20 Best Sleeping Mats For Backpacking (2023 Updated)

This is my third pad in my quest for a comfortable pad as a man who side sleeps, and I’ve finally found a keeper. I’ve never been able to sleep on my side on a pad without waking up at night and/or in the morning with painful hips- the bony part of my hips sinks onto the hard ground.

In a bid to avoid hips hitting the ground, I’d overinflate other pads and wake up from side-sleeping with a numb arm due to the harder pad. I’m 6’2″ and went for the regular size to save slightly on weight and space.

I fit comfortably on the pad. The material isn’t slippery, so I don’t wake up hanging off the edge at either end. With 4 inches of depth, this pad lets me stay soft enough to be comfortable yet still not hit the ground with my hips.

I still have to make sure to fine-tune the firmness of the pad to strike the best balance, but a balance was impossible with any other pad. The only time I don’t use this pad is for winter camping- it’s not remotely warm enough.

I have to use a 2. 5 pad for that with a closed-cell foam pad under that- quite heavy and less comfortable. The Sea to Summit pump sack is the fastest at inflating pads, and I’ve had pads from all the major players.

This pad is also pretty quiet. Moving around at night still sounds like a balloon a bit, but it’s more low-frequency balloon- no so much with the high-pitched squeaks and crinkling sounds of other pads.

It took me about one night to get the hang of the double valve and to learn to make adjustments inflating or deflating while sleeping on the thing. It’s very easy! I love this pad. I wish they had an 7+ R-value version for winter camping! Alas, it’s hard to imagine anybody in Perth Australia thinks about winter camping much.

I’ve put about 200 miles of hiking on this pad with 0 holes or issues. I have no complaints about this and struggle to even imagine potential improvements. I have a 2 inch pad from Sea to Summit that I bought before the Ether was released.

That was similar but so much less comfortable due to being half the thickness. That pad did get 2 pin holes on the trail. I could fix one hole with the included patch kit and needed to submerge in a bath tub with water to find the second tiny hole.

Since patching I’ve had zero issues with that- now my loaner pad for friends.

It was hard to find a quality pad under $100. After I had a Therm A Rest fail after one once, I didn’t trust them. I looked at Sea to Summit and Big Agnes. A 4. 5 R value with 70 denier for $100 seemed like the best deal I could get.

It’s not ultra light but is light enough for backpacking and it seems like it can be stuffed. The air pump sack is a little tricky so I watched a YouTube video. It does work and will keep me from having to blow it up.

Big Agnes has sold these for $30 in the past. I wish it had an attachment point for a pillow like the Sea to Summit models, but I also found this one to have the highest R value and lowest weight at this price point among any brands I could find.

Will update if the durability doesn’t hold up. It seems like it’s thick enough and the valve/plug appears/feels good. It does make some noise yet doesn’t seem excessive at least testing at home. If you’re a big guy you’ll want wide.

I’m 6 feet about 175 and it works, although as a side sleeper I can’t have all my arms on it and there isn’t room to move. I hike at high altitude so the lower weight was worth not having the extra wide.

I didn’t notice a huge effect from the side baffles supposedly being larger to cradle you. I’m not a huge fan of the linear baffles honestly, however I don’t feel like I would fall off, perhaps unless the ground was super unlevel.

It doesn’t seem super slick like some people say. If they made it coarser to reduce friction that would add weight. Basically guys this is thick jacket material. It’s not the most comfortable in the world and also isn’t a slip and slide.

I bought this pad in late 2019 and have been extremely careful with it. I mostly camp with my car and when I do I always layer a yoga pad under it to be extra careful about sharp things. Unfortunately, in late 2021 it just stopped holding air.

Throughout the night it would slowly deflate, over several trips it got so bad that I would have to re-inflate it several times per night. For this price I had expected a more durable pad. It’s reasonably warm for summer camping, and deals well enough with freezing temperatures.

Around 15f it starts getting moderately uncomfortably cold. It’s fairly loud if you move a lot, but it helps if you don’t have it fully inflated. For me, none of that weighs up against the lack of durability though.

I just can’t have a pad as unreliable as this, it would get me in serious trouble on longer backpacking trips. TLDR; comfortable pad if you’re okay with having to replace it with a new one every 1-2 years and don’t do longer backpacking trips where you need reliable gear.

I had the previous version of this pad and loved it for the warmth, weight and price. However, it was very noisy to sleep on. So I bought the new version and was very disappointed to learn it was just a dang noisy! It sounds like you are rolling around on a pool floatie and disturbs my tentmate.

It’s not a crunchy sound like other lightweight pads. It’s more of a squeaky rubber sound, and is loud with every tiny movement I make. It utterly ruins the experience of being in the solitude of the wilderness.

