Sleeping Pads Reviews

Best Sleeping Pads Reviews: (out of 25)
Backpacker Magazine, Backpacking.net, Backpacker.com

Best Sleeping Pads: (out of 40)
Insul Mat Max Thermo-Lite, Therm-a-Rest ProLite 3 Short, Gossamer Gear NightLight Torso

Fast Answers - Best Sleeping Pads

Top Rated	What the Research Says
• Insul Mat Max Thermo-Lite (*est. $65) >> Where to buy	Full-length, 3-season sleeping pad. The Mat Max Thermo-Lite is a self-inflating sleeping pad, which uses soft foam inside a fabric cover -- then it self-inflates to add air cushioning. Reviews say this type of pad is more comfortable than an all-foam sleeping pad. Reviews praise the way the large insulated tubes at the sides of this sleeping pad keep the sleeping bag centered and cushion the elbows, too. The mummy shape fits most sleeping bags and keeps the weight down to 19 ounces. The Mat Max is a full-length sleeping pad, but you can save weight by going with a torso-length pad.
• Therm-a-Rest ProLite 3 Short (*est. $70) >> Where to buy	Torso-length sleeping pad. This self-inflating sleeping pad weighs only 13 ounces, but its combination of foam and air provides an inch of cushioning, so reviews say it's more comfortable than an all-foam sleeping pad. The Therm-a-Rest ProLite 3 is a three-season sleeping pad. Reviews say torso length self-inflating sleeping pads just aren't warm enough for winter camping. (compare prices)
• Gossamer Gear NightLight Torso (*est. $16) >> Where to buy	Ultralight sleeping pad. Sleeping pads made entirely of closed-cell (waterproof) foam aren't as comfortable as inflating sleeping pads, but they weigh less and cost less too. This closed-cell egg-crate foam pad weighs just 3.7 ounces, cushioning just the torso. It folds to frame or pad a backpack and can also be used for extra padding and insulation on top of a longer sleeping pad. However, it's only 18-inches wide, narrower than the majority of sleeping pads which measure about 20 inches wide.
• Insul Mat Womens Max-Lite (*est. $60) >> Where to buy	Women's sleeping pad. More reviews recommend this award-winning series than any other sleeping pad designed for women. The Insul Mat foam sleeping pad has extra cushioning for the hips, plus extra insulation at the foot, but still weighs just 25 ounces. This is a full-length 77-inch sleeping pad. A petite version (*est. $55) is 66 inches long and cuts the weight by two ounces.
• Exped Down Mat 7 (*est. $140) >> Where to buy	Camping air mattress for 4-season use. Although it weighs 28 ounces, reviews say this comfortable, award-winning Swiss sleeping pad may be worth the extra weight in cold weather. The full-length Exped Down Mat 7 uses goose down to insulate the 2.8-inch-thick air tubes, and it's rated down to one degree Fahrenheit. Reviews praise its warmth and comfort, and its rectangular shape fits any sleeping bag. The Exped camping air mattress needs to be inflated manually, but the stuff sack doubles as a pump. (compare prices)
• Therm-a-Rest DreamTime XL (*est. $200) >> Where to buy	Luxury sleeping pad for car camping. When weight doesn't matter, the three-inch thickness and 32-inch width of the Therm-a-Rest DreamTime XL self-inflating camping air mattress offers extra comfort. The DreamTime XL is 77 inches long and plenty warm, with more insulating value than most other sleeping pads. (compare prices)
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Full Story

What the experts say, our analysis, and more...

Updated August 2006

For getting a good night's sleep on a camping trip, reviews say that a good sleeping pad makes even more difference than the sleeping bag. The colder the temperature, the more important it is to have a sleeping pad that provides good insulation from the cold ground. Hikers reviewing sleeping pads confirm that a pad with enough cushioning in the right places can protect shoulders and hips from waking numbness or aches.

