A good sleeping pad can transform hours of tossing and turn into a night of least decent sleep. We slept on 15 different sleeping pads on a total of five car-camping and backpacking trips, as well as on the floor in our own living rooms, before concluding that the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite is the best sleeping pad for backpackers and the thicker Therm-a-Rest LuxuryMap is the best choice for car campers. We also have picks specifically for side sleepers and anyone on a tight budget.
Comfort, obviously, is highly subjective, so we recruited more than 20 outdoor-loving friends in a range of body types and sleeping styles to help us evaluate our pads and form a consensus about which pads were the most comfortable to the most people.
We also asked our campers to note the ease of inflating and deflating each pad, as well as to evaluate how easy they were to roll, stuff, and lug. Our top picks excel at each task.
Table of Contents
Who this is for
Do you occasionally like to sleep outside, in a tent, or under the stars? If you do, and if you find yourself either cold or uncomfortable with your current sleeping setup, this guide is for you.
Are you contemplating a first-ever backpacking trip, or wondering what type of sleeping pad to buy for a kid looking forward to a first camping trip? If so, this guide is for you, as well.
We’ve seen people sleep on all sorts of things when camping, including cotton futons, foot-high AeroBeds, foam pads, yoga and pilates mats, canvas cots, pool floats, life jackets, and folded blankets.
If you have any of those items around your house, find them comfortable and warm enough, and have room to stuff them in your car, any of them could become your camping bed.
But if you’re looking to buy a sleeping surface specifically for camping, dozens of hours of research and testing have led us to the conclusion that your best bet is a camping-specific pad that rises just a couple of inches off the ground.
Counterintuitively, these types of pads are often more comfortable, usually warmer, and most likely more durable than full-size air mattresses. They’re far more compact and easy to transport than a futon or cot, and they’re more cushy and comfortable than most exercise mats.
Do you need a sleeping pad at all? Some people can sleep soundly on the hard ground, but they are the rare (odd) birds. Most people clearly prefer sleeping on a comfortable, forgiving surface.
Keep in mind, too, that your sleeping system is about more than just cushiness. Without the insulation of a sleeping pad, your body tries to create temperature equilibrium with the earth. This is known as conductive heat loss and you’re the one who loses.
Without the insulation of a sleeping pad, your body tries to create temperature equilibrium with the earth. This is known as conductive heat loss and you’re the one who loses.
The type of pad you want depends on where you’re headed, so we’ve divided our picks into three categories. The best pad for backpacking is for anyone who intends to carry all their gear on their back for miles and is best served by a compact, lightweight pad.
The best pad for car camping is for people who won’t be lugging their pad far and so are more concerned with comfort than with heft and weight. And our budget pick will work for people who are just getting into camping or backpacking and want a solid choice before investing in a higher-quality pad.
Our pick for backpackers: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite
This has been the top choice of weight-conscious backpackers for years. No other pad is as light, warm, and comfortable as this dependable air mattress.
We tested the 2½-inch-thick Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite (which also comes in a version designed specifically for women it has a higher R-value) in deserts, on mountains, and in snow, and we found no other compact, lightweight pad that offered as good a balance of comfort, features, and price.
At 12 ounces, the NeoAir XLite is the lightest pad we tested. It packs down to the size of a 1-liter Nalgene bottle and has an R-value of 3.2, on a par with that of other pads in its category (you can’t find a lighter pad that’s as warm).
At 2½ inches thick, the NeoAir XLite was cushiony enough for our 235-pound tester, but not so thick as to make any of our backpackers feel as if they were falling from a cliff if they accidentally rolled off.
The 30-denier ripstop nylon material on the top of the pad creates a grippy surface that excels at keeping sleeping bags in place instead of becoming what one tester, describing the rival Nemo-brand pad, called “a slick Slip’N Slide.” Our testers found that the pad felt stable and even throughout the night.
The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite was one of the first air-construction pads available. It debuted in 2009, and since then multiple companies have introduced rival pads, including the five others we tested for this story: the Exped SynMat HL, the Big Agnes Q-Core SLX, the Nemo Equipment Tensor Insulated, and the Klymit Insulated Static V Lite.