Another thing I noticed is that it was not as warm as the previous version, though the R values were the same. With this one, I had to blow it up to a firm level to be warm in 40 degree nights, which sacrifices comfort because it made the pad harder.

Yes, good value for the price, but I absolutely cannot stand the noise level of this pad and will be getting a different one for my next trip.

I purchased this product for a trip to Alaska where I would be on the move daily and living out of a backpack for a week. For this reason I needed a sleeping pad that was light, comfortable, and decently warm.

I have had good experiences with this company’s products in the past and I decided to give it a shot. In the end, I did not regret this purchase. I found this product very light and compact and I think it performed as well as I expected.

I did enjoy that it has an R-value of 3. 1, which is pretty good for something that weight. I found that it did keep me warm at night when paired with a good sleeping bag, even in below freezing temperatures.

This product is advertised as being perfect for spring or fall camping, and I agree! I have not had any issues with the durability of the product and it has held up great so far. I also really enjoy the built in valve system and have found that there is minimal deflation that occurs at night.

The only thing I really have a potentially negative comment on is the stuff sack which can be used to inflate the pad. It is a neat idea, but in practice I found it to be kinda silly. I found it much faster and had no issue inflating it by mouth.

Overall, great product! I intend on taking this on camping trips year round.

As a side sleeper I have been a fan of baffle design mats for the last 12-18 months. I find they adjust and equalise better especially if I’m fidgeting in my sleep. I’ve been using a No R Rating mat and have found nights long and uncomfortable but eventually I took the plunge and invested in this mat.

Side by side you can almost instantly feel the difference the insulation makes. The S2S Ultralight seems to warm up underneath you like a radiator. When you switch to the other mat there is definitely no comparison.

My first Wild Camp of the year was at 1 degree and I had a really comfortable night, the only cold spot was when I somehow Magyars to move my feet off the mat. Believe me it’s no gimmick you really can feel the difference.

It’s easy to inflate with the supplied back, deflates quickl and packs back into its stuff sack really easily compared to my other mats. Really is a fantastic mat and well worth the money for the weight pack size and additional comfort and warmth benefits.

I went from a $30 amazon mat to this. It checks all the boxes: it’s comfortable, it’s quiet, it stays inflated all through the night, and it’s really easy to inflate/deflate. With the stuff sack, inflating only takes me three breaths.

I am 5’10 and 170lbs, back and side sleeper. With a size Regular, I have room at the head and foot and have no issue staying on the pad. I’ve paired this with the Sea to Summit Ascent 25-degree bag and been warm in 35 degree nights no problem.

Haven’t tested colder. My only complaint is, I honestly thought it was going to be a bit smaller than it is. I’m a bikepacker and it’s definitely light enough, but I haven’t found a convenient spot for it on my bike so I still need to keep it in a backpack.

If you’re going for an ultralight, small bikepacking pad, there are probably pads that pack a little smaller for a little more money—but this one definitely does the trick for sleeping.

I used this with a 20 degree topquilt in the UP during a 30 degree night, in my hammock. I have to say it worked, however that was pushing the limit; it felt as though the heat was just trying to stay inside.

If I moved too much, the topquilt would untuck itself from the pad and a cold spot would appear. But, later in the trip during 40-50 degree nights, it was perfect! But, as perhaps to be expected, I would wake with condensation at the lowest point of the pad.

The colder it is, the worse this is because it contributes to cold. In the warmer 50-60 degree nights, I went without that 20 degree topquilt because I would have boiled. This was regrettable as I was on the brink of cold, with only my insulated jacket on my lower legs/feet, and a wool shirt for my torso.

And I felt a little sticky because I wasn’t totally dry from the day’s hiking. If you’re on a tight budget and wanting to get started, this isn’t a bad option! Just make sure you have a good topquilt or insulation on top.

The key pros are affordability, weight, and packability. It doesn’t weigh much and doesn’t take up a lot of space. However, it can be a workout to roll up to get it into the stuffsack! I usually have to deflate it once as a preliminary, then fold it, open the valve, and roll it up again to get the rest of the air out.

It can be quite a squeeze, but it works! I haven’t noticed any leaks.

I’d only really camped one other time before I purchased this sleeping pad as my first personally owned one. I found it plenty soft enough when inflated to sleep comfortably, even over some roots at a couple campsites.

I used it in a two person tent that I shared with another camper, and it’s tapered design seemed like it helped make it feel like it didn’t take up too much space, even in the tall size (the tall size itself was the right call for a tall person!).

Nights only got down to low 50s or maybe upper 40s one night, but I never felt like the sleeping pad was an issue with staying warm. (Used in conjunction with a 30F sleeping bag and wearing pants and a long sleeve shirt.

