If you want to go winter camping or backpacking but want to save some money, there's no reason you can't use a winter sleeping pad with a higher R-value all year round instead of buying separate three-season and winter sleeping pads.
A sleeping pad like the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm is a good example: it has an R-value of 5 and weighs 15 ounces while its three-season counterpart, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite has an R-value of 3.2 and weighs 12 ounces. If you don't mind carrying an extra 3 ounces (the weight of half a gulp of water), there's no reason you can't just buy a XTherm and use it year round. They're basically identical sleeping pads, although the XTherm is a bit more durable with a thicker cover, not necessarily a bad thing with an inflatable sleeping bag if you are rough with your gear.
Will you be too warm in summer if you sleep on a higher R-value pad? Not noticeably. Car campers use thick, high R-value sleeping pads in summer without a loss of comfort. For example, my wife uses a sleeping pad with an R-value of 9.5 in summer and she sleeps fine with it. If you do feel warm, just vent your quilt or sleeping bag more.
How high should the R-values of a three-season sleeping pad and a winter sleeping pad be? If you're male, a sleeping pad with a minimum R-value of 3 is usually good enough for three-season camping in temperatures of 40 degrees or warmer. Women tend to be colder sleepers, so I'd recommend using a sleeping with an R-value of 4 or higher. In winter, men can usually get by with a sleeping pad with a minimum R-value of 5, while women should shoot for a sleeping pad with R-value of 6. Also check to see if a manufacturer makes mens and women's sleeping pads, because the pads for women tend to be warmer than the pads for guys. If you're a guy, there's also no reason you can use a women's sleeping pad.
Can you combine a foam pad with a warm weather sleeping pad and save money that way? Absolutely. R-values are additive if you stack two pads together. One way to do this in winter is to put an inflatable pad like the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite (R-Value = 3.2) on top of a foam pad like the Therm-a-rest Zlite Foam Pad (R-value = 2.6)
Here's a list of sleeping pad R-values to help you choose a sleeping pad. Companies that don't list R-values usually don't test their pads because they don't want to pay for the extra product testing.
| Mfg | Lowest Price (Click) | R-Value | Weight (oz) | Thickness | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Agnes | Green Ridge | 1.5 | 17 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Big Agnes | Air Core | 1.5 | 21 | 3.25 | Inflatable |
| Big Agnes | Insulated Aircore | 4.1 | 22 | 3.25 | Inflatable |
| Big Agnes | Double Stuffed Double Z | 5.8 | 24 | 4 | Inflatable |
| Big Agnes | Insulated Q-Core | 5 | 27 | 4 | Inflatable |
| Big Agnes | Insulated Q-Core SL | 4.5 | 17 | 3.5 | Inflatable |
| Big Agnes | Double Z | 1.5 | 17 | 4 | Inflatable |
| Big Agnes | Two Track | 5.5 | 36 | 2 | Self-Inflating |
| Big Agnes | Hinman | 5.5 | 36 | 1.5 | Self-Inflating |
| Klymit | Inertia X Frame | NA | 9.1 | 1.5 | Inflatable |
| Klymit | Static V | 1.3 | 18.1 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Klymit | Inertia XL | NA | 17 | 1.5 | Inflatable |
| Klymit | Insulated Static V | 4.4 | 25 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Klymit | Inertia X-Lite | NA | 6.1 | 1.5 | Inflatable |
| Klymit | Inertia O Zone | NA | 12.2 | 1.75 | Inflatable |
| Klymit | Static V2 | 1.3 | 16.33 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Klymit | X Wave | NA | 10.5 | 1.5 | Inflatable |
| Klymit | Static V Luxe | 1.3 | 26.5 | 3 | Inflatable |
| Klymit | Insulated Static V | 4.4 | 25 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Sea-to-Summit | Comfort Light Mat | 1 | 16 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Sea-to-Summit | Comfort Light Insulated Mat | 4.2 | 20.5 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Sea-to-Summit | Comfort Plus Mat | 2.5 | 20 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Sea-to-Summit | Comfort Plus Insulated Mat | 5 | 25.5 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Sea-to-Summit | Ultralight Mat | 0.7 | 12.5 | 2 | Inflatable |
| Sea-to-Summit | Ultralight Insulated Mat | 3.3 | 15.5 | 2 | Inflatable |
| Therm-a-Rest | Z-lite SOL | 2.6 | 14 | 0.75 | Closed Cell |