We chose those competing pads based on 10 hours of online research and examination of the specs and materials of each pad. We discovered that while some of them are almost as good and perhaps better for individuals with specific comfort preferences none can clearly top the NeoAir XLite, especially considering that most of them cost more. The NeoAir XLite has an MSRP of $160, but unlike some rivals, it’s usually available for significantly less.
There’s a lot of love for the NeoAir XLite in the pro outdoor community. The pad is also the favorite of adventure hiker and backpacking guide Andrew Skurka, who told us that the NeoAir XLite is “the standard for comfort relative to weight” and that he has seen a couple of the pads endure more than 100 nights of use on guided trips. Worldwide adventure hiker Cam “Swami” Honan has 20,000 miles and more than 600 nights on the same NeoAir XLite pad, which he has used since 2010, including during 18 months of continuous walking.
Meanwhile, Jason Hairston is the founder of the outdoor-gear company Kuiu, which makes ultra-high-end outerwear, backpacks, and tents for expedition-style hunters; the NeoAir XLite is the only sleeping pad he sells on his carefully curated site. “The Neoair Xlite is the lightest and most durable air mattress on the market,” Hairston wrote to us in an email.
We tested the standard 6-foot mummy-cut pad, but in total, the NeoAir series comes in three sizes plus the women’s version, which has an R-value of 3.9 (versus the standard NeoAir XLite’s 3.2).
In addition, Therm-a-Rest offers a much-raved-about winter model, the NeoAir XTherm (R-value of 5.7), and a rectangular-cut option, the NeoAir XLite Max SV (same R-value as the mummy cut). Therm-a-Rest has an excellent reputation for customer service, too; its pads, which are manufactured in the state of Washington, come with a limited lifetime warranty.
Runner-up: Exped SynMat HL – More comfortable for side-sleepers
A firmer surface, vertical baffles, and a valve that allows for faster blowup and smush-down distinguish the Exped SynMat HL from its rival, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite.
Launched in spring 2014, the Exped SynMat HL is a relatively new pad from a company known for making bigger, heavier models. The SynMat HL weighs a negligible 0.3 ounce more than our top pick, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite, and it has an R-value that’s a sliver higher (3.3 versus the NeoAir XLite’s 3.2).
Most of our testers thought the SynMat HL rivaled or exceeded the NeoAir XLite in comfort, but outside reviews indicate that it may not be as reliable or durable as the time-tested NeoAir XLite, a consideration that nudged Exped’s pad down to runner-up status in our assessment.
The SynMat HL has a few qualities that our testers liked better, particularly a one-way valve that saved us some huffing and puffing the night after an epic rim-to-rim hike in the Grand Canyon. We loved how firm the SynMat HL became when fully inflated, a feature that led five of our seven overnight testers to judge it more comfortable and less likely to bottom out than the NeoAir XLite.
“When I first blew it up, I didn’t think it looked that comfortable, but I was shocked,” a 215-pound tester said. “It slept the best of the pads in the lineup.” Our testing found that the SynMat HL’s vertical baffles were popular among side sleepers concerned about roll-off, but less comfortable to back sleepers.
As for outside opinions, CleverHiker gave it an honorable mention in its 2018 list of best sleeping pads. On multiple forums, including Backpacking Light, customers praise Exped’s return policy and the company’s prompt and helpful customer service. However, owner reviews on Amazon were, as of fall 2018, nonexistent, and the pad is no longer available at REI.
A concern we have about the Exped is that it uses the thinnest material of any of the pads we tested, 20-denier fabric versus the NeoAir XLite’s 30-denier material. Our testers also found that the regular SynMat HL is narrower than the regular NeoAir XLite, although published specs show the Exped to be half an inch wider than the Therm-a-Rest model. High-altitude testers who took the pad on the Continental Divide Trail also found that it was among the slowest pads to deflate.
Still, we think it’s a standout pad that rivals the much-loved NeoAir XLite in general and surpasses it for firm-mattress lovers. We asked a tester to keep looking for durability issues; after using it all last year while backpacking in Joshua Tree and around Monument Valley, he reported having no problems.
