Section Hikers Backpacking Blog Hiking and Backpacking for Beginners and Experts
When choosing a sleeping pad for backpacking and camping, it’s best to consider its weight, durability, size, thickness, insulation, comfort, and price. Here are our picks for the best 10 sleeping pads available today based on these dimensions. Many of these sleeping pads are available in different lengths, widths, and weights, making it easy to find a good choice to fit your needs.
| Make / Model | Type | R-Value/Temp Rating | Weight (Regular) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite | Air | R=3.2 | 12 oz | $170 |
| Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm | Air | R=5.7 | 15 oz | $200 |
| Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Uberlite | Air | R=2.0 | 8.8 oz | $180 |
| Therm-a-Rest ZLite Sol | Foam | R=2.6 | 14 oz | $45 |
| NEMO Switchback | Foam | R=2.6 (est.) | 14.5 oz | $50 |
| Big Agnes Q Core SLX | Air | 32 F | 16 oz | $160 |
| MassDrop Klymit Ultralight V | Air | R=4.4 | 15.2 oz | $60 |
| NEMO Tensor Insulated | Air | 20 F | 15 oz | $160 |
| Sea-to-Summit Ether Light XT Insulated | Air | R=3.8 | 15 oz | $190 |
| Sea-to-Summit Ultralight Insulated | Air | R=3.3 | 16.9 oz | $130 |
1. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite
2. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm
3. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Uberlite
4. Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Foam Pad
5. NEMO Switchback Foam Pad
6. Big Agnes Q Core SLX
7. MassDrop Klymit Ultralight V
Check out the latest price at:
MassDrop
8. NEMO Tensor Insulated Air Pad
9. Sea-to-Summit Ether Light XT Insulated
10. Sea-to-Summit Ultralight Insulated Pad
How to Choose a Backpacking Sleeping Pad
Choosing a sleeping pad requires prioritizing across multiple factors, some of which can be at odds with one another.
THICKNESS: Thicker sleeping pads are often more comfortable for side sleepers because they provide more cushioning under the hip bones. Depending on their length and width, it may take more breaths to inflate a very thick air pad, something to factor into your decision.
LENGTH AND WIDTH: Most popular sleeping pads are available a wide range of lengths and widths. While large pads are often more comfortable, they’re often heavier. Most pads are available in a standard 72″ x 20″ size. But many pads are also available in longer, shorter, and wider sizes, or mummy and rectangular shapes.
WEIGHT: A sleeping pad is one of the most important items on your gear list in terms of comfort and sleep insulation. While the weight of all backpacking gear matters, don’t make the mistake of being miserable at night by choosing a pad that compromises the quality of your sleep, simply to reduce the weight of your gear list.
COMPACTNESS: The size and compactness of a sleeping pad can be an important fact depending on your style of packing and the size of your backpack. Inflatable pads usually pack up smallest, self-inflating pads are usually larger, and foam pads are the largest. Depending on how you pack, foam sleeping pads may need to attached to the outside of your backpack because they’re so large. While closed cell foam pads don’t absorb water if they get wet, you’ll want to dry one off before you put a sleeping bag or quilt on top of it, after a wet day on the trail.
INSULATION: There are three types of sleeping pads: those intended for one season use (summer), three-season use (spring, summer, and autumn), and four season, year-round, use. Most backpackers buy three season pads, but one season pads also fine if you only backpack and camp in warm weather. While four season sleeping pads are slightly heavier, they can be an excellent value if you can only afford to buy one sleeping pad. The most reliable measure of insulation is R-value, but some sleeping pad manufacturers still rate their pads with temperature ratings. (A new Sleeping Bag R-Value Standard has been ratified by the outdoor Industry but won’t be available to consumers until 2020.) For three-season backpacking and camping, an R-value of 2, or higher, is recommended. For winter backpacking and camping, an R-value of 5, or higher, is recommended. R-values are additive, so you can stack two pads to increase your warmth level. Women need higher R-values pads because they have lower body mass than men. An additional R value of 1 is usually a good hedge for women and other cold sleepers
DURABILITY: Foam sleeping pads are the most durable, self-inflating pads are the next most durable, and inflatable air mattresses the least. Inflatable pads tend to fail in two places: the valves and at the seams of fabric. Flat valves that are flush with the surface of the sleeping pad are more durable than stick valves because they have no moving parts and can’t catch on obstructions.
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Disclosure: Therm-a-Rest, Klymit, Sea-to-Summit, Big Agnes, Exped, and NEMO have all provided the author with many free gear samples for testing and review during the past 10 years.
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I have the Massdrop Klymit, but after two years, it has started losing air overnight, bottoming out in the middle of the night, which is really uncomfortable in the cold. Luckily, on the last trip with the Scouts, I had an old Thermarest Prolite Plus in the trunk and swapped over to that for the second night.
