Bottom Line
The Klymit LUXE is one of several inflatable camping pillows with a thin layer of cushioning to make it more comfortable than most air pillows. Its large sleeping surface and quilted cover each add an additional degree of comfort. It’s a middle of the road camping pillow, even for a de-LUXE camp pillow aspiring for luxury status.
In a nutshell, this quilted air pillow proved to be comfortable for both backcountry and frontcountry camping. Like all inflatable pillows, it was also quite supportive. At the same time, its weight and packability are just borderline for backpacking, and its quilted baffles didn’t impress our testers as much as other camping pillows renowned for their comfort.
Still, it’s a comfortable inflatable pillow for casual campers and backpackers who don’t get too hung up on weight. For a complete comparison against our other favorites, see this year’s guide to the best camping and backpacking pillows.
How We Tested
Over the past several months, CleverHiker gear analyst Jory Brass put the Klymit LUXE through a series of tests to evaluate how it stacked up in terms of comfort, weight and packability, support, and ease of use. It was one of the top-rated pillows he camped with in New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness and a section of the Continental Divide Trail for side-by-side testing. He also piled the LUXE into his Subaru with a basketful of camping pillows to sleep under the stars at several dispersed campsites in the Land of Enchantment.
Quick Specs
Klymit Luxe
Best Quilted Air Pillow
CleverHiker Rating:
4.2/5.0
Price:
$50
Weight:
7 oz.
Pillow Type:
Air
Pros
- Very comfortable
- Large sleeping surface
- Supportive for side sleepers
Cons
- No outstanding features
- Heavy & limited packability
- Moderately expensive
Comfort
Comfort is the LUXE pillow’s calling card – Klymit promotes it as a luxury choice for casual campers and backpackers who care more about comfort than weight savings and packability. On the plus side, this is one of the largest air-filled pillows on the market with a sleeping surface listed at 22 x 12.5 x 5 inches. It also has a quilted polyester pillow case that cushions the air bladder – which often feels similar to a beach ball or inflatable pool toy in many inflatable pillows. This quilted cushioning does make the LUXE subtly softer than the average inflatable camp pillow. However, we were not impressed by its comfort in our New Mexico-based field tests.
Over several nights of side-by-side testing, the LUXE’s comfort did not stand out compared to the other camping pillows we reviewed. The LUXE’s quilted cover did not feel as luxurious as the added layer of insulation on the Exped Mega Pillow or the down baffles of the Sea to Summit Aeros Down Pillow – two similarly sized pillows that also lay claim to the luxury air pillow niche.
Our tester also prefers the comfort of the NEMO Fillo – a hybrid air/foam pillow with weight and packability similar to the LUXE. In other words, this is a comfortable camp pillow – especially for an air pillow – but it certainly doesn’t have the market cornered on comfort.
Weight & Packability
As for weight and packability, the Klymit LUXE works better as a camping pillow than a backpacking pillow. Measuring 7.8 ounces on our gear analyst’s kitchen scale, it was the heaviest and bulkiest inflatable pillow we tested. It measures just under a half-pound – an unofficial dividing line between a heavy backpacking pillow and a campground-only pillow. Its packed size is slightly smaller than a premium sleeping pad but larger than pillows recommended for backpacking.
By most measures, this is a better pillow for car camping than backpacking. But casual backpackers could pull it off as a backpacking pillow for overnighters and short weekend trips. Overall, the LUXE pillow is geared toward weight savings and packability more than comfort and support.
Support
If you’re after a supportive pillow, the Klymit LUXE camping pillow is a solid choice. Like the other inflatable pillows in our lineup, the LUXE utilizes air pressure to provide significant support for campers’ heads and necks. CleverHiker Gear Analyst Jory Brass had no complaints about this pillow’s support as he slept on it in the Gila Wilderness at a roadside campground. It had enough height to hold up his head and cradle his neck in an ergonomically correct position as he slept on his side. There’s plenty of support for side sleepers – who generally prefer firmer, thicker pillows than back sleepers and front sleepers.
According to Klymit’s tech specs, the LUXE pillow should be the thickest air pillow in our current testing lineup with a depth of 5 inches. However, when our tester compared all of the large inflatable pillows side by side, the LUXE Pillow did not appear thicker than those with listed heights of 4.3 or 4.7 inches. The Exped Mega Pillow and Sea to Summit Aeros Down Deluxe pillows actually felt slightly more supportive.
We expected the LUXE pillow to rank at the top of the support category since it’s heavier, bulkier, and supposedly taller than the other air pillows tested. However, after several nights of testing, its support wasn’t special. It was solid – but no better than the other air pillows we tested.
Ease of Use
Most of the camp pillows we tested are foolproof. You inflate or deflate the LUXE camping pillow with a simple twist valve. It only takes 4-5 puffs to inflate it fully. You simply twist the valve open to let out air to adjust the pillow to your preferred level of cushioning and support and then twist it back to close the valve. A convenient snap on the quilted cover tucks the valve away while sleeping.
The quilted cover is also low-maintenance. If you’ve drooled or spilled on the polyester pillow case, it’s machine-washable and easy to remove from the air bladder. This Klymit pillow also comes with a branded stuff sack, so you can keep track of which stuff sack fits your pillow.
Should You Buy the Klymit LUXE Pillow?
The Klymit LUXE profiles best as a pillow for casual campers and backpackers who care more about comfort and support than weight and packability. It’s heavier and bulkier than the camp pillows we typically take backpacking. However, the quilted baffles give it a comfort boost over the average inflatable pillow, and its air bladder provides plenty of support for back sleepers and side sleepers alike.
At the same time, the CleverHiker team ranked the LUXE below other camp pillows chasing after luxury status. With that being said, the LUXE Pillow is not as expensive as other luxury air pillows, and it’s more packable than the foam pillows we praise for their comfort. Overall, it’s not a bad buy if it matches your end use and preferences for comfort, packability, and support.
What Other Camping Pillows Should You Consider?
Our complete guide to the best camping pillows gives you the dirt on 12 other pillows that we recommend for different types of camping. If you’re not sold on the LUXE and want to browse something similar, please start with these:
Trekology Aluft Pro Review: Are you looking for a comfortable and supportive air pillow but want something more appropriate for backpacking? Our budget pick, the Trekology Aluft Pro, feels similar to the Klymit LUXE pillow, but it’s lighter, more packable, and less than half the price.
Exped Mega Pillow Review: In our most recent round of pillow testing, our gear analyst chose the Mega Pillow as the best luxury air pillow, finding it more packable and comfortable than Klymit’s luxury model.
HEST Pillow Review: The HEST is too heavy for the backcountry, but it’s the most luxurious front country pillow we tested. It’s a much better splurge buy than the LUXE.