Therm-a-Rest LuxuryMap – best sleeping pad for car camping
The 3-inch-thick, notably warm Therm-a-Rest LuxuryMap is as comfortable as any similar pad and it’s easier to inflate, deflate, roll, and store.
We took nine popular sleeping pads on two group car-camping trips and also slept on each pad at home in a living room before concluding that the Therm-a-Rest LuxuryMap is the car-camping pad that offers the best balance of comfort, features, and cost for most campers who don’t need to carry their pad long distances.
Before we even brought the pads camping, we were able to determine that a self-inflating pad would be the best choice for most car campers who are not too concerned about weight or bulk. Of the nine pads we tested for car camping, four were self-inflating.
In general, self-inflating pads are simply more comfortable than cheaper solid-foam pads or pricier air-construction pads popular for backpacking. Such models are also faster and easier to inflate than pads that you must blow up manually.
At 3 inches thick, the LuxuryMap provides enough support to avoid bottoming out, even for side sleepers. As with any self-inflating pad, you can adjust this pad’s firmness with your breath. But whether you like firm or soft, the LuxuryMap feels even no matter your sleep position due to “pressure mapping” interior foam that is denser at the spots where a body is likely to exert more pressure.
The pad has an ultra toasty R-value of 6.8, the second-highest of all the pads we considered. It has a soft but sturdy 50-denier fabric on the top and an even hardier 75-denier fabric on the bottom. It has a single valve that is simple and intuitive to use. It might not be the fastest to inflate or deflate, but it is easy enough to use in a dark tent, even after a long drive or an exhausting all-day hike.
After six months of testing tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads, we’re fed up with stuff sacks that are a struggle to stuff. Whereas fitting a couple of other pads back into their bags required straddling the pad to push out every last puff of air, using the LuxuryMap’s roomy carry bag, which is smartly equipped with a large shoulder strap, is hassle-free. These are simple, low-tech design decisions that make for a drastically improved overall user experience.
We tested the 20-by-72-inch regular pad, and none of our testers complained about it being too small. Still, we recommend that people who are not concerned about bulk pay a little more for the 25-by-77-inch large pad. Side sleepers especially might appreciate the extra width to stretch out.
Therm-a-Rest has been making self-inflating pads since it invented the category in the early 1970s, and it’s indisputably the Kleenex of sleeping-pad companies. It has an excellent track record of manufacturing durable products that last for years, if not decades. The pads are manufactured in Washington state and come with a limited lifetime warranty.
Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol – A cheap, warm, close-to-indestructible pad
If you’re looking for an inexpensive but dependable pad that will keep you warm for three-season camping, it’s hard to go wrong with a Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol. Lined up against much more expensive self-inflating pads and air-construction mattresses, the Z Lite Sol, at just ¾ inch thick, is less comfortable.
But if you’re exhausted after a long day on the trail, if you’re an adult who isn’t picky about sleeping surfaces, or if you’re a kid who doesn’t know any better, the Z Lite Sol could very well be the perfect pad for you.
Even though the Z Lite Sol is relatively thin, its solid foam is an effective insulator that delivers an R-value of 2.6. This simple pad will keep you much warmer than most AeroBed-style air mattresses and just as warm as camping-specific pads that cost five times as much.
This simple pad will keep you much warmer than most AeroBed-style air mattresses and just as warm as camping-specific pads that cost five times as much.
At just 14 ounces, the Z Lite Sol is light enough for most backpackers. And though it isn’t particularly compact, you don’t have to worry about damaging it by simply bungee it to the outside of a pack.
Though the surface is extremely firm, the sophisticated pattern of heat-trapping dimples makes this pad feel cushier than its width might lead you to expect. We compared this pad side by side with a $12 Stansport Pack-Lite closed-cell foam mat we bought at Walmart (aka a “blue pad”), and it was no contest: The Z Lite Sol was far more comfortable.
This pad can last for decades, especially if it sees infrequent use. Like most pads, the Z Lite Sol will wear down with heavy use, which can decrease its insulating properties, but for the price, it always makes a better investment than whatever $10-pad you can find at Walmart.