I’m now in the hunt for a new mattress. Any feedback on mattresses that do NOT work with quilts or sleeping bags that use little or no insulation on the mattress side? I’ve recently purchased a ZenBivy bed — not as light or compact as my current REI Igneo but really comfortable — and I now understand that the Klymit mattress relies on some sleeping bag insulation lofting in the deep channels to provide insulation.
I’m a big fan of Thermarets NeoAirs in terms of durability. I have a 7 year old XLite and a 5 year old XTherm. Bomber and lifetime guarantee. Yadda Yadda.
R-value is R-value irrespective of whether your sleeping bag or quilt has bottom insulation. The only caveat would be for pads that have big air channels where heat can escape, like the MassDrop Klymit. You want a pad that your sleep insulation can lay flush against.
I’ll second the NeoAir. This fall, I replaced a 6 year old NeoAir All-Season with an XTherm, mostly to save weight (All-Season was rectangular, XTherm is mummy and slightly higher R-value.) I’ve used the XTherm once so far, and found it met all my needs. I used it under a quilt, in 30-degree temperatures, and never felt cold coming through the bottom of the pad. Not too difficult to inflate by mouth, either. The pump-sack that comes with it is marginally useful, with the same design deficiency of all Thermarest stuff sacks: it doesn’t have a one-way valve, so at some point, the backpressure forces air out while you’re reinflating the sack. (Of course, I wouldn’t rule out operator error, either.)
Interesting the Exped did not make the top 10…. Too many QC issues?
Exped is focused on making car camping mats these days, like the MegaMat. These are designed to be carried on your back, not a camper.
Thought i made this comment earlier, but it doesn’t seem to have appeared…
“Exped is focused on making car camping mats these days…”
I’m curious about this statement, as Exped makes a whole range of pads, from what they call “Base Camp” and “Travel,” to “Trekking” and “Fast + Lite.”
http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-category/mats
For some reason, though, i have noticed that Exped stuff doesn’t show up in the stock of many U.S. retailers, even online.
I have a few of their pads. The Synmat HL lite, tapered, rounded corners, almost three inches thick, the long/wide version. With the stuff sack, Schnozzle inflation bag, and repair kit, weight comes it at about 20 ounces. Similar weights for Downmat HL winter pad and an older Synmat 7 pad i keep around as a backup. No holes or blowouts yet.
A main reason i like them, aside from just being comfortable, is that they don’t make the potato-chip-bag noise that some of the other, slightly lighter pads i’ve checked out.
Some people find the pool-raft-shaped baffles offputting, but with the right level of inflation, i don’t notice any hill-and-valley effect.
Cant wait until you review the Thermarest Apex pad.
Phil, thanks for the review. Howsomever I think you should have included the REI FLASH air mattresses.
I have an REI FLASH Insulted 3 season air mattress at a 3.7 R value for 15 oz. (At 25 F. it was fine)
Also I have the REI FLASH All Season Insulated air mattress at a 5.3 R value. (Likely good to -10 F.)
With both I use the valve-compatible Sea to Summit pump bag/dry bag. Very fast inflation and no moisture gets in the mattress. The pump/dry bag serves as a dry bag for clothes. I just roll is done to fit the quantity of clothes inside. Dual use gear is the backpackers goal.
Have you had the chance to try out the new Nemo Tensor Alpine sleeping pad? If so, I’d love to hear your impressions. It seems like it was made to compete with the Thermarest NeoAir Xtherm pad. For winter, I really want to switch from the Thermarest NeoAir XTherm to either the Tensor Alpine pad or the Sea to Summit Etherlight XT pad coupled with a ZLite Sol (whether that combination proves be be warm enough for me, a very cold sleeper, remains to be seen).. I love the warmth of the XTherm pad, but find it very uncomfortable. Also, I much prefer the flat valves on the Tensor Alpine and the Etherlight XT pad to the twist valve on the Thermarest, and my elbows are always falling off the edges of the Thermarest pad.
I haven’t tried it yet.
I’ve been frustrated by the lack of wide pads available. I cannot sleep on a 20″ wide pad and most often, the wide size only come in the longer length that I don’t need. It has gotten better recently with a few option now available (NEMO, Klymit), but others refuse. I even had an e-mail exchange with folks at Therm-a-Rest and they basically came back telling me they just didn’t want my business. Ug.
The Neoair Xlite now comes in a Regular/Wide size (25″ x 72″). Website:
https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/neoair-xlite-sleeping-pad/neoair-xlite.html. Looks like they have a new one-way valve also, and upped the R value to 4.2.