Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow Ultim Comfort review

RRP at time of testing: £20 | Check price at Argos or Decathlon directly

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My verdict

If you’ve ever done the whole ‘roll up a hoodie and pretend it’s a pillow’ act while travelling, you’ll likely appreciate this particular option.

The Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow Ultim Comfort is not an inflatable pillow that’s designed for upright naps on planes, nor does it fold down into a pocket-sized pouch with the smug efficiency of ultralight camping gear. What it does offer is much simpler: a foam-filled pillow for sleeping when you’re away from home.

For camping, glamping, caravan trips, festivals and family holidays where the car is doing most of the carrying, it’s a good choice. It has a rectangular pillow shape, a decent depth and a removable washable cover, all of which make it feel much closer to a small bed pillow than the slippery inflatable camping pillows you often come across.

The trade-off, though, is bulk. With a packed volume of 6L and a weight of around 600g, this is not one for backpackers trying to keep their kit lean. But for families packing the car with air beds, sleeping bags, fleeces, snacks, wellies and at least one entirely unnecessary scooter, it’s a sensible comfort upgrade.

At £20, it feels like a good-value buy for regular campers who want better sleep without bringing their actual pillow from home.

How I tested the Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow Ultim Comfort

Admittedly, testing has been sporadic across the course of a few months. Mainly due to the nature of the pillow being tested, understandably. 

To start with, I slept on the Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow Ultim Comfort myself to get a feel for its comfort and loft, rather than just judging it by how neatly it packs into a bag.

I’ve also had the help of a slightly more ruthless tester: my six-year-old. My eldest has slept on it during a Scouts camping trip and subsequent sleepovers in his brother’s room, which let’s be honest, is a pretty useful test of whether it’s comfortable enough to be used repeatedly away from home. It’s been packed, carried, slept on and brought back again, rather than just admired in the spare room and filed under “camping things we’ll never use again definitely use one day”.

While I slept on it, I focused on how supportive it feels compared with smaller inflatable camping pillows I’ve used over the years. I considered whether the loft feels generous without being awkwardly high and importantly, how practical it is for real family use. That includes the boring but important stuff too: how much room it takes up, whether the carry case is useful and how reassuring it is to have a removable washable cover when the pillow has been dragged to camp and back again.

What is the Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow Ultim Comfort like?

First impressions are that this looks much more like a real pillow than a piece of camping kit, to be honest. The Quechua Camping Pillow Ultim Comfort measures 50 x 35 x 13cm, so it has enough surface area to feel familiar rather than fiddly. Plus, the ergonomic foam filling gives it structure, while the polycotton cover, made from 50% cotton and 50% polyester, feels softer and less plasticky than the usual shiny camping-pillow fabric.

It also looks fairly neutral and grown-up. Not that a pillow needs to win a beauty contest, but when half your camping gear is fluorescent, crinkly or inexplicably damp, something that looks calm and normal is no bad thing.

The main thing you notice, though, is that this is not small. It’s a pillow with camping credentials, not a camping gadget pretending to be a pillow.

The pillow and its carry bag are a lovely neutral colour

Is the Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow easy to carry?

Yes, with caveats. The pillow comes with a drawstring carry case, which makes it more practical for camping than bringing a normal pillow from home. The bag helps to keep it contained and also makes it easier to stack in the car or attach to a bag.

It’s still fairly bulky, though. The packed volume is 6L, so it will take up noticeable space in a carry-on bag. That’s fine for car camping, festivals, caravans or glamping trips, where comfort usually wins over compactness. It’s less appealing if you’re walking any real distance with your kit.

At around 600g, it’s not outrageously heavy, but it is heavier than most inflatable camping pillows. You’re carrying foam, and foam takes up space.

Is the Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow easy to pack?

It’s straightforward to pack, but it won’t disappear into your luggage. Because it’s a non-inflatable foam pillow, there’s no valve to blow it up, no deflating it and no trying to fold it into a shape that nature never intended. You roll it up neatly and stuff it into its carry case and that’s that.

