Is there a better foam pillow?

How about a styrofoam pillow? This is what I’m currently using:

PILLOW

I tried the inflatable ones and had the same experience as you.

Daryl

Foam pillows take up a lot of volume. I'm a side and stomach sleeper too and I use two (count 'em, two!) pillows – the Exped Air Pillow and the Thermarest Travel Pillow case stuffed with a fleece or a ul down jacket. During my hikes, the travel pillow does double duty as a stuff sack for whatever I need to put it in. It might not work for you, but instead of a foam pillow try the travel pillow case stuffed with whatever soft stuff you'll carry with you in the backcountry. I found I could really control my comfort level with different configurations of that sucker.

Its not foam, but check out the snoring bear pillow by arrowhead equipment. It uses Climashield insulation and is very comfy. I’m a wiggly side sleeper and it works great for me. No problems with it over compressing. Its a little heavier at 5 oz., but they also have a smaller, lighter version.

Snoring Bear Pillow

Snoring Cub Pillow

He uses ripstop nylon but I had him use momentum for mine because I wanted a blue pillow.

Exped also makes a comfort foam pillow that is roughly 5oz and comes in two sizes. I have not personally tried one, but it seems to fit what you are looking for.

Two sizes.

http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/accessdetail.cfm/EXP690

There's a better hybrid, the Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core pillow. 3.7oz, less if you toss the stuff sack. It has a polyfill outer layer and an inflatable core. There is microfleece on one side and nylon on the other. It doesn't squirt around as bad and you can dial it in to your liking.

http://www.rei.com/product/766035

I have found that a good pillow made as much difference in getting a good night's sleep as my sleeping pad. I don't need much more than a basic CCF pad, but the pillow and the angle of my head (I am a side-sleeper) really made a difference.

@Dale

The reviews aren't very complimentary. Seems like the inner air bladder is prone to leakage. Have you had any issues? I must say that I am intrigued by the product.

I am also a side sleeper and had negative experiences with air pillows. However, i did find a air pillow i do like for side sleepers which is the montbell ul comfort system which weighs in at 2.3 oz

I walked past a grouting sponge at Home Depot once and picked one up, thinking of making a small pillow, either to use under my head (side sleeper mostly) or to go under my neck while still using another pillow (the Exped). I never got past just putting it in an old small nylon stuff sack I had lying around, so I don't have any real use. It is a sponge, so think a waterproof nylon cover is in order. I was going to ask my wife to sew a small cotton cover to go over that.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100173109/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Weight of the stuff sack cover + sponge: 1.5 oz

Best part: $0.99.

The Montbell blow-up pillow is the most comfortable pillow I've used.
We strap ours to our sleeping pads so they don't slide around.
The shape makes them much more comfortable than most other pillows, including most foam pillows that I have used.

For the past few years I've used balloons for pillows. Not by themselves; in a stuff sack or something similar. They cost little, weigh nothing, & deflate with ease – I just pop them. My wife made me a case similar to the throw pillows she made for our sofa, using lightweight fleece. I've tried that with either a single balloon or 2 balloons next to each other to get a more stable unit. That seems to work best, but I've had satisfactory results with stuff sacks & even hats. For cold weather I insert a small piece of cc foam to get some insulation.

The 9" helium quality latex balloons seem to be best. Very tough. I always bring some spares, but never have needed them due to loss of air or a total failure. A couple of times I've decided that I needed more or less inflation in an already tied off balloon, & used a spare.

Hands down…. NEMO Fillo Pillow.

Not UL. 10oz. Packs small on integrated stuff sack. Half memory foam like the 300 dollar pillows at sleep train, but has mesh to bump it up by bungeeing a clothing item and an air pillow in it also. best sleep ever! It's unimaginably comfy. As good as my home memory foam pillow. And as high or firm as you like it with incredible customizable heights. Buy one and you'll be sending me a thank you card. It's that nice.

Ed

+1 on the NEMO Fillo Pillow