Zenbivy Light Bed: first impressions

Last year, I was super lucky to get to give Zenbivy’s Ultralight Bed a whirl. And – up until recently – it provided an instant, easy answer to the commonly-asked question of which sleep system I like best. Ultralight, warm and ingeniously innovative, I found that it finally gave me a restful night’s sleep in the backcountry. And while I appreciate it’s not for everyone, I truly found that I slept a whole lot better in the Zenbivy Ultralight Bed than in any other sleep system I’d used before. Until now. You see, new and improved for 2025, Zenbivy has kicked comfort into a whole new universe with its relaunched Light Bed line – their ‘mid-range’ backcountry bed offering that strikes a near-perfect balance between weight and comfort.

Hailing from Spokane, Washington, Zenbivy are one of the new guys in backpacking town, leading the charge on how to sleep better outside. Much like Durston, Zpacks and the UK’s Atom Packs, Zenbivy have taken something that has long been left unchanged and flipped it on its head. And just like Durston are doing with tents and Atom Packs are doing with backpacks, Zenbivy are proving that the old ways aren’t necessarily the best – and that there are better ways to sleep outside than in a bag.

To find out more about the brand, I was also lucky enough to catch with Zenbivy’s founder, Michael Glavin, for a chat about backpacking, gear and all things Zenbivy last year. And when asked which product he would reach for in the event of a zombie apocalypse, he said without any hesitation that his sleep system of choice would be the Zenbivy Light Bed due to its ability to just “do it all”. Which, as far as endorsements go, is a pretty strong statement. So, is Michael right?

Zenbivy Light Bed: in the wild

When I talk about the Zenbivy Light Bed, it’s worth taking a step back first and unpacking precisely what that means. You see, unlike a sleeping bag, the Zenbivy Light Bed isn’t one standalone product. The Light Bed actually comprises several different components, like a modular sleep system that you can chop and change. You’ve got the Light Quilt, a luxuriously soft, light and delightfully packable down quilt that sits on top of the bed. Then you’ve got the sheet, which – just like on your bed at home – encases your sleeping pad and comes with risers along each side which clip to the quilt, as well as a headboard-like hood that works in a similar way to a sleeping bag hood. Finally, you’ve got the mattress, which in my case was the Zenbivy Flex Air Mattress, which (to my delight) now comes in a rectangular build, providing a final garnish of comfort over what’s already a smorgasbord of cosiness.

Fully modular, all of these products can be swapped out with different Zenbivy lines or, in the case of the sleeping pad, exchanged for a product you already have. The beauty of the Zenbivy system is in the sheet and the quilt after all, which clip together and to your pad to form a tight and cosy sleeping space, almost as if you were tucked into bed by Mother Nature herself.

Zenbivy Light Bed: components

Zenbivy Light Quilt

Before we jump in and talk about how the system works as one unified backcountry bed, then, let’s take a look at the individual components, especially considering that each item must be bought separately, starting with the Light Quilt. In my case, I tested the 25°F (-4°C) convertible version in regular. And in a nutshell, it’s excellent. Costing $299 on its own, it comes with a luxuriously soft 25D Pongee lining, 12 oz/343 grams of high-quality 800FP water-resistant and RDS-certified 90/10 duck down, and weighs an incredible 24oz/680 grams. When you compare this with similarly warm sleeping bags, the Light Quilt Convertible comes out lighter almost every time, with even something like the $400 Rab Neutrino Pro 300 down sleeping bag weighing 1.7oz/48 grams more at 25.7oz/728 grams.

For added utility, the ‘convertible’ version of the Light Quilt can also be completely unclipped and spread open wide like a regular duvet. To me, this gave it the added utility of being able to wear it like a poncho on chilly evenings and to use it as a comforter when car camping. And even though I haven’t had the chance to use it on proper warm evenings (yet!), I’m confident that sleeping under it in this configuration will allow me to continue to sleep comfortably in temperatures most 25°F(-4°C) sleep systems would have you melting in.

The Light Sheet

Next up in the sleep system was a full version of Zenbivy’s new and improved Light Sheet. Coming with the same super soft 25D Pongee liner you get on the quilt, as well as completely covering the mattress (the sheet I tested as part of the ultralight set up in 2024 only covered half the mattress), this thing delivers a level of comfort that is about as close as you’ll ever get to your bed at home. Once in, you're flanked on both sides by raised baffles that clip to the quilt to keep out drafts and hold everything down tight onto the bed. Then, above your head, a down-filled hood keeps your head warm and allows you to properly nestle in for the night.

As on the Ultralight system, there are also clips inside the hood to attach a compatible Zenbivy pillow that stop it from moving, no matter how much you roll around in the night (though you can stuff anything in here, from a down-jacket-in-a-dry-bag sort of pillow through to a pillow from your bed at home). Attaching the sheet to your mattress is also reassuringly easy after a long day on the trails. You just stretch it over all four corners and tighten up the central clip to keep it all together.

The Flex Air Mattress

As a part of this setup, I was also sent Zenbivy’s updated Flex Air Mattress, which now comes in a rectangular construction. If you already have a sleeping pad, such as a rectangular Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Xtreme or a Big Agnes Zoom UL, then there’s actually no need to shell out for the pad too. However, if you’re looking for a lightweight, warm and very comfortable sleeping pad, the Flex Air from Zenbivy might just be my new go-to recommendation.

Easy to pump up and small enough to carry as a part of a lightweight backpacking rig, it comes with a 4-way flex top that allows for better movement and alignment with the pad, hyper-supportive offset air cells that cradle you as you sleep, an all-season 4.8 R-value, and – unlike lines from Therm-a-Rest or Sea to Summit - is completely quiet when you roll around on it. And even though this is highly subjective and very personal to my own wonky spine, the Flex Air is the only pad I’ve slept on in years that didn’t result in back pain in the morning – which is a huge win for me.

Granted, at $219 the Flex Air doesn’t come cheap, but if you’re on the market for a comfortable pad, the Flex Air is up there with the likes of Therm-a-Rest and Sea to Summit in my opinion, and is not just something that should be seen as a Zenbivy bed add-on. The Flex Air is perfectly capable of standing out on its own – even if Zenbivy might wince at you pairing it with a sleeping bag.

How the Zenbivy Light Bed system performs together

To test the Zenbivy, I got out on a handful of adventures in mid-winter conditions towards the start of this year. As I was testing only 25°F (-4°C) version of the quilt, I waited until temperatures were appropriate to enjoy two camps in some local woodlands, as well as to get out on a more adventurous camp in Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons). And, honestly, I can’t see myself sleeping in anything else again. Which, to be fair, I’m pretty sure I said about the Zenbivy Ultralight Bed barely six months ago.

The first thing I particularly appreciated about this system is just how much sense it makes. Despite the various bits and bobs quickly making your tent look a mess when you get them out of the bag, everything just comes together perfectly after you’ve inflated your pad. The sheet feels tight and steady under your back, and the soft Pongee lining is a huge step up over lying directly onto a polyester or nylon pad.

To attach the quilt, it’s then just a matter of connecting the colour-coded clips to their corresponding partner. Though more laborious than a sleeping bag, this process is complete in a matter of seconds. For max warmth retention, you can do up all of the clips on both sides which tightens everything down. Alternatively, for more breathability, you can open as many as you like. Either way, the Zenbivy Light Bed has got a beautiful way of making you feel free, even when everything is done up tight. Due to not being cocooned in a bag, you’ve got more room to rotate, go from belly to back and roll to your side, all without coming off the pad or losing your pillow off to the side (which, following the Zenbivy philosophy, is way more representative of how you’d sleep at home).

When it comes to warmth, this is very subjective. What’s warm for me might be too cold for you. But I found the Light Bed to do pretty much what it says on the tin. On one night, the temperature dropped to just above freezing (about 37°F (-3°C) , and in some base layers and a thin fleece mid-layer, I felt perfectly cosy in the Zenbivy Light Bed. Would I take it down colder than that? Probably not (that’s when I’d opt for the 10°F (-12°C) Ultralight Quilt I’m also lucky to have on my gear shelf), but I’m a notoriously cold sleeper, the type of guy who sleeps in a 3-4 season sleeping system year-round, even at the height of summer.

Meet the reviewer

Weight and packability

Despite this system comprising various individual parts, I’m also pleased to note that it’s exceedingly packable. The Air Flex mattress packs down to about the size of a 500 ml Coke bottle and weighs a very respectable 26oz/730 grams in its largest rectangular form (the smallest tapered version comes in almost 7oz/200 grams lighter at 20oz/567 grams). The Light Quilt in regular can be compacted down to a ball about the size of a small football and weighs a delightfully lightweight 24oz/680 grams.

And the sheet? That packs down to the size of a grapefruit and weighs in at a barely noticeable 9oz/250 grams. All to give you a modular sleep system that, together, packs down to about the same size as your average 3-season sleeping bag and weighs a combined 3.5lbs/1.6 kg. To me, that makes the Zenbivy Light Bed system perfectly packable for practically any trip, save perhaps fastpacking overnighters or bikepacking trips when there’s limited space in your panniers.

All in, I absolutely love the Zenbivy Light Bed. It’s light and packable enough that you can take it on almost any adventure, and it delivers industry-leading comfort when you’re out in the great outdoors. After spending around half a dozen nights in it, I now fully agree with Michael: this is the sleep system I’d pick in the event of a zombie apocalypse, too. If nothing else, at least I’d be well-rested.

• How Advnture tests products

Back in 2022, when we took the Nemo Tensor Ultralight sleeping pad out into the backcountry, we thought it was "super lightweight" for fast adventures – we had no idea how much lighter this model was going to get. Nemo has just released the lightest Tensor ever made, and what the New Hampshire brand says is currently the lightest insulated inflatable sleeping pad on the market.

At an ethereal 240 grams, the Nemo Tensor Elite is clearly built for thru-hikers and backpackers who want to shed weight wherever possible – those of you who cut your toothbrush in half and use trekking pole tents.

How have they done it? According to Luke Scotton, Product Developer at Nemo Equipment, who calls the pad the "pinnacle" of the brand's evolution, weight was considered at every step along the way, from the custom Cordura fabric to the proprietary baffle construction and the shape of the Thermal Mirror insulation.