) It gave me no problems over a 4 night trip into the Boundary Waters, and I’m looking forward to getting a lot more use out of it.

I have used a lot of mattresses throughout my life. I can honestly say I think this one is the most comfortable and sleeps as similar as you can to a real mattress. To go from sleeping on the ground, then to an egg crate style, to other air mattresses, then to this.

is almost a life changing experience. These pack smaller and are about as light as one of those large “Z rest” style mattresses you see, yet are infinitely more comfortable. This particular one has been through a lot and still holds air like a champ.

My old double stuff Z Big Agnes has more holes in it than Amber Heard’s case and seems to be not nearly as tough as this one. Buying a little rechargeable inflating device will be worth carrying as well and this thing inflates in no time at all.

And for redundancy it can also be used to fan your fire. It may also be prudent to bring some waterproof patching material and perhaps a small thing of superglue on extended outings (both can double to repair clothing, tents, tarps, etc) in case of puncture.

Yes “ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain”, but honestly, the older I get, having something like this is worth it. I don’t mind making a leaf/grass/pine straw mattress in the bush for super light weight, but this thing will allow you to get some sleep.

Even if you are a side sleeper. Overall, after spending a good portion of my life outside, using this thing with a bivy sack and sleeping bag, or inside a tent, is absolutely worth it. But for me, the risk of puncture is still worth taking this over an egg crate/pad style (which I have also used very, very extensively).

This is a VERY comfortable sleeping pad. The thicker outside edge on each side was a big plus for me as I’m a fairly active sleeper. It keeps you corralled which keeps you asleep. The quilted top really does make a difference for comfort and keeps you from sliding off and waking up! At 5’10” the long was too long for me but the 24″ width was perfect.

I’m sure the regular wide will be perfectly comfortable and its weight is a reasonable tradeoff for some of the “oz’s lighter” models out there. Which is why I am so sad to see it go! My biggest issue with this sleeping pad, and a deal breaker, is its inflation design.

In my opinion the pad inflation sack is faaaar too small and it’s bulky wall thickness makes it near impossible to take advantage of the vortex method to fill it up. After giving it a few goes I decided that it just wasn’t worth trying anymore.

Some others out there have bags twice this size. One well designed competitor took me three breaths! I literally gave up on this one every time I tried. No worries, I transitioned to my Tiny Pump X to help me out.

With five adapters not one worked on the “In” valve OR the “out” valve on this “game changing comfortable” sleeping pad. This is a tragedy. For such a comfortable and light sleeping pad you shouldn’t have to nearly pass out on it after trying to blow into a hole that’s not designed for it.

Double the bag size, cut the wall thickness down to a fraction, to make it as easy as your competitors to use and I’ll buy it. Follow your comfort standards into an inflation sack/comfortable pillow combo and I’d probably pay another $75 for it.

We were headed out on a 5 week road trip, mostly camping, and I was beginning to panic. I’m a side sleeper nursing a chronic low-back / tailbone injury. I was afraid of what this trip would do to my body.

Honest answer: I’ve never slept better than I do on this air mattress! I never touch the ground, I can squirm side to side as needed. It’s incredibly quiet (compared to pads I’ve had in the past) We covered our two pads with a queen bedsheet because it was going to be too warm for sleeping bags and we didn’t want to sleep right on the pad, which could have made it very noisy and slippery but just did not at all.

No air leaks out of it unless there are massive temperature shifts overnight (85˚ –> 35˚ one night! Hey hey North Rim!) And was extremely resilient to strange objects underneath – errant sticks or rocks we discovered had been under us in the morning.

Never felt them and the pad didn’t pop. AND it was sturdy enough that on that 35˚ night when my 9 year old was too cold on his foam mat, he could climb in with me and we could both lay sideways comfortably on it.

I continue to be impressed with this mat 8 months and about 50 uses after purchase. It was worth every penny. Especially when you buy it from REI because of dividends and their great return policies.

These are the most comfortable and durable sleeping pads you can get. I much prefer the softer density of the foam in the 3″ Paco’s to that of the 2″. We use ours for camping in the back of the car, sleeping directly on the ground (small rocks are unnoticeable), raft camping, sleeping on friend’s floors, hanging out at the park, seating at outdoor concerts.

They roll up fairly tight (if you have some patience) and the straps make carrying them much like your standard cheap camp chairs. We have had ours for more than 5 years and other than a couple of cosmetic scuffs from strapping to the raft they are just like the day we got them.

Yeah I know we’ve all heard (or know) about Pacos but until you actually sleep on one–after years of sleeping on a knockoff–you have no idea how much better they are. Do your back a favor and invest in them.

