NEW! NEMO Sleeping Pads 2023 – 2024

[Shawn H]

So I’ve Been Watching MyLifeOutdoors and Justin Outdoors since the big outdoor expo that took place in June. My new favorite gear coming from both channels combined was that there are going to be multiple new NEMO sleeping pads coming out later this year. What caught my eye was the NEMO TensorExtreme Conditions and it’s 8.5 R-Value!!! That’s crazy! And apparently there’s a NEMO Tensor All Season Pad with an R-Value of 5.4 and a NEMO Tensor Trail sleeping pad with an R-Value of 2.8. As seen in the clip am about to link below looks like the Extreme Condition Pad is fairly pricey, just like the X-Therm and the new all season pad is around the same price as the new NEMO Tensor that came out in 2022. All of these look interesting to me, and I am for sure going to grab the NEMO Tensor Extreme Conditions Pad when it comes out, as it looks substantially more comfortable than the X-Therm. Any thoughts?

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxdxlbZ3unBfFt3JqH6pEqZDELaASLepl-

Another thing I noticed when I paused the video on the Nemo Tensor Extreme Conditions is next to the “Pair With” section. In that section there is a sleeping bag by the name of “Coda Down Mummy Sleeping Bag”. A google search and looking on the NEMO website didn’t reveal anything so I assume its a new sleeping bag coming out from NEMO. (Pause at 5:01 to see)”

[Shawn H]

Also just found this article. In it is a picture of the new sleeping bag, the All Season pad, and a new tent coming to NEMO. They also mention a new version of their moonlite chair but did not show any pictures.

https://www.traversing.ca/blog/2023/7/5/nemo-announces-new-tents-sleeping-bag-pad-and-chair-for-2024

[DWR D]

Any thoughts???

Weight?…. what is the price in weight?

[Shawn H]

NEMO Tensor Extreme Conditions: R-Value 8.5

Regular Mummy $249.95 / 16oz

Regular $249.95 / 1lb 1oz

Regular Wide $259.95 / 1lb 5oz

Long Wide $279.95 / 1lb 6oz

NEMO Tensor All Season: R-Value 5.4

Regular Mummy $199.95 / 14.1 oz

Regular $199.95 / 14.8 oz

Regular Wide $219.95 / 1lb 3oz

Long Wide $ 229.95 / 1lb 4oz

NEMO Tensor Trail: R-Value 2.8

Regular Mummy $179.95 / 12.5oz

Regular $179.95 / 13.4oz

Regular Wide $189.95 / 1lb 1 oz

Long Wide $199.95 / 1lb 2 oz

[Shawn H]

What’s interesting to me is in comparison to the Thermarest Uberlite the Nemo Tensor looks way better in my opinion. The uberlite is still the lightest pad on the market but has an R-Value of 2.3 and only a thickness of 2.5 inches. The new NEMO Tensor Trail will have a higher R-Value of 2.8, it is going to be 3.5 inches thick, and comes in only ~6oz heavier than the uberlite. In regards to the regular wide version of both pads the uberlite is 11oz and the Tensor Trail is 17oz. Not a bad weight disparity for the perks the new NEMO comes with.

[Alex H]

Have they increased the bottom fabric thickness from 30D?  That is the deal breaker with me, too many pin hole leaks from the welds.  Otherwise comfy as hell.

[DWR D]

I prefer the 2 1/2 inch thick pads.

Adding an inch pushes your face up into the sloping tent walls… or can compress your down in a bivy. Personally, I am light weight so don’t need the extra inch for comfort. And pay and extra 6 ounces? Not likely on my end. But, hey, there are advantages and disadvantages to just about everything…

[Shawn H]

The top of the sleeping pads will all have 20D on the top of the sleeping pads and 40D on the bottom.

[Justin H]

The new chair is pretty exciting too. 526g without the bag and the reclining ability of their other moonlite chairs.

[Shawn H]

That is really exciting! I think the Helinox chair zero has a gram weight of 510 grams so the Nemo will rival the helinox chair zero!

[bradmacmt]

What’s interesting to me is in comparison to the Thermarest Uberlite the Nemo Tensor looks way better in my opinion.

That’s an apples/oranges comparison which misses the mark.