In some ways, that makes it easier than an inflatable pillow - at least, my eldest thought so. There’s less faff, which is useful when you’re tired, cold and trying to get your tent packed up in the early hours of the morning after a night of camping. 

The downside is that it doesn’t compress down very small. If space is tight, this will be one of the items you look at and think: do I really need this? 

The pillow is easy enough to roll and shove back into its pillow bag

Is the Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow suitable for air or car travel?

For car travel, yes. For air travel, probably not. As mentioned above, this is a strong option for car journeys where you’re packing for a weekend away, a camping trip, a caravan stay or a festival. It’s also useful if children need a familiar-feeling pillow for sleepovers or holidays, provided you’ve got space to bring it.

For planes and trains, it’s less convincing. It doesn’t have the wraparound shape of other travel pillows, so it won’t stop that awful head-bob thing when you’re trying to sleep upright. It’s also too bulky to make sense for an airport dash or a personal-item-only bag.

So, it depends what you mean by “travel pillow”. For sleeping away from home, yes. For sleeping upright in seat 23B while someone reclines into your knees, no.

How easy is the Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow to wash?

The washable cover is one of the biggest practical wins. Ask any Scout parent and they’ll likely agree: camping pillows can get grim pretty quickly. They sit on sleeping mats, get shoved into bags, pick up sun cream, sweat, damp and the general atmosphere of a tent that has seen things. A zipped, removable cover that can go in the washing machine makes this pillow much easier to use repeatedly.

The foam inner can’t be machine washed, though. That’s important. It needs to be wiped clean rather than chucked in with the rest of the post-camping laundry.

Does the Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow come with a carry case?

Yes, it comes with a carry case. This helps to make it feel like a piece of camping kit rather than a small travel or household pillow. The carry case makes it easier to store, pack and keep clean between trips. Putting it back into the carry case is a doddle if you give enough oomph while stuffing it in. My six-year-old didn’t struggle. 

Inside the Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow Ultim Comfort

Who is the Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow best for?

• Family campers who have room in the car and want a more comfortable sleep set-up

• Car campers, caravanners, glampers and festival-goers who aren’t counting every gram

• Children using a pillow for Scouts camping trips, sleepovers or weekends away

• Anyone who dislikes inflatable camping pillows and wants something closer to a normal pillow

• Campers using an air bed, self-inflating mat or camp bed

Who shouldn’t buy the Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow?

• Ultralight campers, backpackers or bikepackers

• Anyone travelling with very limited luggage space

• People looking for a compact pillow for flights or train journeys

• Anyone who needs upright neck support or chin support while sleeping in a seat

• Campers who want something inflatable that packs down very small

Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow vs Trtl vs JYSK: how does it compare?

Should you buy the Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow Ultim Comfort?

The Decathlon Quechua Camping Pillow Ultim Comfort is a good-value buy for campers who want a real pillow feel without raiding the linen cupboard before every trip.

It’s soft-looking, sensibly sized and practical, with a removable washable cover and its own carry case. It won’t suit everyone for travelling: the 6L packed volume and around 600g weight make it too bulky for lightweight adventures, and it isn’t designed for upright travel sleep. But for family camping, festivals, caravans and car trips, it gets the basics right. 

About the author

Rebecca Roberts (aka Beccy) is our resident lifestyle expert with a practical focus on sleep, wellness and everyday comfort. She’s equally at home tackling frank, NSFW‑adjacent topics as she is road‑testing kitchen appliances, mattresses and vacuums that work for real parents. As a mum of two, she writes with the time‑poor, sleep‑deprived in mind - honest product reviews, realistic routines and products that make parents’ lives easier.

When she’s not at her desk, she’s probably product‑testing with her two helpers, corralling a PTA or walking her two dogs up and down country lanes.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

All prices are correct at time of publication.

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