Our Guide to Sleeping Pads

Insulation is not about having a heater that's actively blasting hot air at you, insulation just slows the rate at which you lose body heat, by trapping it. This is why the same jacket on one person can feel too warm, and on someone else, can feel not warm enough. Every body works differently in generating body heat, no one else can tell you what will be warm enough. So how do you know? Mostly through the trial & error that comes with experience. This is why renting can be helpful!

Insulation counters 3 of 4 ways that we lose body heat

	How your body loses heat (high level physics)	How to counter this
Evaporation	When your body's temperature rises, you sweat. That sweat evaporates using your body heat, so effectively taking it away, allowing you to cool off	Unfortunately we can't not sweat, instead we want to remove sweat quickly & not allow it to evaporate off our skin. This is not typically thought of as 'insulation', and it's reviewed in the sub-section on Base Layers in our clothing guide
Conduction	Your body loses heat through direct contact with solid matter	Clothes or gear creates barrier(s) of dead air that slow the rate of heat loss (detailed how it works below). Barrier(s) needs to: Trap the right amount of dead air: you don't want to freeze or overheat, which is why clothing & gear come with different quantities of insulation to trap different amounts of dead air. This is also why layering works, each layer traps a little bit more! Be a good fit (generally form-fit): a small heater may never heat up a large room. In that same way, if clothing or gear is sized too large, your body may not be able to warm up the excess dead air to equilibrium, and so you may continue to feel cold
Convection	Your body loses heat through direct contact with circulating liquid or gaseous matter This is actually a variant of conduction. Liquid or gas next to you is warmed by conduction, but then that liquid or gas moves away (since it's circulating), and is replaced by colder liquid or gas that gets warmed again, and so on.
Radiation	Your body loses heat just because it's warm This is how the sun heats the earth through space, via infrared rays	Use a material to reflect heat back, like a mirror! Emergency blankets & the insides of some jackets use Mylar to do this (it's that shiny, metallic stuff you also find in many food wrappers). Why don't we just have Mylar jackets & sleeping bags (which would be so much less expensive)? Because it's not very durable & can be too crinkly or crunchy for regular use

How does a barrier of dead air work?

Without a barrier our bodies lose heat to the environment: there's air flowing all around us (convective heat loss) & we're almost always touching something, even if it's just our feet walking on the ground (conductive heat loss). With a barrier (whether it's clothes, shoes, anything), instead, we lose heat to the barrier, and then the barrier loses heat to the environment. Ideally, the rate at which we lose heat to the barrier is roughly equal to the rate at which the barrier loses heat to the environment; this enables equilibrium, where we feel comfortable. For example: when you put on a jacket, it initially feels cold, until we've lost enough heat to it (warmed it up), then we feel comfortable. If these rates aren't equal, then discomfort can happen. For example:

When you exercise rigorously, you can feel too hot. What's happening is that your rate of body heat loss is really high, higher than the rate at which clothing can dissipate that heat
When you put on a really thick jacket, you can feel too hot. What's happening is that the jacket thickness reduces the rate of heat loss to the environment compared to the rate at which we lose heat to the jacket, allowing us to overheat it
When you put on a really thin jacket, you can feel cold. The opposite is happening, the rate of heat loss to the environment is greater than our ability to heat up the jacket, so equilibrium is never reached & we never feel warm

The most effective barrier isn't any material, it's actually dead air (aka dead space or dead air space). This is air that is trapped & not circulating (because if it were circulating, then that implies a hole in the barrier, in which case you'd lose heat by convection; this is why unzipping helps you cool off & why most outdoor clothing or gear has cinches or velcro at the openings). For example: a thick down jacket is warm not because there's lots of down feathers, but because an inherent property of down is that the feathers are very puffy--they expand & take up lots of volume (this is called lofting*). In the voluminous space that the down feathers take up, there is a lot of dead air that can be trapped! The voluminous space is also why it looks so thick, when in fact, it's not about thickness. The less dense & more voluminous a material, the better it insulates by trapping more dead air. For example, a 'thick' sweater is woven in a way that it traps lots of air pockets, compared to a regular shirt.

