Sleeping Pad Reviews

The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite MAX SV inflatable sleeping pad is a lightweight inflatable three-season sleeping pad that is super easy to inflate and deflate. The “SV” stands for a SpeedValve which lets you inflate and deflate it faster than other inflatable pads that have stick valves (including the regular NeoAir Xlite …

Klymit has introduced an ultralight variant to its Static V line of sleeping pads, co-designed and sold exclusively by MassDrop, called the Insulated Static V Ultra Light. With an R-value of 4.4, it’s an excellent pad to use for sleeping on cold ground in spring and autumn, but you’ll still want to add an extra foam layer underneath …

Klymit’s Static V Luxe Sleeping Pad is an interesting twist on a luxury inflatable sleeping pad, combining a decadent 30″ width, with a pad that is easy to inflate, and rolls up into a small bundle barely the size of many ultralight weight backpacking pads. It’s also incredibly inexpensive, only costing $89, …

The Big Agnes Green Ridge Sleeping Pad (MSRP $69.95) is a full length warm weather sleeping pad that only weighs 12.6 ounces (on the SectionHiker digital scale). It packs up super small and is a good choice when you want to go light but not skimp out on your sleeping comfort. It reminds …

The NeoAir XLite is Therm-a-Rest’s ultralight inflatable sleeping pad, weighing 12 ounces in size regular and 8 ounces in a size small, with a R-value of  3.2. It replaces the “original” NeoAir inflatable sleeping pad which weighed 14 ounces and is being discontinued. See Sleeping Pad R-values.  If you already …

The All Season version of the NeoAir Sleeping pad has an R value of 4.9making it suitable for sleeping on snow in winter. See Sleeping Pad R-Values. If you’re familiar with the NeoAir XLite, the All Season version is a good deal quieter than the original and has a much softer …

When Philip and I went car camping for the first time last December, I realized that I was a back sleeper and could not get a good night’s sleep on a standard 19 inch wide pad. My arms were not supported, putting a painful strain on my back and shoulders. …

The Therm-a-Rest LuxuryLite UltraLite Cot is designed for campers, backpackers, fisherman, or kayakers who need more back support than they can get from a foam or inflatable sleeping pad, prefer to sleep up off the ground, or want a cooler sleeping system for camping in hot weather. The UltraLite version of the LuxuryLite …

The Exped SynMat Winterlite insulated sleeping pad is a very lightweight, high R-value sleeping pad (R-Value = 4.9) that is warm enough for camping on snow, in addition to three season use. See Sleeping Pad R-Values. Mummy-shaped, the SynMat Winterlite is filled with a synthetic microfiber insulation which is bonded to the top …

Have you ever wondered how the insulation in a NeoAir works? It’s surprisingly simple. All Therm-a-Rest NeoAir air mattresses have the same honeycombed air baffles, shown in the photo above. These run from one side of the air mattress to the other, unlike many other manufacturer’s sleeping pads where the …

Therm-a-Rest Ridgerest closed cell sleeping pads have been around for a long time and are a favorite with many hikers. They’re also one of the least expensive, highest value foam pads you can buy. The RidgeRest SOLite is basically a classic RidgeRest sleeping pad, with a silver heat reflective coating painted …

I don’t carry a sit pad when I go hiking. I just sit on my backpack or day pack if I need thermal protection from the ground during rest breaks. Tree stumps also work pretty well if they’re not covered in snow. Why anyone would want to pay $25 for …

With the onset of Autumn, night time temperature are starting to drop into the mid-40’s F in Vermont’s north country, and it’s time to increase the R-value of my sleeping pad. On my next section hike of The Long Trail to the Quebec border, I’ll be taking along the Big …

The Exped Downmat 7 is a sinfully luxurious sleeping pad for cold weather camping when you need extra insulation below your sleeping bag to stay warm. Almost all sleeping bags, no matter their temperature rating, have one fundamental flaw. When you get into your bag, you compress the insulation underneath …