Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow review: the ounce-counting comfort king
One of the best-value bits of ultralight sleep gear we've tested — barely-there weight, smart design, and brilliant all-round comfort make this a no-brainer for wild camping.
Sea to Summit Aeros ultralight pillow
Ideal for: Wildcamping, fastpacking, bikepacking
Not suitable for: N/A
The Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow is a 60g inflatable pillow built for hikers, bikepackers and campers who count every gram. Designed to lock into compatible Sea to Summit sleeping mats and shaped to cradle your head all night, it packs down to smaller than the palm of your hand (5.5 x 7 cm). At £35, it’s not the cheapest option out there, but the comfort, durability and feature-rich design justify the spend. We’ve tested it extensively across the UK and reckon it’s one of the best wild camping pillows on the market right now.
The Good
Featherlight at 60g
Packs down tiny
Stays in place
Quick to inflate
Surprisingly supportive shape
The Bad
N/A
Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow review
We’ve been using Sea to Summit kit for years now — and for good reason. The Australian brand has carved out a global reputation for delivering clever, high-performing gear that feels purpose-built for remote and rugged trips. You’ll spot their distinctive blue-and-white logo everywhere from the Scottish Highlands to the Pacific Crest Trail, and their range of lightweight pillows, pads and accessories has earned a loyal following among wild campers and long-distance hikers alike.
The Aeros Ultralight Pillow is one of the most popular models in their collection — and with good reason. It’s designed for campers who want maximum comfort with minimum weight. Tipping the scales at just 60g and packing down to a neat 5.5 x 7 cm, it’s ideal for fastpackers, bike tourers and anyone else looking to keep their wild camping sleep system as light and compact as possible. At the time of writing, the RRP sits at £35 — not exactly budget territory, but far from the most expensive option either.
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In terms of how it stacks up against the competition, it’s arguably best-in-class. The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow is lighter and doubles as a storage bag, but at £63, it’s a serious investment — especially if your spare clothes are already stuffed in a dry bag. The Mountain Equipment Aerostat undercuts it on price and simplicity, but lacks the same comfort and compatibility. And while Rab’s Stratosphere is a solid alternative, it weighs nearly twice as much (103g) with similar pricing. All things considered, the Aeros Ultralight Pillow punches well above its weight — both literally and figuratively.
How we tested the Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow
We tested this pillow over six wild camping trips in the UK across early spring and summer — mostly in upland terrain, where weight and packability matter, but temperatures can still dip overnight. We used it in tents and under tarps, with and without a Sea to Summit sleeping mat. Conditions ranged from cold and damp in Snowdonia to mild and dry on the South Downs. Crucially, we also left it behind once (by accident), which gave us a great reminder of just how much we missed it when it wasn’t there.
A tiny thing that makes a big difference
You don’t expect much from something that weighs the same as a lemon sherbet — but the Aeros Ultralight Pillow quickly earns its place in your pack. From the moment you unroll it, there's a quiet satisfaction to the way everything fits and functions. Pull it from its stuff sack (about the size of a golf ball), give it three or four short breaths, and it springs to life. The multi-function valve clicks reassuringly open, and it’s fully inflated in seconds — no faffing, no blowing yourself dizzy.
Once inflated, it doesn’t feel like a balloon. That’s thanks to the clever internal baffles, which shape the air inside to create a sort of low-profile cradle — one that gently cups your head rather than bouncing it around. Combine that with the scalloped edges, which are shaped to fit around your neck and shoulders, and what you’ve got is a pillow that actually stays put. Whether you're tucked inside a sleeping bag hood or camped out under a tarp, it doesn’t squirm away the moment you shift in your sleep.
On that note — if you’re pairing it with a Sea to Summit sleeping mat, the pillow-lock system is the icing on the cake. Stick the included hook-and-loop patches to your mat, and the pillow clicks into place. We found this especially handy on sloped ground or when using slippy down bags — it just means you’re not waking up to find your pillow doing laps of the tent.