Wish I had years ago. The sale and easy, friendly curbside pickup was icing on the purchase. Plus the red matches my boat. Win, win, win!.

Tried this out just the other day and it is 100x better than sleeping on the ground in a bag. Even if you tent in the back yard on soft grass, this still provides a nice extra cushion. If you’re camping and you’re at a site with hard pack ground, which many are this is a must! I’ll note that a lot of competitive pads are rolls (think yoga mat) and this is not a roll.

It’s a rectangle. So it’s probably not a great solution if you’re backpacking in somewhere. It’s super light, but it’s bulky and would be tough to pack the roll in my opinion. However, for all others, where your site isn’t 100% portable on your back, it’s a great product.

Used it on a winter camping and the sleeping pad keep my back comfortable and warm. Note the pad is bumpy so may take getting used to. I found the shape help trap air between the pad and sleeping bag and provided insulation in cold nights.

My son also tried it and he sleep well. Note, my son and I were used to camping without any air mattress/pads so we may have higher tolerance for our back, but I can confirm the pad helped keep my back warm.

Half the price of the name brand but works just as well, its hard enough to support against the ground and still feel soft against body weight, this is much more comfortable than the shape would imply, and way better than the cheap standard roll of foam.

Under a sleeping pad it lays flat, on the pack it is a single pound, very light, no fuss to roll up and fight against to lay flat. Don’t waste your time looking through thick yoga mats and other such solutions that are heavy and have fumes, this is the easy way, sealed foam, no fumes, a good sleep, I’m sure you can even double it up if need be with a second one as the egg crates would interlock together to become one.

It’s decent for the price. Keep in mind this is a 22” inflated wide sleeping pad. For someone who rolls, I would personally look elsewhere. It’s also incredibly bulky. Easy to lose it’s packability. Doesn’t really do well with straps on the outside of your pack.

If you have the bungee straps it might pass for packing on the outside. I’m looking elsewhere for another sleeping pad. My girlfriend likes it but she doesn’t roll in her sleep. Currently looking at Thermarest, Nemo and Klymit.

This was my first sleeping pad purchase; I got it for sleeping in my SUV on a recent overnight camping trip. It worked well, creating enough cushion for my 60-year-old self (NOT for a side sleeper probably).

I definitely preferred it over foam pads I have slept on in the past. I do recommend allowing enough time for the pad to fully inflate before using. It takes a while to fully expand (2-3 hours?). It is easy to roll up and re-pack into its cover.

Also comes with a patch kit.

I’m always skeptical about the temp rating on bags, as I have had more than a few sub par. So when I decided to pull the trigger on a new bag I went with down, no more messing around… or so I hoped. The bag is awesome! We recently got property at 11,500 elv.

& it keeps me warm on those cold mountain nights. Love the bag!.

This seems to be a great mattress, but is not the size listed in the description. I ordered this product specifically for the listed size. The dimensions fit exactly what I need for my truck platform bed.

Unfortunately, the listed 60 inch width is 59 inch, and the listed 74 inch length is 70. 5 inch. I called HEST, and the representative was very respectful, explaining that the foam needs a day to expand and that if it did not expand to the stated dimensions, they would refund my purchase upon return.

I gave it 48 hours, and the dimensions remained 59×70. 5. Unfortunately, I do not have time to return this mattress and find another, or I would return/refund. I will simply live with less than what was advertised due to my time constraints.

I am surprised that a mattress at this price point does not meet the standard listed. If you are purchasing this product, I thought it would be helpful to know that it is not the listed size.

This mattress is very comfortable! I bought it based on it’s good reviews — I was looking for something to put in our small pod trailer that was not an air mattress, and was able to be easily moved around.

This fit all those boxes. It does have a bit of an off-gassing mattress smell, but that has gone away after airing out a few days. It is very comfortable, and I do not feel the floor of the trailer, even when sleeping on my side.

The top is soft memory foam, and the bottom is firmer foam that keeps you off the ground. The wide is queen sized, but it is a little short — I’m 5’8″ and my feet were slightly hanging off. Not a huge problem for me, but if you’re any taller it might be something to consider.

The ability to fold it in half and shove it against a wall is a huge selling point for small trailer living. I’d recommend it!.

I purchased this for a camping trip and have used it for multiple purposes. I ended up putting it on the ground for my family to enjoy a movie night and I ended up falling asleep. It is so incredibly comfortable, I am so pleased with how this turned out.

I am a pretty hard sell and I expect things to be great especially when spending a lot of money. The money was well worth it. You can’t put a price on a good night sleep, if you think you can remember a time when you would’ve paid any amount of money to sleep.

It’s worth it.