Backpacker Magazine's March 2006 gear guide issue compares six current sleeping pads, camping air mattresses, and camping mats based on extensive field tests, often in rugged conditions. Earlier Backpacker Magazine reviews include a comparison of four sleeping pads. A review at BackpackingLight.com complements this coverage by comparing six closed-cell foam camping mats, a type not covered at Backpacker. The site also reports field tests of ultralight sleeping pads. Outside Magazine doesn't cover sleeping pads as thoroughly as these two publications, but it does make some recommendations based on field tests, as does Camping Life magazine. Some sleeping pads have also received awards in Europe -- in the German magazine Outdoors and at the European Outdoor Market. We supplemented these reviews with in-depth reviews by experienced hikers, as well as ratings and reviews of sleeping pads and camping air mattresses published online at OutdoorReview.com, Trailspace.com and similar sites. Consumer Reports magazine hasn't covered sleeping pads.

In addition to identifying the best sleeping pads, the reviews note some sleeping pads you'll probably want to avoid. We found so many reports of leaks in Big Agnes air-filled sleeping pads that they dropped off the list of possible Fast Answers picks, especially when a comparative review at Backpacker Magazine reported a leak that the repair kit couldn't fix. Users say that Big Agnes cheerfully exchanges leaky air mattresses for new ones during the warranty period, but that's not much comfort if you're in the middle of a camping trip.

Some of the less expensive imitations of the self-inflating Therm-a-Rest foam-filled air mattresses have minor drawbacks. One review finds the Mountain Equipment Company's model just bulkier to carry. Backpacker Magazine says the (*est. $60) is tough, but at 34 ounces, it’s heavy. Reviews report more serious drawbacks to some self-inflating sleeping pads, however. Users reviewing them at Amazon.com give especially low ratings to the (*est. $20) , which doesn't inflate easily, if at all, and to the Eddie Bauer air mattress (*est. $40) . The latter is not only unusually heavy at 3.5 pounds, but some reviews say that its seams pop and that it inflates in lumpy pockets. ... Continued

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Consensus Report

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (with retailer links)	Details from Amazon.com
4	Therm-a-Rest self-inflating, various models (*est. $40 to $200)	details
3	Exped Downmat (*est. $140)	details
3	Big Agnes Insulated REM Air Core (*est. $70)	details
3	Pacific Outdoor Equipment InsulMat Max-Lite 1.0 (*est. $60)	-
3	Pacific Outdoor Equipment InsulMat Max-Thermo (*est. $55)	-
3	ThermaRest UltraLite (discontinued)	-
2	Therm-a-Rest Prolite 4 (*est. $90)	details
2	Therm-a-Rest Prolite 3 (*est. $70)	details
2	Therm-a-Rest LE (now BaseCamp) (*est. $60)	-
2	Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite (*est. $35)	details
2	Cascade Designs(Therm-a-Rest) Ridge Rest (*est. $25)	details
2	Therm-a-Rest GuideLite Long (discontinued)	-
1 each	Artiach Skin Mat, Big Agnes Dual Core , Big Agnes REM Hinman , Bozeman Mountain Works TorsoLite Inflatable Cabela's Ultra Double (disc.), Cascade Designs CampLite (disc.), Cascade Designs RidgeRest Deluxe , Cascade Designs LE Megarest (now Therm-a-Rest DreamTime XL ) , Cascade Designs Strata Rest 25 (disc.), Cascade Designs Z-Rest (now Z-Lite ), Exped Downmat 7 Short , Exped Foam Air Matress , Exped SynMat , Gossamer Gear Nightlight Torso, MEC Apogee Long (now MEC Kelvin), Mountain Hardwear Trailhead 77 (disc.), Pacific Outdoor Hot , Pacific Outdoor Insul Mat Max-Lite 1.0 - Women's Petite , TorsoLite, Slumberjack Fusion Core , Therm-a-Rest DreamTime , Therm-a-Rest Deluxe Camper , Therm-a-Rest Fusion (disc.), Therm-a-Rest TrailLite , Therm-a-Rest Trail Comfort

Three brands dominate the top ranks: Exped, Cascade Designs Therm-a-Rest and Pacific Outdoor Equipment Insul Mat. Big Agnes also gets some good reviews, but we found many reports of leaks.

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