Camping Panda
After a day’s hike or a long trip on the road, you’ll be longing for a great night’s sleep. This may be hard to come by especially when you’re outdoors. Sleeping pads play two important roles in your backpacking or camping trips; insulation and cushion.
We’ve rounded up available sleeping pads in the market and looked for the best ones for you. Regardless if you’re a side sleeper, backpacker, or camper, you can refer to this list to get the pad for your needs.
Heat Loss
Is it well insulated?
Portability
Is it easy to carry?
Material
Is it breathable?
Lifespan
Is it made for years to come?
Set Up
Is it easy to set-up?
Durability
Is it strong enough?
Convenient
Is it designed for comfort?
Sleeping Capacity
Is it spacious?
15
Hours Researched
22
Products Evaluated
12k
Reviews Considered
2
Sources Researched
Putting your comfort on top is why WELLAX UltraThick FlexFoam Sleeping Pad is our overall choice. This self-inflating pad has a unique foam frame and 3 inches mattress that provides you ultimate comfort even on rocky terrains.
It is made from Rip-stop Nylon and TPU which is why it is water-proof, tear-resistant, and perfect for use in any terrain. The mattress has two-valves compared to the usual one valve of other self-inflating pads, which is essential to easier inflation and deflation.
It has a high thermal resistance of 9.6 R-value compared to Sleepingo Camping Sleeping Pad – Mat‘s 2.1 R-value, ensuring that you are well insulated and warm throughout the night.
The WELLAX UltraThick FlexFoam Sleeping Pad is ideal for camping and house guest use. It can also be used for backpacking just need to consider it’s bulky built and weight.
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The Sleepingo Camping Sleeping Pad – Mat provides optimal comfort through its unique bubble design, which contours according to the body allowing for more fit comfort. It is lightweight and compact, making it ideal for backpacking.
It has a pressure release flap to release the air making it easier to deflate. Like the WELLAX UltraThick FlexFoam Sleeping Pad both are made of Ripstop nylon for durability, but the Sleepingo Camping Sleeping Pad – Mat maintains the same durable material but better because it packs down to the size of a water bottle!
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The Nemo Tensor provides a balance between comfort and weight. The spaceframe baffles of the Nemo Tensor provide stability and equal weight distribution, ensuring comfort in the outdoors. The low-stretch die-cut trusses in the spaceframe eliminate springiness keeping your hips and elbow away from the ground.
Made with premium 20D PU Polyester fabric, ensure the Nemo Tensor provides both snug comfort and insulation. The 20D PU Polyester fabric is also the key behind the packability and weight advantage of the Nemo Tensor.
The Vortex pump sack that comes with the pad makes the inflation so much easier when attached to the micro-adjustable valve.
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The TRAZON Camping Pad is 4 inches thick, ensuring comfort while enjoying the outdoors. Its innovative design – a 3-layer air cell with two independent air chambers guarantees ultimate comfort. Even if one chamber is punctured, you don’t have to worry about your sleeping pad deflating during the night.
There are two dual action air valves, one on each side, that provide effortless inflation and deflation. The TRAZON Camping Pad can be deflated to the same size as a water bottle, allowing easy storage.
It is made of 40D Ripstop nylon, balancing durability and lightweight. Its material allows the TRAZON sleeping pad usable in all terrains. The package also includes a repair kit in case you puncture your camping pad while outdoors.
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VECUKTY Ultralight Camping Sleeping Pad made it to the list because of its speedy inflation with its built-in pump. No more blowing during inflation and no more worries of your pad deflating overnight. The sleeping pad has two separate valves – one for inflation and one for deflation.
The pad’s design utilizes a “stress relief square bubble”; each square bubble aims to release pressure points and add comfort when used.
It is made from premium rip-resistant 40D nylon fabric for durability, allowing it to be very light and small, perfect for backpacking trips. Each sleeping bag has dual side buckles, which can bed attached to combine with 2-3 other VECUKTY pads. Perfect when traveling in groups.
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Whether you sleep on your back, side, or stomach, the KLYMIT Insulated Static V Sleeping Pad got your comfort covered. It is built uniquely with a patented V-shape design of the pad, the pattern and construction prevent air movement while you toss and turn while sleeping. Keeping you centered regardless of your sleeping position.
You will be kept warm by the Klymalite lofted insulation, which limits air movement and heat loss. Its Deep Welds technology creates expansion zones when inflated, which allow your bag to fully expand providing improved thermal comfort.