A better comparison would be the NeoAir XLite NXT. Size Regular, $209.95, 13 oz’s, 3.0″ thickness, 30D, and R4.5.

The comparable Nemo is $10 less, .5″ thicker, 1.0 oz heavier, but with a 0.9 better R value. It has a 40D bottom, and 20D top.

Not sure any of it adds up to something to get too excited about.

Starting from scratch, I “might” go with the Nemo… maybe. Having said that, I think a pad can get too tall without really adding anything substantive in regards to comfort. Seems like pads are in a vertical war :)

I like Nemo a lot, but I doubt I’ll be getting rid of my older 2.5″, R3.2, 30D, 12 oz NeoAir Xlite.

I’m not sure I want to blow up 30-ish% more volume…

 

[Shawn H]

I apologize if I mixed up the two pads or wasn’t specific, I was talking about the new”NEMO Tensor Trail” version of the Tensor sleeping pad compared to the uberlite, not the traditional Tensor.

NEMO Tensor Trail: R-Value 2.8

Regular Mummy $179.95 / 12.5oz

Regular $179.95 / 13.4oz

Regular Wide $189.95 / 1lb 1 oz

Long Wide $199.95 / 1lb 2 oz

It also has a height of 3.5 inches, which I agree is getting a little on the taller side but I dreaded sleeping on the 2.5 inch XTHERM regular size when I had it. I think 3 inch pads are where the industry is headed, and NEMO Pads have traditionally been way more comfortable with their baffling system.

 

An interesting comparison would be the new X-lite NXT and the NEMO All Season pad showcased above. The X-lite NXT regular size has an R-Value of 4.5, pad thickness of 3 inches, and weighs 13oz. The showcased NEMO Tensor All Season (Regular size) supposedly has an R-Value of 5.4, pad thickness of 3.5 inches, and a weight of 14.8oz.

Then in the same comparison as before, the uberlite vs NEMO Tensor Trail version. The uberlite has an R-Value of 2.3, pad thickness of 2.5 inches, and weighs 8.8 ounces for the regular version. The regular version of the NEMO Tensor Trail has an R-value of 2.8, pad thickness of 3.5 inches, and weighs 13.4 oz.

Its fair to mention that both the xlite and uberlite taper and the Nemo pads are rectangular, so to each their own. The Xlite and the “Tensor All Season” are more closely comparable then the Uberlite and the “Tensor Trail” version but I draw my comparisons to them. To my knowledge the Uberlite is the lightest pad on the market. The “Tensor Trail” being within 6ounces and offering more thickness, better R-Value, and slightly more weight is a trade off I would personally be willing to take.

 

I just wanted to say thank you all for your responses and I hope to give y’all more information as I learn more and trying to share more!

[bradmacmt]

I apologize if I mixed up the two pads or wasn’t specific, I was talking about the new”NEMO Tensor Trail” version of the Tensor sleeping pad compared to the uberlite, not the traditional Tensor.

Ah yes, that makes more sense! Thanks for the clarification. I’m obviously dense…

[Jeff McWilliams]

Not surprised to see a new sleeping bag in the works.  They just had a huge sale on gear.  As an American Alpine Club member, I got a really good deal on a Nemo Riff 15.  My 11-yo Grandson is a big and tall kid, and the Riff will be used by him when we go to Isle Royale the 1st week of September.  (He previously reported sleeping cold in his Kid’s REI Flame 25 bag which we just bought last year.)

 

[Jeff McWilliams]

Re: Pinhole leaks.

I had a 3-4 year old Nemo pad that sprung its 5th leak while I was doing a section of the JMT last year.  I couldn’t repair it in the field, and it was a factor in my decision to come off the trail a bit early.

I sincerely hope they fix the situation with the Tensor leaks.  It’s been the most comfortable pad I’ve ever used, but comfort isn’t worth anything if the pad keeps having pinhole leaks.

Otherwise, I may look at the Big Agnes Rapide SL or Zoom UL.  I no longer enjoy the horizontal baffles on my NeoAir XLite pad.  It’s just not that comfortable compared to a dimpled inflatable pad.