The only sleeping pad we've tested that comes close to this weight is the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite, which weighs an impressive 250 grams but also has a slightly lower R-value.

In comparison, the Tensor Elite manages to boast a 2.4 R-value despite its feathery disposition, making it functional across spring, summer and fall, with a plush three inches of loft to keep you off the ground.

A good night's sleep at camp relies on quiet as well as comfort and warmth, and to achieve what it calls "silent operation," the brand has used its proprietary Apex baffle system which is also said to be exceptionally stable. Perhaps needless to say, the pad comes only in weight-saving mummy shape and is a slender 20 inches wide.

Featherlight gear such as this is often more fragile, and low weight has been achieved by a lower denier fabric, but Nemo says it's confident the ripstop nylon used to construct the Tensor Elite is enough to protect it from punctures. We're looking forward to getting it out on the trail to see how it holds up to our adventures.

The Nemo Tensor Elite comes with a lightweight Vortex pump sack and is available now in regular and short sizes starting at $199 from REI where it's already earned a perfect five-star rating with one customer saying "Nemo just keeps getting better." In the UK, it's available exclusively from Ultralight Outdoor Gear for £229.99.

• The best sleeping pads: comfy mats for all camping trips
• The best sleeping bags: for comfort in camp

Can't wait for spring to get out camping? You're going to need an all-seasons sleeping pad. Right now, you can pick up the brilliant Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT Ultralight Sleeping Pad for just $157 at Amazon. That's an ultra-rare discount of 25% off the regular asking price for this sleeping pad, which we gave a perfect five stars in our field tests.

For four-season outdoor explorers going on multi-day missions – trekkers, backpackers, hikers and bikers – the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT sleeping pad is simply the best mat on the market, offering excellent warmth and superb comfort for a very low weight and space penalty.

"As soon as I got the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT out of the box I was impressed by the small pack size and low weight of this mat; it’s about the same size as a classic widemouth Nalgene water bottle," says Advnture contributing editor Pat Kinsella, who notes that whil there are smaller and lighter mats out there, nonw has with an R-value as good as 4.5.

This insulated inflatable mummy-shaped pad provides three inches of loft to keep you warm and comfortable on the cold, had ground and it's recommended as a four-season pad meaning it's the only one you'll need for backpacking. The most significant improvement made to the new generation NeoAir XLite NXT is its solemn promise to be a whole lot quieter at night than its forebears. The

This deal applies to the Lemon Curry colorway in the Regular sizing, but it's a limited time offer so we suggest you jump if you've had this item on your tick list for a while.

Not in the US? Scroll down to the bottom of this article for today's best deals on the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT Ultralight Sleeping Pad where you are.

Besides a pump and stuff sack (two separate but very lightweight bags), the NeoAir XLite NXT also comes with a small repair kit, because when using inflatable mats you always run the risk that they could puncture (always check the ground beneath very carefully before pitching your tent for sharp stones, prickly plants and other hazards).

If you're not in the US, here are today's best offers on the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT Ultralight Sleeping Pad near you:

• The best sleeping pads: comfy mats for all camping trips

Outdoor retailer REI held a massive pre-4th of July sale already this summer, but the goods just keep on coming. Right now, you can pick up the awesome Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Sleeping Pad for just $139.73 at REI if you hurry. That's an impressive savings of 29% off the regular price for this sleeping pad, which our reviewer said was the most comfortable pad he'd ever slept on.

Boasting an impressive 4in of plush, stable loft, weighing just over 1lb and with an R-value of 3.2, this pad is ideal for three-season use where you want to move fast and light but still sleep well. Keeping you four inches off the ground when inflated, the air sprung cell structure stays stable when you move around in the night.

Not in the US? Scroll to the bottom of this article for today's best deals on Sea to Summit sleeping pads where you are.

Best of all, this sleeping pad is built to be ultra quiet if you're a restless sleeper and like all Sea to Summit pads, you can attach your camping pillow to the pad to keep your sleep system organized. This deal applies to both the regular and large sizes and is an excellent opportunity to upgrade your camping kit with high-quality gear at a low price.

The 30D/40D face fabric is quiet and durable, and the lamination technology continues Sea to Summit’s class-leading reliability.

If you're not in the US, here are today's best deals on Sea to Summit sleeping pads near you:

• The best sleeping pads: comfy mats for all camping trips

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Venture sleeping pad: first impressions

The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Venture is a middle-of-the-road offering from a manufacturer responsible for some of the best sleeping pads available right now. It’s versatile, aimed at campers and backpackers looking for a balance between comfort, durability and affordability – which I think it does so admirably. While it’s not the lightest or warmest option out there, it’s an all-around solid choice for those who need a reliable sleeping pad that won’t break the bank.

Therm-a-Rest have used their WaveCore construction on the NeoAir Venture, which they claim provides a reasonable R-value of 2.2, creating air cells that trap warmth without requiring additional insulation layers. The baffles are far less deep than some of the brand’s higher-end pads, though, which means they don’t trap as much insulation. This design lends itself much more towards summer camping or milder temperatures than true winter conditions or cold weather extremes. The two-inch thickness offers ample cushioning to keep you off the ground and comfortable, though it doesn’t quite match the plush feel of higher-end pads with thicker inflation.

The NeoAir Venture also receives Therm-a-Rest’s WingLock valve system, which I am a huge fan of – it’s simple to use, reliable and feels pretty well built, too. The valve allows for quicker inflation by letting air flow in one direction, while deflation is almost effortless. There’s a pump sack included too, which is great. Even though this is a slightly thinner pad than Therm-a-Rest’s range toppers, it’s still a very welcome touch. It takes a few rounds to fully inflate the pad, but it’s far from tedious. For those who have experienced older, slower inflation systems, it’s a huge step up in usability.

The pad itself is made from 50D polyester, which strikes me as a good balance between toughness and weight. It’s not as featherlight as the ultralight pads out there, but the material feels more durable and is less prone to the annoying rustling noise that I’ve noticed with more expensive, lightweight pads from the likes of Exped. This might seem like a niche feature, but truly a useful one when dealing with uneven wild camp locations where you tend to move around a little!

Meet the reviewer

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Venture sleeping pad: in the field

I tested the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Venture on a summer camping trip in the Swiss and French Alps, where nighttime temperatures ranged from 40°F to 68°F (4°C to 20°C). The varying altitude, and therefore temperatures, allowed me to get a good feel for the sleeping pad in a range of temperatures. Never knowing quite what to expect in the mountains, I took a belt and braces approach for this trip, pairing the lower R-value of 2.2, with my 21°F (-6°C) rated sleeping bag.

Unsurprisingly, I never felt cold during the trip. But I do feel that there was an awful lot of headroom in terms of conditions here. Isolating the pad’s performance, it’s worth noting that I never felt that I had a particularly cold back in the night, often a tell-tale sign of poor insulation. The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Venture was fantastic for these conditions, but if things tipped too far below freezing (32°F/-0°C), I would likely consider something with deeper baffles.

Comfort-wise, I found the pad more than adequate. The two-inch thickness provided plenty of cushioning to keep me off the ground at all times. This is high praise considering some of my dubious camp locations, as truly flat ground is often hard to come by in the mountains.

One thing I appreciated was that the pad didn’t feel at all flimsy. Ultralight pads can have a tendency to feel rather delicate, and can move around a little more if you’re a restless sleeper. The NeoAir Venture stays put, and takes away any puncture anxiety.

I even took it outside my tent for some early morning sunrise viewing, lying on mulchy, thistly grassland, with the odd rocky protrusion. The pad held up without any punctures or issues, and I’m pretty confident in the reliability of the 50D polyester construction. I also wouldn’t hesitate to take it bivy camping, where durability is key.

• How Advnture tests products

Right now, you can pick up the ultra-plush Big Agnes Boundary Insulated Sleeping Pad for as little as $107.93 at REI. That's a generous discount of 40% off the regular asking price for this highly-rated sleeping pad, which side sleepers love.

"THE most comfortable backpacking pad I've ever owned," says one happy customer, who reports they can sleep on their side without touching the ground thanks to 3.5 inches of foam and a quilted, stretchy top.

The Steamboat Springs, CO company built this pad for backcountry adventures, with PrimaLoft Silver Insulation that works with a heat-reflective barrier to trap body heat and reflect it back, so you stay comfortable as the temperatures drop overnight.

The quilted top and a provides a soft-touch, cushioned pillowy sleeping surface and an antimicrobial treatment inside the pad prevents microorganism growth so your pad doesn't get stinky on long adventures.

This sleeping pad is top-rated among customers, with campers giving it an average rating of 4.2 stars. This deal applies to the Blue colorway in regular and long sizes, while you can pick up the wide size for $149.93 if you want a little extra sleeping surface.

Not in the US? Scroll down to the bottom of this article for today's best deals on Big Agnes sleeping pads where you are.

If you're not in the US, here are today's best offers on Big Agnes sleeping pads near you:

• The best sleeping pads: comfy mats for all camping trips

Right now, you can pick up the ultra-plush Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Topo Luxe sleeping pad for just $148 at Amazon. That's a generous discount of 22% off the regular asking price for this top-rated sleeping pad.

Four inches of stable loft make the Topo Luxe the thickest NeoAir ever, which is excellent news for side sleepers and with a pack weight of just 1.75 lbs you can take this on multi-day backpacking trips as well as easy car camping excursions.

Two one-way valves – one for inflation and one for deflation – make setting up and breaking camp a breeze, and the pad comes complete with a stuff sack and repair kit.

This sleeping pad is top-rated among customers, with campers giving it an average rating of 4.1 stars with one user describing it as "shockingly comfortable." This deal applies to the Balsam colorway in the Regular Wide sizing.

If you're not in the US, scroll down to the bottom of this article for today's best deals on the NeoAir line where you are. We'll be rounding up all this year's best Amazon Prime Day camping deals, so stick with us to make sure you don't miss out.

If you're not in the US, here are today's best offers on the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir sleeping pad line near you:

• The best sleeping pads: comfy mats for all camping trips

In 2002, Nemo Equipment’s founder Cam Brensinger spent a fraught night in a poorly designed bivvy on the side of Mount Washington. After absolutely zero sleep, he had something of an epiphany and resolved to launch his own company to do things better. Thus Nemo (or New England Mountain Outfitters) was born. Fast forward a couple of decades and today the brand has a strong reputation for quality and innovation in the camping gear world. 

