Review: 7 Sleeping Pads Put to the Test Expedition kayaker Darin McQuoid analyzes the 'sleepability' of ground pads To test these sleeping pads, the first question we asked was simple: Does the product enhance or reduce the quality of sleep? We all know the thickest pad is not necessarily the most comfortable, and sleepability is hard to determine in the store. So we went out and spent many nights on these pads to rate their sleepability. After all our testing, we came away with the conclusion that light and comfortable sleeping pads are still in their infancy, but since all pads (and sleepers) are unique, we recommend buying from a business with a good return policy. Besides comfort, the main purpose of a pad is to keep you warm by insulating your body from the ground. R-value is a measure of thermal resistance. The higher the number, the warmer the pad, and a small numerical change makes a large difference. For the average sleeper, R-3 is good to about freezing and will be cool when temperatures drop to the 20s.
R-value is a more objective measure, but it’s important to know whether you’re a warm or cold sleeper. Third, we compared the size of the pads. Makers measure their pads differently–some while inflated and others empty. This can create a great difference in the usable size of the pad. Some pads also have more square edges while others have a considerable bevel, reducing the usable surface area. Click through the links below to read our conclusions on each pad’s overall sleepablity. Testers note: I’m 5’6″ with broad shoulders and am a warm sleeper. Our second tester is 5’10” and a cold sleeper. Big Agnes Double Z Best suited for taller people, below freezing temperatures. Coleman Durarest Twin Airbed Economical backup for car camping and canoe trips in warm weather. Exped SynMat 7 UL Tall sleepers who want a light pad with no built-in pillow. Klymit Inertia O Zone Back sleepers on a budget who need something that packs small.
NEMO Astro Insulated Lite Our favorite for its mix of sleepability, price and weight. Those who need the absolute lightest-weight pad. Best for warm weather or lightweight travel on a strict budget.On our wishlist was a self-inflating camping mat that would roll up fairly small, but be comfortable enough for long trips. Ideally, it wouldn’t have a shiny plastic-like surface for sleeping bags to slide off, and it would have valves we could trust. We narrowed our search down to Exped, Thermarest and Vango. We decided against mats by companies such as Outwell, Kampa, Robens and Gelert because they all tend to use the same sharp-edged valves inside the fabric. Over time, this can rub the fabric and eventually cause a leak. To be fair, that can be years down the line, but we wanted to see if there were better designs out there. The first thing you notice with the Exped mats is that they seem a cut-above many of the high street brands in the choice of materials and quality of manufacture.
And you certainly pay for the difference! The Comfort range has single and double mats ranging in thickness from 5cm to 10cm, and including the mighty Mega mat, which is more of a guest-bed than a travelling mat. The camping-size (though still generous) LW models have a Velcro strip along the side so that two mats can be joined together. They inflate themselves through a single flat valve (there’s a second valve for deflation) and have foam in strips inside to increase the comfort. It takes 24 hours to get the mat fully inflated the first time it comes out of its carry-bag and a bit of puff helps the process. A tip we’ve learnt over the years: if you’ve got the space, leave your self-inflating mat semi-inflated (you can fold it in half to take up less room) rather than keeping it scrunched up in its bag. Fantastically comfortable, warm and look great…but you have to pay the price! Exped also make a huge range of camping mats that have built-in pumps – not so convenient for quick setting up (or for use where you don’t have a stable surface to press on, such as in a car).
The upside is that they’re much smaller and lighter, and, in the case of the Downmats, very well-insulated. The Downmat we tried felt very well-made and the pump quite effective, once you get the knack (watch the entertaining videos on their website!). We liked it for comfort too. Thermarest invented the self-inflating mat, so they ought to know what they’re doing. The most comfortable in the range is the 7.6cm thick LuxuryMap camping mat, which comes in regular, large and extra-large sizes. The internal foam varies in thickness so that you get support where it’s needed without adding unnecessary bulk and weight. We tested the large, and liked the single valve with its nicely rounded inside – no sharp edges to wear through the fabric. Comfortable, lightweight, but a bit harder than the Exped. That might suit some sleepers. The Comfort camping mat range offers thicknesses of between 5cm and 10cm and there are single, double and a ‘Grande’ extra-wide single to choose from.
The top material is fairly soft and slip-resistant and the self-inflation works with just one valve. We weren’t so keen on the sharp edge of the valve inside the fabric, as this has a tendency to wear through the fabric over time. We tested the Comfort single 7.5cm. There’s also an Adventure DLX 7.5, which is a little more expensive and operates with two valves. Comfortable, though slightly more solid feeling than the Exped. The valves are still the sharp-edged type, but the fabric feels tougher and so more able to cope with the wear. And just out of interest…we also looked at the Duvalay memory foam mats with built-in duvet. Sadly, we weren’t convinced. We tried a 4cm three-season weight version (around £120) and found the cover a bit cheap and scratchy. Our main problem, though, was that we couldn’t see an advantage in building the duvet and foam into one product. In fact, we thought it just made it hard to get the cover on and off for washing. But, people do seem to love them, so we’ll accept that tent campers perhaps aren’t the market.