[Shawn H]

I bought the Big Agnes Zoom UL when it came out and I’ve only had 3 nights on it so far. The temperatures didn’t drop low enough for me to experience the supposed cold creeping in under the pad. It is by far the most comfortable pad I’ve used. I used the Nemo Tensor and it’s really comfy too but the Zoom has it beat in comfort. I’m interested to see with the new Nemo pads if that extra half inch of thickness is comfier and makes for an even more pleasant night of sleep.

[Art Rhizhiy Hiker]

Alex HBPL MEMBER
Have they increased the bottom fabric thickness from 30D?  That is the deal breaker with me, too many pin hole leaks from the welds.  Otherwise comfy as hell.

Yes, 40d ripstop bottom now and they claim pad is more reliable now.

 

[Jerry Adams]

I’ve been using the uberlite for a couple weeks of camping

My problem with it is that I have to stay in the center.  If I get to either side, I sort of roll off it.  I don’t sleep as soundly.

The thermarest prolite is more comfortable.  Too bad it weighs 20.6 ounces.  Not the 18 ounces they list on the specs.  My uberlight weighs 9.1 ounces.  Not the 8.8 ounces they spec – okay, that’s pretty close.

I wonder if other thick mattresses like the uberlite are the same – unstable.

[jscott]

“I wonder if other thick mattresses like the uberlite are the same – unstable.”

This hasn’t been an issue with me when using the old vertical baffle Big Agnes pad.  frankly, the Zoom ultralight, at 4.3 R rating (!!) and 14 ounces looks really good. Interesting that it has this issue. Jerry, I know you’re knot heavy but are you tall? I’m 5’7″ and it may be that pads are more forgiving for smaller folks.

[Jeff McWilliams]

I have a NeoAir XLite, NeoAir Xtherm, and a Nemo Tensor.  Only the NeoAir pads with horizontal baffles exhibit the behavior you describe.  I think it’s a thing with those horizontal baffles and I’d personally be wary of any other pad with a similar baffle design.  Vertical baffles or quilt like dimples seem completely different.

[Jerry Adams]

6’2″

That makes sense about vertical baffles

Of course each person is different

Maybe ill use the uberlite just on longer trips where weight is more important

For car camping I use a Ridgerest and a prolite which are quite comfortable

[Art Rhizhiy Hiker]

Initial reviews don’t look too promising.

Justin outdoors tested extreme version on ice in a slightly above freezing Temps and was cold.

Steven of mylifeoutdoors tested inside a freezer, weird test, but he was cold also (although he was cold on xtherm too during this test).

Both on youtube.

[Paul S]

Lets say a pad has a grid pattern of cells. And let’s say that the cells have an R value of 10.0, but if the spaces between the cells have an r value of, let’s say,  0.0 and if the areas with R=0.0 equal the areas with R=10 then the pad could have an average of R=5.0…but there would be all these cold spots. So, I think the r-value rating system, although it is now (finally) standardized, does not capture the practical reality that the pad is only as warm as the coldest spot on the pad.

 

[Jeff McWilliams]

Paul,

This video shows infrared camera images of multiple sleeping pads on a heat plate.  It was done several years ago before the newer Tensor Xtreme was available.  The NeoAir Xtherm showed no indication that it had a grid of insulated and uninsulated cells.  Insulation appeared consistent across the entire pad.

 

And yet, Steven still felt cold through it similar to the Nemo Tensor Extreme when he used it inside the freezer.  I think perhaps this disproves your theory.  It would be nice to look at the new Tensor Xtreme with a similar infrared camera setup to verify.

 

[Dan]

Since joining this forum and reading all of these threads, I became hopeful that there was actually a difference between all of these inflatable pads, and that if I found the right one, I would finally get a good night’s sleep in the wilderness. Hope springs eternal!

So in the last couple of years, I’ve bought four more inflatables (Thermarest, Nemo, Big Agnes) and tried them all out in the field, and honestly I feel like I am living in The Emperor’s New Clothes. I don’t know how people are noticing such big differences. For me, they are all basically the same … plenty warm for 3-season use, and all equally uncomfortable. I don’t really see any differences in noise, stability, or slipperiness that are big enough to mention.   :-)

The Uberlite is substantially lighter, but I’ve blown out two of them.

[Author]

Posts