Pack-down is just as painless as setup. Pop the valve, squeeze out the air, and you can flatten it in seconds. Folding it back into the stuff sack takes a tiny bit of care — the fabric is slick and wants to spring free — but once you’ve done it a few times, it becomes second nature. You do need to be gentle, but that’s true of most ultralight kit. For its weight and packed size — just 5.5 x 7 cm — it’s hard to complain.
Cleaning? Simple. A quick rinse and air dry are all it really needs. It’s hand-wash only, and unlike the Rab Stratosphere there’s no removable cover — but we’ve wiped ours down plenty of times with no drama. After multiple wild campingtrips, it still looks and feels solid, with no signs of wear, leaks or flimsiness.
The magic here is how all of this comes together — not just one or two clever features, but a full system designed to be fast, light, and genuinely comfortable. It doesn’t try to overachieve. It just does the job, quietly and brilliantly. The kind of kit you forget about entirely — until the one time you leave it behind.
How does the Sea to Summit Aeros perform?
It’s rare that something this small makes such a big difference — but the Aeros Ultralight Pillow quietly improves every single night we bring it along. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t try to reinvent sleep. But it works — and when you’re camped high, tired, and trying to get comfortable on uneven ground, that’s what counts.
Across six trips in wildly different conditions — from windswept pitches in Snowdonia to mild evenings on the South Downs — it held its shape, stayed put, and just made things easier. It’s one of those bits of gear you use once and then refuse to leave behind. And on the one night we did forget it? No amount of bunched-up jackets came close.
This is a product that earns its keep by being relentlessly functional. Every gram, every curve, every feature — it all serves a purpose. And if your aim is to pack lighter, sleep better, and faff less, this is the pillow we’d recommend without hesitation. Whether you're heading out on your first wild camping trip or dialling in your ultralight setup for a multi-day hike, it's the kind of kit that quietly upgrades your whole system.
Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow FAQs
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Very. The curved internal baffles and scalloped shape provide proper head support, making it one of the comfiest ultralight pillows we’ve tested — especially for back and side sleepers.
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It’s held up well across multiple wild camping trips, with no signs of punctures or leaks. The outer material feels tough for its weight class, but like all ultralight gear, a bit of care when packing and placing is advised.
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Very easy. The multi-function valve system allows for fast inflation and deflation, and it packs down to the size of a satsuma. It also integrates seamlessly with Sea to Summit mats via the pillow-lock system.
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It’s not insulated, so it can feel a little cool on colder nights — especially if your head isn’t inside your sleeping bag hood. But for most UK conditions, we found it perfectly comfortable.
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The Sea to Summit Aeros pillow: Our verdict
After six trips and many nights in the hills, this Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow has more than earned its spot in our kit. This isn’t just the best pillow we’ve tested for gram-counting trips — it’s one of the best wild camping pillows we’ve ever used, full stop.
We know plenty of people who still opt for the jacket-stuffed-in-a-drybag method, and fair enough. But if you’re serious about getting proper rest in the hills, this pillow is a game-changer. It weighs just 60g, packs smaller than your morning coffee, and delivers a surprising amount of comfort. Add in features like the scalloped design, internal baffles, and Sea to Summit’s pillow-lock system, and you’ve got a product that’s been genuinely thought through. Yes, £35 might feel steep for something that lives in your sleep system. And no, it’s not perfect. But if you’re looking for a compact, lightweight pillow that performs on every trip, this is it.
In short, if you’ve landed on this Sea to Summit pillow review because you’re trying to figure out whether the Aeros is worth the money — we say yes. This is a product that disappears in your pack and quietly transforms your nights. For our money, the Aeros Ultralight is the standout option for anyone building a reliable, lightweight sleep system. We’d confidently recommend it to anyone searching for the best wild camping pillow for UK adventures.
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