Nemo Fillo Pillow Review
I’m one that needs my head elevated when I sleep. This is primarily due to sinus issues. But, regardless of the reason, I’ve grown accustom to sleeping with a nice pillow. And when we transition from the comfort of our bed at home to sleeping in a tent, the change can be impacting.
When we’re out on trail, our sleep quality, much like when we’re home, can reduce our energy levels, motivation, and general mood the next day. Our mattress and sleeping bag make a difference, for sure. But a nice pillow, for me, can be the biggest factor.
Some people will simply put whatever cloths they are not wearing into a stuff sack and use that for a pillow. I did that method for a while, but it never helped me get a good night sleep.
In addition to comfort, controlling the weight and bulk of carrying a pillow are considerations too. Understandably, the constraints of weight, bulk and comfort make find an at-home-like pillow very difficult. For years I searched and tried out many different camp pillows to get me as close as possible to my normal, at-home experience.
Some camp pillows are too small for comfort or too large to carry. Some have odd shapes that are either too strange and uncomfortable or create a stiff neck in the morning. Some are made of fabrics that are noisy or stick to our face. It’s just been hard for me to find a pillow that is a net positive for me when I’m on trail.
Enter the Nemo Fillo pillow. I have two of them: the Nemo Fillo Ellite Ultralight and the Nemo Fillo Backpacking & Camping Pillow. They also have wide versions and the King Luxury Camping Pillow that all have a similar construction and quality.
All of these have I-beam baffled air cells (so, no sleeping on a balloon) that allow you to inflate them to whatever firmness is most comfortable for you. But what makes them special is that they are padded with insulation (post-consumer recycled fiber) and have a removable cover made from super-soft material than can be machine washed. The combination of the adjustable baffled air cell, insulation, and cover material makes this pillow the closest to my at-home experience that I can find in a camp pillow. And Nemo’s lifetime warranty seals the deal; it’s simply a pillow every backpacker must try.
One feature on this pillow that is different than most pillows I’ve tried is the valve they use on the air cell. It takes a few tries to understand how it works. They incorporate a micro-adjustable feature on the valve that is great for fine-tuning firmness, but one needs to work with it a bit to understand when to twist and when to pull or push the valve when inflating and deflating. But, after you get the hang of it, it’s great.
The Elite Ultralight is 3 oz and compacts to the size of about a half-liter bottle with an integrated stuff sack. It’s not large, but it is a great size for being ultralight: 15 x 11 x 3 in / 39 x 27 x 8 cm.
The Backpacking & Camping Pillow is 9.3 oz and compacts to the size of about a liter bottle with an integrated stuff sack. It’s a great size with a little more insulation and loft than the ultralight: 17 x 11 x 4 in / 43 x 27 x 10 cm.
If you’re looking for a great camp pillow that is light weight, not bulky, and is close to being at-home, check out the Fillo series of pillows from Nemo.
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