By that same rationale, a barrier can lose its insulation power if it's compacted or compressed in a way where it can't trap as much dead air. This is why:

For sleeping bags you want a sleeping pad below you, since below you, the bag is compressed & doesn't insulate as effectively from the ground (which is a significant source of heat loss through conduction)
For clothing there are insulation technologies (see the sub-section on Middle Layers in our clothing guide) that don't depend on lofting, since sometimes clothes need to be tighter fit
For storage & maintenance it's important to only compress insulation when you need to (e.g., you're in-transit) & not for long periods of time (at home in storage). Specifically if a lofting material has been too compressed, you may proactively beat it out to get it to work

*Fill power is a measure of how much a material can loft. The higher the number, the more volume it expands to take up, and the better insulation

Our mission is to get people outdoors. Since most people aren't enthusiasts who venture outside regularly, you can buy or rent sleeping pads. Specifically, about our sleeping pad rentals:

We rent sleeping pads that are higher end than those rented elsewhere, but still offer competitive pricing
We offer a rent-to-buy program so you don't have to worry about losing money from renting
Our self-service allows you to hire sleeping pads whenever is convenient for you

Core function: People routinely under-estimate the need for a sleeping pad, thinking that the ground is soft. False! The ground is VERY hard, especially for most people accustomed to sleeping on modern beds! Try sleeping on a carpeted surface overnight (or even for a nap)... if you wake with aches & sores, then that will be just like the experience of sleeping outside on the hard ground or even grass! Moreover, sleeping without a second barrier between you and the ground will cause you to lose warmth, even with a sleeping bag! (It may be also helpful to understand how insulation works)

Do you really need it?

Yes, some kind of sleep surface is one of the 3 key essentials for any trip. If you're transitioning from day hiking trips to camping or backpacking, we absolute recommend renting sleeping pads first to help you figure out what pads work for your sleeping preferences, which can be a trial-and-error process (just like finding the best bedding at home!) .

For more info, read our 'what you really need' protip

What we carry

Type or style	Air only				Air + foam mix	Foam only
Type or style	Blow-up by mouth (usually <1 min)				Blow-up by mouth or partially self-inflate (unroll & open valve, foam slowly takes in air over a few hours)	Unroll or unfold
Model
Model	Thermarest XTherm	Thermarest UberLight	Thermarest XLite	REI Stratus	Thermarest ProLite Plus	Thermarest Z-Lite Sol
Buy MSRP with tax	$217	$195	$217	$110 value	$130 (regular) $152 (extra long & wide)	$63
Rent			$18+	$13+
Online rental Catalog name			Sleeping pad (backpacking)	Sleeping pad (regular)
Thickness	2.5in 6.4cm				1.5in 3.8cm	0.75in 2.0cm
Warmth R-value	5.7	2.0	3.2	2.9	3.4	2.6
Weight Standard 6ft (1.8m) length	15oz 430g	9oz 250g	12oz 340g	21oz 595g	23oz 650g	14oz 410g
Carry size & notes	A super super burrito	A burrito	A super burrito	A super super burrito	The smallest ultralight sleeping bag	A larger yoga mat

General Notes

We choose what we carry based on extensive research on what's the best value to our customers (e.g., price given performance & durability features) across all the top brands. We specifically do not carry every brand & model; for details on why we do/don't carry certain items in the following What To Use & How To Choose section
Buy prices a grayed out box indicates we don't sell it (we may only rent sleeping pads of this model)
Rent prices are the starting prices; enter trip dates on our Catalog to get exact prices (based on total trip length, not per day!). We also don't charge sales tax, an automatic savings of almost 10%!

When you hire sleeping pads online, you can select from available options or we'll pick out something for you. You can also write-in any preferences on the last page of checkout. This section describes the majority of our models & options, but sometimes we carry others.

