Air-Filled Sleeping Pads

Recent Air-Filled Sleeping Pad Reviews

Exped DownMat Lite 5

LOVE this mat! As someone who's had two lumbar, one cervical, and one hip surgery...as well as being a side-sleeper...I don't sleep very well while tent camping. This mat has helped to change that. It pumps up so fast, and is so comfortable that my quality of sleep while tent camping has honestly been surprising since I purchased two of these pads for my wife and I a couple of years ago. Frankly, the most uncomfortable part of tent camping is no longer the sleeping part (it's now the discomfort… Full review

Big Agnes SLX Tent Floor Pad

An extra-wide and cushy insulated air mattress for two in the backpacker weight class. Suitable for three-season use. Long enough for people in the 180 cm+/6 foot+ league, extra wide at the head end, 9cm/3.5" thick. No leaks after a solid month of use. Requires purchase of a Big Agnes Pumphouse for efficient and moisture-free inflation. My wife and I had a problem. It was all because of the Canyon. Not the Grand, Zion, or Bryce, but the much smaller gap that opened up between our backpacker’s… Full review

REI Flash All-Season Insulated Air Sleeping Pad

The REI Flash four-season pad outcompetes nearly every other pad in its class but its one flaw is a serious one; evidence suggests that many of them leak at the heat welded seams. Let me start by saying, the REI Flash All Season Pad has exceeded all of my expectations. It’s warm, really warm. I’ve used the pad this past summer in Northern MN where temps are consistently in the low 50's at night. Each time, the pad kicks back so much heat that I have to unzip my sleeping bag (I have used a 20°F… Full review

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir

I have to disagree.... I had the older yellow versions of this pad. It was not a good experience. The pad leaked and had to be re-inflated during the middle of each night on its first excursion. When I sent it back to Therm-a-Rest, they said it was "to spec" and "that's normal". The next time I used it was the last  time. The valve wouldn't open to deflate it, and needed assistance in the form of my multi-tool. I sent it back to Therm-a-Rest. They replaced t and I sold it on that e auction site. Full review

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite

The NeoAir UberLite is a welcomed ultralight addition to the NeoAir lineup, filling a niche as Therm-A-Rest's premier summer sleeping pad. It shares the dimensions and comfort of the XLite series, with a savings of about 3.5 ounces for a size regular. It sacrifices some warmth, quite noticeable when it gets into the 30’s. The 15D lightweight material is also a bit slippery and less rigid compared to a NeoAir XLite. I was concerned about the durability of such an ultralight product but it survived… Full review

Klymit Inertia X Frame

An ultra lightweight sleeping pad that shaves weight and bulk by padding key areas (head, shoulders, hips and feet). It's the smallest and lightest air-filled sleeping pad I've come across. For those who count the grams and have a back hewn from granite this may be for you, but no matter how much I want to like this ultra lightweight (is there a lighter sleeping pad on the market?), ultra compact sleeping pad I found it hard and uncomfortable. Moreover, on anything but level ground I kept slipping… Full review

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite

Sooooo light!!! Not very warm, but also not terribly crinkly loud. Hard to blow up at altitude, kinda a drawback Holy moly is this thing shockingly light and tiny. That is so great for solo travelers and ultra light folk. It's amazing. And I'm OK with using a lighter R value with a warmer bag and if needed a Z Lite or emergency blanket under me for cooler hikes/travel. It takes more to get it inflated, but the weight savings!!! Wow. EDIT WITH UPDATES 6/2019:  Have now used extensively through… Full review

Klymit Static V

A medium light sleeping pad that fills easily. I bought this to use exclusively on a short cycle tour (30 days). I really like it's light weight and minimal packed space. I felt secure and comfortable on this pad. Its air chamber design does a good job keeping you in place and I'm a pretty active sleeper, switching between sides. My bag was the lighter Sierra Design's Zissou. A good system for moderate low temps. About midway through my tour I noticed that it was not holding air completely through… Full review

MEC Kelvin 3.8 Sleeping Pad

When inflated, it's three times thicker and up to twice as warm as a 1/2" closed-cell foam pad. And when rolled up, this pad takes half to a third the space (volume) of that same closed-cell foam pad. Size - rolled: 30 x 16 cm (12" x 6")Size - inflated: 183 x 51 x 3.8 cm (72" x 20" x 1.5")Weight: 775 g (1 lb 11 oz) Thickness - 3.8cm (1.5"):This is pretty average for these "self-inflating" type sleeping pads. They called it a "Medium-Thickness" pad in the literature. For a side-sleeper like me,… Full review