Air-Filled Sleeping Pads

Recent Air-Filled Sleeping Pad Reviews

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite

Garbage. DOA. Brand new, out of the box, my Uberlite leaked 60% overnight on the first night I used it, sleeping on a freshly swept and mopped, perfectly smooth wooden floor. I sent it back and they made me pay for the shipping, then sent the same one back to me patched up, when I had explicitly demanded a brand new one (so I could resell it). So now I'm out whatever loss I will take trying to sell this patched piece of garbage.  This thing is about as strong as a cheap garbage bag and Therm-a-Rest… Full review

Ozark Trail Air Mattress Velour Top

I slept on it—brand new—for the first time last night. It is comfy when it is fully inflated. Well, I had to re-inflate FIVE times during one night's sleep. Ablosutely ridiculous! And when it deflated, my bottom was on the floor every time. Full review

Ozark Trail Twin Air Mattress

Model P3134 Ozark Trail Twin Air Mattress. Bought this mattress at Walmart for about $30. Unboxed it and followed instructions. About two hours later almost all the air was gone. Filled it up again and went to sleep. Woke up next morning on the floor… air all gone. Did this for three days with the same results. Took it back to Walmart but could not get a refund… only option was to exchange for same item. I took the second one home and got the same results. Poor quality, bad customer experience. Full review

Ozark Trail Air Mattress Velour Top

Went flat within a few hours—completely defective and no one cares. The air leaks from the seams. Poorly made. They won't take it back. Wasted money. Full review

Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated

Good feature set in a lightweight and comfortable pad. I have been using a NeoAir mattress for over a decade (reviewed in 2009). Being a 5'9" male the women's length (66") fit me well. The old pad held up pretty well, but the valve system required some fiddling to inflate and more time to deflate and pack, and it was a bit narrower than preferred. It was noisy when new, but seemed to become less so with use over the years. In a new pad, I sought one that was 66" long, preferably with bit more width… Full review

Sea to Summit UltraLight Mat

After trying a few air sleeping pads, I’ve found the S2S Ultralight to be the one that offers the best compromise between light weight, comfort, size, and durability. It has a low R-value though, not ideal for cold weather tent camping or backpacking. But I use it with a hammock and for that it’s great even in very cold season. It has a great valve, comes with a repair kit, and the pump sack works really well. I guess I said it all in the summary. So allow me to just draw some comparisons to… Full review

Sea to Summit Ether Light XT

My Ether Light XT is not the insulated version, so it’s actually lighter weight yet lower R-value—though it’s used for hammock camping so it provides good insulation even during cold weather. I really like S2S stuff. Yes, their top-of-line offerings are usually pricey, but good/lightweight/performance gear usually is.  Build is top-notch: good materials, great design, and consistent manufacturing through and through. I also have another S2S sleeping pad, the Ultralight one which is more compact… Full review

Exped SynMat

Comfortable for side sleepers. Nice touch and feel. Repair kit included, with stuff sack. Silent. Doesn't make crinkle sounds. Well made. Lightweight. Tried and tested on a hike in Sweden. I recommend the Shnozzle bag for pumping up the mat. Shnozzle bag doubles as waterproof liner for backpack and washbasin otherwise.  Full review

REI Stratus Insulated Air Pad

Had this for years, solid purchase. Had this for years, solid purchase.  It's lightweight and comfortable. Full review