A closed-cell foam pad is a smart choice for kids since, unlike inflatable pads, a tear or puncture is no big deal. You can strap this kind of pad to the outside of a pack, use it as a seat near the campfire, try to float on it in a river or lake, and otherwise treat it badly without fear of retribution. We agree with the assessment of one California dad whose 5-year-old son spent his first nights camping on the Z Lite Sol: “I figured it would be in my long-term interest if I could get him to enjoy camping with fewer comforts. He’s usually so tired by the end of a camping day that he’d fall asleep on broken glass.”
If you buy the Z Lite Sol for a child or as a newbie camper and later decide to upgrade, this pad becomes a valuable backup for cold-weather camping: Simply layer it under your newer, plusher pad to up your R-value. And since it really can’t be damaged, you’ll be happy to loan it out to friends. The Z Lite Sol comes in a 20-by-51-inch small size and a 20-by-72-inch medium size.
Understanding sleeping pads
Types of pads
Today’s camping-specific sleeping pads are generally one of three types: closed-cell foam pads, “self-inflating” open-cell foam pads, or fully inflatable air-construction mattresses.
Solid-foam pads are lightweight and relatively inexpensive, and they won’t ever spring a leak. But they’re generally not as cushy and comfortable as inflatable pads.
Closed-cell foam pads are relatively simple and indestructible strips of solid foam, sometimes with sophisticated textures designed to help cushion your body and trap heat. These pads are the least expensive of the three types, and the most durable. With nothing to puncture, a pad of this type can last for decades, especially if you use it infrequently. You can also layer it under other pads to increase comfort and warmth, especially in the winter.
Our favorite car-camping pads were self-inflating designs that required only a few breaths to firm up. Most models are similar in thickness to fully inflatable pads (the pale blue and orange pads in the stack shown here).
“Self-inflating” open-cell foam pads were introduced by Therm-a-Rest way back in 1972. They’re now among the most popular options for car campers and other people who are not particularly concerned about weight and mass. These pads are filled with a couch-cushion-like foam that decompresses when you unroll the pad and open up the air valve.
They generally require a dozen or so breaths to firm up completely. Among the three types of sleeping pads, their cushy texture most closely mimics a mattress like the one on your bed at home. and they tend to be quieter than fully inflatable air mattresses. Most people find self-inflating pads the most comfortable of the three types.
Fully inflatable air-construction mattresses get almost all of their loft from your lungs (a few companies offer hand pumps, air-capture bags, or even electronic pumps to save you the huffing). The best of today’s air pads many of which include a layer of down and/or synthetic insulation inside are impressively light and compact, making them the top choice for most backpackers. But they are also susceptible to punctures and thus require extra care to ensure their longevity. They are the most expensive of the bunch, too, starting at about $95.
Air-construction pads can be delicate and can require a bit more effort to inflate. They’re pricey but remarkably lightweight and compact important features for weight-conscious backpackers.
R-value and heat loss
A measurement known as R-value indicates the insulating power of sleeping pads, or more precisely, the ability of the material to resist heat transfer. A higher R-value means a warmer pad. It’s the same science used in building materials and home insulation, but whereas the building industry is closely regulated, outdoor-company R-values are self-reported, with no government or industry oversight of how the numbers are determined.
As with the walls of your home, you can’t tell just from looking at a sleeping pad what’s inside of it, and how warm it will keep you. Two pads may appear identical, yet one may use synthetic or down insulation and/or baffling structures to create additional insulation.
Your sleeping pad is just one element in your outdoor stay-warm strategy.
We talked with Richard Nisley, a retired Apollo-mission engineer and a lifelong outdoorsman who has dedicated his retirement years to investigating physics queries for the Backpacking Light community (as well as to satiate his curiosity). Nisley has a dim view of the outdoor industry’s ability to self-regulate and to report accurate temperature ratings. He said that you can take the ratings on Therm-a-Rest pads “to the bank” “I’ve tested this stuff in my lab, and they’re spot on,” he told us but that the same isn’t true of all companies.