One of Nemo’s values that I really admire is that it doesn’t bring anything to market unless it’s doing something better than what’s already out there. For example, its Hornet Osmo Ultralight 3-Person Backpacking Tent, which I reviewed last summer, boasted cutting edge Osmo fabrics, representing a step forward in terms of sustainability.

Now then, let's talk pads! Our Vermont-based camping adventurer Berne Broudy tested the Nemo Tensor Ultralight back in summer 2022 and rated it as the perfect backpacking camping pad. In fact, it sits in the number one spot of our best sleeping pads buying guide, at the time of writing. So, I was intrigued to see how this more advanced – and more expensive – pad from Nemo would fare against the British backcountry.

Meet the reviewer

First impressions

Considering the Tensor EC’s stated R-value and suitability for winter, I was immediately impressed with its small pack size when it first arrived. Liberating it from the sack, I got a bit of surprise when the Pump Sack fell to the floor. This unexpected addition is a large sack designed to assist the inflation process and stops unwanted moisture getting into the pad. It took a bit of puff to get it fully inflated but after 3 or 4 rounds of the Pump Sack, the Tensor Extreme stretched out in all its insulated glory.

It’s a smart looking pad that feels premium and is wonderfully thick: 3.5 inches, to be precise. It feels luxurious when lined up against many sleeping pads I’ve tested down the years, which almost seem apologetic in comparison. It’s comfortable and nicely supportive, more so than many other backpacking pads.

Features

So, what are the features that create such a comfortable pad? The Tensor EC boasts horizontal, trapezoidal baffles, which support  4 layers of Thermal Mirror film insulation, which utilizes a metallized film. The layers reflect body heat back, while fending off cold from the earth below – similar to metalized surface of emergency blankets. The result is a magnificent warmth-to-weight ratio that’s difficult to top, while Nemo says that it’s “impressively quiet”. There’s a bit of a crinkly sound as I put my weight on it or roll around on it, so it’s perhaps not a sleeping pad my tent mates would thank me for, although I’ve admittedly heard much worse.

Weighing in at 710g, it’s 170g heavier than the Tensor Ultralight, but you’d expect this for a pad that you can whip out for a spot of not-so-casual winter camping. Whereas the Tensor Ultralight boasted an R-value of 3.5, fine for 3-season use, the Tensor EC sports an R-value of 8.5, making it well suited to the gnarliest winter camps – hence the ‘Extreme Conditions’ in the name. In fact, Nemo state that it’s the first air pad to achieve a value above 8, so we’re dealing with some pretty bleeding edge design here.

Yet, it still works perfectly for summer camps, where sleeping pads are concerned, there’s no such thing as too much insulation from the ground. So, whereas a 4-season sleeping bag you’d take up K2 would be a tad too toasty for July beach camps, the Tensor EC can be your main sleeping pad all year round.

Fabrics wise, Nemo have used a tough, puncture-resistant 40D nylon for the bottom and a softer 20D nylon for the sleep surface. Both are bluesign approved, which means the fabrics meet internationally recognized sustainability standards, while there’s recycled material in there too. Bravo!

The air valve has been redesigned to have a zero-profile and perform better at the kind of low temperatures you may find yourself using the Tensor EC in. It boasts micro adjustability, meaning that you can open up the inflate tab and press it in to let a little air out if needed. You can open the valve up entirely using the deflate tab, basically pulling the plug out and enabling super speedy deflation.

To sync with your sleeping system, as well as your own dimensions, the Tensor EC is available in four sizes: Regular Wide (tested here), Regular Mummy, Regular, Long Wide. It also comes with a lifetime warranty for that lovely peace of mind on the trail.

In the backcountry

I took the Tensor EC on camping trips to England’s famous Lake District National Park in later summer, camping in the valley and – crucially given the pad’s credentials – enjoying summit wild camps too. The summit sleeps provided the colder conditions needed to see whether the pad delivered the goods when it came to insulation and, I can happily report, that it did.

Inflation is easy but it’s not without effort. There’s the option of the Pump Sack, which is filled around 3 or 4 times to achieve maximum inflation. I got this down to around 3-and-a-half minutes from flat to fully inflated. The other option is inflating directly at the pad’s valve but this means unwanted moisture will invariably get into the pad. Inflated this way, it took me around 2-and-a-half minutes.

I like the way the valve allows me to personalize just how inflated I want the pad to be. A simple press lets a little air out, meaning that if I wanted a little less air in the pad, it’s easy to achieve. Attaching the Pump Sack is also a doddle.

I tested the Regular Wide version and found it offered some of the most comfortable backcountry sleeps I’ve ever enjoyed. Insulation is truly top notch, I felt wonderfully removed from the cold of the mountain beneath my groundsheet, making for a pleasant slumber. 

A minor gripe was that its surface provided very little friction when paired with Nemo’s own Fillo Backpacking and Camping Pillow. The inflatable pillow had a habit of slipping off the surface of the pad if anything other than mostly downward pressure was applied. I’d guess this could be solved by a more textured surface, either at the head of the pad or on both sides of the pillow – currently only one side of the pillow has such a surface and it’s clearly the side intended for one’s bonce.

When it comes to packing down, I was able to deflate and roll up the Tensor EC in less than a minute. The valve’s deflate tab basically allows me to pull the plug on its air and then it’s just a case of rolling it back up and stuffing it away. It was impressively small and light in my pack, especially given its insulating qualities.

All in all, a super pad that will work all year round. It's very expensive though and gram counting campers mainly eying up warm weather trips will be fine with something less insulating and also less pricey.

REI's Labor Day sale is on now, and you can grab the brilliant Therm-A-Rest Prolite Apex sleeping pad for just $101.19 at REI for a limited time. This shaves $35 off this light and surprisingly plush pad that gets four stars among REI customers.

This is the sleeping pad I use myself, and I've taken it all around Colorado, the United Kingdom, the French countryside and the Alps. It's been thrown around on planes, made car camping trips easier and taken a beating on backpacking trips, and still gives me a great night's sleep. 

It's a great price for a top-quality pad and applies to the regular sizing, while you can also save 25% on the long and wide sizing. The sale ends on Monday, September 2 so you might want to act fast in case stocks run out.

If you're not in the US, scroll down to the bottom of this article for today's best deals on the Therm-A-Rest Prolite Apex sleeping pad where you are. 

Where I think this pad really excels is in its packability. Somehow it rolls up even smaller than either of my older pads, but inflates into a bigger cushion. This makes it really easy to slide into the stuff sack, which I’ve had to wrestle with in the past, and the stuff sack is designed to be a little larger and comes with compression straps, which means I can just cinch it tight. 

When it comes to comfort, this pad easily excels beyond any of the Therm-A-Rests I’ve loved before. I sleep on all sides, but primarily I’m a side sleeper and no part of me touches the ground on this pad when it’s inflated. At two inches, it’s super plush but really stable, so I'm never bouncing around and it also doesn’t make that annoying crinkly noise when I roll over. It’s not as comfy as my bed at home, but I took out a second mortgage to buy that bed so that would be unrealistic. But it’s the comfiest air mattress I’ve slept on and I can’t believe it can be that plush and packable.

Read more on my favorite features of this pad in my review of the Therm-A-Rest Prolite Apex sleeping pad.

If you're not in the US, here are the best deals on the Therm-A-Rest Prolite Apex sleeping pad where you are, with prices updated daily:

• The best sleeping pads 2024: comfy mats for all camping trips

Meet the reviewer

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT Sleeping Pad: first impressions

Inflatable sleeping pads have come on leaps and bounds since I started hiking 16 years or so ago. I’m a notorious cold sleeper and can be found using a hot water bottle for 11 out of 12 months of the year, even inside. I was therefore interested to learn that the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm was pitched at those sleeping in cold winter and alpine climates. Since the introduction of the R-value rating in sleeping mats to provide better information for consumers, it’s now much easier to understand which seasons a sleeping mat is effective in. I tested the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT while bikepacking in Fairbourne in mid-Wales and was pleasantly surprised by the brilliant warmth to weight ratio.

To work out how R-values are calculated, in simple terms it means giving a grade to the effectiveness of insulation products based on what they’re made of. This is done by dividing the thickness of a material (in meters) by its thermal conductivity. The NeoAir XTherm NXT is the best in class, with an R-value of 7.3. A mat with a high R-value is a no-brainer for those who are looking for a high-performance mat for sleeping out in the mountains, or just want the reassurance that they’ll get a comfortable night’s sleep without the worry of being woken up due to the temperature shift.

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT Sleeping Pad: in the field

Weighing in at just 440g, the regular XTherm NXT mat is one of the most innovative and technologically advanced mats Therm-a-Rest has ever made. Combining a tough 70D nylon on the base of the mat and 30D rip HT nylon on the top, the sleeping mat takes the best of each fabric to make a mat that’s durable and reliable for multiple days’ usage, yet is not so heavy and bulky that it’s too heavy to carry. Use of the 70D makes it resistant to damage from packing down every day, whilst the 30D ripstop nylon on top keeps it lightweight.

There’s no other sleeping mat that comes close to the XTherm NXT – for cold sleepers, having a mat that uses the best tech to deliver a great weight to warmth ratio is a gamechanger. Therm-a-Rest has used its Triangular Core Matrix construction – which is effectively two layers of triangle baffles edge-to-edge – to slow convective heat loss. The cells then create a stable internal space to provide support. Meanwhile, the ThermaCapture technology involves a lightweight reflective material (like you’d see in a foil blanket) that’s placed inside to help redistribute heat back to the body and minimize cold spots. Both aspects of construction reduce overall convective heat loss without adding weight or bulk to the sleeping mat.

For a back sleeper, having a thick sleeping mat is important to provide cushioning and comfort from the ground. A chunky thickness gives cloud-like comfort at an impressive 3-inch (7.6-cm) thick profile, whilst a horizontal baffled structure allows weight to distribute evenly without the awkward sleeping mat sag.

