Finally got both of the new Zenbivy UL and Flexair Zenbivy pads and spent a few days testing them against other leading pads – 2024 BA Rapide, New Nemo All Season, 2022 BA QLX, Exped 5R, Nemo Xlite, and finally Nemo Xtherm and Xlite.
Prior to this, my favorite pads for comfort were the BA Rapide and BA QLX, and maybe the Exped 5R. Problem is, when backpacking in the mountains, where warmth truly matters, they all sleep significantly colder than their R-value.
The Zenbivy UL and Flexair are very warm and very comfortable. Probably down to 20-18F. Once you lay on both of them side to side for a few hours, you begin to see the significant comfort advantage of the Flexair, as the stretch fabric does help spread out the weight better and alleviates pressure points in the hips, lower back and shoulders.
The Zenbivy UL pad IMO feels a bit less comfy than Rapide and QLX.
That said, the Zenbivy Flexair pad takes the cake for both comfort and warmth, being a true R5 pad. Only problem is weight, but I’m still willing to take it because of the awesome comfort. My long/wide version weighs 25.7oz which is about 5oz lighter than the Xlite/All season pad. In the warm summer season, I’ll probably still take my Uberlite, which at long/wide size weighs less than half of the Zenbivy pad. But for the shoulder seasons, this is now my pad of choice.