Some of them don’t report R-values at all, and others overstate the value, according to Nisley’s tests. (He declined to call out the overestimators by name in our interview, but in an impressively detailed 2005 forum discussion on Backpacking Light, he questioned the stated R-value on a popular Big Agnes mattress model.)
Then there’s the challenge of helping regular people understand R-value and what it means to them. Nisley favors a universally accepted system like the EN sleeping-bag rating standards that would assign a temperature measurement to sleep pads’ warmth.
In the absence of such a system, you should know that if you’re using an EN-rated sleeping bag, its temperature rating was determined through the use of a thermal manikin lying on a 1½-inch-thick self-inflating Therm-a-Rest pad with an R-value of about 5. If the bag was rated in the US, the dummy, named Simon, was also wearing expedition-weight longjohns and “the thickest socks we could find,” according to Elizabeth McCullough, co-director of the Institute for Environmental Research at Kansas State University, the US facility that conducts EN sleeping-bag testing.
Meanwhile, many misguided campers are putting that sleeping bag rated for 20 °F or 30 °F atop a foot-high air mattress with an R-value of 1 which means they won’t get anything close to the performance their bag promises. “If people don’t have a physics background, it’s intuitively contradictory to them that a 1-foot-thick blowup mattress from Big 5 Sporting Goods is not warmer than a 1-inch blowup backpacking mattress from REI,” Nisley said. If all that fills your mattress is air, 1 inch is the same as 12 or 24 when it comes to warmth.
And the smaller, camping-specific mattress is far more likely to be insulated with a layer of down or synthetics (materials that add to the pad’s cost). As Nisley told us: “Everyone should be concerned that if they use a pad rated below about R = 5, their sleeping bag will not perform as advertised.”
Finally, you should understand that R-values are additive, just like double-pane windows or an extra layer of insulation in your home. “If I have a pad with an R-value of 2 and I take another pad and put it on top of it that has an R-value of 1, I have a sleeping pad that has an R-value of 3,” Nisley explained.
If all that fills your mattress is air, 1 inch is the same as 12 or 24 when it comes to warmth.
So how warm a pad do you need? We asked four mountain guides for their opinions on an adequate R-value for three-season camping and backpacking. All four agreed that you can get away with a pad with an R-value of at least 2.5 for backpacking, but that car camper may as well opt for a higher R-value.
Some further considerations: While car campers are more likely than backpackers to compare their sleeping pad with their mattress at home, backpackers have the advantage of exhaustion: After miles on the trail, they may be so tired that they have a higher tolerance for cold and discomfort than the average person. Just the fact that they’ve embraced backpacking as a go-to leisure-time activity probably means they have more tolerance for cold and discomfort than the average person.
Anecdotally, we found that car campers are far more likely than backpackers to complain about the cold. Acclimation to discomfort, physical exhaustion level, and metabolism likely all play into this divide. The regular backpacker probably has a higher metabolism than the average person. Older people, women, and people in relatively poor health generally have slower metabolic rates, and thus have a harder time warming a sleeping bag. A warmer pad can help them.
Finally, know that where you place your pad also matters when you’re considering overall warmth. “If you are sleeping on an impacted campsite that’s damp, it’s going to be a much colder sleeping surface than, say, some very airy grass or moss or leaves,” said long-distance hiker Andrew Skurka.
Remember that a sleeping pad creates an insulating layer between you and the ground, preventing heat loss through thermal conductivity. Some ground surfaces are more dedicated heat-suckers than others. Granite, for instance, will pull heat from your body faster than snow. “Go lay down on a concrete floor, or even a wood floor, and then go lay on a carpet,” Skurka suggested. “It’s all the same temperature, [but] the difference in the thermal density of those materials makes a big difference in your comfort.”
The reality is that most campground-campers and backpackers trekking through wilderness areas that require visitors to camp at established sites are likely to camp on hard ground compacted by decades of human traffic.
When you have the chance to get off that type of ground, take it. “The next time you’re out hiking on a trail, walk on the trail and get a sense for how that feels,” Skurka said. “Then step just a foot off the trail and walk for a couple of feet, and you’ll see: Wow, the ground is so much softer.” And warmer.
