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Ultralighters are always coming up with creative ways to shed packweight and, of course, posting about it on the internet. I’m no ultralight fanatic, but I know I tend to have a better time on the trail when I go light. In preparation for an upcoming backpacking trip, I was perusing the r/Ultralight subreddit when I stumbled upon a post about a gear swap that I never would have considered on my own: Using a car washing sponge as a pillow.

Aside from saving weight, Redditors claimed a sponge could be more comfortable than an inflatable camping pillow, amongst a handful of other benefits (like durability—there’s no chance a sponge will leak or pop on you). Some hikers wrote that their kit was so dialed, they didn’t have extra clothes or insulating layers to shove into a stuff sack or Buff for a DIY pillow. And I suppose a sponge is multi-use, though I wouldn’t want to rest my head on one after using it to absorb rainwater from the corners of my tent.

I had to see for myself if the sponge pillow lived up to the hype. So I hit the automotive aisle of my local grocery store, inflated my sleeping pad, and tried to take a nap (for science). Here’s what I found out.

Weight

When it comes to the initial claim of shaving grams, the car washing sponge does its job. My Cocoon Air Core Camp Pillow, which has long been a staple of my backpacking kit, clocks in at 108 grams. The sponge I bought cuts that weight exactly in half at 54 grams. (That said, Cocoon does make a Microlight pillow that weighs a mere 48 grams.) My local shop only had one sponge available, dolled up with terry-like microfiber and mesh for scrubbing. I’d guess these bells and whistles add a few grams over a plain sponge with no exterior fabric.

Packability

A great thing about sponges is that they compress, but my trusty inflatable won out in this category. It packs down to the size of a kiwi, while the sponge—although stuffable—packs down to the size of an apple.

Price

The sponge is a clear winner in this category. I paid $4.99, but one could easily find a sponge online or at the hardware store for only a buck or two. Commercial backpacking pillows, on the other hand, run anywhere from $20 to $65. For the budget ultralighter, it’s a no-brainer.

Comfort

An ultralight, $5 “pillow” is only worth carrying if you can get a good night’s sleep using it, so here’s where my real testing came into play. While the sponge has about half the surface area of my 11-inch by 15-inch inflatable pillow, it’s large enough to cradle my (admittedly small) head if I don’t toss and turn. The two are comparable in height, though the inflatable has about an inch of extra height when fully blown up. As a stomach sleeper who likes a flat pillow, I found the sponge to be a little too firm for my liking. My inflatable is more customizable; I can let some air out until I achieve the desired squishiness. That said, I imagine the sponge will soften after a few uses, and, if I was really committed, I could shop around for one that suits my preferences. This compression over time is a double-edged sword; it’s only a matter of time before the sponge gets too squishy and doesn’t offer enough cushion. As long as I protect it from punctures, my inflatable will never have this problem.

The sponge was relatively comfy while lying on my stomach or my back, but not as much as my inflatable. While on my side, I propped it between my arm and head for some extra height. I appreciated the microfiber lining which was soft on my cheek; I’d want to wrap a naked sponge in a Buff or some kind of soft material so that it wouldn’t be too scratchy.

After an especially exhausting day on the trail, I can imagine getting a decent night’s sleep on the sponge pillow, but I’ve never been the best sleeper while backpacking. I won’t be swapping out my inflatable pillow any time soon. But if I didn’t already have a pillow and was backpacking on a budget, it might merit consideration.