When choosing a sleeping pad for backpacking and camping, it's best to consider its weight, durability, size, thickness, insulation, comfort, and price before making a decision to buy it. Here are our picks for the best 10 sleeping pads available today, based on these dimensions. Many of these sleeping pads are available in different lengths, widths, and weights, making it easier to find a good choice to fit your needs.
1. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite
The NeoAir XLite is the most popular inflatable sleeping pad sold today and for good reason. It packs up small and flat, taking up little room in a backpack. The XLite is 2.5 inches thick, providing plenty of comfort for side sleepers and back sleepers alike, with an R-value of 3.2 which will keep you cozy down to 10-20 degrees F. The XLite is available in a variety of widths and lengths with the 72″ x 20″ regular size weighing in at just 12 oz. Price Range: $130-200.
View at REI. Read SectionHiker's NeoAir XLite Review
2. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm
The NeoAir XTherm is nearly identical to the NeoAir XLite but it has more insulation and a tougher cover fabric for greater dependability in cold weather and winter. It also packs up small and flat, taking up little room in a backpack, despite having more insulation. The R-Value of 5.7 will keep you warm down to 40 below zero F, while the inflatable 2.5 inch pad provides plenty of cushion for side sleepers. The NeoAir XTherm is available in a variety of widths and lengths with the 72″ x 20″ regular mummy size weighing in at just 15 oz. Price Range: $200-240.
View at REI. Read SectionHiker's NeoAir XTherm Review
3. Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Foam Pad
The Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol is an ultralight, inexpensive, and virtually indestructible foam sleeping pad making it a favorite among ultralight backpacking fanatics and boy scout parents alike. Made with closed cell foam, it folds up into accordion-like sections making it easy to carry and attach the outside of a backpack. One side has an aluminized reflective coating with radiates your body heat back at you. With an R-Value of 2.8, the Z Lite Sol is a three-season pad that will keep you warm to 20 degrees F. A size regular (72″ x 20″) weighs 14 oz, but it's also available in multiple sizes. You can even trim a foam Z Lite Sol with scissors to shave off gear weight. Price Range: $35-$45.
View at REI. Read SectionHiker's Therm-a-Rest Z Lite (Sol) Review
4. Big Agnes Q Core SLX
The Big Agnes Q Core SLX is a super comfy, but lightweight inflatable sleeping pad, that's a whopping 4.25 inches thick and tailor-made for side sleepers. Rated down to 15 degrees F, the Q Core SLX is covered with a luxurious quilted top with side baffles and has flat valves for increased durability and rapid deflation. A regular sized (72″ x 20″) Q Core SLX weighs 16 oz, but the pad is also available in a very wide variety of lengths and widths. Price Range: $140-$220.
View at REI.
5. Klymit Insulated V Ultralite SL
The Klymit Insulated V Ultralite SL is an inflatable pad that weighs 15.2 ounces (72″ x 20″) and has an R-Value of 4.4 making it suitable for 3-4 season use. It's made with a durable 20D polyester fabric for extra durability with a stick valve for fine tuning the inflation level. It features lofted air pockets with a depth of 2.5″, with dynamic side rails that keep you comfortably on your pad. A lighter weight, uninsulated version is also available with a ver y low R-value really only suitable for summer use. Price $120.
View at Amazon and
MassDrop, where it is often available.
Note: Klymit makes many versions of this pad with small spec changes and under similar names. Double check the specs when purchasing. Read SectionHiker's Static V Insulated Ultralight Review
6. NEMO Tensor Air Pad
7. Sea-to-Summit Ultralight Insulated Pad
8. Therm-a-Rest ProLite
The Therm-a-Rest ProLite is a self-inflating sleeping pad prized for its durability, comfort, non-slip covering, and ease of use. The size regular (72″ x 20″) weighs just 16 oz and has an R-value of 2.4, making it suitable for three-season use down to about 30 degrees. The ProLite is also available in many different sizes, in addition to women's and insulated versions suitable for four season use. One inch thick when inflated, its die-cut foam retains heat well and packs up surprisingly small when deflated. Price Range: $80-$110.
View at REI. 9. Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest Sol Foam Pad
The RidgeRest Sol is another Therm-a-Rest closed cell foam sleeping pad that's also quite lightweight and virtually indestructible. A size regular (72″ x 20″) weighs just 14 oz and has an R-Value of 2.8, making it suitable for use to about 20 degrees F. While bulkier when rolled up than the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol, the RidgeRest Sol is used by many ultralight backpackers as a tube-like virtual frame in a frameless backpack, eliminating the need to attach it to the outside of a backpack, while keeping it dry in the event of rain. The RidgeRest Sol is available in a number of different sizes, in addition to the
RidgeRest Solar, which is thicker and has a higher R-Value of 3.5. Price Range: $20-$40.
View at REI.
10. Exped Synmat HL
The Exped Synmat HL is packs down small, but has an impressive R-value of 3.3, making it suitable for three-season use (rated for 21 degrees F). Weighing 12.7 ounces (72″ x 20″) it has a flat valve for extra durability and comes with an included pump bag (0.4 oz) for rapid inflation. With a depths of 2.8″, it provides plenty of support for side sleepers, with side channels designed to keep in the center of the pad at night. Available in multiple lengths and widths. Price Range: $170-$190.
View at REI.
How to Choose a Sleeping Pad
Choosing a sleeping pad requires prioritizing across multiple factors, some of which can be at odds with one another.
THICKNESS: Thicker sleeping pads are often more comfortable for side sleepers because they provide more cushioning under the hip bones. Depending on their length and width, it may take more breaths to inflate a very thick air pad however, something to factor into your decision.
LENGTH AND WIDTH: Most popular sleeping pads are available a wide range of lengths and widths. While large pads are often more comfortable, they're often heavier, too. Most pads are available in a standard 72″ x 20″ size. But many pads are also available in longer and wider sizes, or mummy and rectangular shapes.
WEIGHT: A sleeping pad is one of the most important items on your gear list in terms of comfort and sleep insulation. While the weight of all backpacking gear matters, don't make the mistake of being miserable at night by choosing a pad that compromises the quality of your sleep simply to reduce the weight of your gear list.
COMPACTNESS: The size and compactness of a sleeping pad can also be an important fact depending on your style of packing and the size of your backpack. Inflatable pads usually pack up smallest, self-inflating pad are usually larger, and foam pads are the largest. Depending on how you pack, foam sleeping pads may need to attached to the outside of your backpack to be carried because they're so large. While closed cell foam pads don't absorb water if they get wet, you'll want to dry one off before you put a sleeping bag or quilt on top of it after a wet day on the trail.
INSULATION: There are two types of sleeping pads: those intended for three-season (spring, summer, and autumn) use and those intended for use year-round. While four season sleeping pads are slightly heavier, they can be an excellent value if you can only afford to buy one sleeping pad.
DURABILITY: Foam sleeping pads are the most durable, self-inflating pads are the next most durable, and inflatable air mattresses the least. Inflatable pads tend to fair in two places: the valves and the cover fabric. Flat valves that are flush with the surface of the sleeping pad are more durable than stick valves because they have no moving parts and can't catch on obstructions.
Check out SectionHiker's 10 Best Gear Guides
Disclosure: Therm-a-Rest, Klymit, Sea-to-Summit, Big Agnes, Exped, and NEMO have all provided the author with many free gear samples for testing and review during the past 10 years.
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