Sea to Summit Aeros Down Deluxe Pillow Evaluation

Backside Line

The Sea to Summit Aeros Down Deluxe takes inflatable pillows up a notch with a premium down cushion prime that provides heat and luxury to the everyday backpacking pillow. The “deluxe” dimension delivers one of many largest sleeping surfaces in our testing line up, and the down provides a splash of cushion to the light-weight Aeros line of backpacking pillows. 

The Aeros Down is without doubt one of the costliest pillows in our information to the finest tenting pillows. It’s not an apparent worth decide, nevertheless it is perhaps a worthwhile splurge for campers and backpackers who admire that down cushion prime and for facet sleepers preferring a thicker, extra supportive air pillow.

How We Examined

Over the previous few months, gear analyst Jory Brass took it out on a number of journeys throughout New Mexico to match its efficiency towards different common tenting and backpacking pillows. He alternated it with different inflatable pillows to match its consolation, help, weight, and packability. Insulating capabilities have been examined throughout 20-degree nights within the Gila Wilderness. He then in contrast his testing notes with suggestions from different CleverHiker gear analysts who’ve slept on this premium inflatable pillow.

Consolation

Total, the Aeros Down Deluxe Pillow ranked in the course of the pack for consolation, based mostly on CleverHiker’s facet by facet testing. The down cushion prime is certainly softer towards the pores and skin and simpler on the ears than Sea to Summit’s common Aeros pillow line, which our gear analyst has been sleeping on since 2015. The addition of skinny down baffles on prime make a refined distinction in consolation – not a giant distinction. This pillow feels barely softer than the everyday air pillow, which might smush facet sleepers’ ears in the event that they don’t roll over repeatedly in a single day. When the temperature dipped to twenty levels within the Gila Wilderness, our tester’s torso bought fairly chilly, however his head and neck stayed heat with the hood of his mummy bag on prime of the Down Deluxe. In our gear analysts’ views, the down is a pleasant contact – however not likely a revelation. 

The Aeros Down Deluxe Pillow has bigger dimensions than the usual Aeros Down Pillow. Measuring 23 x 17 x 4.7 inches, it gives one of many largest sleeping surfaces of the pillows we’ve examined and reviewed. The “deluxe” dimension is roughly 2.5 occasions bigger than the Aeros Premium pillow – too massive to slide inside our tester’s mummy bag on a chilly night time. As one of many thicker air pillows we examined, the Aeros down could also be too thick for a lot of again sleepers whereas giving facet sleepers the peak they want for snug neck help. On the identical time, facet sleepers typically favor pillows with a extra contoured form than the oblong Aeros Down Pillow. 

Of the 4 massive inflatable pillows we examined in our present evaluation, our tester ranked the Aeros Down second in consolation behind the Exped Mega Pillow. Nonetheless, relying in your physique measurements and sleeping model, these rankings would probably fluctuate. The down baffles do present a consolation increase, however the Sea to Summit Aeros Down Deluxe doesn’t stand out as a premium decide for luxurious consolation.

Weight & Packability

The Sea to Summit Aeros Down Deluxe didn’t place close to the highest in weight or packability, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly an choice for backpackers. Measured towards the opposite twelve backpacking and tenting pillows we examined, it once more ranked smack dab within the center. The Down Deluxe packs all the way down to the approximate dimension of a beverage koozie. Luckily, it weighs a lot lower than a can of soda with a claimed weight of 6.7 ounces. In our ebook, that’s an affordable weight and packed dimension for backpacking. Nonetheless, that’s heavier than six backpacking pillows that our gear analyst weighed on his kitchen scale.   

For extra weight financial savings and a smaller packed dimension, skip the Aeros Down Deluxe and select the regular-sized Sea to Summit Aeros Down Pillow (13.4 x 9.4 x 4.7 inches). With a claimed weight of two.5 ounces, the common Aeros Down locations close to the highest in weight and packability. CleverHiker Senior Gear Analyst Casey Handley definitely accepted of the common Aeros Down Pillow after greater than 75 nights sleeping on it.

Assist

Assist is a transparent energy of the Sea to Summit Aeros Down Deluxe Pillow. Inflatable pillows usually present extra help than compressible foam pillows because the strain in air bladders gives vital resistance to press towards the pinnacle and neck. That is true for all air-filled tenting pillows, however the Aeros Down is thicker than a number of inflatable pillows we examined at 4.7 inches. That makes it probably the most supportive backpacking and tenting pillows we reviewed. 

Such help may be particularly useful for facet sleepers to take strain off their necks. Gear analyst Jory Brass is a facet sleeper with a historical past of again and neck issues. He scored some strong sleep on a bit of the Continental Divide Path with the Aeros Down Deluxe supporting his head and neck in a pure place. Backpackers can regulate the pillow’s inflation stage to dial that help up or all the way down to match their sleeping place and luxury preferences.

Ease of Use

Like most tenting and backpacking pillows, the Aeros Down Deluxe is straightforward to make use of. It’s an easy air pillow with a separate stuff sack. Our gear analyst likes this pillow’s twin valve system – which features a multi-purpose valve on prime to inflate and fine-tune the air strain and a backside dump valve to deflate the pillow quickly. These valves are simple to make use of and lay flat to remain out of your manner. 

In case you could have any bother, Sea to Summit’s stuff sack has printed directions that illustrate find out how to inflate, regulate, and deflate the pillow. The down baffles would possibly require the occasional TLC to take care of what little loft they add to the pillow. Sea to Summit recommends hand-washing. For those who personal a Sea to Summit sleeping pad, the Down Deluxe features a Pillow Lock System (self-adhesive hook-and-loop patches) to connect the pad and pillow.

Ought to You Purchase the Sea to Summit Aeros Down Deluxe Tenting Pillow?

Sea to Summit has earmarked the Aeros Down Deluxe for any backpacker or automobile camper who desires to benefit from the luxurious really feel of a down pillow prime. Our take is that these skinny down baffles are a pleasant contact, however they don’t take the pillow excessive in consolation.

The Aeros Down doesn’t actually stand out in comparison with different souped-up air pillows, such because the Exped Mega Pillow, quilted Klymit LUXE, or hybrid air/foam NEMO Fillo. The HEST pillow is a extra apparent splurge in the event you’re after a luxurious really feel for the campground.

Nonetheless, our testers have every preferred the Sea to Summit Aeros Down over a number of rounds of side-by-side testing. For those who’re on the lookout for a supportive air pillow – and don’t thoughts the premium worth – this down-topped pillow does add a splash of cushion and heat that makes it a small improve over the common inflatable backpacking pillow.

What Different Tenting Pillows Ought to You Take into account?

Try our full information to tenting and backpacking pillows for opinions on 13 pillows we just lately examined facet by facet. The next pillows, specifically, share some similarities with the Sea to Summit Aeros Down Deluxe.

NEMO Fillo Pillow Evaluation: For those who like the concept of an air pillow with a comfortable pillow prime, the favored Fillo Pillow encompasses a layer of luxurious foam that’s thicker and softer than the duck down baffles of the Aeros Down Deluxe Pillow. 

Exped Mega Pillow Evaluation: After a number of nights of side-by-side testing, our gear analyst selected the Mega Pillow over the Aeros Down as the most effective luxurious air pillow. The Aeros edges out the Mega Pillow in weight and packability, however the Mega Pillow is barely extra snug and supportive.

HEST Pillow Evaluation: In order for you a luxurious sleeping expertise and received’t be backpacking, the HEST Pillow is our favourite consolation splurge. It’s not practically as packable because the Aeros Down, nevertheless it topped the charts for consolation in our pillow testing.