Increase your comfort of camping and warmthwarmth by using our test subjects’ five most-loved wallet-friendly sleep pads.
Editor’s note: Inventory could vary this season because of COVID-19. Therefore, certain items on this list may be temporarily unavailable as you go through this guide. We’ll keep it updated as needed.
Sleeping on the dirt can be a lot of fun if you have a good sleeping pad. The right mattress will cushion your joints, insulate you from the cold ground and pair nicely with your sleeping bag. But you shouldn’t have to fork over an entire paycheck to rough it outside.
The good news is that this year’s crop of affordable sleeping pads shows that you can have tremendous sleeping slumber for just a fraction of the cost. But how do you decide which one is the best choice for you? It’s simple: ask us.
A group of enthusiastic, cooperative members brought the finest sleeping pads you can buy from REI out into the wild to find peaceful nights under the stars. They stayed in the Utah desert, walked back through Glacier National Park, posted in rustic lean-tos in the New York Adirondacks, and even set the pads in their backyards for gear testing. We took their observations and notes into this book, including suggestions for using backpacking and car camping. Find the best, lower-than-$100 mattress for your needs.
- Are you looking to design your sleeping system? Check out the Best Budget Sleeping Bags to locate a suitable pad.
Evaluation Results Backpackers, rejoice that you can be challenging and carry it. Its self-inflating ProLite is less prone to leaks and popping than a conventional air pad, and its soft T-shirt 50-denier polyester covers can withstand rough-and-tumble adventures. We tested it as a sitting pad during camp and laid down on it during cool Colorado evenings, and the ProLite did not suffer as much in the form of an issue. It’s lighter thanhe majority of self-inflating pads. Therm-a-Rest has designed the ProLite with diagonally cut channels that minimize the bulk but do not affect the insulation. It’s also able to compress down into a football-sized bag.
With this amount of weight, the comfort level takes a slight loss. Although some of our test subjects liked the mattress’s thickness of 1 inch (one has compared the insulation with memory foam), those who sleep on their sides wanted more cushion. The mattress’s shape (which makes the ProLite lightweight and compact) makes your foot more likely to slip off the bed, particularly if you’re taller.
- Therm-aRest upgraded its classic ProLite in 2020 by introducing a new valve, making it simpler to install. It features a bigger opening, allowing more than three times more airflow compared to the previous version, The company claims. The result is satisfied (and lazy) test subjects. “I got to camp, let it inflate, and sat in the sunshine soaking my feet in the river,” is one satisfied camper. “It was ready within five minutes.”
Testing Results: “My pad is comfier than your pad,” said one user on the InsulatedAir Core Ultra. These words fight backcountry, but this 3.25-inch-thick mattress proved the assertion, scoring a perfect score in the comfort category during our head-to-head test. However, the ability of this mattress to lift joints to 3 inches above the ground is just one aspect of the story.
Like the Therm-aRest ProLite, making the self-inflating mattress ready for sleep is simple for the lung. Close the valve, take about 8 minutes, then end by taking a few breaths. Two valves, one to control inflation and the other to deflation–take the uncertainty out of the equation.