
Exped - Dura 8R
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Based on 1 year's data from Jan 28, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
276
93
"It’s is SO MUCH more quiet than the s7 it ramped up the suction power from 4000 to 19000 yet I can let it clean my office room while being in a call now."
"Extremely quiet compared to our last one to the point where we can have it running while my partner is in work meetings (besides emptying water and dust bin, but that is 10 seconds of loud x 2)."
"pads that lift on carpet so you can run it while the baby naps"
299
78
"Just had my second camp out with it. 0 issues with warmth at 50F , unsurprisingly. Also at 60f I didn ’t sleep hot so that ’s nice too."
"I can take it down to like 25-30F very comfortably."
"20 degrees F comfortably from below. Quilt wasn't up to it"
320
84
"I've used them for 1500 miles of multi-day hiking with no issues!"
"I forgot I had my fenix on and did a mud run. Didn’t even phase my watch. Literally dragged it through the mud and it just kept going."
"rugged outsole has held up amazingly well (just replacing them after >600 hard miles)"
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"Impossible to beat in terms of packed size"
"is a great all-rounder, one of the best actually when it comes to comfort-weigh-pack size ratio."
"The smallest full feature tent I believe is the GG The One. ... I can squeeze it into the size of a softball. ... Great tent. ... The packed size is no indication of it's final packable size in regards to The One. ... I put mine in a tiny stuff sack without much effort. ... Shocking how small they can get."
159
33
"Never had a blister, no support issues and most of the time I forget to cinch the laces right at the trail head and I don't even notice. ... Incredibly comfortable, right out of the box."
"Foot-shaped toe box ... super roomy ... Great for comfort and natural splay"
"Love my S to S pad also. ... Rivals my Select Comfort bed at home. ... Bought a back up in case they go out of business."
Disliked most:
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15
"that also drives up your cost not insignificantly (another $100 from what I recall)"
"it was not cheap ... basically the installation cost was equal to the cost of the hardware"
"they’re expensive"
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47
"It’s massive ... It takes up the whole trunk of my large SUV. ... It’s heavy"
"But it’s really heavy for my small frame"
"and took up my whole SUV trunk."
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"Over time, the Exped began to leak ... As best I can tell, the rubber lining inside the fabric begins to slowly degrade and develop pinhole leaks. ... You never hear leaking air. You just wake up in the morning with your hip touching the ground (I’m a side sleeper)."
"of the two I bought both of them wouldn’t hold air in them. It’s the valve system they use, it leaks air."
"But recently its started losing air to the point where I have to blow it up again every night (and basically wake up on the floor.)"
3
1
"the exped still makes noise ... the noise caused by the sleeping bag sliding around on the pad ... I turn over nonstop all night long and am insanely sensitive to noise."
0
1
"on Exped pads, DO NOT simply pull the flap to open the valve. BE SURE to hold the part of the valve that is permanently attached to the pad fabric separately so that the forces of opening the flap do not tear the valve out of the fabric."
This would be my recommendation too. 75 denier interwoven with 170 denier. Definitely not an ultralight, but feels bullet proof, warm as anything, still super comfortable when dialed in. NOTE: if you have a sleeping bag with pad pocket or are using any sort of fitted cover, this pad is quite thick and large. Make sure your dimensions work.
The rule I've always heard is 1R for every 10 degrees below 70 as a \*minimum\* for survival, similar to how a sleeping bag rated at 0 means you'll be comfortable-ish around 10-20. Following this you'd be looking at a R5-6 at 15-50 so you're right on the edge of that. Applying the same 'comfort' rule you'd want a 6-8 depending on if you like sleeping cooler (6-7) or warmer (7-8) Exped Dura 8 (or DeepSleep \[R9\] if car camping) would be a strong contender for me in those temps. My philosophy is you can always vent heat if you're too hot in the cold, but if you're cold in the cold, you're cold.
The thing is built like a frikken tank, and I love it. Sure I could go lighter with the Ultra but I just love how strong the Dura line feels. I also have the DeepSleep for car camping and it's in the same vein. Very comfortable both, but I do love the added cushion in the foam mats.
Exped's Duras are super comfy, and they make an 8R one.
If you only camp in warm weather, opt for a 1r rated pad. I shelled out for the dura 8r because I winter camp. It is worth every single freaking cent. It’s more comfortable than my bed at home and it’s lasted for years.
Exped dura r8 is a religion for me
Exped is amazing. I was lucky enough to get my 8r pad half off. They pack down decently small too. They arent tiny but for how comfortable and warm mine is im surprised by it.
I have had so many damn air mattresses leak. I was about to be done with them. Then I got an exped 8r pad for half off and it is amazing. No leaks and I've been camping monthly with it for almost 2 years. Most of my cheap Amazon mattresses and even a $100 one lasted 3 or 4 trips most.
