Side Sleeper, tosser turner, looking for a sleep pad

I certainly haven’t tried them all, but my sweet spot of comfort and weight is the Nemo tensor insulated wide. Some will consider it a luxury item due to the weight, but sleep quality is a high value of mine and this pad has made my life/trips much more enjoyable.

I accidentally discovered something that works for me. I wanted to keep my pack in the tent, so I eventually tried putting it longitudinally under my torso with the pack lumbar pad under my head. The pack is under the pad of course. It helps my comfort a lot both for side and back sleeping. I don’t know if it is the slight incline or the extra support just above my hip. Also, the pack lumbar pad provides a little extra pillow height. I use an xlite pad and a sea to summit pillow.

Check out this Sleeping Pad Comparison Tool, and filter by:

Height: Min = 3.25  Max = 3.5
Width: Min = 25 Max = 25.6
Weight: Max = 23.1 (since you want it lighter than your Exped 5R MW)

You should see that the Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated Wide Regular with a height of 3.5″, R-Value of 4.3 and a weight of 17oz, will be the lightest Sleeping Pad that meets your criteria.

I’m a side sleeper like you and I personally use the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT Max sleeping pad, as shown in this quick Essentials Winter Camping Sleep System Gear for Side Sleepers video. It’s not ultralight, a word that very rarely goes hand in hand with side sleeping + winter backpacking @ -20F, but it keeps me comfortable and happy when side sleeping in these winter temperatures :-)

I have several flavors of Therm-a-Rest NeoAir. Been very happy. Customer support is fabulous. At the height of the COVID pandemic they replaced an older NeoAir under warranty at no cost. I was surprised how fast they did this under trying conditions.

From my website:

http://popupbackpacker.com/cascade-designs-therm-a-rest-neoair-for-the-win/

Thank you. That’s what I was looking for as well as opinions.

Side sleeper xterm short 9.9oz Year round.

thom

Personally I find exped pads comfortable and worth it for this side sleeper who is a tosser as well. I went with the medium wide

I use a neoair XL wide.  The thickness keeps my hip bones off the ground, the width keeps everything supported by the pad and the length allows a pillow to stay also on the pad.  For me, the pillow was a big upgrade for side sleeping.

I’m a side sleeping major tosser turner. Probably the worst night’s sleep I’ve had backpacking was on a Neoair. The sides collapsed (even for me who is a very petite person) for one thing. And possibly the  most annoying thing was that every time I rolled over, the horizontal baffles would allow the pad to fold in half (that is, as soon as my upper body came up a little bit to roll, the pad would pop up like a recliner chair) and fling my pillow off the pad. I switched to the Nemo Tensor insulated and have been very happy in terms of comfort. I have some questions regarding it’s durability, but for now I plan to stick with it.

I am mostly a side, sometimes stomach sleeper) and almost move like a person on a rotisserie My wife’s Big Agnes Q-Core SLX is more comfortable light weight pad I have used and a lot quieter than NeoAir… but the NeoAirs (we have several models) have been good enough for me, and I really love the low weight and compactness of my UberLite.

I am an “active” sleeper, on the stomach and sides. The best combination for me has proven to be the new nemo tensor (r value 4.2, but maybe the winter edition is even a bit higher), and the Zenbivy Light (instead of a sleeping bag). The Zenbivy may not be ultralight (though sufficient in my opinion), but the two (Tensor/Zenbivy) in combination has provided perfect sleep and no aches. Sleep better outside than at home…

I used to use a classic thermarest 3/4 length orange self inflating pad. For years! But I noticed, over time, that my arms kept falling asleep when I would sleep on my side. So, I got an Exped Synmat 7 (7cm thick). It was decent. I liked the longitudinal baffles. But, I wanted something warmer and that weighed less. So, now I use a Thermarest Xtherm in winter and a Thermarest Xlite in spring, summer, and Autumn. They are only 2.5cm thick, but I don’t bottom out. I sleep fine on my sides. I have not any problems with my Neoair’s. The noise people complain about I simply don’t notice in-use, and neither does my wife (she has the Womens X-lite). The pads are well-behaved, they do not fold-up when shifting around. The Exped pads would bottom out if you sat on them with all your weight focused on your butt, the Neoairs do not. And, they are so warm, and lightweight considering their R-values. So, neoair, side sleeping, no problem.

I should add I have the neo xterm impersonally I can’t get a good night’s sleep on it. ExpedPad works better for me.

I have had great sleep on my s2s etherlight xt. 3.2 r-value, without the stuff sack in size short mummy is 15.7oz. 4″ tall. very comfortable and supportive. great flat valve. relatively quiet although squeaks a bit on woven floors. durable. a bit bulky though.

probably the most comfortable ul sleeping pad I’ve used.

Looks like pads and comfort are personal preference and not a one size fits all.

Yea, but a lot of good insight.  Wound up getting a neoair. A little thin but Enlightened has them on close out.

Side sleeper, lots of tossing and turning from broken bones over the years, can’t stay in one position too long.  Another vote for the Nemo Tensor Insulated, recommend the wide.  I sleep like a baby on it.

I know it’s not polite to talk about peoples weight but I think this is the biggest factor when it comes to determining sleeping pad comfort.  The difference between two persons weight using the same pad can be 100lbs or more so of course they’re opinions and experiences are going to be different.  A person who weighs 125lbs will probably have no issue on a 2.5inch pad or even a foam pad, while a 250lbs person probably needs 4inches??  I think this is why some people find certain pads to be comfortable while others can’t stand them.

I am 6’4” and weigh 235-240.  I have the Xlite and Xtherm pads.  Fully inflated rock hard and then two quick spits of air release is sufficient for me.  Plenty of support for me and I have low back disc issues.  I don’t bottom out unless I am sitting on the pad.

The Big Agnes SLX insulated pad was super comfortable but only lasted 3 nights before it sprung a leak that I couldn’t find  I guess there was a reason why it was on close out.

Neoair Topo Luxe XL 30” wide, 4” thick and 2 lbs is the rolls Royce of pads along with my Stephenson’s Warmlite D.A.M  Very comfortable pad, But 28oz for the largest size.

I also toss and turn and side sleep. Recently picked up the Sea To Summit Ether light XT and it seems to work well so far for me.