Sex-specific

It is still a general convention in the industry that if not specified, an item is either unisex or designed for a male fit. But in our experience, personal preference & body type can often be much more important than generalized differences across sexes. Whenever considering sex-specific gear, compare carefully, including trying to rent sleeping pads of different types for various trips to find the best value for you (be mindful that women-specific items may be more expensive).

For this item, we do carry women-specific inventory. When renting sleeping pads online, please write-in on the last page of our online order form if you prefer a women-specific model, available in the air-only, backpacking models, & are 5.5ft (1.7m) long.

What to use & how to choose

Sometimes it's easy to get lost in all the hype of something new (over-spending often happens on features). Our guide focuses on the fundamental factors you should always keep in mind (thus, this short list is similar across all items). Then only at the end do we have some questions to get you thinking about other minor features. Also take advantage of renting sleeping pads to try out what works for you!

We highly recommend reviewing Type or Style first, where we review what you can use to address the Core function--a regular item you have at home may work! The other factors are secondary & depend strongly on the Type or Style you've picked; in fact, for other factors data charts are generally only for a specific Type or Style that we carry (e.g., as a gear shop, would be outdoor-specific products).

We've organized the most commonly used items people use to address the Core function below, with example images, characteristics, features, etc.

Name		Camping cot	Air mattress	Sleeping pad
Example qualities & features	Padding material	If available, usually foam	Air only	Air only	Air + foam mix	Foam only
	Example images
	Do you sleep off the ground?	This ventilation may be important for some
	Is the surface slippery? May be a problem for people who really toss & turn heavily				Depends on model
	Firmness	Depends on the padding, if cot is padded	You can blow it up to how you like it			Like a yoga mat
	Usage & durability over time	Depends on frame, generally durable if well-made	You can use as long as it doesn't puncture (over time, you will likely have to patch up holes)		Between air & foam pads	No risk of puncturing, but as the foam compresses, it may feel less supportive
	Usage & durability over time	Depends on frame, generally durable if well-made	Material is very weak, we've done extensive research & not come up with a "high end" air mattress. <10 uses	Durable technical fabric. Quality pads can go 100+ uses	Between air & foam pads

	How do you set it up?	Unroll or unfold	Use a pump (manual or electric)	Blow-up by mouth	Blow-up by mouth or self-inflate (unroll & open valve, foam slowly takes in air over a few hours)	Unroll or unfold
Effect on other factors	Price**	$30-100	$10-50	$60-250	$50-150	$20-50
	Warmth Given thickness	R-value not measured		R-value 2-5 2-4in (5-10cm) thick	R-value 2-3 1-2in (2.5-5cm) thick	R-value 1-2 <1in (2.5cm) thick
	Warmth Given thickness	Some cots don't have padding, so people will add a pad on top	9-18in (22-45 cm) thick	R-value 2-5 2-4in (5-10cm) thick	R-value 2-3 1-2in (2.5-5cm) thick	R-value 1-2 <1in (2.5cm) thick
	Capacity	Generally for single individuals	Twin to king size Twin = twice the size of a single individual, i.e., it's a double	Generally for single individuals
	Weight**	10-20lbs (5-9kg) Lightweight models do exist (down to 3lbs, 1.4kg), but generally people who care about weight savings would just get a pad!	3-10lbs (1.4-4.5kg) More luxuriously padded models can get to 30+lbs (14+kg)	0.5-1.9lb (0.2-0.9kg)	1.2+lb (0.5+kg) Can get to 3lbs (1.4kg) if it imitates an air mattress with more padding	0.8-0.9lb (0.3-4kg) Foam is actually very light
	Size When folded down	Depends on how it folds, may be able to be slung over-the-shoulder or require a car, like a folding table	Depends on capacity; when air is fully removed, may be able to fit in a large backpack	See size analogies in Weight & Size section
	Rationale	While not very technical, there are more materials (e.g., it has a metal frame)	Only lower end versions exist	More air-based = less matter & more trapped dead air		More foam-based = more matter & less trapped dead air
Why we do/don't carry it = we rent = we sell		Not as versatile for multiple use cases; as noted above, people may still need to get a pad for it	Too many issues with durability	Standard for most outdoor uses	Standard for most outdoor uses On our Catalog, this is indicated with '(regular)'	Already at a low price

If you don't go very often, of course you're going to want to spend less money, but this often means real trade-offs in terms of the experience that you will have with the gear. Even if you do go often & are ready to invest in quality gear, having the upfront funds can be hard!

