Reviews You Can Rely On
We buy all the products we test — no freebies from companies. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission, which helps support our testing.

Nemo Pillowtop Review

gearlab tested logo
Nemo Pillowtop Review (Nemo Pillowtop)
Nemo Pillowtop
Credit: Nemo
Price:  $90 List
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Manufacturer:   Nemo
By Chris McNamara and Max Neale  ⋅  Mar 24, 2015

Our Verdict

The Nemo Pillowtop was Discontinued in 2016
REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Compressible
REASONS TO AVOID
Not as comfortable or as durable as the Therm-a-Rest DreamTime Comfort Cover

The Nemo Pillowtop is a one-inch thick open cell foam cover than makes your sleeping pad more comfortable. The pillowtop comes in 20" and 25" widths and can fit over any Regular Size (20" x 72") and Large (25" x 72") sleeping pad. The Pillowtop has a stretchy bottom and soft top with a 0.75" thick piece of foam on the inside. The best attributes of the Nemo Pillowtop are its low weight and relatively small packed size. These make it better suited to mobile use. You could carry it into a remote base camp and relax in luxurious comfort.

Most people, however, will primarily use a Pillowtop for car camping. And when car camping, comfort is king. Thus, we prefer the Therm-a-Rest DreamTime Comfort Cover, which is both more comfortable and more durable.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Dislikes


Our main complaint with the Nemo Pillowtop is comfort. It's not very comfortable. Yes, it makes the pad's surface more level and is softer against bare skin, but compared to the Therm-a-Rest DreamTime Comfort Cover, the Nemo Pillowtop isn't very comfortable.

A more in-depth comparison with the NeoAir Dream Cover shows that the Nemo Pillowtop lags even farther behind. Its bottom material isn't as durable and its top surface not as soft. The NeoAir Dream Cover is also easier to put on and take off. Finally, the NeoAir Dream Cover retails for the same price.

Best Application


We believe the Nemo Pillowtop is best suited to remote base camps where you hump in a heavy load or two and remain for a week or more.

— Chris McNamara and Max Neale
 
Table of Contents