To get the sleeping mat ready, it’s rolled up with all the air removed to create a compact package. Often the most common problem with pack down is trying to get the sleeping bag to fit back in its original packaging. Thankfully the WingLock Valve allows for rapid inflation, so air doesn’t accidentally escape, and it’s also straightforward to ‘dump’ air on deflation. The valve lock is also easier to operate than a popper style closure, meaning it’s easy to use in cold or wet weather when gloves are staying on. A pump sack (the kind where you waft air in) attaches onto the valve lock, so once you get into the rhythm of how much air to put in, it’s easy to fill the mattress up.

Sleeping mats (especially inflatable ones) often rustle, as sleepers move in the night due to shifting sleeping positions, temperature changes or discomfort. If you’re sharing a tent with someone, the sound of sleeping bags against the mat can be a major annoyance to your fellow campers. On the XTherm NXT, comfort and warmth can be easily adjusted by small tweaks on the inflation valve. Meanwhile, the material is comfortable enough to sleep on without being so shiny you slip off.

The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir X Therm NXT comes with the sleeping mat, pump bag, and repair kit, stowing away into a stuff sack pack that’s not much bigger than a 1L Nalgene bottle. It's a big win for those who look at challenging themselves in fast and light terrain, yet don’t want to have a night of suffering as a result.

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The Amazon Prime Day camping deals are still coming thick and fast and one of the best deals we've seen is the addition of the plush Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Topo Luxe sleeping pad for just $133. That's a discount of 30% off the regular asking price, and applies to the Balsam colorway in the Regular Wide sizing.

At four inches thick but with a pack weight of just 1.75 lbs, this sleeping pad is excellent news for side sleepers and will keep you warm and comfortable through the night. You'll have to act fast, however, as this is a limited-time deal.

If you're not in the US, scroll down to the bottom of this article for today's best deals on the NeoAir line where you are. Looking for something else? We're rounding up all this year's best Amazon Prime Day Yeti deals, including offers on coolers and drinkware, so stick with us to make sure you don't miss out.

If you're not in the US, here are today's best offers on the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir sleeping pad line near you:

• The best Amazon Prime Day camping deals 2024

With camping season well and truly upon us, you might be in the process of perfecting your camping sleep system so that every night out in the wild can be filled with more dreams and less tossing and turning. One of the most important items in your sleep system when it comes to warmth and comfort is your sleeping pad.

Choosing the right sleeping pad the first time is crucial for getting a good night’s sleep at camp. It needs to be comfortable, warm enough and big enough, but depending on what type of camping you’re doing may also need to be light, packable and durable.

When you start shopping around for a new pad, the labels can be a little confusing. What is a closed-cell sleeping pad? Do self-inflating pads really work? And what does R-value stand for? Let us take all the work out of things and help you decode the label on your sleeping pad, so you know exactly what you’re getting for your money, and make sure it’s the best choice for your overnight adventures.

Closed-cell

If you’ve been wondering what on earth a closed-cell camping mat is, it’s honestly a pretty complicated term to describe what you might know better as a foam camping mat. Before Therm-A-Rest came along and revolutionized things with air pads, sleeping pads were all those cheap, lightweight foam mats that roll up but don’t compress (or inflate).

Clearly, these pads are less technical, and there are drawbacks: namely, they’re not as comfortable and they don’t pack down small. However, they do still have a place, after all, they’re affordable, very durable, and you don’t need to worry about them springing a leak and leaving you sleeping on the cold hard ground. While they won’t fit inside your backpack, you can roll them up and attach them to the outside, and it doesn't matter if they get wet.

Closed-cell mats can also make a great additional layer underneath your inflating mat for car camping when pack size isn’t an issue.

Air 

Air pads are the ones with no foam, that come with a valve to inflate by mouth or pump, and deflate completely when you’re finished using them. This means they are light and really packable compared to foam pads.

Air pads were first devised by Therm-A-Rest and they range from ultralight backpacking versions to much plusher pads that you could take glamping. They can be quite expensive and take more effort (and breath) to set up, but offer a much more comfortable night under the stars compared to foam mats. However they can also be punctured so you’ll want to know how to patch them in the field.

Because you’re just sleeping on air, these pads can move around a bit with you, and some are quite noisy, so it’s important to shop around and make sure you like yours before you invest.

Self-inflating

Just as “closed-cell” isn’t a very helpful term in understanding the perks of your sleeping pad, self-inflating is a bit of a misleading phrase. In fact, it might lead you to believe that all you need to do it unroll your sleeping pad, watch it magically fill with air then drift off into the land of nod. Sadly, this is not the case.

Self-inflating sleeping pads combine closed-cell foam insulation with air and have a valve that you can open when you’ve unrolled your mat. It will draw some air in automatically, but realistically you will also have to blow into the valve to properly inflate your mat.

These mats are heavier and pricier then closed-cell mats, but they do also have some advantages. They’re more comfortable, a bit more packable and more versatile, because you can release air to make it softer and add air to make it firmer. They’re also more durable than air pads.

R-value

Any sleeping pad should list its R-value and this is an important term to understand because it explains how warm your sleeping pad will be at night. Even though you might associate warmth more with your sleeping bag than your pad, it’s actually your pad which insulates you from the cold ground.

Sleeping pad R-values are listed from 1 - 7 with 7 being the warmest. R-values of 6 and above are best for winter camping, while cold sleepers should look for pads between 4 and 6. If you’re planning to camp in the shoulder seasons of spring and fall then look for an R-value between 2.5 and 4 while anything lower is suitable for summer camping only. Learn more in our article explaining what R-value means.

Length 

Sleeping pads might just seem like they’re all one big rectangle, but there are differences in dimensions that can really help, or hinder, your comfort. Most of us want to be entirely on a sleeping pad at all times, so you should know that a regular length pad will typically be 72 inches long. That’s six feet so most adults will fit on it, but the closer your are to six feet tall, the more likely it is that your feet or head might end up on, you guessed it, the cold hard ground. For you, it’s worth the extra six inches that a long mat typically delivers.

If you’re on the short side, however, don’t go for a short mat unless you’re prepared for your legs and feet to be off the mat. Short, or 3/4 length sleeping pads are designed for ultralight backpackers who really want to trim weight. They’re only about four feet long and you’re supposed to use other items like your empty backpack or a fleece for your feet. If you’re really keen on saving weight and room in your backpack, they’re worth checking out.

Width 

Almost all standard sleeping pads are 20 inches wide, and for most people that means that when you’re lying on your back, your shoulders will be comfortably on the mat. If you’re wide around the shoulders, you might want to grab yourself another five inches or so with a wide mat so that your arms and hands don’t end up cold. Some long mats are wider by default.

Remember, however, that a wide mat takes up more room in a tent. This is no issue if you’re camping alone, but if you’re camping with a partner and you both want to use a wide mat, make sure your tent is big enough for them both side by side.

• The best camping pillows: tested for comfort in the backcountry

Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated: first impressions

The Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated is a strikingly orange, chunky yet lightweight, inflatable sleeping pad. With a 4.3 R-value, it’s designed to keep you warm and comfortable down to temperatures around freezing while being small and lightweight enough to take on any type of adventure. The pad comes with an inflation sack that allows you to blow up the Zoom UL moisture-free (perfect for avoiding mold building up in the pad and from frost developing inside when camping at freezing temperatures), a small repair pack with a handful of patches and a handy little carry sack. 

The most impressive thing about the Zoom UL Insulated has to be its weight, though. The smaller-sized pad, which, at 51cm x 182cm (20in x 72in) is plenty big enough for most people, weighs only 397g (14oz) – putting it in the same ballpark as some of the big-name UL sleeping pads, such as the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite. Whereas most ultralight pads shave off the last few grams by rounding out the corners of their pads, however, the Zoom UL hasn’t compromised on comfort in any way: the rectangular shape of the pad is great for side, back and front sleepers, the ultra-thick baffles prevent you from rolling off it in the night, and the pad is a luxurious half-an-inch thicker than similar offerings from Therm-a-Rest.

Additionally, with an R-value of 4.3, the Zoom UL will comfortably see you into winter. The pad promises to keep you warm down to at least freezing, and while tons of factors affect this (such as the rest of your sleeping system), I’d comfortably use this year round in the UK.

Coming in at $180 (£150) when bought directly from Big Agnes, the pad is also very competitively priced. Sure, you could buy a budget pad for a fraction of the cost, but you won’t get the impressive insulation offered by the Zoom UL. Or you’ll end up with a warm pad that’s not as easy to carry as the Zoom UL. Therefore, when you compare all factors, I actually think the Big Agnes Zoom UL is very reasonably priced – and I’d happily buy this over other pads at a similar price point, such as the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Uberlite.

Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated: in the field

To test the Zoom UL, I took the pad out on two hiking trips truncated by singular overnighters in Bannau Brycheiniog (née the Brecon Beacons), as well as a fastpacking trip through the Chiltern Hills on a chilly October’s evening. And I absolutely loved it every time. Its wide rectangular shape makes it easily the most comfortable pad I’ve ever slept on, and while it might not be as lightweight as equivalent models from Therm-a-Rest, I feel like I slept much better than I’m used to – which made me perfectly happy to swallow the 30g weight penalty. 

What’s more, despite sounding like a scrunched-up carrier bag when it’s in its carry sack, the Zoom UL doesn’t make a peep when it’s inflated. Seriously, you can toss and turn around on this thing without it making as much as a squeak, which was another nice surprise having previously only been familiar with UL pads from Therm-a-Rest (which can be notoriously loud, like sleeping on a mound of crisp packets).

When sleeping on the Zoom UL, I used two different bags: one was the Big Agnes Anthracite, and the other was the Sea to Summit Spark. As the shell of the Sea to Summit is manufactured from ultralight 20D nylon, the bag felt noticeably slippier than the polyester material of the Anthracite bag. Luckily for me, as I was camped on flat ground, it didn’t matter either way, but I could see that this could be a cause for frustration through the night were I to sleep on the Zoom UL in a nylon sleeping bag on anything other than completely level ground. 

Finally, deflating the pad and putting it away is simple, as long as you’re more observant than me, anyway. The first time I tried this, I held my finger in the nozzle to keep the valve from closing, which left me questioning why Big Agnes would leave such an obvious design flaw. But the fault was mine: the cap that covers the valve comes with a latch that you can insert to hold it open while deflating (with the instructions scrawled onto the cap itself). Although it took me a little while to work it out, it makes the process of deflating super simple, and the pad simply folds in on itself ready to be rolled up and put back into its stuff sack.