Now, it may seem like this price & quality trade-off is disappearing, because you can find a cheap version of almost anything for tens of dollars that still has good reviews (assuming the reviews are real). So you might be thinking: I'll just buy something cheap, and because the price is so low it doesn't matter if it's less featured or heavier or whatever compared to something higher end. When that breaks, I'll buy something cheap again, and so on. Just remember:

What's better than cheap? FREE! And we have a gear library of items you can borrow for free!
Many reviews are written after only a trial use or first use: We've seen entire review videos of gear done at home, which is very different than actually being outdoors! And reviews after the first use don't tell you about durability at all
You're headed outdoors to relax and enjoy life! Saving money only to have a trip ruined due to quality issues will feel terrible. Our program to rent sleeping pads is designed to help you avoid this trade-off: you get to rent high end, quality sleeping pads for around the same price as buying cheap ones (sometimes even for less!)

For this item specifically, the price vs. quality trade-off issues center around performance & durability.

The sleeping pad was bigger or heavier: When you're doing long distances, every ounce or gram really can matter (thru-hikers can get very zealous with this). Not to mention a cheap pad that's, for example, only foam doesn't compress down very well, you might need to spend more on a big enough backpack to carry it
The sleeping pad popped easily: A cheap air-based sleeping pad is basically an air mattress, and as we've discussed, we wouldn't recommend it because the risk of puncture can be so high. This is especially important because most people are very unaccustomed to sleeping on the hard ground & really need the padding

Methodology notes on prices shown on this page

How many people fit on a sleeping pad

Most sleeping pads are designed for single, individual sleepers. That said, there are double sleeping pads. Here's how a double pad affects the other factors:

Weight & size: more material = greater weight & size
Price: unfortunately no special deals here, most double sleeping pads are priced like 2 individual sleeping pads

Since it's less versatile & around the same price as 2 individual sleeping pads, most people don't get a double pad. For that reason, we don't have detailed data, nor do we carry this item.

How big the sleeping pad is

There are 2 strategies that people follow:

For most situations: get a pad that's sized to at least your size
For maximizing weight & size savings: get a pad that's smaller (usually this means shorter) than you & let your feet or legs dangle off (to prioritize keeping your torso warm). Is this trade-off worth it? You can always rent a shorter sleeping pad to try out!

Length

Labeled length Height of person it will accomodate		4.5ft (1.4m)		5ft (1.5m)		5.5ft (1.7m)		6ft (1.8m)		6.5ft (2.0m)
		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Name to look for Some models have a sex-based size difference, some don't. For when there is a sex-based size difference, we've indicated what it's likely to be		Adult 3/4 length or short						Adult standard (aka adult regular)		Adult long
						Women's standard (aka women's regular)		Women's long
								Men's standard (aka men's regular)		Men's long
Effect on other factors	Price	Subtract up to $20 below standard						Standard		Add up to $20 over standard
	Girth See below for more info	Generally no change compared with standard						Standard		May only come in extra-wide girth
	Weight	Subtract up to 10oz (283g) below standard						Standard		Add up to 10oz (283g) over standard
	Rationale	Size of sleeping pad just affects amount of materials used, very straightforward. This is the only table where we compare data to the standard versus a standalone range, because generally pads not standard length are a derivative of a standard model
Why we do/don't carry it = we rent = we sell		Not as versatile for multiple use cases				For rent only in the ultralight weight class for people who want to sacrifice length for weight savings		Standard for most outdoor uses		For rent only in the superlight weight class since people who want ultralight would likely sacrifice length for weight; extremely limited availability, please write-in a special request when you reserve

Width

We can have the same table as above for the width dimension. However, width is pretty standardized, ~20in (~55 cm) per person. There are extra-wide sizes (25in [60cm]), sometimes these are also only available in "Adult long", and this may incrementally increase price & weight over the standard size by up to $20 & 5oz (142g). We do carry extra-wide pads for rent for people who need the extra space; extremely limited availability, please write-in a special request when you reserve. Based on standard widths, the number of sleeping pads that will fit in a given tent correlates with the tent's prescribed person count. In other words, if you want extra-wide sleeping pads, get a larger tent.

