Sleeping Pad Choices

Did you find a good solution?  I’m in the exact same boat. Arms fall off 20” Xlite pad, but 25” pads are quite a bit heavier.  Would also love an R value closer to 4+ for cooler night down around 30’F. Looking at getting an Xterm large and cutting length down to torso size.  That would give me 25” width for my arms, more warmth, but at the cost of about 6oz.

Easy enough to shorten a pad with scissors and an iron. Sleep is too important to me to worry about the extra few ounces in my long wide pad. Saved enough everywhere else. I went with an Exped after never really getting along with my NeoAir. Much prefer the thicker side tubes to keep me on it.

Is there any reason that you are only considering Thermarest products?

I’ve used my Exped Synmat UL7 below freezing with my quilt and it was toasty (and I’m a female cold sleeper).  If you’re not so tall, Exped offers a Medium Wide (25″x72″). There are a few pads you might look at from their line:  Synmat UL (19oz, but drool-worthy comfort); Synmat UL Lite (18.7), and the Synmat HL which is under 1lb for the Long Wide (but it’s mummy shaped, like the XLite, and some have complained that it’s a bit colder because the side channels have no insulation).  Exped pads are quiet!

There’s also the new Big Agnes AXL insulated, which just came out.  No R-values are given, but I would imagine that the insulated version would be warm enough for 3-season use. I haven’t used it on the trail yet (just the living room) but it’s quiet and comfy, and weighs under 1lb for the MW version.

I too am  big fan of the Exped pads. They are nowhere near as noisy as the thermarests, and they come in a large variety of sizes in terms of length and width. Worth checking-into IMHO.

Have a look at the mountain equipment aerostat pads, campsaver has them. They worked with exped on the outer and valves, but used their own insulation. The long/wide synthetic comes in at 22oz with an r value of 5.1. The down is 26oz with An r value of 8.8.

Massdrop ul pads are nice and cheap comparatively.  I only use mine in the winter though and cant speak for any other inflatables because I hate the idea of putting a hole in an investment. To bolster R and add bottom protection ive used a car window protector, not the reflectix but the 1/8″ cheap foam with mylar. I think it weights 1.8oz untrimmed

A tip for bed prep is to lay your ground sheet down, and roll on it to find puncture potentials. I dont do that with foam and had a stick blast through my gg lite torso pad

Been reading up on the Expeds.  Good specs and lots of configurations.  Reading that there are durability issues with the inside baffles failing.  Not clear to me whether this has been fixed in newer models.

@gnosis — The delaminating baffles were a big issue a couple of years ago, but only for the “Synmat Hyperlite” models (not the regular rectangular Synmat ULs).  They’ve changed the model slightly since then, but I don’t know if the baffle issue has been solved completely — I noticed that REI doesn’t sell that model any more!

Edited to add:  My husband’s Hyperlite had a baffle delamination about 1.5 years ago after very little use, and I sent it back to Exped on warranty with a note along the lines of: I love my Synmat UL7 and rave about it all the time, but if you think that a new Hyperlite might delaminate again, would you consider replacing it with a Synmat UL instead?  When the package arrived, I found they’d sent me a Synmat UL.

I actually just purchased an XTherm size large a month or two ago and I’m really happy with it. Not sure if this is typical, but I was pleasantly surprised to find mine weighed 1.5 ounces spec at 18.5 ounces on my scale. For a very comfortable pad at 25×78 and four-season insulated I don’t think you could do much better. Bonus points that it’s still made in the USA and has a lifetime warranty.

I tried the AXL uninsulated mummy regular, but the valve failed the first time I used it, so I returned it.

I have a NeoAir Xtherm regular. It works well, but my most comfortable air mattress is an REI Flash in long/wide. I’m 6’3″ and as much as I’m trying to reduce weight, I will likely go with the Flash on our troops’ backpacking trips.

Maybe it’s the smaller size of the Xtherm that makes sleeping difficult. The Flash is at a pretty good price point, too. A few extra ounces for more sleep is worth it to me.

I’ve gone from old self-inflating Thermarests, to an Exped Synmat UL7, to an Xlite, to an Xtherm, then back to the Synmat. IMO, the Synmat is much more comfortable than the NeoAirs, but noticeably less warm than the Xtherm. It made a pretty big difference when switching to a quilt. Never had any durability issues, but the Xtherm is definitely more robust than the Synmat (probably the Xlite too). I now carry a short Ridgerest as a multi use, semi luxury item. Extra comfort + warmth for sleep system, a little insurance if pad fails, and a very versatile and durable sit/stretch pad. Very happy sleeper here :)

I’ve spent a few nights on my HL so far, and I’m really pleased. I went from a long NeoAir (original rectangular model) to a regular HL after an REI sale with some gift cards. This was my first time using a mummy-style pad, and personally not a fan. If I lay on my back, I have to make effort to keep my feet and arms on the pad, so at some point I’ll be switching to a wide. Other than that, I love the HL. Feels durable, thick enough to let out a little air so that I can sink in without touching the ground, and it’s kept me warm. Would recommend.

Like Brad, I’m returning my AXL Air uninsulated. But, the good news is I just ordered a TAR Xlite on Amazon. I’ve never seen this one before, new, no speedvalve, and the same size as the AXL-25X72. I don’t see it listed on TARs website. I should have it in two days.

Steven, which XLite did you order? Can you share the Amazon link?

What didn’t you like about your AXL?

I think Steven probably ordered this one. It appears to be exclusive to Backcountry Edge.

Yup, that’s the one. Thanks William.

I was looking for an older Xlite (non-sv) when I came across this one.

Elliot, I used the AXL last weekend. I used the AXL uninsulated on nights that were about 55 deg F. I was cold! Specifically my hip and shoulder where I contacted the pad. It reminded me of the chill I get when I’m in a hammock without an under quilt. So, back it goes.