Durability

The Big Agnes Zoom UL is manufactured from ripstop nylon, which makes it reasonably durable. As with any ultralight sleeping pad, however, you need to be very careful what you do with it. If you’re sleeping in an ultralight tent, I’d recommend using a groundsheet to provide some additional protection – or at the very least that you clear the ground of sticks, stones and any other sharp material beforehand. 

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Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT: first impressions

Therm-a-Rest – or Cascade Designs as the brand was called back in the 1970s – revolutionized backpack camping several decades ago by inventing self-inflating sleeping pads that actually made overnighting in the outdoors a genuinely comfortable experience. The range has expanded and evolved massively since then, to include closed cell sleeping pads and inflatable pillows as well, but the American brand is still setting the bar when it comes to making the best sleeping pads for camping, and the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT is probably the most advanced and highest performing four-season, lightweight mat on the market.

As soon as I got the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT out of the box I was impressed by the small pack size and low weight of this mat; it’s about the same size as a classic widemouth Nalgene water bottle. There are smaller and lighter mats out there, including the Alpkit Whisper, but not with an R-value as good as 4.5. Used with a good sleeping bag and a decent tent, this superbly insulated pad will protect you all year round from the chill that can seep up through the floor while camping.

It’s important to note that the NeoAir XLite NXT does not self assemble – you need to BYO blowing power to get this insulated inflatable pad pumped up and ready for use, which is one of the reasons it’s so light. It comes with a large pump sack, which attaches firmly to the valve on the pad, and it’s important to use this in order to prevent the buildup of moisture and mold on the inside of the mat. This is a premium product, with a corresponding price tag, and you do not want to ruin it. 

Besides a pump and stuff sack (two separate but very lightweight bags), the NeoAir XLite NXT also comes with a small repair kit, because when using inflatable mats you always run the risk that they could puncture (always check the ground beneath very carefully before pitching your tent for sharp stones, prickly plants and other hazards). 

The most significant improvement made to the new generation NeoAir XLite NXT is its solemn promise to be a whole lot quieter at night than its forebears. The curse of lightweight, highly insulated sleeping pads has always been the cacophonous crinkling noise they make whenever you move on them. Therm-a-Rest say they have made this iteration of their top-end four-season backpacking mat six times quieter than its predecessor, by refining the way the mat’s “Triangular Core Matrix” integrates with the warmth-radiating “ThermaCapture technology”.

What the hell does that mean? We didn’t really know either, so instead of Googling it, like one of those desk-surfing online reviewer types (boo!), I spent a load of nights sleeping outdoors on the NeoAir XLite NXT in a range of conditions, temperatures and scenarios to see if the fancy sounding words translated into something tangible.

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT: in the field

Practicing what I preach, I’ve been using the supplied pump sack to inflate the NeoAir XLite NXT sleeping mat every time I use it. It takes a good eight or nine full sack-loads of air in order to get the mat completely inflated, which can feel like a bit of a faff at the end of day on the trails, but it is well worth it. Your mat will last a lot longer if you look after it, and you can only enjoy the full levels of comfort this pad offers if you fully pump it up.

Once inflated, it’s 3in / 10cm thick and boasts an R-value of 4.5; I really appreciated this level of thermal protection during the first few nights I spent sleeping on the NeoAir XLite NXT, which happened in early spring. I haven’t yet used this mat in mid winter, but once the orbit of the planet makes it possible I shall be taking it snow camping, and I have every confidence it will do a cracking job.

Comfort wise, the NeoAir XLite NXT proved to be every bit as sumptuous as promised, and I have enjoyed a full and restorative night’s sleep each time I’ve used it. This has been helped by the almost complete lack of crinkling and crackling that usually accompanies a night spent on an insulated sleeping mate. So bravo Therm-a-Rest, your product tweaking has worked absolute wonders.

Each morning, I found the mat very easy to deflate (using the quick release valve), roll up and get back in its stash sack, and it then fits into a backpack without taking up much space at all. Bikepackers might find it a little tricky to stow in their more restrictive frame bags, but if you’re adventuring all year round, then the combination of low weight, advanced thermal protection and incredible comfort that the NeoAir XLite NXT offers is very hard to beat.

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Therm-A-Rest ProLite Apex sleeping pad: first impressions

If you’re in the market for a new sleeping pad, it can be difficult to strike a good balance between lightweight packability and actual comfort, but the ProLite Apex meets the demands of both. This self-inflating mattress packs down to about the size of a roll of paper towels, taking up little room in your backpack, but inflates to two inches thick, meaning that you can enjoy a great night’s sleep on its stable support, no matter what position you sleep in.

Rated for three seasons, this pad isn’t intended for winter camping, but for other seasons it’s a sure bet for comfort and warmth. The robust WingLock valves are easy to use and mean you don’t have to work hard at all to inflate your pad when you arrive at camp, plus it deflates instantly and is easy to roll up and slide into its stuff sack which comes with compression straps meaning no more wrestling.

Therm-A-Rest ProLite Apex sleeping pad: in the field

I’ve been camping on Therm-A-Rest sleeping pads for years now. My first pad was super light, but my hips would get sore after a nights of side sleeping, and my second is thick and plush, but too bulky for backpacking. I took the ProLite Apex out for its first spin on the West Highland Way recently, I’m pleased to have found a pad that’s totally packable, but pretty plush.

Here’s how it performed:

Weight and packability

This pad isn’t ultralight, but at a pound and a half I certainly wasn’t worried about adding it to my pack. Where I think it really excels is in its packability. Somehow it rolls up even smaller than either of my older pads, but inflates into a bigger cushion. This makes it really easy to slide into the stuff sack, which I’ve had to wrestle with in the past, and the stuff sack is designed to be a little larger and comes with compression straps, which means I could just cinch it tight. 

Size and comfort 

Though Therm-A-Rest lists this as coming in regular, regular wide and large sizes, I can only see a regular-sized mat available at most retailers and that is the size I tested out. I am 5’ 4” tall and with an extra eight inches to spare, there was no chance of me waking up in the night with cold feet touching the ground. It’s a standard width and ok for me, but I do think a camper who is medium or large-size might find any standard 20” pad a bit narrow.

When it comes to comfort, this pad easily excels beyond any of the Therm-A-Rests I’ve loved before. I sleep on all sides, but primarily I’m a side sleeper and no part of me touches the ground on this pad when it’s inflated. At two inches, it’s super plush but really stable, so I wasn’t bouncing around and it also doesn’t make that annoying crinkly noise when I roll over. It’s not as comfy as my bed at home, but I took out a second mortgage to buy that bed so that would be unrealistic. But it’s the comfiest air mattress I’ve slept on and I can’t believe it can be that plush and packable.

Warmth

This is rated with an R Value of 3.8 which is good for three seasons but not winter. I tested it out in early February in Scotland, which should be winter, but it was actually quite mild at about 5°C and I stayed down low, and used with a winter sleeping bag I was pretty toasty. I’m not saying I would chance it in frigid temperatures, but if you mostly camp outside of freezing temperatures, it should be warm enough.

Ease of use

Therm-A-Rest’s sleeping pads are typically easy to use and this one is no different. The WingLock valve let’s loads of air pass through, so it took maybe 20 easy breaths to inflate it. When I was ready to deflate, the instructions were to just twist the wings – this worked for me when I tested it out at home, but for some reason I couldn’t get it to work in my tent. However, I was able to simply unscrew the valve and it deflates instantly.

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Outdoor living requires a certain degree of acceptance when it comes to grime and grubbiness, but you still want to keep your best camping gear in good shape, and that’s never more true than when it comes to your camping sleep system. 

Just as you love sliding into a bed made up with clean sheets at home, you want your best sleeping pad and sleeping bag to be clean and as odor-free as possible. But when you've been out adventuring in the woods all day, and hanging out by the campfire at night, that's easier said than done. That’s why it’s a good idea to know how to wash a sleeping bag and how to clean a sleeping pad, so that when you get back from your country capers, you can spruce up your gear for your next camping trip. In this article, we describe how to clean a sleeping pad, plus tips to avoid mold and mildew building up inside your inflatable pad.

How to clean a sleeping pad

Though in theory, your sleeping pad should remain either inside its stuff sack or inside your tent, it’s amazing how far-reaching mud from your hiking boots can be. If your sleeping pad has come back from your latest backpacking trip with muddy streaks all over it, or it’s just starting to show the years of general grime build up, make sure to clean it when you get home so it’s clean for your next adventure. 

Cleaning your sleeping pad is easy, but there are a few details that will help you avoid getting moisture on the inside of it, which can lead to mold and mildew buildup and lead to a set of new problems:

• Never machine wash your inflatable sleeping pad as this will damage it.
• Inflate your pad before cleaning, and close the valves.
• Mix a dash of mild dish soap in lukewarm water and use cloth to wipe down your pad.
• Wipe the pad again using only water to remove any soapy residue.
• Open the valves to deflate your pad, then hang it up to air dry.
• When your sleeping pad is completely dry, store it somewhere cool and dry with the valves open.

How to prevent mold and mildew buildup

In addition to dirt and dust, there’s are some less visible forms of contamination that can degrade your sleeping pad over time and make it smell less than fresh, and those are mold and mildew, which can build up both outside and inside your pad as the result of moisture. 

Moisture can come from camping in humid weather and storing your sleeping pad in damp places as well as from the moisture that builds up inside your tent as the result of your breath, and even when you blow up your inflatable pad. Though a little moisture is inevitable when you’re sleeping outdoors, there are a few simple gear-care strategies you can implement to help prevent mold and mildew from building up. 

• Use a pump – if you’re car camping and not backpacking, you could use a pump to inflate your pad instead of doing it by mouth to reduce moisture.
• Don’t submerge the valves – when you’re cleaning or repairing your sleeping pad, make sure not to submerge the valves in water if you can avoid it, even when they’re closed.
• Keep it inflated while it's drying.
• Hang it out in the sun – when your pad is drying, hanging it out in the sunlight for a couple of hours can help to remove mold and mildew, but don’t leave it out for too long as the UV rays can damage the fabric.
• Deflate/inflate – once your pad is dry, you can deflate it and leave it hanging indoors overnight, then inflate it again the next day and deflate it again for another night. You can repeat this cycle several times.
• Don’t roll it up – between uses, hang your sleeping pad up with the valves open.