If you're thru-hiking 20+ miles (32+km) per day, every advantage counts! In this case, size refers to compactness. You can carry more gear in the same size backpack if all of it is very compact, or for more weight savings, you can get a smaller size pack.

To reduce more weight & increase compactability, manufacturers reduce the amount of material used (e.g., fewer features, thinner fabrics, etc.) and, where possible, use more technical materials to prevent performance loss. For example, ultralight fabric has to still be waterproof. These strategies create 2 general consequences

Lightweight gear tends to be less durable: Sometimes, light-weight gear is just thinner & so more prone to damage (even a more technical material may not fully offset the loss in durability)
Lightweight gear tends to be more expensive: While less materials = lower cost, the more dominating effect is often that thinner materials = more technical = greater cost

For these reasons, the lighter the gear, the more you should treat it as an investment! Is the price difference worth the weight or size savings? This depends on you & your trip! Given our mission we're the only shop that rents a sleeping pad that's ultralight, so feel free to try it out, and see how different the weight feels!

NOTE: Foam-only pads are excluded from the comparision below because foam is already very light, the industry doesn't have regular vs ultralight foam. And yet, because it is so light, some people do prefer a foam pad as their ultralight option. Just keep in mind that foam isn't compressible, so you have a size trade-off. A foam pad will almost always have to be strapped to the outside of a backpack

Sleeping pad Single person Size (Capacity)		Regular	Superlight	Ultralight
Sleeping pad Single person Size (Capacity)		Air or air + foam mix Style		Air Style
Weight		1.6-2.6+lbs (0.7-1.2+kg)	1.3-1.6lb (0.6-0.7kg)	0.5-1.3lb (0.2-0.6kg)
Size At its smallest...		Like a larger yoga mat	Like the smallest ultralight sleeping bag	Like a super burrito
Effect on other factors	Price	Lower		Higher
	Warmth	There can be high R-value sleeping pads across weight classes, though generally within a weight class, the more R-value the heavier
	Rationale	While effect on other factors follows above trends (lighter = less but more technical materials = lower R-value but greater price), there is significant product variation.
Why we do/don't carry it = we rent = we sell		Not as versatile for multiple use cases	Versatile for most outdoor uses, therefore more worth the money On our Catalog, this is indicated with '(regular)'	Our mission is to increase access to gear & we are proud to be the only company to rent as well as sell this type On our Catalog, this is indicated with '(backpacking)'

Methodology notes on weight & size (compactness) for backpacking

Measured by an R-value that indicates "Resistance" to heat transfer. The higher the R-value, the more a pad resists heat transfer, the warmer you stay since you lose less body heat to the ground. R-value became standardized in the industry around 2019, for pads older than that, including some of our rentals, an exact comparison across models is harder to pinpoint.

Sleeping pads are critical to maintaining warmth & insulating you from the ground, which the sleeping bag doesn't do very well (see our insulation review). Most people get a sleeping bag first, and then get a sleeping pad second, so the R-value of a sleeping pad can "complement" your bag. I.e., if you have a thin bag and are going someplace cold, get a pad with a higher R-value, or vice-versa.

Generally, women tend to be cold-sleepers & men tend to be warm-sleepers (for more info on women-specific sleeping pads, click here), so a woman might want to look for a higher R-value (usually +1). You can also stack pads to increase R-value (which is additive), see Usage section.

Like any decision around insulation & warmth, personal preference can be much more important than statistics & actual conditions. Hiring a sleeping pad is a great way of testing what works best for you!

