Trekology Aluft 2 camping pillow review: the £16 camping hack that actually works
A pillow that fits in your pocket, weighs next to nothing, and transforms your wild camping sleep — the Trekology Aluft 2 is hands down one of the smartest bits of kit we’ve ever bought. And the best part? It costs less than a round at the pub.
Trekology Aluft 2 pillow
Ideal for: Hiking, UL wildcamping, fastpacking, bikepacking
Not suitable for: N/A
The Trekology Aluft 2 pillow is a sub-£20 inflatable pillow that delivers on its promise: better sleep for ultralight adventurers. It weighs just 80 g, packs down smaller than a tennis ball, and inflates in seconds. Thoughtful details like a sleeping pad strap and soft-touch surface add to the comfort, and after years of real-world testing across bikepacking trips, fastpacking weekends and sub-zero wild camps, we’re still using ours. It’s not luxurious, but it’s not trying to be. It’s cheap, light, easy to use — and it just works.
The Good
Super cheap
Easy to use
Remarkably durable
Readily available
Great valve system
Comes with strap
The Bad
Nothing!
Trekology Aluft 2 camping pillow review
Trekology isn’t exactly a household name, but within the budget outdoor gear scene, they’re a bit of a cult favourite. Based in Portland, Oregon, they make low-cost gear that’s specifically designed for backpackers and travellers. Think ultralight trekking poles, camping tables, and — as we’re reviewing today — inflatable pillows that don’t break the bank. We’ve used a handful of their products over the years, but the Aluft 2 pillow is far and away our favourite.
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Designed for campers who want to shave grams without sacrificing comfort, the Trekology Aluft 2 pillow is built with one job in mind: to help you sleep better outdoors. It weighs just 80 g, packs down to about the size of a tennis ball, and costs between £16–£18 at the time of writing. Inflate it in three breaths, strap it to your sleeping pad, and you’re sorted.
The Aluft 2 is part of a busy market. On the high end, you’ve got the Sea to Summit Aeros, which offers similar function with a slicker valve system but no strap — and at over double the price. Go luxe and Zenbivy’s modular pillow system takes things to another level, but it’ll cost you around £60. Trekology’s own Deluxe Aluft pillow is a roomier option with more support, but it’s bigger and heavier too. In that mix, the Aluft 2 still stands out: cheap, compact, and surprisingly effective. The best wild camping pillow? For us, it’s absolutely in the running.
How we tested the Trekology Aluft 2 camping pillow
We’ve been using this pillow for over five years now — a solid run by any standard, especially for something this affordable. Our first one joined the kit cupboard during the early days of the pandemic, when wild camping felt like the only sane escape from the chaos. Since then, we’ve gone through a few — not because any of them failed, but because they’ve been gifted to friends, lost on trails, or deliberately doubled up for extra comfort on longer trips. That kind of longevity, from a pillow that costs under £20, is rare.
We’ve taken the Aluft 2 bikepacking through the Scottish Highlands, fastpacking across the Brecon Beacons, and backpacking along the South West Coast Path. It’s been a faithful sleep companion on sweaty summer bivvies in the Lakes and brutally cold -10°C overnights on Dartmoor. In every one of those situations, it’s done exactly what we needed it to do — offer lightweight, dependable comfort without fuss or faff. For something so cheap, it’s proved itself to be a genuinely reliable bit of kit.
The Trekology Aluft 2 camping pillow: Top features
Let’s be clear — this isn’t some high-tech, feature-packed gadget masquerading as a pillow. The Trekology Aluft 2 is simple. But in that simplicity, there are a few genuinely clever, well-executed design decisions that make all the difference when you’re bedding down in the wild.
First up: the valve. It’s a deceptively small detail, but it’s probably one of the best we’ve used on an inflatable pillow — regardless of price point. You blow into it like any standard valve, but it’s got a clever one-way mechanism that means no air escapes between breaths. So you can pause halfway through inflation without watching all your effort disappear into the ether. With a bit of effort, you can even fine-tune the firmness mid-inflation — just press gently and let out a puff of air if you’ve overdone it. When it’s time to deflate, the same valve works in reverse. Push the button again, and the whole thing collapses in seconds. Whether you’re packing up before sunrise or pitching camp in the cold, it’s smooth, fast, and frustration-free. Honestly, you forget how annoying other valves are until you use one this good.
Then there’s the surface fabric. It’s not trying to be luxurious — it’s not lined with merino or draped in down — but it’s far more comfortable than we expected. The top is finished in a soft, almost velvety fabric that genuinely feels decent against your skin, even on sticky summer nights. There’s no tacky, plasticky feel, no loud crinkling, and no weird synthetic smell. Just a soft, low-profile finish that feels… well, normal. If you’re a side-sleeper or a toss-and-turner, that kind of consistency matters more than you might think.