• Best sleeping bags: cozy bags and blankets for all seasons and budgets

As camping enthusiasts, we’re forever debating the various pros and cons of inflatable vs foam sleeping pads for our overnight trips in the wild. But what if you’re looking for something other than the best sleeping pad? There are lots of reasons to be looking for sleeping pad alternatives – perhaps you’ve got room in the trunk and you want more luxury than a two-inch mat can provide, or maybe you’re heading out on an epic trek and want to free up some room in your best backpack? Whatever your reason, our top 10 sleeping pad alternatives cover all the bases, from ultra plush to down and dirty. 

We’ve divided our sleeping pad alternatives up into two categories – those which you really need a car to transport, and those that you can carry in a backpack. That said, of course you use any of these sleeping pad alternatives when you’re car camping, however the car camping-only options won’t work for backpacking. Read on to find out how to get the best night’s sleep on your next camping trip.

Sleeping pad alternatives for car camping 

These sleeping pad alternatives don’t pack down small, but they compensate with lots of pillowy comfort. These are great for those who don’t want to sacrifice quality sleep for time spent under the stars. 

Air mattress 

Air mattresses are sort of a more robust cousin to the inflatable sleeping pad and are your most luxurious option if you’re looking to camp in comfort. Sturdier than a sleeping pad and usually requiring a pump to inflate, air mattresses come in both single and double sizes, and feel the most like your own bed at home. They take up more room than a sleeping pad, but not a massive amount of space. On the downside, they don’t provide insulation, anything inflatable always presents the possibility of punctures, and battery-operated pumps can pose a challenge too. 

Camping cot 

A camping cot, known as a camp bed in the UK, is a lightweight single bed made with a robust material like nylon or canvas stretched over a folding steel or aluminum frame that keeps you elevated off the ground. It looks a lot like a sun lounger that you lie on at the pool. 

The main advantage of a camping cot is that it gets you up off the ground which keeps you warmer, and it’s comfier than a sleeping pad. They’re pretty durable and extremely easy to use – just unfold and lie down. On the other hand, they don’t pack down particularly small, although they’re easy enough to slide in between seats in your car, and they have a tendency to sag in the middle. Check out our comparison of camping cots vs air mattresses to get a feel for the differences between the two.

Mattress topper 

If you already have a foam mattress topper on your mattress at home, you could potentially use it for car camping. It really needs to be at least four inches thick to really do the job, but a thick one can provide good comfort and some insulation. The downside of these is that they’re not really intended for outdoor use, meaning they won’t stand up well against damp conditions, and depending on how big yours is to begin with, it might not compress down very small. Plus, if you're planning on putting it back on your bed, you may not want to risk getting it dirty. 

Paco pad 

If you already spend your summers on white water, you’ll be intimately familiar with the amazing benefits of the Paco Pad. These PVC-enclosed foam pads are waterproof, insulated, packable, plush, and double as a comfy seat in your raft. The main argument against these is that they’re quite pricey (think upwards of $300/£300), but if you’re willing to fork over the cash, you can hardly find a better night’s sleep outdoors. 

Sleeping pad alternatives for backpacking 

Our sleeping pad alternatives for backpacking are a bit more rustic than those we’ve designated for car camping, but while they might not be as opulent, they’ll definitely fit inside your backpack during those long days on the trail and are great for those looking to save on space, weight or money. 

Thick sleeping bag 

If any of your best sleeping bags are filled with thick down that's too warm for summer camping, you can definitely use one of these to build a nice, soft nest. If you keep it zipped up, you’ve got double the thickness and of course, this is going to be one of the warmest options available, and reasonably packable too. The only real drawbacks we can think of are that, zipped up, it doesn't provide a huge surface area and sleeping with another bag on top might be quite a slippery experience.  

Hammock 

For a true al fresco sleeping experience in mild temperatures, you can use your best hammock for sleeping in. Lots of backpackers love the freedom of swinging gently between two trees, far away from the creepy crawlies down below. Hammocks pack down smaller than anything else on your list and can even be clipped to your backpack using a carabiner. 

However, while hammocks do sometimes come with bells and whistles like mosquito netting, they don’t offer any insulation or protection from the elements – since you won’t be in your best tent, you’ll need to save this for fair weather camping only. You'll also want to read up on how to use a hammock to make sure you're safe as well as comfortable.

Yoga/pilates/gym mat 

If you have a thick mat that you use for stretching and exercise at home, you’ve probably noticed it resembles a foam camping pad and if you don’t mind getting it grubby, you can roll it up, attach it to your backpack and use it for backpacking no problem. These are cheap, light, pretty durable and reasonably weather proof, and will offer some comfort and insulation too. Plus, you'll have everything you need to enjoy our yoga for backpackers sequence!

Camping blanket 

If you’re not using your best camping blanket as an actual blanket, you could fold it in half for a little padding in a pinch. You’ll get some insulating power from a wool blanket and it’s a versatile piece of kit, meaning you can use it for picnics, a camping pillow and a seat, too. It’s certainly another affordable option and if you’re not carrying a sleeping pad, there’s no reason why you can’t fit one in your pack. That said, unless it’s thick it won’t offer a load of comfort, and if it gets wet, wool will be heavy and slow to dry, so pack it in plastic. 

 Pool raft (lilo) 

If you’ve ever thought that inflatable sleeping pads look like really expensive swimming pool rafts (known as lilos in the UK), you’re not totally wrong. While your pool raft might not be as sturdy as a good sleeping pad, you can definitely use it in a pinch, or if you’re not a regular camper looking to invest in gear. These can be pretty lightweight and packable, and are usually inflated by mouth so you don’t have to carry a pump. That said, they’re not really meant for heavy use so punctures happen easily (carry a repair kit) and definitely don’t bring one shaped like a unicorn or a flamingo – it won’t fit inside your tent. 

Pile of leaves 

Want to get really old school? If you’re camping in the fall, you can gather up the leaves into a pile and then pitch your tent on top of the leaves. You’ll be amazed at how much cushion this can provide. With no cost and no space needed in your pack, it’s a great option for thrifty and ultralight campers, but obviously you’re looking at a bit of a lumpier sleeping surface, possibly filled with sharp twigs, and if there aren’t any leaves around, you’re in trouble. 

• How to repair a sleeping bag: patching holes and fixing zippers

Robens Polarshield 120: first impressions 

Newly released for Spring 2022, the Robens Polarshield 120 is the brand’s thickest, warmest and most comfortable 3D self-inflating mattress (SIM). It employs a 20D 390T nylon fabric with a double square ripstop weave to reduce weight and packed size. 

The Polarshield 120 features Robens’ innovative and easy-to-use Peak Valve, and self inflates surprisingly quickly for such a sumptuously deep mat. To operate it, you pop open the cover and push the mini-diaphragm in to start the inflation process (which takes a few minutes, during which time you can be doing various other tasks around the camp site, such as chopping firewood or setting up your camping stove). When that’s done, you simply pull the valve forward to seal it, after which you can still blow air in to adjust the firmness of the mat. To quickly deflate, push the valve back to the open setting and roll the whole thing up, squeezing the air out.

The design features vertical cutouts, which reduce the carry weight and create a row of rounded air pocket on the sides; these contribute an extra 2cm to the thickness of the mat, making it extra comfortable.

The durability of the delamination-proof TPU materials seems good (time will tell, and we will report back) and the mat is pleasingly PFC free. It comes with a carry bag.

But how did the Robens Polarshield 120 fare under test conditions for our best sleeping pad buying guide? Read on to find out…

Robens Polarshield 120: in the field

I used this mat on several camping outings during a chilly English spring, and found it to be impressively warm, and extremely comfortable. 

The Peak valve appears almost suspiciously small and simple, but on test it worked perfectly and repeatedly. To be honest, I feared the pop-open cover and apparently tiny diaphragm that the whole design depends upon would fail, but there was no sign of that happening, and the mat stayed inflated all night, every night. 

The air pockets and overall thickness of the matt makes it luxurious to lie on, and I enjoyed excellent sleep during the nights I was testing it. 

As Polarshield 120 weighs in at nearly 2.5 kilos, I’m not going to be packing it on any multiday hiking or biking adventures, but it’s certainly much more compact and easy to transport than any other car camping mattress I’ve tested. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this sleeping pad all through winter. 

Vango Comfort 7.5 Grande: first impressions 

New from British camping brand Vango, the Vango Comfort 7.5 Grande is a big, fairly thick, versatile sleeping solution and a comfortable crash pad for all sorts of scenarios (except hiking – because it is a sizeable beast of a bed, and you don’t want to be hulking it over the hills). For car camping trips, canoeing escapades, festivals, overnight garden adventures and sleepovers, though, it is excellent. 

The Comfort Grande comes with a carry bag and a repair kit. Features include a polyester “Peach Top” upper fabric and 75D non-slip polyester base fabric, which means the pad will stay in place on a tent (or other) floor during the night. There’s an easy-to-use cyclone valve, which you simply flip open to start letting air in, and close to seal. Additional puffs can be added to improve the firmness.

But how did it fare under test conditions for our best sleeping pad buying guide? Read on to find out…

Vango Comfort 7.5 Grande: in the field

I tested the Vango Comfort 7.5 Grande out in a range of scenarios over fall, winter and spring, and I was impressed with the mat’s thermal properties and comfort levels. The 7.5cm thickness of the insulated foam mat provides plenty of padding for even the most sensitive pea-hating princes and princesses out there, and I didn’t experience any cold spots.

The Comfort 7.5 Grande self inflates reasonably rapidly, without any major need to top up the air levels manually. And, in the morning, the cyclone valve means you can squeeze the air back out of the mat quite quickly, and it’s easy enough to roll away neatly and wrestle it back into the supplied carry bag. 

The “Peach” top fabric on the upper side of the mat has a flocked finish and manages to feel both warm to the touch and comfortable to sleep on. The mat seems reassuring robust, and I didn’t feel the need to be especially precious with it. 

It is too big, heavy and cumbersome for backpacking adventures, but I would happily use this sleeping pad for all-year-round canoeing and car camping escapades, when space isn’t at such a premium.

