Stuff We Swear By: I’ll By no means Have One other Seashore Day With out This Inflatable Pillow

That is Stuff We Swear By, a sequence through which our editors expound on an merchandise they use (and love) on a day by day (or near-daily) foundation.

For those who’re an avid beach-goer, you understand lugging your gear to and from the seaside is the worst a part of going to the seaside (particularly should you, like me, dwell in a metropolis and should take public transportation to get there). I’ve been going to the shore since I used to be a literal child, however again then I had adults packing my seaside necessities for me (and in addition, carrying me to the seaside). Now that I’ve had some solo outings below my belt as a grown grownup who has to haul all their shit to the seaside themselves, I imagine I’ve mastered the best, non-cumbersome seaside bag. Its contents embrace a towel, sunscreens (one for the face and the bod), a small transportable speaker, a Yeti Rambler Colster Can to maintain my drinks chilly, a spare pair of shitty-ish sun shades I don’t thoughts getting scratched and my Kindle. I discover it’s the proper assortment of beach-going requirements. Nevertheless, I’ve just lately added a game-changing seaside important to that well-curated arsenal and now will encourage you, fellow beach-lover, to do the identical. 

What’s it?

An inflatable pillow constructed particularly for the seaside. Not like, say, a daily down pillow, Ballast is designed to face up to salty air climates, pesky sand and coastal shorelines with its water and sand-wicking properties. It’s additionally wind-proof, that means you’ll by no means have to fret about embarrassing your self making an attempt to chase it down the seaside, because it encompasses a linked pouch you may fill with sand to weigh the pillow down. However as a result of it’s so easy to inflate and really travel-friendly (two attributes I’ll develop on in a sec), Ballast works for tenting, music festivals and wherever else you would possibly need to comfortably lay your head. 

How I take advantage of it: 

Up to now my Ballast Seashore Pillow has seen each the seaside and my native park this summer season, whereby I’ve laid out on a towel or blanket to catch some rays. Clearly, I take advantage of the inflatable pillow … like a daily pillow. I relaxation the again and/or the aspect of my head on the gentle padded prime, whereas the curvature on the backside creates a supportive cradle for my neck and head. I’ve additionally connected it to the again of a seaside chair utilizing the elastic hoops and clasps discovered on the aspect of the pillow for extra assist. However to get actual granular, right here’s how I arrange my Ballast Seashore Pillow:

You do should blow up your pillow along with your mouth, however I promise it takes simply 3-4 breaths to completely inflate. That’s resulting from a novel valve Ballast makes use of to stop air from escaping, which additionally ensures your pillow doesn’t deflate whereas in use. And whenever you’re able to pack up and head residence, the pillow simply deflates with the push of a button and folds conveniently into its personal compact carrying case. You can even buy cooling and heating gel packs bought by the model which are specifically designed to suit inside your pillow. On one significantly sizzling seaside day, I used the freezer pack to shortly quiet down.