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Sleeping Pad R-Values of 2023

Sleeping Pad R-Values of 2023

A backpacking or camping sleeping pad’s R-value measures its resistance to heat loss to the ground when you lie on it at night. Pads with higher R-values do this more effectively than pads with lower R-values. R-value isn’t a measure of warmth per se, but of a pad’s ability to prevent the loss of the warmth that your body generates. It’s just like the R-value used to rate home insulation.

Sleeping Pad R-Values and Air Temperature in Degrees

What’s the correlation between air temperature and sleeping pad R-values? When do you need a pad with a higher R-value? This table is based on Exped’s recommendations in Fahrenheit and Celsius degrees.

Air Temperature (F):503025100-15-25-40
Minimum R-Value12345678
Air Temperature (C):10-1-4-12-18-26-32-40
Minimum R-Value12345678

In addition:

  • R-values are additive, so you can combine two pads to increase your warmth level. For example, it’s common to carry a foam sleeping pad (usually R=2) in winter to use as a sit pad when eating and melting snow that you can place under an inflatable pad to increase their combined R-value for sleeping.
  • 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.
  • If a pad model has multiple sizes, they all have the same R-value unless specified otherwise
  • EN sleeping bag temperature ratings are predicated on using a sleeping pad with an R-value of 5 or higher. If you find yourself sleeping cold in temperatures where you’d expect your sleeping bag should keep you warm, it may be because your sleeping pad has an R-value less than 5.

Sleeping Pad R-Value Comparison

The following table provides a side-by-side comparison of the  ASTM F3340-18 rated sleeping pads available in the US market. The pad weights listed are sized for 72″ long x 20″ wide pads, though there are a few exceptions below. The R-Value of a pad remains the same if you select a longer, shorter, or wider variation of the pad.

Key: Air – Air Mattress, SI – Self Inflating, Foam – Closed Cell Foam

Make / ModelR-ValueWeight (Oz)
Sea-to-Summit Ether Light XT Insulated Air3.217.3
Sea-to-Summit Ether Light XT Insulated Air Women's3.517.5
Sea-to-Summit Ultralight Air 1.113.9
Sea-to-Summit Ultralight Insulated Air Women's3.515.8
Sea-to-Summit Ultralight Insulated Air3.116.9
Sea-to-Summit Comfort Light Insulated Women's3.823.5
Sea-to-Summit Comfort Light Insulated Air3.721.9
Sea-to-Summit Comfort Plus Insulated Air429.8
Sea-to-Summit Comfort Plus XT Insulated Air4.741.8
Sea-to-Summit Comfort Deluxe SI6.570
Sea-to-Summit Comfort Plus SI4.134
Sea-to-Summit Comfort Plus Women's SI5.133.5
Sea-to-Summit Ultralight SI2.619
Sea-to-Summit Ultralight Women's SI2.919.2
Sea-to-Summit Comfort Light SI3.123
Sea-to-Summit Comfort Light Women's SI3.823.5
Sea-to-Summit Camp SI4.227
Sea-to-Summit Ether Light XT Air1.213.8
Sea-to-Summit Ether Light XT Extreme Insulated Air6.225.4
Sea-to-Summit Ether Light XT Extreme Insulated Women's Air6.324.2
Sea-to-Summit Camp Plus SI4.331
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT4.512.5
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite4.212
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Women's5.412
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xtherm NXT7.316
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm6.915
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT Max7.323
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm Max6.919
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite2.38.8
Therm-a-Rest Basecamp640
Therm-a-Rest LuxuryMap652
Therm-a-Rest MondoKing 3D770
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Venture2.219
Therm-a-Rest Original Z Lite1.714
Therm-a-Rest ProLite2.418
Therm-a-Rest ProLite Apex3.822
Therm-a-Rest ProLite Plus3.223
Therm-a-Rest ProLite Plus Women's3.922
Therm-a-Rest ProLite2.418
Therm-a-Rest ProLite Women's2.718
Therm-a-Rest Ridegrest Classic214
Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest SOLite2.114
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Topo2.323
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Topo Luxe3.723
Therm-a-Rest Trail Lite3.226
Therm-a-Rest Trail Lite Women's4.525
Therm-a-Rest Trail Pro4.429
Therm-a-Rest Trail Scout3.124
Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol214
NEMO Switchback UL214.5
NEMO Tensor Alpine UL4.817
NEMO Tensor UL Insulated4.215
NEMO Tensor UL Non-insulated2.516
NEMO Roamer688
NEMO Astro LW Insulated2.624
NEMO Astro LW Non-Insulated1.519
NEMO Flyer3.322
NEMO Quasar 3D Insulated3.325
NEMO Quasar 3D Non-Insulated1.820
NEMO Longbow Alpine4.826
Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated4.314
Big Agnes Divide1.519
Big Agnes Divide Insulated422
Big Agnes Boundary Insulated Deluxe4.325
Big Agnes Insulated Q Core Deluxe4.325
Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Ultra4.522
Big Agnes Rapide SL4.219
Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated Tent Floor4.247
Big Agnes Hinman534
Big Agnes Two Track3.321
Big Agnes Twistercane BioFoam Pad1.714
REI Kindercamp4.529
REI Helix Insulated Air4.921
Exped Ultra 1R1.313.9
Exped Ultra 1R Duo1.325.4
Exped Ultra 3R2.916
Exped Ultra 3R Duo2.929
Exped Ultra 5R4.820
Exped Ultra 7R7.122
Exped Dura 3R2.9
25
Exped Dura 5R4.830
Exped Dura 5R Duo4.852
Exped Dura 8R7.833
Exped Versa 1R2.421
Exped Versa 2R2.421
Exped Versa 4R3.725.2
Exped FlexMat1.512.3
Exped FlexMat Plus2.217.6
Exped MegaMat Lite 125.239.9
Exped MegaMat 108.160
Exped MegaMat Max Duo 1510.6208
Exped MegaMat Max 1510.6122
Exped MegaMat Max 15 Duo10.6122
Exped MegaMat Duo 108.1120
Exped MegaMat Auto8.1136
Exped DeepSleep Mat 7.58.558
Exped DeepSleep Mat Duo 7.58.5116
Klymit Static V Insulated1.924
Klymit Klymaloft2.380
Klymit Static V21.316
Klymit Insulated Static V Lite1.920
Klymit Static V Lux SL1.320.8
Klymit Static V Short1.314
Klymit Insulated V Ultralight SL1.916
Insulated Static V Luxe1.920
Static V Luxe2.432
Kelty Mistral SI4.744