After buying and using nearly everything on the market, all of my sleeping pads are now Exped. They are just excellently made and they've never failed me in sub zero temperatures. They come with a shnozzel bag to inflate them up so you don't have to blow into them and introduce moisture which lowers their effectiveness. [Exped Dura 8R](https://www.expedusa.com/products/dura-8r)
I couldn’t get comfortable on mine. Couldn’t avoid waking up with lower back pain. I switched to an Exped Dura8 LW. Noticeably bigger and heavier in the pack but it’s worth the comfort.
I recently switched from the Thermarest XTherm NXT as I just couldn’t get comfortable on it. I loved the weight and small size of it when packed down and I really wanted to like it. I tried different levels of inflation, pillow under my knees etc, but in the end I just couldn’t avoid waking up with significant lower back pain. I went for the Exped Dura 8R MW which is HUGE when in my pack but god damn that thing is comfortable. I don’t have any concerns about its longevity either. It’s robust AF. It’s the cost, quality, weight triangle I guess.
My relative has this. She bought it for her and her bf and she loves it. I have the Exped Dura 8R for winter camping and told her to check the brand out and she sprang for this model. When I’m not solo camping on the ice I have a pair of similar pads by Thermarest called the Mondo King XL. They also pair great together for a couple. If you check the specs they are very similar, so I’d gauge packability, desired footprint dimensions, solo vs partner etc. You really can’t go wrong I love both Exped and Therma
Dump the nemo Astro out of the running: Its R value is listed at only 2.6 and it's 1lb 11 oz. The others are warmer and lighter. Plus it's a 20" wide pad. I don't know why, after all these years, we don't have a 23" option - more comfy than a 20", which tbh sucks but lighter than a 25". But I digress. We don't. It's either 20" or. 25". 25" is a way nicer nights sleep and Some of the pricier pads you've chosen here come in at this size for a very similar weight and significantly more warmth. And since all of these options are in your price range, according to you, then I'd say dump the nemo Astro. By comparison, the other Nemo pad, the extreme conditions, is an 8.5 r value and the Long and Wide size Is only 1 lb 10 oz. That's WAY warmer and more comfortable. It may suffer from a little less durability. Rab is a REALLY solid brand. I would categorically buy anything they made, and I have a lot of Rab gear. So if you are ok with a 20" pad, then this might really hit a sweet spot for you if price is an issue. I would forever and always buy a 5.5 R rating pad over a 2.6. The Thermarest has a very, very good 7+ R rating while also being very light for a long wide mat at 1lb 8 oz. Kinda seems like the winner to me. Again, the question is durability and how you will use it. If you expect to be at altitude or in cold weather or shoulder season, you'll want at least a 5 R value. Fyi Exped pads are really super too. I rock an older down filled Exped mat that's been good to me for a very long time now. R rating of 7+ - Have taken that into 20 degree temps on Mt Rainier for winter camping etc.
Hi all! After many years I'm finally replacing my heavy-ass (but comfy) Exped Dura. Versatility and some durability is very important for me, as I don't want to own several pads for several use-cases. I want to use my sleeping pad for three seasons, although living in Norway it can get -5 Celsius even in autumn, and having a buffer even then seems smart. I mostly want to use it in tents, but I do also hammock camp sometimes. I plan on eventually using it for a through hike, although in the next months it will be used for multi-day treks. I'm also a side sleeper. I've read a lot of reviews and figured out the three top contenders for me seem to be the **Nemo Tensor All-Season, Exped Ultra 5R and Big Agnes Rapide SL.** Here are the specs from the official websites, although I've heard that R-Values are often wrong and the weights are often without inflation-bags etc. If someone has corrections for the subjective warmth of the pads, the true packed size and the true weight that would be amazing! Of these the Exped seems to be the heaviest and largest, but I'm not sure as both weight and packed size are sometimes wrong. |Pad|Price|R-Value|Weight|Packed Size|Size| |:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-| |[Nemo Tensor AS](https://www.nemoequipment.com/products/tensor-all-season-insulated-sleeping-pad)|171€|5,4|522g|25,5 x 10 cm|183 x 51 x 9 cm| |[Exped Ultra 5R](https://www.exped.com/en/products/sleeping-mats/ultra-5r?sku)|156€|4,8|585g|23 x 12.5 cm|183 x 53 x 7 cm| |[Big Agnes Rapide SL](https://www.bigagnes.com/products/rapide-sl-insulated)|135€|4,8|510g|18 x 10 cm|183 x 51 x 11 cm| The prices are the cheapest I could find for each of them in Germany, but price isn't that important to me, I just want a **great sleeping pad under 600g that will pack down relatively small and keep me warm even in autumn**. What are your experiences with any of these? Would you highly recommend any other ones? Thanks and best regards!
I've also been very pleased with my previous Expeds. Mind sharing why you'd always choose them over others? Just comfort? Thanks for your response!
Came to say this. Their “Dura” line are made of the thickest fabrics available for air pads and shouldn’t suffer the failures of lighter weight alternatives
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