Nemo Fillo Review

Comfort

The Nemo Fillo isn't the largest or thickest pillow out there, but its blend of foam and inflation is bound to keep your ears, neck, and head happy while camping. The valve on the Fillo is also uniquely designed for micro-adjustments, so you can dial in the amount of cushion as you turn off your headlamp and go to sleep.

The foam on the Nemo Fillo is about one inch thick, and the air bladder offers another 3 inches of cushion, depending on how much you inflate it. Despite a fairly small packed size, the Fillo is also about 17 inches wide, giving you enough room to roll around or change positions without your head flopping onto the camping mattress.

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We also loved the polyester jersey cover of the Nemo Fillo, which kept our skin happy, even on longer backpacking trips. In hot weather, the jersey cover also breathed fairly well and kept our heads from getting too sweaty. In the world of camp pillows, some car-camping models lean toward a more traditional cushioning system, but for backpackers who need to keep transportability in mind, the Fillo is hard to beat.

Weight

Nemo made the Fillo with enough padding to stay comfy on longer trips, and the pillowcase-style cover makes it feel more like an at-home pillow. These design choices make the Fillo heavier than some of the competition, though many backpackers will find it worth the extra weight for the sleep quality.

We measured the Fillo at 8.8 ounces, making it just light enough for hiking-intensive camping or cross-continent travel. If you're the type of outdoorsperson who counts every gram, featherweight models are available, but you'll likely not be as comfy.

Packability

We were downright impressed with how small the Nemo Fillo got in its included stuff sack, especially considering how much foam it has on its top. While the weight of the Fillo might give some pause to campers who like to hike a few miles to a campsite, this pillow is bound to fit inside an overnight bag fairly easily.

We measured the packed size of the Fillo at about 8 inches long and 4 inches in diameter. Compared to a 1-liter water bottle, that makes the Fillo about the same size. If you use this pillow for travel, its packed size will likely fit inside your carry-on luggage, and since it isn't hard-sided, you can squeeze it into slightly irregular spaces.

Support

The Nemo Fillo has enough support to keep your head cradled in many positions. At 4 inches thick, it fills the gap between your shoulder and head when sleeping on your side, but bigger models put more emphasis on sleep quality than packability, and outperformed the Fillo in support.

As long as we used a slightly softer camping pad or mattress, our shoulders sank far enough into the pad for the Nemo Fillo to support our neck when sleeping on our side. However, some testers wanted a bit more loft and put extra layers underneath the Fillo or their sleeping pad to keep their neck from bending downwards to meet the pillow. For back and stomach sleepers, the Fillo has plenty of support.

Ease of Use

Nemo made the Fillo with usability in mind, offering quick setup and a quick pack-up that doesn't require a wrestling match with the stuff sack. We also loved that the stuff sack was integrated into the back of the pillow, so you don't risk losing it in the wind.

One of our favorite features of the Fillo was the previously mentioned micro-adjustability of the valve. Some other backpacking-oriented models make it hard to release air if the pillow is too firm, but the Fillo needs only a subtle twist of the valve to soften the cushioning. The backside of this pillow is very slick depending on the mattress or pad used, and some testers preferred squeezing it into the hood of a mummy sleeping bag to keep it in place. Car-camping mattresses typically have a more textured surface, which kept the Fillo from sliding around.

The Fillo foam was a welcome addition for comfort, but it unfortunately soaks up water like a sponge. If you're backpacking with this pillow, we suggest being extra careful with it on rainy trips.

Should You Buy the Nemo Fillo?

The Nemo Fillo belongs in your cart if you need a versatile sleeping pillow that balances packability and comfort. This isn't the lightest model on the market, nor is it the most comfortable, but it's the pillow we were happiest with for backpacking trips and roadside camping with the family. It's also very easy to inflate or stuff back in its storage sack, whether you're in a cramped airplane seat or in a small backpacking tent.

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