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The QOMOTOP Ultra Thick Self-Inflating Camping Mattress like the Vecukty, Trazon, and Wellax, has two-valves, one for inflation and one deflation. What sets the QOMOTOP apart is it has a patterned double-way valve. The valve rotates into two modes – inflation and deflation. In deflation mode, the air only flows from the mat. While in inflation mode, the air only flows into the mattress.
At 3.4kgs, this sleeping pad is the only pad on the list that’s not ideal for backpacking or light travel. But it is pretty compact for its weight and can be easily stored in the car for camping trips or can be easily pulled out of storage for house guests. The mattress has three different materials per layer. The top is soft, while the bottom is wear-resistant and tear-resistant, while the inside is from PU foam. You are guaranteed a comfortable sleep and peace of mind that the pad is built to last long.
It’s a self-inflating pad with its double-way valve. The dual-use storage bag that comes with it can also act as a pump that allows you to easily adjust the air in the mattress to match the softness you desire.
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The TETON Sport ComfortLite is comfort and convenience rolled in one. It is a self-inflating sleeping pad – open the valve and let it inflate itself.
It’s ComforTech microfiber provides soft sleeping space with a horizontal insulating core foam that guarantees you warmth throughout the night. This sleeping pad has a non-slip heavy-duty base so it won’t slip even on uneven grounds.
We also love its wide range of sizes under the ComfortLite series.
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The SGODDE Camping Sleeping Pad is easy to inflate and deflate because of the built-in pump – just put a foot on the valve to inflate. It has side buttons like the Vecukty, that can attach to other pads to make a bigger bed or a double bed.
It is made from 80D Polyester with PVC coating that makes it very durable and can be used in any terrain. The waterproof TPU layer ensures no leaking air and moisture-resistance. It has an infrared thermal coating keeping you warm.
The camping mat has a wave-like design to keep you comfortable by following your body’s curve to ensure pressure points are not against the flooring.
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The TETON Sports Adventurer Camp Pad is from the same manufacturer as TETON Sports ComfortLite Sleeping Pad. This time under the Sports Camp Pad series. This camping pad has a wide range of sizes designed with the right fit.
The TETON Sports Adventurer Camp Pad’s design aims to bring comfort from your home to the campsite. It is made from open cell-foam that recovers its shape every time you roll it out.
The sleeping pad comes with a pocket on the side for easy storage of small necessities like a flashlight or your phone. The design also puts the deflation process in mind it has compression straps and a built-in roll assistor for easy roll-up and storage.
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Before you head out and buy your sleeping pad for that upcoming trip, check out this buying guide we have prepared for you. Regardless if you’re backpacking or camping, we know that choosing the sleeping pad for you is a daunting task.
Sleeping pads are categorized into three: air, self-inflating, and closed-cell foam. Let’s differentiate and see where each type is best suited for use.
Air pads: Among the three types, air pads have a wide range of options; from lightweight for backpacking to mattress type for camping. Air pads are manually inflated are the most compact of the three types packing down to almost the size of a regular Nalgene bottle. Some may come with a built-in pump attached to the pad or a separate pump like the Nemo Tensor Ultralight that has the Vortex pump included in the pack.
Air pads are the top choice for backpackers due to their compact size and weight. However, air pads are very susceptible to punctures and require extra care to last. Some air pads provide patch kits to alleviate this.
Self-inflating pads: These sleeping pads offer a combination of open-cell foam insulation and air. Opening the valve allows the air to automatically enter. When the sleeping pad is unrolled, the foams are decompressed allowing the air. Some pads have dual-valves like the TRAZON Camping Pad that allows quicker inflating and deflating.
Self-inflating pads like the TETON Sports ComfortLite offer more cushioning than air pads but comes at a heavier weight than its air pad counterpart the TETON Sports Adventurer.
They are more puncture resistant than air pads and often firmness can be adjusted by simply adding or releasing air via the valves.
Foam pads: The third type of sleeping pads are the closed-cell foam pads. Unlike the open-cell foam pads and the air pads, the closed-cell foam pads are the least to be punctured. They are made from dense solid foam with tiny closed air cells. They are lightweight but due to the dense solid foam, the least comfortable of the three.
R-value is the insulation measure of sleeping pads. Insulation is the ability of a material to resist heat flow. A higher R-value means it can protect you better from the cold
R-values are standard across all sleeping pad manufacturers. Meaning you can compare them without worrying for conversions between different brands, take the numbers as it is.