Sleeping Pad R-Value Standard

In 2020, the outdoor industry rolled out an international and industry-standard R-value test procedure called ASTM F3340-18. This means you can compare the R-values of different sleeping pads made by different manufacturers and know that they’re all using the same test procedure to measure the R-values of their pads. That’s a huge benefit for consumers and will eventually have the same impact that the adoption of standardized sleeping pad temperature ratings had for comparing sleeping bags from different companies.

The companies that have adopted the new R-value sleeping pad standard (ASTM F3340-18) and retested all of their current sleeping pads include:

  • Therm-a-Rest
  • NEMO
  • REI
  • Exped
  • Sea-to-Summit
  • Big Agnes
  • Klymit

What’s New in Sleeping Pads in 2023?

  • Thermarest has come out with a new NeoAir NXT generation of pads that are quieter, thicker, and have a slightly higher R-value than the last generation NeoAir pads. I don’t think the changes really warrant replacing your existing NeoAir pad though, but the changes should be attractive to new purchasers.
  • Big Agnes has a handful of new lightweight pads that are 3+ season capable. They’re not widely available in retail yet, but they make good gear and might be an interesting alternative.
  • Klymit continues to have an impenetrable product naming scheme. I don’t get it.

Status of Industry Adoption

The adoption of the new R-Value standard was driven by REI, which requires that the sleeping pads listed for sale on its main website have an ASTM F3340-18 R-Value rating.

Many sleeping pad companies have still not adopted the new ASTM F3340-18 sleeping pad R-Value standard and it’s not clear that they ever will. In fact, many manufacturers don’t test their pads at all, but “estimate” the R-values of their sleeping mats and pads. In the absence of a standard definition and test procedure,  it’s hard to tell if their estimates are accurate or whether they’re comparable to those produced by the standard ASTM F3340-18 R-value testing protocol.

Updated January 17, 2023.

See also:

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12 comments

  1. Wondering if self-inflating foam pads suffer from the same loss of insulating value as a sleeping bag when compressed by your body weight?

  2. Do you know if the BA Zoom UL is compatible with the Schnozzle?

  3. I will be patiently waiting for your review on the BA Zoom pad!

  4. I don’t know if it is truly a different pad than the current generation, but my Klymit Static V Insulated pad is way warmer for me than one of my other air pads with a higher R-Value.
    I think it has something to do with the fact that it is 23 inches wide, not 20. It’s a bit thinner than the air core too, not as comfy to sit/kneel on, and a solid 6 oz heavier…. but I haven’t used the air core for a few years now. The Klymit is just warmer, a bit wider, and gives me a better night’s sleep.
    (and I’ve used it at 20F at 10,000 feet; a pretty decent test IMO)
    Very strange to me that Klymit is getting destroyed on this list every year since they went to the standard test. But you can’t argue numbers. ?

    • I just got the Klymit Static V Insulated, and on the packaging it has an R value of 4.4, the article above rates the R value as 1.9? Yet, they quote the the new ASTM F3340-18 sleeping pad R-Value standard value above. So how can they follow this standard, and put it on their packaging, yet this site only lists 1.9 as the R value. Wouldn’t this be false advertising on Klymit’s part, or is the article above to be taken with a grain of salt, and it’s on how you want to interpret the information above? If they are following the new standard, Klymit saying thier pad is over 2 times higher then what is said above, someone has to be wrong here?

      • I suspect they finally sent it out to be tested and updated the packaging after we published this R-value at the beginning of January of this year. Thanks for the heads up. We’ll go and update any other changes that Klymit has made.

        • Hi Philip,

          Thanks very much for following up on my comment so quickly. My intention was not to question the article, but more to try and figure out if the Klymit pad I just bought yesterday was stating the correct R value, and the article above had me questioning that. I did buy it based on their claimed R value and really didn’t know a lot about ATSM (which they have on their packaging) until I google ATSM and your article came up. I just want to make sure that what I bought was /is as advertised. Hopefully you are correct, and they sent it out to be tested and validated by ATSM which I would imagine they would have in order to be able to claim that on their website and packaging.

          Thanks,
          Scott

        • I’m sure they wouldn’t claim it if it wasn’t true.

  5. When is the new Thermarest neoair with R-value of 7.3 gonna be available do you know? I tried to buy it on their website but says sold-out.

    thanks!

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