| Therm-a-Rest | Z Shield | 1.5 | 12 | 0.38 | Closed Cell |
| Therm-a-Rest | Prolite | 2.4 | 17 | 1 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | Prolite Womens | 3.0 | 17 | 1.0 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | NeoAir XLite | 3.2 | 12 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Therm-a-Rest | NeoAir XLite Womens | 3.9 | 12 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Therm-a-Rest | NeoAir XTherm | 5.7 | 15 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Therm-a-Rest | NeoAir XLite Max SV | 3.2 | 16 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Therm-a-Rest | NeoAir All Season | 4.9 | 19 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Therm-a-Rest | NeoAir Trekker | 3 | 17 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Therm-a-Rest | Ridgerest Solar | 3.5 | 19 | 0.79 | Closed Cell |
| Therm-a-Rest | Ridgerest SOLite | 2.8 | 14 | 1.5 | Closed Cell |
| Therma-Rest | Prolite Plus | 3.4 | 20 | 1.5 | Self-Inflating |
| Therma-Rest | Prolite Plus Womens | 4.2 | 20 | 1.5 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | NeoAir Venutre WV | 1.8 | 24 | 2 | Inflatable |
| Therm-a-Rest | Trail Pro | 4 | 30 | 2 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | Womens Trail Pro | 4.8 | 30 | 2 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | Trail Lite | 3.4 | 28 | 1.5 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | Womens Trail Lite | 4.9 | 28 | 1.5 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | Trail Scout | 3.4 | 22 | 1 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | Zonker | 4.4 | 41 | 1.75 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | RidgeRest Classic | 2.6 | 14 | 0.625 | Closed Cell |
| Therm-a-Rest | NeoAir Dream | 6 | 66 | 4 | Inflatable |
| Therm-a-Rest | NeoAir Camper | 2.2 | 24 | 3 | Inflatable |
| Therm-a-Rest | MondoKing | 11.4 | 75 | 4 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | Luxury MAP | 6.8 | 52 | 3 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | Basecamp | 5 | 38 | 2 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | Evolite Plus | 3.2 | 20 | 2.5 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | Evolite | 2.0 | 12 | 2 | Self-Inflating |
| Therm-a-Rest | Lair Air | 2.2 | 32 | 2 | Inflatable |
| Therm-a-Rest | NeoAir Voyager | 2.2 | 23 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Exped | Downmat Lite 5 | 4.1 | 21 | 2 | Inflatable |
| Exped | SynMat Lite 5 | 3.8 | 23.1 | 2 | Inflatable |
| Exped | Downmat 7 | 5.9 | 29.8 | 2.8 | Inflatable |
| Exped | Downmat UL 7 | 5.9 | 20.5 | 2.8 | Inflatable |
| Exped | Downmat 9 | 8 | 34 | 3.5 | Inflatable |
| Exped | Synmat 7 | 4.9 | 29.9 | 2.8 | Inflatable |
| Exped | Synmat UL 7 | 3.1 | 15.8 | 2.8 | Inflatable |
| Exped | Synmat 9 | 6 | 25.4 | 3.5 | Inflatable |
| Exped | Synmat Hyperlite | 3.3 | 12.3 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| Exped | Synmat Winterlite | 4.9 | 14.3 | 3.5 | Inflatable |
| Exped | Downmat Winterlite | 7 | 16.8 | 3.5 | Inflatable |
| Exped | Synmat 12 | 6 | 52 | 4.7 | Inflatable |
| Exped | Syncell 5 | 2.9 | 25.6 | 2 | Inflatable |
| Gossamer Gear | Nightlight | 2.27 | 4.9 | 0.75 | Closed Cell |
| Gossamer Gear | Air Beam Sleepers | NA | 10.1 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| NEMO | Astro Air | NA | 20 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| NEMO | Astro Insulated | NA | 19 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| NEMO | Tensor | NA | 13.5 | 3 | Inflatable |
| NEMO | Tensor Insulated | NA | 15 | 3 | Inflatable |
| NEMO | Vector Insulated | NA | 20 | 3 | Inflatable |
| NEMO | Astro Insulated Lite | NA | 13 | 3 | Inflatable |
| NEMO | Cosmo Air | NA | 23 | 3 | Inflatable |
| NEMO | Cosmo Air Lite | NA | 17 | 3 | Inflatable |
| NEMO | Cosmo Insulated | NA | 29 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| NEMO | Cosmo Insulated Lite | NA | 21 | 3 | Inflatable |
| NEMO | ZOR-R | NA | 14 | 1 | Self-inflating |
| NEMO | ZOR-S | NA | 10 | 1 | Self-inflating |
| NEMO | ORA-R | NA | 20 | 1 | Self-inflating |
| NEMO | ORA-S | NA | 13.5 | 1 | Self-inflating |
| REI | Flash Insulated | 3.2 | 16 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
| REI | Air Rail 1.5 | 4.2 | 26 | 1.5 | Self-inflating |
| REI | Trekker | 5.6 | 40 | 1.75 | Self-inflating |
| Wenzel | Blue Foam Pad | 1.4 | 7.5 | 0.38 | Closed Cell |
| REI | Cirrus Insulated | 2.8 | 23 | 2.5 | Inflatable |
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