Now let’s talk about the strap — arguably the single best feature of this pillow. It’s a simple fabric band that loops around your sleeping pad and clicks in place with a button fastening. And once it’s on, your pillow stays exactly where you want it. It doesn’t scoot off in the night. It doesn’t drift sideways as you turn over. It just stays put. We’ve used it with everything from ultralight inflatable mats to chunky insulated ones, and it’s never failed us. For those who’ve woken up in the middle of the night to find their pillow halfway down a slope or bunched up under their shoulders — this is your solution. It even detaches easily if you don’t need it, making it versatile enough for hammock camping or bunkhouse trips too.
The stuff sack deserves a nod too. It’s nothing flashy — just a simple drawstring pouch — but it works. It’s well-sized, easy to repack, and small enough that it won’t clog up your pack. Once deflated and rolled, the pillow compresses down to smaller than a tennis ball. We’ve even stuffed it into the hip pocket of our backpacks or carried it in a down jacket pocket from time to time — it’s genuinely that compact. And because the fabric is so lightweight, you can even tuck it inside your sleeping bag compression sack if space is tight.
Finally, there are a couple of small plastic tabs on the underside of the pillow, presumably designed to reduce slipping. Honestly, we haven’t noticed them making much difference — they’re just too subtle to grip meaningfully onto a nylon pad. But thanks to that brilliant strap system, it doesn’t really matter. The pillow stays put regardless.
Taken together, these features aren’t revolutionary — but they’re well thought through, well executed, and come together in a product that’s far more comfortable, practical and user-friendly than its price tag suggests. This isn’t just a cheap pillow. It’s a properly good bit of design.
How the Trekology Aluft 2.0 camping pillow performs in the UK
Here in the UK, this little Trekology Aluft 2 pillow has been through it all. Warm summer nights in the Lake District, misty bivvies in the Brecon Beacons, howling winds on the North York Moors and snowy wild camps on Dartmoor — it’s weathered more than its fair share of classic British conditions. From midges to mud, sideways rain to starry skies, it’s been right there with us, night after night. And across all of that, it’s stayed dependable. No leaks. No deflations. No fuss.
Of course, it’s uninsulated — you wouldn’t want to put it directly on the ground in winter — but that’s not what it’s made for. Strap it to your sleeping pad, and you’re sorted. It stays firmly in place, holds its shape until morning, and quietly disappears into your sleep system when not in use. We’ve even stuffed it into the hip pocket of our backpacks or carried it in a down jacket pocket from time to time — it’s genuinely that compact.
Over time, it’s become our default — our go-to pillow for almost every wild camp, backpacking trip, or lightweight adventure we’ve headed out on. Especially on ultralight setups, it’s a no-brainer: minimal weight, maximum benefit. We’ve tried comfier pillows, bigger pillows, fancier pillows… but none that hit the same sweet spot between comfort, packability and price. Honestly, it’s probably the single most-used bit of kit we’ve carried over the last five years. And when you’re wild camping regularly in the UK, that kind of reliability counts for a lot.
Trekology Aluft 2 camping pillow FAQs
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Surprisingly comfortable for something so compact. The soft, velvety fabric feels genuinely pleasant against your skin — no plasticky stickiness or rustling — and the slightly curved shape cradles your neck and head far better than you’d expect at this price point. It’s not a hotel pillow, sure, but for wild camping, fastpacking, and ultralight backpacking, the Trekology Aluft 2 pillow absolutely gets the job done.
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Very. We’ve used multiple Trekology Aluft 2 pillows over five years and never had one burst or leak. The valve system is solid, the materials don’t feel cheap, and it holds air reliably all night long — even after repeated use.
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Extremely easy. Inflate the Trekology Aluft 2 pillow in 3–4 breaths using the one-way valve, press the button to deflate, and roll it up into its stuff sack. The included strap makes setup even easier by keeping the pillow in place on your sleeping mat.
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Absolutely. At £16–£18, the Trekology Aluft 2 pillow is one of the best value-for-money camping pillows out there. For the weight, packability and comfort it provides, we think it’s a no-brainer for anyone spending nights outdoors.
The Trekology Aluft 2.0 camping pillow: Our verdict
This is one of those rare bits of gear we’ve recommended to basically everyone we know. New campers, fastpackers, seasoned wild campers on a budget — it suits them all. The Trekology Aluft 2 pillow is comfortable, durable, packs down to nothing, and costs less than a takeaway. Is it the plushest pillow you’ll ever use? No. But that’s not the point.
At this price, it’s almost silly not to bring it along. After years of use, we still reach for theAluft 2 every time. And in a market where lightweight comfort usually comes at a cost, that’s a pretty impressive feat.
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