This can be a gear assessment in regards to the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow in 2022.
If you’re in search of an ultralight pillow that packs up small and powerful sufficient for a weekend tenting journey or multi-month thru-hike then this might be for you. I’ve been utilizing this pillow for the final couple of months and right here is my in-depth assessment.
In-Depth Overview: Therm-A-Relaxation Air Head Lite Pillow
Thermarest Air Head Lite Pillow
Weight Common: 2 oz / 58 grams
Weight Massive: 2.8 oz / 80 grams
Execs:
> Ultralight
> Machine cleanable
>Very small packed measurement
> Gentle to the contact and Snug
Cons:
>Not as comfy as your pillow at dwelling however good for an ultralight pillow.
I used the Therm-a-Relaxation Airhead Lite Pillow for a few months of testing to see simply how good it will be as an ultralight backpacking pillow. It’s ultralight and excellent for the ultralight hiker wanting a snug pillow with minimal weight and pack measurement.
Whereas it is probably not as comfy as your pillow at dwelling that isn’t why you’d need a pillow like this. However the compromise in measurement, consolation, and sturdiness makes it price it.
General, in case you are an ultralight hiker and are in search of an ultralight pillow then contemplate the Therm-a-Relaxation Air Head Lite Pillow as one of the best available on the market in 2022.
Materials
The Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow makes use of polyester tender stretch knit cloth that’s tender to the contact. The nonslip cloth retains the pillow properly within the hood of your sleeping bag. However throughout my testing, I discovered the pillow was higher suited for use outdoors the sleeping hood and on the bottom of the sleeping pad. As talked about earlier it does fairly a very good job of staying in place and is comparatively non-slip.
Consolation and Assist
Firstly, let’s make it clear that the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is an ultralight pillow and won’t be as comfy as your pillow at dwelling. With 4 inches / 10 cm of peak, there’s greater than sufficient help to maintain you comfy at evening.
When the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is matched with an ultralight sleeping pad and sleeping bag or backpacking quilt it types a very good partnership for a very good evening’s sleep. And a very good total sleep system for those who wish to carry the least quantity of weight, however with probably the most quantity of consolation.
The outer tender stretch knit cloth is tender sufficient to make it really feel good towards the pores and skin however lacks the tender velvety really feel of another light-weight backpacking pillows.
For males with a beard or stubble, the outer cloth is sweet and there’s solely a really minimal rubbing sound.
The pillow matches properly into the hood of sleeping luggage and all however the fussiest sleeper will discover it comfy. Aspect sleepers, again sleepers, and abdomen sleepers ought to discover this pillow to be superb.
If something might be improved it will be the outer materials that touches your pores and skin. Whereas it feels good towards your pores and skin there are another ultralight pillows which have a way more plush and tender feeling cloth however nonetheless maintain the identical weight. Having mentioned that, that is the go-to ultralight pillow that I take advantage of proper now.
Pillow Dimension
There are two sizes within the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow vary.
The regular-sized Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is 15.5 inches x 11 inches x 4 inches / 39 cm x 28 cm x 10 cm which is my most well-liked possibility. It packs right into a small stuff sack that’s sufficiently small to slot in your pocket.
The massive-sized Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is eighteen inches x 12.5 inches x 4 inches / 46 cm x 32 cm x 10 cm. It packs into a really small stuff sack.
Weight
The regular-sized Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is 2 oz / 58 grams.
The massive-sized Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is 2.8 oz / 80 grams.
General, the load of those makes these pillows finest suited to ultralight hikers and backpackers who need the lightest pillow that can be comfy.
Sturdiness
The Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is an inflatable pillow that’s sturdy sufficient for tons of of nights of use with out concern. However as it’s inflatable there’s at all times the potential for getting a gap. Most of those points shall be associated to consumer error or attempting to make use of it outdoors in areas with spikey crops or packing it inside your pack close to sharp objects which will rub towards the stuff sack. I recommend packing it inside your sleeping bag could be a good suggestion.
Some hikers might attempt to sit on this when it’s inflated which is a positive solution to trigger injury. When you use this product as a pillow then it’s greater than sturdy sufficient to final for tons of of nights of use and abuse.
The Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow comes with a restricted lifetime guarantee which is sweet to know should you do have any points. Additionally, I can verify that the customer support division is likely one of the finest within the enterprise.
Ease of Use
Merely take away the pillow from the stuff sack and with two or three breaths it will likely be inflated. When first utilizing the pillow you’ll want to mess around with the quantity of air contained in the pillow to find out what stress provides one of the best really feel for you. Upon getting received that dialed in you might be good to go. The valve and mouthpiece work nicely and are easy too.
Easy methods to Care For Your Pillow
After a little bit of use, there shall be a little bit of sweat and grime on the pillow. Merely hand wash the pillow with gentle cleaning soap or tech wash to scrub the pillow. Air dry earlier than storing.
Worth
In contrast with comparable camp and backpacking pillows the Therm-a-rest Airhead Lite Pillow is fairly priced and sits in the course of the vary in comparison with different light-weight backpacking pillows. Some cheaper pillows exist and there are additionally some dearer ones. General, respectable worth for cash.
Therm-a-rest Airhead Lite Pillow Vs the Relaxation
How does the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow examine with all the opposite ultralight and light-weight backpacking pillows?
For ultralight backpackers, this is likely one of the finest available on the market in 2022. There are solely a few different pillows that may compete for weight, consolation, and pack measurement equivalent to these from Nemo and Sea to Summit. For anybody anticipating a pillow as comfy as your one at dwelling you could be dissatisfied however there are others on the market which may be extra appropriate. Be sure you take a look at the way it compares with different ultralight backpacking pillows.
Conclusion
General, the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is likely one of the finest ultralight backpacking and climbing pillows for 2022. A mixture of light-weight, small pack measurement and good consolation make it a sensible choice for individuals who contemplate these options to be of the utmost significance. Whereas the outer cloth is good and tender to the robust it might be softer. Perhaps that’s the reason another light-weight pillows are heavier because the outer materials provides quite a bit to the load. Having mentioned that it’s a massive enchancment on earlier fashions and pillows from a few years in the past that weren’t so comfy. I like this pillow a lot it’s my present ultralight pillow that I take advantage of for climbing and backpacking journeys. A winner.
Incessantly Requested Questions
In terms of ultralight backpacking pillows the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite is likely one of the finest available on the market. It isn’t solely light-weight however comfy, and sturdy, and packs as much as a really small measurement. Good for backpacking.
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The writer, Brad McCartney from BikeHikeSafari is a small unbiased adventurer and outside gear tester who owns and runs BikeHikeSafari.com.
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The writer, Brad McCartney is a really skilled triple crown thru-hiker, adventurer, and bike tourer having spent 1000s of nights sleeping in a tent and sleeping bag (Learn extra). He was a supervisor of an outside retail retailer and may be very skilled in what’s essential when utilizing and testing gear for opinions like this.
BikeHikeSafari won’t ever obtain any cash for opinions and they don’t settle for sponsored opinions on this web site. All of the feedback in regards to the gear opinions are from the writer primarily based on his years of expertise. Hope this unbiased assessment was useful for you.