TETON Sports XL Review
Cons: Heavy, large packed volume, becomes lumpy after extended use
Manufacturer: TETON Sports
Our Verdict
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 This Product
TETON Sports XL | |||||
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| Awards |  |  | | ||
| Price | $14.99 at Amazon | $39.95 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $42.50 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $42.95 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $39.95 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Inexpensive, comfortable, easy to use | Very comfortable, great support, easy to adjust thickness, washable exterior | Very comfy, easy to adjust air volume, ergonomically shaped for back and side sleepers | Very small packed size, lightweight, great support | Lightweight, small packed size, easy to use |
| Cons | Heavy, large packed volume, becomes lumpy after extended use | Heavy, not for extended backcountry trips | More expensive, down is allergenic to some users, a little heavier than its inflatable peers | Not super comfortable | Less comfortable than other models, can be punctured, noisy |
| Bottom Line | Low price and comfy, but also large, this model is best for campsites close to your parking spot | This pillow provides excellent comfort and is adjustable for all kinds of sleepers in most camp settings | This model adds significant comfort, but at a weight penalty | This is our favorite model for extended backpacking trips | Yes, you can find something more comfortable, but you won't find many this lightweight and packable |
| Rating Categories | TETON Sports XL | NEMO Fillo | Air Head Down Pillow | Sea to Summit Aeros | Big Agnes AXL Air Pillow |
| Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Weight (20%) | |||||
| Ease Of Use (15%) | |||||
| Packed Size (20%) | |||||
| Support (20%) | |||||
| Specs | TETON Sports XL | NEMO Fillo | Air Head Down Pillow | Sea to Summit Aeros | Big Agnes AXL Air... |
| Type | Compressible | Hybrid: Compressible and Inflatable | Hybrid: Compressible and Inflatable | Inflatable | Inflatable |
| Measured Weight (oz) | 10.0 oz | 9.0 oz | 5.4 oz | 3.1 oz | 1.8 oz |
| Packed Volume (L) | 4.5 L | 1.4 L | 0.6 L | 0.4 L | 0.3 L |
| Length | 16 in | 16 in | 18 in | 14 in | 16 in |
| Width | 9 in | 9.5 in | 12.5 in | 8 in | 10 in |
| Thickness | 4 in | 4.5 in | 4 in | High side: 5 in; Low side: 4 in | 4 in |
| Stuff Sack included? | Yes, with drawstring | Integrated Stuff Sack. Velcro strap as well. | Yes, with drawstring | Yes, with drawstring | Yes, with drawstring |
| Materials | Fill: SuperLoft Elite 4-Channel Hollow Fiber; Inner Shell: P5 Poly Hi–Count; Outer Shell: 100% Brushed Flannel | Polyester, microfiber / microsuede outer layer | Partially recycled polyester, down, urethane | Polyurethane bladder, Brushed 50D Polyester Knit Cover | 4-Way stretch nylon w/ TPU coating |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The TETON Sports XL is a low-priced compressible pillow. It features a fill of synthetic fiber contained in a polyester inner shell and a pillowcase made of brushed flannel. Despite having the largest packed size and highest weight of all pillows in this review, we like this pillow for car camping, as well as for daytime naps. When used in these applications, this pillow performs very well.
Performance Comparison
Comfort
This pillow is one of the most comfortable pillows in this review. Its large size gives your head plenty of surface area to move around at night. We also like the flannel pillow case, which was soft against our cheeks without getting too hot. The fill of this pillow is designed to maintain its loft, even after being compressed in its stuff sack, which worked well in our testing. The only drawback we found in this pillow's comfort was that the fill material bunches up in some areas over time, making the pillow slightly lumpy.
Weight
The TETON is the heaviest pillow in this review; it weighs in at ten ounces. If used for car camping, though, where you don't need to transport your gear more than several yards from your vehicle, this shouldn't factor into your purchase decision.
Ease of Use
This is the easiest pillow to use in our tests. Just unpack it from its sack, and it's ready to go. The stuff sack is large enough to make packing it back inside a breeze, too. It doesn't slide around on a sleeping pad and fills the hood space of most sleeping bags to prevent it from moving around in your sleep. Lastly, the flannel pillowcase is easily removed for machine or hand-washing.
Packed Size
The TETON Sports pillow scored the poorest of all pillows we tested in this category, having a volume of 4.5 L when packed in its stuff sack. Again, this is a key aspect for backpackers, but not so much for folks over-nighting at most park campgrounds.
Support
The TETON pillow provides moderate support. It compresses under the weight of one's head, yet doesn't completely flatten out. In this metric, it falls in the middle of the pack.
Value
For the price, the TETON Sports model is a good value, especially if you primarily car camp. It fell shy of our Best Buy Award, yet we were still impressed with the comfort, ease of use, and support it provides for its modest price.
Conclusion
The TETON pillow is a solid option. Sure, we wouldn't take it along on multi-day excursions. Yet, it serves its purpose very well at car-accessible campsites and even campsites with a short hike away from the parking lot.
— Ross Robinson