R-value		1-		2		3		4		5+
		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
When you might use it		Warm nights			Standard					For mountaineering & expeditions
Effect on other factors	Price	Less expensive					More expensive
	Weight & Size	Lighter, thinner, more compact					Heavier, thicker, less compact
	Rationale	There can be high R-value sleeping pads that are ultralight though generally within a weight class, the more R-value the heavier
Why we do/don't carry it = we rent = we sell		Lower R-value means not as versatile for multiple use cases			Standard for most outdoor uses		We sell a 5.7 R-value pad, because the incremental price increase on a pad is lower than a bag, some people will have a thinner sleeping bag but buy a higher R-value pad to compensate. We don't rent this pad because most people would not need something this technical

Here, we give you a list of questions to start thinking about other features. We hope our approach of savings these features for last gets you to more critically think about what you need & not get caught up in the hype of what's cool and over-spend your budget. Remember, we allow you to hire a sleeping pad so feel free to try out various models with different features.

Does it crinkle a lot? (Some pads have myler liners inside to add insulation, but then this crinkles when you roll around, and some light sleepers notice the sound)
Are the baffles vertical or horizontal, or something else? (Some people find vertical baffles help prevent them from rolling off)
Can it integrate with a sleeping bag? (Some sleeping bags have sleeves so you can put a sleeping pad inside, helping stop you from rolling off the pad)
Do you have to blow it up or is there a pump, and if so, how does it work?

Usage tips

Slipping & stacking

Given that air pads are more slippery & foam pads are less so, foam pads are better:

For people who toss & turn a lot (e.g., kids)
For stacking to increase R-value (you could stack a slippery pad on a foam pad though, if you yourself are not concerned about the slipperiness).

Site selection

If you're using an inflatable pad, be sure that there are no sharp objects on the ground where you plan to sleep (these can poke through the tent floor & puncture the pad). Review the notes on site selection for a tent for more info. Using a footprint or ground cloth underneath your tent can provide extra protection, but it is not a substitute for careful site selection. If you are camping without a tent (e.g., cowboy camping or using a tarp tent), it's still best to use a ground cloth to help protect your sleeping pad.

Maintenance tips

Repairing

Delamination: This is where the different air pockets in the sleeping pad merge together, a symptom is a giant bubble! Unfortunately this kind of damage is not reparable.

Leaky pad: Check out our Gear Repair & Cleaning Services page for details on how we find & repair holes. While we're repairing yours, you can rent a sleeping pad at a discount!

Cleaning & Storing

Gear not in use should be cleaned & dried and then stored loose & in a dark environment, check out our entire protip on the topic here.

We have a general protip on how to store & maintain gear that we highly recommend reviewing as well. If you send us video or a good photo series, we may be able to help you evaluate your repair needs.

Other products on the market

A hammock can potentially substitute for your entire essential set of tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad! Substitutability depends on the model of hammock, so do your research thoroughly to see if the hammock has rain protection or mesh (to simulate a tent), and any built-in padding or bedding for warmth & comfort. You'll also want to ensure there are plenty of trees where you're going. Finally, you might want to try taking a nap first, hammocks result in back pain for some & back pain relief for others, the last thing you want is to wake up after a long night in pain!

The exact numbers (e.g., weights, dimensions, prices, etc.) used were updated as of September 2019 .

SUN		MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT

	UNSTAFFED 24/7 WHENEVER RENT only Unlock gate & door via smartphone self-service Yes you can rent at the door! Limited selection of gear (what's in our lockers); extra sizes for clothing where possible





		STAFFED 3-6pm WEEKDAYS (except Wednesdays) BUY, RENT, or BORROW No smartphone required Full selection of gear to try & test (including all rental gear, so you can check condition yourself!) Exceptions to standard Staffed hours (e.g., holidays) in the upcoming 14 days: None in the next 14 days

Our storefront

Directions

Convenient gear return

Our Guide to Sleeping Pads

What we carry

General Notes

Sex-specific