Therm-a-RestCompressible Travel Pillow for Camping, Backpacking, Airplanes and Road Trips, Amethyst

**EDIT** I took it on my river rafting trip and it was worth every penny. Easy to pack away and store, and while everyone else woke up with sore necks (due to using rolled up towels and other things as pillows) I woke up feeling rested and pain free. Great bang for your buck in this little pillow.---So far so good. I'll be using this trip for my camping escapades. I specifically purchased this pillow because I'll be taking a multi day river trip next weekend, and my experiences with this same trip in the past made me realize I'd like something more than a rolled up towel under my head as I sleep by the river side looking up at the stars.I got this in the mail today and so far am very impressed with it. Here are my general observations...1. It has a lumpy feeling to it when you touch it with your hand, but when you lay your head down you don't really notice. At least I didn't. Not to mention I'm bald, so my head feels EVERYTHING.2. I bought the medium sized pillow, and as an average sized dude this has plenty of real estate for my head and enough cushion to provide good support.3. I tried laying on it as if I were a back sleeper, side sleeper, and stomach sleeper. In all three cases I feel this pillow works fine, though I felt the most support with the back sleeping.4. The medium sized pillow packs down pretty adequately. It should go just fine in my dry bag that I'll be keeping my sleeping bag and other supplies in.Overall, I'm really happy with this purchase. Great bang for the buck. If something crazy happens during the trip this weekend, and I notice any cons with the pillow, I'll come back and edit this review. But so far my evaluation at home is 5 stars for a great bang for your buck pillow.

So, I'm not sure if this will show up verified, because I ended up returning this pillow to exchange it for a Nemo Fillo. The nemo suits my needs better, but I was really reluctant to return this guy because he's pretty awesome. I got the large size because it was actually cheaper and prime at the time in comparison to the more popular medium size, and I wanted to compare it to the medium reviews I've seen.This pillow was awesome. It felt great, slept great, compressed into more than half it's size without too much effort, and if you're car camping or stay over at other peoples' places often this pillow is a great thing to roll up into your car and unpack when needed. Just give it a few for the loft to return to it. I am a side sleeper, and I loved it.I compared this on a camping trip to Exped's compact pillow. They are about as opposite as you can get... The thermarest stayed cool throughout the night while exped being basically a fancy balloon heated up and made my cheek sweaty (nothing a pillow case couldn't fix for comfort), the exped is incredibly light weight and packs down into something the size of my palm while the thermarest is giant even compressed. The mediums are more popular, and there is a size difference, but honestly not that much of one. I'd probably stick with the large if space wasn't a factor at all. The thermarest was more suitable for side sleeping, but the exped did better on airplane rides where one is sitting upright.In comparison to the medium pillow that I tried out at REI, the large has a bit more width and oomph to it, and I like truly being able to switch side to side without having to adjust my pillow to follow my head. To me, if weight/size isn't an issue at all (and really, it probably isn't if you're using this thing) then go ahead and go with the large. The small pillows are actually great for kids and slumber parties, but I'm a small adult and I still think the large offered the right amount of luxury and comfort to packability. To me, the medium and large aren't THAT huge of a difference compressed down, but the large felt more like at home than the medium when expanded.The thing is, if you're camping for size of items this is NOT your thing. I think if you want a good blend of comfort and compression, go with a Nemo Fillo .. more pricey than the thermarest, but there's a layer of memory foam and comfortable fabric with an inflatable element underneath to adjust the softness or firmness. If you're looking for size and compact ultralight, exped was absolutely amazing and I'll write a review of it as well.But if you want comfort in your camping/glamping, a pillow to offer guests that will stow away after, a minimalist that wants their bedding at home to double up on functionality by being more portable, or car camping... this guy is really incredible and will offer a great night's sleep no matter where you are.

This is my favorite travel pillow.On the plane, I use it as a back support, and it is sublimely comfortable. It is by far more comfortable than any other back support I have tried on the airplane. There is plenty of bulk to support almost my entire lower back, not just one spot. It is soft and conforms to the shape of my back and the shape of the seat. I can even get a little sleep with this pillow behind my back on overnight coach flights. For me, it works better than blankets, bean bags, and my previous favorite self inflating bladder from OPTP. It is a little too thick to use for my head while seated on the plane. And even when compressed, it is still a little bulky, either inside my bag or dangling on the outside - but it is worth it for me.At my destination, this works as a bed pillow. I like thin pillows generally, and most hotel pillows are too thick or contain down which can cause allergies. So it's great to know I have a reasonably comfortable pillow with me no matter what I find at the hotel.At home, this is my favorite knee pillow. I have tried a few hourglass shaped knee pillows, but I like this one better. It has the right amount of thickness for my legs. And it is less bulky and easier to turn over with than the hourglass shaped knee pillows. I bought a second one to use at home!The self contained stuff bag is a great idea and works well! Even when stuffed it is still a little bulky and awkward to carry, but less than the other travel pillows sold in the airports.This review is based on the small size.Suggestions for improvement:-- Include a means to attach securely to the outside of my bag - perhaps a well fastened soft cloth loop with a detachable carabiner. Currently, I use the draw string, but the knot can come undone and I would never hear this pillow fall on the floor behind me in the airport.-- Consider a model thinner than the current small size. This would be useful as a head pillow on the plane.