At 57, I’m definitely not too old for wild camping or any other type of camping. But with the onset of what I can only call, ‘general stiffness’, the day might finally have come for me to swap things up a bit and pack a proper camping pillow.

But which to choose? And do I really need to abandon the dry bag stuffed with clothes that has been my head rest on so many previous backpacking trips?

I asked the lovely team at Teton to send me a selection of their camping pillows to help me find out (I didn’t pay for these pillows but am under no obligation to give them a positive review).

Looking at the basics, there are two main types of pillows for camping. Inflatable ones and non-inflatable ones. When you dive into the details, there are of course, plenty of differences but below I’ve listed the three that matter the most to me when I’m packing to go wild camping.

• Pack size
• Weight
• Material

Teton offered me three camp pillows so I decided to test all of them, at the same time as comparing them to my good old dry bag/jacket combination (in the end the combo didn’t work as I forgot to pack a jacket).

I chose to do this using a mummy-style sleeping bag.

In the daytime so I could take photos.

Self-inflating

46 x 25 x 10 cm (up)

24 x 10 x 10 cm (pack)

0.34 kg

Polyester microfibre

Self-inflating

46 x 25 x 10 cm (up)

27 x 10 x 10 cm (pack)

0.34 kg

Polyester microfibre

Folding pillow

46 x 30 x 14 cm (up)

21 x 13 x 14 cm (pack)

0.27 kg

Polyester brushed

Self-explanatory!

No extra to pack

No extra weight

Fully inflated, this pillow was a touch hard for my taste but with a little air removed, it proved very comfortable.

I liked the adjustability.

The microfibre fabric wasn’t as soft as the Skyline Pillow.

The foam didn’t deliver quite enough squishiness for my taste.

This camping pillow has a lovely soft foam fill, although I did add too much air for my comfort level to start with.

The microfibre fabric feels softer on the skin than that of the Comfortlite Pillow.

This pillow had a really nice amount of squish and was my favourite inflatable option.

If you like a really firm pillow, this might not be the one for you but I loved its softness.

Slightly smaller than the other two, the Teton Camping Pillow would fit into a tightly done up sleeping bag hood.

The removable pillow case isn’t flocked but is nice and cool to the touch.

I got the impression this pillow might lose squish over time.

I have slept many times using a dry bag as my pillow but it only works if you remember to take a jacket, which I didn’t on this occasion.

The disadvantage of the dry bag/clothing arrangement is that, on cold nights, you tend to lose pillow integrity as you put on more clothes.

Which really isn’t that much fun!

The Comfortlite Pillow self inflates with a few minutes to about the right inflation level.

For such a good size pillow, it has a small pack size and weight.

It didn’t take much effort to get it back in its stuff sack.

I would take this van and car camping but its lower comfort level might not make me want to pack it for backpack camping.

The Skyline pillow gave great softness and size for its small pack dimensions and weight.

It took more effort to get back into its stuff sack than the Comfortlite.

Much more comfortable than some smaller-pack camping pillows, if I had space, I would consider this for all kinds of camping, especially in colder weather.

This pillow is impressive for its smaller pack size and weight.

It is really compressible, meaning that, unlike the self-inflating pillows, it would fit easily into a small rucksack space.

It was super easy and quick to pack into its stuff sack but that might be because it seemed slightly under stuffed compared to the other pillows I tried.

The big advantage of using a dry bag for a pillow is that you’ll always have one handy.

Easy to pack, super useful, and not bad to sleep on either.

But not as soft as a bespoke camping pillow.

Teton camp pillows are only available from Amazon in the UK. All three are priced around the same and I have to say that I would find it difficult to choose which one to buy.

The non-inflatable camp pillow is the simplest and definitely the easiest to pack but perhaps wouldn’t hold its value over time.

Out of the two inflatable camping pillows, I would choose the Skyline for its more comfortable fill and top fabric.

None of them are as cheap as the dry bag I already have but too many winter camp nights without a pillow have led me to think there might be some value in finally making the investment.

All three pillows come in at similar prices to other similar available products.

No inflatable item lasts forever and this one doesn’t come with a mending kit.

Made from synthetic materials in China

No inflatable item lasts forever and this one doesn’t come with a mending kit.

Made from synthetic materials in China

The removable pillowcase could add longevity to this camp pillow but its squish levels might not stand the test of time.

Made from synthetic materials in China.

Having more than one use has to add to the sustainability of any piece of outdoor gear.

Most dry bags are made from synthetic material in countries other than the UK.

Would I buy a camping pillow if I hadn’t just been sent three to try?

After years of making do with my good old dry bag, I’m going to surprise myself here and say ‘yes’. I might not pack a pillow on all my camping expeditions but if I had space, I think the added comfort of a bespoke pillow combined with the knowledge that it would still be there, even if I did need to put all my clothes on in the night, would be worth the weight and effort.