Baffles, shape, and thickness
Don’t be baffled by baffles. Your sleep style, and comfort preferences, will help determine which surface texture is right for you. Photo: Caleigh Waldman
While self-inflating pads offer smooth, flat surfaces, closed-cell foam pads, and air mattresses come in an array of different and occasionally strange textures. Some of the most common are “vertical baffles,” which are reminiscent of swimming-pool floats; “eggshell” designs, which are mini versions of the cardboard bumps in egg packaging; and “spring cells,” which mimic the air pockets found in a spring mattress at home.
Baffles can keep you warmer by trapping warm pockets of air, distributing your weight over an otherwise thin pad, and contributing to a pad’s uniformity and stability, all of which can increase comfort. But the comfort or discomfort that various types of baffles provide often comes down to individual preference.
We found that most people could spend a few minutes lying on different mats and quickly determine their favorite type of baffle. Some of our backpacking-pad testers felt that their body parts would get trapped in nonflat surfaces of the pads, such as baffles that were too deep. This was true especially if the pad was not inflated all the way. Baffle valleys can also attract and trap dirt, making cleaning more difficult.
Most of the pads we tested come in multiple sizes, and some come in mummy shapes as well as the classic rectangular cut. Choosing a size is a matter of balancing comfort with weight. If the weight doesn’t matter to you, bigger is better. Of course, when you’re backpacking, weight does matter. Backpackers who plan to spend more time with their packs off their backs or who are base-camping hiking in a few miles, leaving their camping gear, and then taking day trips from the base may prefer a comfier (but heavier) pad.
However, those with aggressive outdoor goals will likely want a lighter-weight sleeping pad for the simple reason that the pad will spend more time in the backpack than on the ground. To further increase weight savings, some backpackers will cut the weight of their pad by opting for a torso-length or small-length size. To equally compare different backpacking pads, we tested models that were all 6 feet long and regular width.
We discovered that some pads are inherently more comfortable with certain types of sleepers. Kalee found that the flat Therm-a-Rest BaseCamp, for example, was quite comfortable when she was reading or stargazing flat on her back. But she’s a side sleeper, and she judged the pad to be far less comfortable once her weight shifted to her hip and shoulder.
Nearly a dozen of our testers were side sleepers, and we found that they preferred the thickest mats, which didn’t “bottom out” when a body’s full weight hit the two points along the hip and shoulder. A thicker pad can also expand your camping options by cushioning rockier or bumpier tent sites.
Still another consideration: The importance of what’s underneath your body to your overall warmth varies depending on how you sleep. “If you sleep on your back, then approximately 35% of the [sleeping] bag’s warmth is derived by the R-value of the compressed bag insulation plus the mattress,” Richard Nisley informed Backpacking Light readers back in 2007. “If you sleep on your side, it is about 18%. If you sleep on your stomach, it is about 50%.” (Nisley’s estimates are based on his laboratory testing and calculations, as well as on a scientific paper presented in 2001 at the Fourth International Meeting on Thermal Manikins.) The bottom line: Stomach sleepers especially need to be concerned about selecting a warm sleeping pad.
What about air mattresses?
We spent too many hours researching AeroBed-style full-size air mattresses before determining that we would not include this category of air mattresses in this review. In the past five years, Kalee has gone through three two-person air mattresses while camping, and a survey of online reviews confirms that her experience is not unique.
Yes, her tent has often been populated by rambunctious toddlers delighted by their newfound ability to jump. But even without kids in the picture, we think these beds are simply not rugged enough or functional enough for car camping. They are easily punctured.
They provide very little warmth compared with camping-specific pads. Many are covered with fabrics that seem designed to attract dirt. They’re bulky. And they require an electric pump to inflate, which opens up several opportunities for failure: A forgotten pump, a missing power cord, dead batteries, the wrong-size nozzle any one of these problems can leave campers defeated by a huge piece of deflated plastic, frantically Googling the location of the nearest Target or Walmart (or failing there, too, since many campsites don’t have a great cell connection). Not fun.