Vango Dreamer 3 Single: first impressions 

The Vango Dreamer 3 Single is a sleeping pad intended for younger adventurers, perhaps setting off on their inaugural overnight camping adventures, and it is priced and designed accordingly. 

Besides an outdoor graphic that makes it look a bit more interesting than most pads, there are very few bells and whistles here, which keeps the price down and means people don’t have to be too precious about it. 

It features 3cm-thick insulated filling, which is reasonably protective on most softish under-tent terrain, and boasts a soft-touch durable fabric cover which is comfortable to sleep on. An easy-to-use twist valve makes inflation and pack-up pretty easy. It comes with a stuff sack and repair kit.

It doesn’t pack down as small as many more expensive mats featured in our best sleeping pad buying guide, but it is quite narrow when rolled up, so will fit into a hiking backpack, or it can be strapped across the top in old-school style (just make sure you protect anything carried this way with a waterproof cover).

Vango Dreamer 3 Single: in the field

I tested this camping pad out and about during an English autumn and again in the spring, when it supplied adequate levels of thermal protection and some cushioning from the forest floor, without blowing my mind on either front. 

There’s no getting away from the fact that the Vango Dreamer 3 Single is pretty narrow for a fully-grown adult man, but when tent space is at a premium – as it typically is in a two-person tent – then it’s actually the perfect size. It will also suit teenage campers really well, as it’s robust and can be ragged around a bit without suffering a fatal failures. 

It self inflates nice and quickly, and is equally easy to deflate and pack away in the morning. Essentially, this is a decent, functional camping mat available for a very reasonable price, which should survive for years – potentially seeing several siblings through their first al fresco sleeping adventures. 

We can probably all agree that few things are worse than snuggling into your best sleeping bag on top of your cushy sleeping pad after a long day of backpacking only to wake up a few hours later feeling the cold, hard ground pressing against your tired body. Even the best inflatable sleeping pads can develop small holes and while it’s certainly extremely inconvenient, it doesn’t mean you have to banish your pad to the landfill. Our guide to sleeping pad repair outlines three simple steps you can take to repair your sleeping pad at home or when you’re out in the field so that you can get back to sleeping like a baby at camp. 

Sleeping pad repair: what you’ll need 

If your sleeping pad came with its own repair kit, use that, otherwise here’s what you’ll need to repair a hole in your sleeping pad: 

• Dish soap 
• Permanent marker 
• Rubbing alcohol 
• Sleeping pad patch and adhesive like Seam Grip (or duct tape if you’re in the field) 

Sleeping pad repair at home 

Repairing your gear at home is always the easiest and most preferable method and it involves three easy steps. 

1. Locate the leak 

Finding the source of the leak is the trickiest part of sleeping pad repair. As we’ve already discussed, the hole is unlikely to be large enough to make that tell tale hissing sound that identified a hold in your inflatable swimming toys when you were a kid.

Once you’re back home, you’ll want to prepare a bowl of soapy water and inflate your sleeping pad. Dip a sponge in the water and wipe it over the pad, looking for bubbles forming. Another method is to fill your bathtub with a few inches of soapy water and submerge the pad. Once you find the hole, draw a circle around it with a permanent marker so you can find it again, then rinse off the soap and dry your sleeping pad off with a towel.

2. Clean the surrounding area 

The adhesive that you’re going to use to patch your sleeping pad won’t stick if your pad is dirty, or soapy, so you’ll need to clean the area using rubbing alcohol before proceeding. Apply a little rubbing alcohol from the bottle onto a clean cloth and gently wipe the sleeping pad. 

3. Apply the patch 

Spread an adhesive like Seam Grip around the hole then cut the patch so it’s big enough to cover the area of glue. Apply the patch and press down firmly. Leave your sleeping pad inflated overnight so the glue can dry and also to check that the leak is fixed and you're ready to go roll out your sleeping pad on your next adventure.

Sleeping pad repair in the field 

Realizing that your pad is losing air once you’re tucked in for the night is certainly a less appealing scenario, but unfortunately that’s usually where it happens. The good news is that your pad is likely losing air slowly, and not all at once like a balloon deflating, so you may be able to just deal with it for a couple of nights and periodically inflate your sleeping pad. This will serve as a good reminder that it’s worth carrying a repair kit with you at all times, even if you’re ultralight camping. If you want to perform a repair in the field, it’s a pretty similar process to doing it at home: 

1. Locate the leak 

The best way to locate the hole is to inflate your sleeping pad and submerge it in a body of still water, such as a lake. Look for little bubbles that will give away the source of the leak, then dry your pad off with a camping towel or let it dry out in the sun before you proceed. 

2. Clean the affected area 

Once your pad is dry, use an alcohol swab from your first aid kit to clean the area around the hole.

3. Apply the patch 

If you brought your repair kit, you’ll simply apply the adhesive and patch like you would do if you were performing the repair at home. Another option is to use duct tape, which is an essential item for your camping kit anyway. This will hold up for a little while so you can get some shuteye, and you can always replace it with a proper patch once you get home. 

Sleeping pad repair: when to seek help 

If all else fails and you can’t locate the leak, there are a few possibilities: it may be too small, there may be multiple holes or it may be in the valve. In any case, if you can’t fix it yourself, take your sleeping pad into your local gear shop so that they can assess the situation and perform your repair for you. 

Sleeping pad vs air mattress: it's the battle of the sleep system stalwarts. One is the ultralight best buddy of the backpacking adventurer, while the other promises bed-like comfort in your tent. With the camping season upon us, which is best for your adventures?

The quality of the sleep you get can make or break a camping trip. This is why the consideration of sleeping pad v air mattress matters so much. Camping, by its very nature, is a back to basics pursuit. If you wanted to spend all your time with the comforts of home, the odds are you'd just stay at home.

However, the rise of glamping has seen expectations of camping comfort rise. Some of the best camping tents available today are geared towards this level of luxury, so it should come as no surprise that many campers seek bedroom mattress levels of comfort for their palace of fabric.

Nevertheless, you can't take an air mattress up a mountain, so there will always be a place for the sleeping pad alongside the best sleeping bags for thru hikes and expeditions. Innovations in design have seen many lightweight sleeping pads rival air mattresses for comfort, so doesn't it just make sense to get something that's more versatile, ready for all kinds of adventures? Well, let's get  to it and break down the battle of air mattress vs sleeping pad.

Sleeping pad vs air mattress: ease of use

Where sleeping pads are concerned, they’ve got ease of use down to a tee. Though not all sleeping pads are born equal. Closed-cell foam mats simply unroll and are ready to go. However, as when you unfurl wrapping paper, the ends often roll back up meaning you have to pop something heavy, like a pair of full dry bags, on either end. Foam core self-inflating mats (SIMs) are just as easy to set up, just lay them out, open the valve and voila! Just don’t forget to close the valve before you climb on top of it. They pack away quickly and easily too, just open the valve and roll them up, pushing the air out as you go. An insulated air mat is a step up, occupying the middle ground between a pad and a full-on mattress. They require a small amount of effort to pump up, but it’s well worth it for the enhanced comfort on offer.

Some standard air mattresses come with a hand or foot pump and take a bit of graft to inflate. With bigger air mattresses, gone are the days where you’d hammer a foot pump over and over for ten minutes, sounding as though you were repeatedly pummelling a one of the Chipmunks into ground. These days, they invariably feature a powered pump and almost magically self-inflate. The best thing is, many work on batteries as well as household electricity, meaning it's perfectly feasible to bring the kind of double mattress luxury we associate with home for the family tent on car camping trips. Deflating them is great fun too, if a little time consuming. Think: a couple of minutes of doing snow angels until your weight has pushed all the air out. Maybe get the kids to do it…

Sleeping pad vs air mattress: comfort and warmth

Sleeping pads have come a long way from the closed-cell foam mats that used to be commonplace. Self-inflating and well insulated pads offer enhanced comfort and warmth. How well a pad will insulate you from the cold is indicated by its R-value, which stands for (thermal) “resistance”. The value indicates how much resistance the pad or mat provides against conductive heat loss to the ground. 

R-values range from 0-7: the higher the numbers, the greater the thermal resistance. R-values in excess of 2.5 are fine for 3-season use, while you’ll be wanting something around 5 or greater for extreme winter conditions.  Systems can be combined to provide even greater insulation. For example, you can add a closed-cell foam mat underneath an insulated air mat with an R-value of less than 5 to ensure a warm night when sleeping on frozen ground or snow.

However, sleeping pads can’t rival an air mattress in terms of sheer volume. An air mattress will lovingly cradle you high above the groundsheet and thanks to modern valve locking technology, they don’t lose air during the night like they used to. Few things in life are as irritating as waking up on a sagging bed. This luxurious volume, along with velvety covers and enough space to roll around on, makes air mattresses the obvious choice for comfort. The insulation they provide is also conducive to a cozy, warm night’s sleep.

Sleeping pad vs air mattress: portability

This is one is a no brainer. A sleeping pad’s lightweight qualities and the fact that many pack down into a compact stuff sack mean that they are always going to win in the portability stakes. You simply would not take a large air mattress into the wilderness, as there’d barely be any room for your other hiking essentials in your backpack.

Within the sleeping pad bracket are various options. Closed-cell foam mats are not particularly portable, as they lose none of their volume when rolled up and take up a lot of space. They can often be seen strapped onto the exterior of a backpack, along with items like trekking poles. Sleeping pads that get their insulating qualities when inflated with air (foam core self-inflating mats and insulated air mats) generally fold down to a much smaller size and are the optimum in portability.

Sleeping pad vs air mattress: value

On the face of it, you get more bang for your buck by purchasing a large air mattress than you do with a specialist expedition sleeping pad. Unless you are a wilderness adventurer or keen wild camper, it makes perfect sense to get yourself a large air mattress and use the remaining cash to get yourself other items on your camping checklist.

If you are looking to wild camp in your one-person tent during the warmer months, a fairly basic pad with a low R-value won’t set you back too much and will do the job perfectly well. More specialized pads with higher R-values designed for harsher conditions are more expensive. At the end of the day though, you can’t put a price on a decent night’s sleep.