For 3-season camping and backpacking, experts recommended an R-value of at least 2.5 to 5. For summer-only backpacking, an R-value between 1 to 3 would suffice. A higher R-value of 5 or more is best for winter camping. With an R-value of 9.6, the Wellax FlexFoam Sleeping Pad is a great choice.
Your intended use for the sleeping pad should be put into consideration when buying. Our top choice, Wellax FlexFoam Sleeping Pad, can be used both for camping and backpacking without sacrificing comfort and warmth. However, due to its size and weight, it is ideal to use for camping than backpacking.
Backpacking: If you are expecting long hikes during your backpacking trip, you should consider weight when choosing your sleeping pad. For instance, the Nemo Tensor Ultralight and Klymit Insulated Static in this list are lightweight pads that weigh less than a kilo and they are also compact when packed.
Camping: When car camping comfort and ease of use are put into priority as you usually are with the family during these trips. Since you’ll be traveling in a vehicle, weight is the least of the consideration. The QOMOTOP Ultrathick provides 4″ comfort for the family to enjoy. Pads that can be put together to create a bigger one is also the best choice for camping. Check out the Vecutky and SGODDE in the list.
For backpacking, air pads or lightweight self-inflating pads are your best choice. These provide you with the insulation and comfort you need without carrying the weight.
For camping trips, self-inflating or thick air pads are your go-to pads. These provides the cushioning comfort away from home for you and the family.
Sleeping pads do not require unusual after-care while in storage. But they still have to be maintained to avoid tears or rips while you’re on a trip.
When in use, keep them away from the campfire to avoid stray sparks. To avoid melting the interior and material of your pad, do not store them in a hot car or tent. Try to avoid rough spots when setting up camp. Better if you can also provide layers of protection between your sleeping pad and the ground, consider putting a groundsheet.
When storing air pads, remove all the air, and roll it up to avoid puncturing it. Self-inflating pads should be stored unrolled with the valve open. This way, the foam will retain its shape.
Punctures should be treated as soon as detected to avoid damaging the whole pad. Sleeping pads usually come with patch kits, for this reason, keep them always with the pad.
Look for a puncture on areas of the pad receiving the most pressure, that is hips and elbow area. You can use the multi-purpose glue that usually comes with the patch kit for small holes. You can use the self-adhesive fabric patch that comes with your kit for larger holes.
A good night’s sleep is essential when camping more importantly when you will hike the next day. Side sleepers have difficulty in sleeping unless they are on their sides. This proves to be difficult especially when camping and your campsite is limited in terms of space, inclined or rocky.
Sleeping pads with the right thickness and specially designed for side sleepers like the Sleepingo Camping Sleeping Pad or the Klymit Insulated Static V Sleeping Pad. Both have designs that side sleepers guaranteed to avoid waking up with a sore shoulder and hip.
A sleeping pad is highly recommended when camping. Campsites are not built the same for instance, your comfort and insulation from the ground are not guaranteed until you are already there. A sleeping pad provides comfort and insulation from the ground. When camping during winter, sleeping pads can provide additional protection from the cold. During summer, they can be used as soft alternatives in cots or hammocks.
Sleeping pads are made to provide extra cushion and insulate your body from the ground, especially during winter. They are meant to be between your body and the ground for them to serve their purpose, insulation.
However, since sleeping pads tend to slip away from you while you’re sleeping, some prefer to put their seeping pads inside a sleeping bag. But the sleeping bag must be large enough to fit you and your sleeping pad comfortably.
The floor of your tent is designed to keep the water out. Given this fact, they are mostly made from plastic-type material like polyester for instance.
You can prevent your sleeping pad from slipping. The idea is to create a rubbery barrier between your mat the floor of your tent. You can use a sweater either by creating a sweater ball and tucking this under your sleeping pad. Or fit it into the sleeping pad as if it is wearing the sweater.
There are some aftermarket products like the SeamGrip or any silicon sealant that you can stick into your sleeping pad. But these aftermarket products are usually permanent solutions.
R values are additive, so you can add multiple sleeping pads to increase your warmth level. For winter backpacking or camping, an R-value of 5 or higher is recommended to keep you warm. For three-season camping or backpacking, a recommended R-value is 2 or higher. Check out the Sleepingo sleeping pad on the list for a good three-season sleeping pad.