If you already own an AeroBed-like air mattress and find it comfortable, sure, bring it car camping. But until an ideal-for-camping model comes to our attention we welcome suggestions in the comments below, by the way, we don’t recommend buying this type of air mattress specifically for outdoor use.
Care, use, and maintenance
Comfy pads make for happy campers. Photo: Kalee Thompson
Nothing ruins an outdoor adventure like a hole, rip, or tear in a sleeping pad. Luckily, all inflatable air-construction-design mattresses come with repair kits, as do some self-inflating car-camping pads.
To reduce the chance of problems, look for a pad made with thicker, higher-denier fabrics (20-denier fabrics offer the thinnest, lightest, and softest threads, while fabrics of 70 deniers and higher offer beefy protection against the elements). Then take care to treat the pad well.
Dodging damage
When possible, avoid storing your sleeping pad in a hot car or hot tent during the day, as high temperatures can slowly melt away laminates. Avoid the temptation to take your pad close to the campfire, as stray sparks have ended the life of many a pad.
When setting up camp, avoid rough spots whenever possible and clean your camping area of spiky plants, pinecones, and rocks that could poke through and puncture or abrade your sleeping pad (if you use your sleeping pad as a sitting pad for breaks during the day, follow the same precautions). Choose a spot sheltered from the wind not only will you be more comfortable, but you will also prevent your pad from blowing away into a cactus.
The more layers between your sleeping pad and the ground, the better. A tent footprint, a groundsheet, and/or a tent with a bathtub floor will help protect your pad. Deflate and roll up your sleeping pad on protected surfaces. “It may be obvious, but don’t store your [inflatable] sleeping pad on the outside of your pack during the day. Store it inside your pack,” said National Outdoor Leadership School guide and instructor Ryan Linn.
Healing wounds
Punctures in a pad are most common around the hip and shoulder areas, where your body exerts the most pressure. If you suspect a puncture and are near a bathtub, fill the tub with soapy water, inflate your pad, and then submerge it in the tub. You may need to fold your pad in half then in quarters and put your elbow into it to push the air around. Eventually, if the pad does leak, bubbles will form. Take a Sharpie marker or an oil crayon and circle the area, and then dry the pad thoroughly.
If you are still in the backcountry when you discover a hole, Ryan Linn suggests submerging your not-fully-inflated pad in a lake, or a pinch, a puddle. The process is similar to what you would do at home in a bathtub, but as Linn told us if you’re in the backcountry, you should not introduce soap even biodegradable soap to natural environments.
Most companies suggest that should a small, pinprick, hard-to-find hole develop, you should repair it using just the glue in the factory repair kit. If you don’t have a kit on hand, a urethane-based glue such as McNett Seam Grip or Aquaseal should do the trick. When Linn repairs pads in the field, he uses barge cement, which is similar to Shoe Goo but multipurpose. Give your glue plenty of time to dry out without touching other surfaces; depending on the material, this can take three to 24 hours.
Thorns that puncture the top of the pad can sometimes poke through to the bottom. In a pinch, McNett Gear Aid or bike-tube patches work fine. For larger holes, use the self-adhesive fabric patch that comes in your kit and apply a little glue beforehand, just to make sure it sticks.
Cleaning and storage
Regular cleaning can prevent dirt and dust particles from slowly abrading your pad’s fabric. Close the valves and then wipe down the surface with warm water and a washcloth. Never put a sleeping pad in a washing machine or dryer. Instead, hand-wash and air-dry your pad, preferably in a place that is not too hot and does not get direct sunlight.
Ideally, you should store your pad unrolled, uncompressed with the valve open, away from sunlight, in a cool, dry area. Storing it this way allows any moisture that may have accumulated from your breath to slowly escape.
The competition
Air-construction backpacking pads
Today’s best inflatable backpacking mattresses are impressively comfortable and lofty given their extremely lightweight and compact stuff size. Photo: Caleigh Waldman
Big Agnes Q-Core SLX: This pad is bulkier and 40 percent heavier than our top pick for backpacking. But with its 3½ inches of cushioning and popular vertical-baffle design, many people will find it more comfortable. It’s rated warmer than most backpacking pads, with an R-value of 4.5, and it has a standout two-valve system (the “in” valve is one-way, so you don’t lose any air when you’re taking a breath).
