
Comfort
For something this small, it’s very comfortable. The down layer on top makes the face of the pillow soft and warm, and the TPU bladder underneath gives the support. A few breaths fill it, and the valve lets you let a little air out at a time until the firmness is right.
It’s still a camping pillow, though: smaller than a pillow from home. That’s why, on most trips, the two of us take bigger pillows for the rooftop tent, and this one stays in the car as the backup.
Packed size and weight
This is where the Down Pillow shines. Deflated and rolled up, it goes into a stuff sack smaller than a fist, and it weighs 91 g on our scale, a little under the 95 g on the card. It lives in the back of the Prado next to the cooking gear, where it takes up next to no space.
Durability
The 10D face fabric is very thin, which is how Sea to Summit keeps it so light. Treat it gently: keep it in its sack when it isn’t in use, and don’t put it down on sharp gravel or sticks. The TPU bladder inside does the work of holding the air.
Aeros Down vs Aeros Premium
We also have the Sea to Summit Aeros Premium. They share the same valve and Pillow Lock, but the tops are different: the Down has a duck down cushion under a thin 10D fabric, the Premium a brushed knit face over a synthetic fill layer, with a curved shape and a scalloped base.
This review Aeros Down |  Aeros Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Top | Duck down | Brushed knit, Synthetic fill |
| Shape | Rectangular | Curved |
| Face fabric | 10D | 50D knit |
| Weight, Large | 91 g | 114 g |
| Price paid | $120 | $75 |
| Our score | 8.9 | 9.3 |
Conclusion: Sea to Summit Aeros Down Pillow (Large)Conclusion
The Sea to Summit Aeros Down Pillow is a super compact inflatable pillow with a duck down top that’s still very comfortable. It packs smaller than a fist, weighs 91 g in its sack, fine-tunes with the valve and locks to a Sea to Summit mat with Pillow Lock. We keep it as a backup in the car, because it takes up next to no space, and take bigger pillows for the rooftop tent on most trips. At $120 it’s pretty expensive, but for hikers and anyone who wants a light pillow that’s always there, it’s a great one.
A down-topped inflatable pillow that packs smaller than a fist and weighs 91 g.
Very comfortable for its size, but $120 is a lot.
- Hikers
- Car campers
- 4WD tourers
Only if light and tiny matter to you. At $120 it’s pretty expensive for a pillow, and for car camping a bigger pillow is cheaper and roomier, but nothing this comfortable packs this small.