Sleeping pad vs air mattress: the verdict

This is a fixture where the champion emerges depending on the venue of the bout. When these two stalwarts of the sleep system take to the field on a campsite, there’s a clear winner: the air mattress. With models that resemble your bedroom’s king-sized mattress and even pump themselves up (with the help of a few batteries), what’s not to love?

However, the air mattress doesn’t fare as well in the away leg, when the bout moves to the backcountry. Here, the sleeping pad is king, particularly foam core self-inflating mats and insulated air mats. Their lightweight qualities and small packed size make them the ideal choice for backpacking expeditions. High-end models boast R-values that can cope with the worst mountain winters out there, though they do come with a heftier price tag. 

First impressions

Nemo’s lightest sleeping pad is still extraordinarily luxurious – 3 inches thick and structured with ‘Spaceframe’ baffles, which are both stable and distribute your weight evenly across the mat. 

The zero-profile, multi-functional, micro-adjustable valve doesn’t stand proud of the pad, and it has been placed where it’s easy to let a little air out if the pad feels too hard. 

As well as various lengths, widths and shapes (mummy or rectangular), you can choose insulated or non-insulated to match your adventures and preference. The insulated pads are as silent as the non-insulated while you sleep, because the body-heat reflecting insulation is suspended inside the pad. The pad comes with Nemo’s Vortex pump sack, which helps minimize moisture from your breath getting inside. 

In the field

Whether I am car camping or backpacking, this is the pad I most often reach for. While it’s not the absolute lightest mat out there, it is remarkably light for the sleeping space it offers. 

It comes in ten shapes and sizes, five insulated and five not, including short, mummy, and rectangular, wide, and long. In fact, one of our only complaints about this pad is that it is hard to pick which version to get, because there are so many options. (Wondering how to choose a sleeping pad? Check out our guide.)

I like wide because it gives me room to spread out when I’m sleeping on my belly or my back. I never feel cramped or like I might roll off. The surface of the pad feels good when I am sitting or lying on it without my best sleeping bag. It’s soft, and quiet, over a shallow pattern of cells that doesn’t wobble or shift underneath me. 

At 3 inches thick, it’s not the deepest pad, but it is designed so that your elbows, hips, and knees should never hit the ground. The pad’s reflective insulation is suspended inside where it doesn’t crinkle when I roll over at night. 

When I sleep on this pad, I sleep like a log.

Once you've had sleeping pad R-values explained, you'll undoubtedly be more confident to try activities like winter camping, or to take your backpacking tent higher up into the mountains. This measure of how good your pad will be at helping you to stay warm is an important bit of knowledge.

The combination of sleeping bag and sleeping pad have more bearing on how toasty you'll be at night than something like your tent. Getting the right products is therefore crucial, particularly if you like an Arctic flavor to your camping trips. Basically, the more material and air there is between you and the hard ground below, the better insulated you'll be against the cold. This is why the best sleeping pads are worth their weight in gold.

Armed with the R-value knowledge, choosing a sleeping pad will be much easier. Like the temperature rating on sleeping bags, this will tell you more than anything about the performance you can expect from your pad and its suitability for camping in different conditions. 

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What are sleeping pad R-values?

• The "R" in R-values stands for (thermal) resistance
• The accompanying number indicates how strong this thermal resistance is
• Pads for camping are typically rated from 1 to 7, with 7 being the warmest

The purpose of a sleeping pad is twofold: to create a comfortable sleeping platform and to provide a layer of insulation between your body and the ground. While the comfort of a pad is determined by a number of factors and is largely subjective, a pad’s ability to insulate is measurable. The way it’s measured – and denoted – is using sleeping pad R-values. 

The “R” in sleeping pad R-values stands for (thermal) “resistance,” while the given numerical "value" reveals precisely how much thermal resistance the pad provides against conductive heat loss, which is the process whereby your body heat is lost through physical contact with another object (the ground, in the case of camping). 

Sleeping pads for camping and backpacking generally have R-values ranging from 1 to 7, and the higher the sleeping pad’s R-value, the more insulation – i.e. warmth – it will provide. If you're winter camping, you'll need a pad with as high a rating as possible.

How sleeping pad R-values are measured

Standardized testing for sleeping pad R-values works as follows:

The pads are placed between a hot plate on top, which mimics the human body, and a cold plate below which mimics the cold ground at camp. Testers then measure how much energy the top plate uses to stay at its original temperature of 35 degrees Celsius – the more energy required, the less insulation the pad provides.  

What the numbers mean in practice

While R-values do not directly correspond to temperatures – as is the case with sleeping bags – they do give us a good idea of how suitable a pad will be for camping in different conditions: 

R-value 1-2.5 Pads with this R-value provide minimal insulation and are recommended for summer camping only.

R-value 2.5-4 Recommended for three-season use. 

R-value 4-6 Ideal for cold sleepers and winter camping. 

R-value 6+ The best bet for use in more extreme environments. 

The bad news is that sleeping pads with higher R-values tend to be far pricier than those with lower R-values, as is often the case with four-season and winter outdoor kit. The good news is that, because R-values are cumulative, you don’t have to buy a pad for every season. For example, if you have an R3 pad for summer but plan on camping in winter, you don’t have to splurge on an R5 or R6 but can simply double up with another R2 or R3 on top. 

As with temperature ratings on 3-season sleeping bags and 4-season sleeping bags, we’d always recommend opting for a pad with a higher R-value than you think you’ll need.

First impressions

The Vaude Hike 9 sleeping pad is a thick, plush mat that promises maximum comfort whilst also balancing other factors like warmth, weight, pack size and price. Admittedly, despite being marketed as lightweight, it sits at the heavier end of all the mats we tested, but it is actually surprisingly packable.

Part of that weight can also be accounted for by the fact that it is filled with a synthetic insulation that gives the mat an R-value of 2.5, which makes it suitable for two to three-season use, down to temperatures approaching freezing.

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That offers more versatility than lighter, uninsulated mats like the Trekology UL80 or the Vango Aotrom, and betters the performance of foam mats like the Thermarest Z-Lite Sol as well as insulated rivals like the Sierra Designs Granby Insulated and the Thermarest NeoAir Uberlite in terms of rated warmth.

Uniquely among the sleeping mats we’ve tested recently, this mat employs a rectangular 3D construction, with pronounced sidewalls. This design has some key benefits, as we found on test, though it also introduces extra seams, which might pose a potential failure point. However, the mat has a limited five-year guarantee and is supplied with a field repair kit.

In the field

Though its overall dimensions are similar to many of the other mats we tested, the Hike 9 felt a lot roomier than most. We attributed that to the mat’s 3D rectangular profile, which gives a noticeably larger sleeping surface.

The sensation is close to sleeping on a conventional mattress. It also means that a pair of these mats butt up neatly together, eliminating annoying gaps and maximising space if you and a partner are sharing a tent. 

The impressive 9cm thickness made it extremely comfortable all night long, and we’d put it up there with our top pick in terms of comfort, the Sea to Summit Ether Lite XT Insulated. It only loses out to that mat because the Hike 9’s longitudinal baffles don’t feel quite as stable as the dot welded construction of the Sea to Summit mat. This wasn’t an issue apart from the occasional wobble.

Despite the volume of air that the mat can accommodate, it’s easy to blow up and deflate. The valve plug is a fairly simple but effective design that is equipped with a handy pointed tip, which can be inserted to hold the one-way valve open, allowing for rapid deflation.

It does take a fair bit of puff to blow it up, although it is compatible with a pump sack, though slightly annoyingly this is sold separately rather than being bundled with the mat.

Still, there was very little not to like, and if this mat was just a few hundred grams lighter and possibly slightly warmer it would have been a real contender for our best in test pick. But it’s worth pointing out that this is probably the most comfortable mat you can buy at this price point.

So, if you’re looking for a decent night’s sleep without paying absolute top dollar, this is the mat to go for.

First impressions

The Trekology UL80 sleeping pad is a relative newcomer to the camping and backpacking market. If you haven't heard of it, Trekology is a small start-up that began life as a group of outdoorsy PhD engineers who wanted to make affordable outdoor lifestyle kit.

The UL80 is one of the brand’s flagship products, and this mat caught our attention after getting numerous recommendations in a number of online wild camping and hiking groups.

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• Learn how to choose a sleeping pad

When it turned up, we were immediately impressed by the mat’s plush 10cm thickness – which certainly looked like it would absorb all sorts of uneven terrain, as well as helping to cushion hip bones and shoulders from rocky, hard ground. The mat also has a curved construction, designed to cradle your body and prevent you from rolling off the mat overnight.

Although it is only available in one size, the dimensions are also very generous, with a longer length than most mats – ideal for taller adventurers. Overall weight and pack size are both similarly impressive, particularly in this price bracket. We were keen to get it out on test and see how it performed.

In the field

It proved to be easy to set the UL80 up for the night in the tent, and pack it away the next morning too, largely thanks to a handy dual one- or two-way valve that makes inflation and deflation easy, though the mat’s sheer size means it takes a little longer to blow up than some rivals.

This isn’t helped by the fact that there’s no pump bag supplied with the mat, and though it is entirely possible to inflate it with lung power alone, the flat, low-profile valve design (otherwise a positive feature) makes it ever so slightly tricky.

But we did subsequently find that Exped’s Schnozzel pump sack (which is supplied as standard with Exped mats but can also be purchased separately) actually fits the Trekology UL80’s valve perfectly.

The mat itself is made from 40-denier ripstop nylon fabric, which ought to be very durable. Build quality also seemed solid, and the mat didn’t leak air during the night. It is of course difficult to judge long-term durability, and we had heard one or two customer stories of mats failing, but it’s worth noting that Trekology offers a limited one-year warranty against materials and workmanship.

It proved comfortable, with plenty of lofty thickness to take care of lumps and bumps. It feels a little bouncy, but that is to be expected. And unlike many mats with a transverse baffle design, the UL80 is fairly stable and doesn’t collapse at the edges unless you really put a lot of weight there – which we think is down to the thicker edges that produce a slightly curved mat. The shape isn’t all that pronounced though, and in reality we didn’t notice much in the way of a cradling effect arising from the design.

The sleeping mat’s only major drawback is its limited warmth – it is not insulated, so is only really suitable for camping in the warmer months. For summer use, however, or on warmer spring and autumn nights, it offers comparative luxury and cracking value.