Anyone seeking a crossover pad that’s light enough for casual backpacking but rivals car-camping pads in comfort would do well to consider this pad, which one of our testers dubbed “the Cadillac of backpacking pads.”
Klymit Insulated Static V Lite: If you know you want a warm inflatable pad but aren’t willing to spend more than $100, the Insulated Static V Lite could be an excellent choice. It has an R-value of 4.2, making it “feel like the heat is radiating from under me,” as one tester put it.
The zigzagging V-shaped baffle design which supposedly contours to the body was polarizing in our tests. Our long and narrow testers found the baffles comfortable and said the design prevented them from slipping off the pad during the night.
Despite its being the widest pad we tested at 23 inches, our broader-bodied testers found the design less comfortable, with one describing the experience as “like sleeping on a cord of wood.” The Insulated Static V Lite weighs 19 ounces, making it the heaviest of the backpacking pads we tested and making it less appealing to serious backpackers seeking the lightest possible load.
Nemo Tensor Insulated: Although our testers judged this 15-ounce pad to be comfortable and loved its two one-way valves (one valve that only lets air in, plus one larger valve that only lets air out), the surface fabric on both the top and bottom of this pad was annoyingly slippery.
The pad moved out of place in tests at home on a hardwood floor, as well as in the field in a tent. Testers found themselves sliding off the pad when in a sleeping bag, especially when camped on a hill. Nonetheless, side sleepers praised the vertical baffles, which made the Tensor feel more stable compared with the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite.
Backpackers also found that the Tensor (R-value: 4) was easier to deflate and pack away in the morning than the NeoAir XLite. Despite its supposed 3-inch height, the edges of the Tensor seemed to collapse easily when testers applied pressure, so in effect, the pad had less surface area than the other sleeping pads we tried. Nemo is releasing a new version of the pad for 2019; we’ll be looking into it once it’s available.
Sea to Summit UltraLight Insulated Mat: This pad’s innovative and proprietary design a “dot-weld” pattern that increases the surface area of the pad compared with typical baffling techniques inspired both devotees and haters among our testers.
At 2 inches high, this pad was the thinnest we tested, but it was surprisingly comfortable since its many small supporting pockets of air (Sea to Summit calls the design Air Sprung Cells, as the shape of the air cells mimics springs in a mattress) effectively transferred weight even that of our 235-pound tester evenly across the surface.
Yet when hikers sat upon their pad eating or when they journaled in bed, they found themselves bottoming out, especially when camped on rocky or bumpy surfaces. One thing our testers universally praised: the pad’s inflation system, which took the least time and the least number of breaths (and came with a stuff-sack inflation system that is hands down the best inflation method we tested). Though the UltraLight Insulated’s R-value of 3.3 isn’t higher than that of the other pads we tested, at 16.9 ounces this pad is heavier than most of the competitors we tried.
Car-camping pads
Therm-a-Rest BaseCamp: This popular, moderately priced option in Therm-a-Rest’s line is comfortable but not as comfortable as our top car-camping pick, the LuxuryMap. The BaseCamp is 2 inches thick to the LuxuryMap’s 3 inches, and it lacks the higher-end pad’s namesake pressure-mapped foam. But if the cost is a concern and you want a self-inflating pad, the BaseCamp is a reliable choice.
Teton Sports ComfortLite: The ComfortLite is another big, cushy self-inflating pad that trailed our favorite, the LuxuryMap, in overall comfort.
Big Agnes Insulated Air Core: This vertical-baffle air-construction pad felt thick and comfortable, though our testers preferred a self-inflating pad in situations when the packed size and weight were not important.
Klymit Insulated Static V: This slightly heavier (and cheaper) version of the Klymit pad we tested for backpacking was quick and easy to inflate and comfortable to most testers, though not as comfortable as the cushier self-inflating pads we used while car camping.
Stansport Pack-Lite: Sleeping on this thin, firm strip of foam is better than sleeping directly on the ground. In all ways but price, however, it’s far inferior to any of the other pads we tested.
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