Exped - SIM Lite 3.8
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Last updated: Dec 25, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
177
87
"I sleep all night and no body aches."
"I side sleep and roll around all night and don’t hit the ground with my hips. ... I am 6’4” and was weighing 250 for most of my use of that mat. Hence why I don’t mind an extra pound for a comfortable sleep at night. I am weighing 220 now and don’t touch the ground at all with the mat partially deflated."
"I'm a side sleeper and these things are an absolute godsend. Once they're in, I don't feel a thing."
208
57
"I can take it down to like 25-30F very comfortably."
"Pads like the Xtherm (with good convective heat loss mechanisms) outperform pads like the Tensor XC (minimal convectove eat loss mechanisms) even though the Tensor XC has a higher tested rvalue. ... Stevens testing reinforces what I have also been seeing in the field while testing dozens of pads in every temperature possible. ... The other issue is that companies are designing to max the ASTM standard and "taking advantage of" the hole in the standard in order to push really high r-values that don't hold up when you're all of a sudden in air temps of -40."
"I slept on a simple switchback in 7°F weather last month on Hagerman Pass in Colorado... It was warm enough."
615
132
"super comfy. ... And even me at 270lbs I can sit in my side and not bottom out (inflated a lot though)"
"definitely has improved our sleep quality a lot while camping ... boyfriend has back issues so a bad sleep set up is not really an option"
"I just put up with the pinholes and patching them on trail because I can't sleep better on any other pad. ... There's a huge difference in comfort depending on your body between the dimpled baffling of the Etherlight/Tensor and the horizontal baffling of the Xlite. ... I can't sleep on horizontal baffling despite all the good features of the Xlite. ... I'm a side sleeper and my arms and shoulders ache and/or fall asleep or go numb on the Xlite. For whatver reason I can only sleep on dimpled baffles (tensor, etherlight)"
14
3
"Insulation instead of reflective layer is quieter ... Can’t stand the crinkly noise produced by reflective layer models. ... I find they’re less noisy than the reflective pads. ... Overall, i find expeds less noisy."
"I'm a light sleeper and before could get woken up by moving or by my hiking partners, with the new gen Xlite/Ultras that rarely happens to me now."
"Doesn’t sound like a potato chip bag when you move around."
9
3
"I've used it for about 80 days over several trips. It's a very robust build."
"I've used my Exped for 500miles. I've never had a problem with it. ... Personally, I would only buy Exped or Big Agnes sleeping pads because they're the only ones I've never seen leak."
"Bought mine used for $2k. Could not be happier with quality and reliability."
Disliked most:
9
3
"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."
"sooooooooo loud"
"(Exped backpacking style inflatable pad) not as quiet!"
9
57
"traveling with it is painful. ... The pack size is huge and heavy."
"the packed size, it's fkn big ... You really need to be sure you can fit it in your car or be prepared to strap it to the top. ... When I had a Jeep, it BARELY fit! Bottom right corner. When I shut the tailgate, it would nudge it and that was having to move the passenger seat up as far as I could and still be able to sit in the seat."
"It's about the size of 12 by 12 popup shelter folded up."
0
2
"the "self-inflate" part is a lie ... Well I haven't and it doesn't. It just sits there."
"You do still need to inflate it yourself but I definitely recommend practicing getting the pressure right. You don't want it so high that you're sleeping on a board, but so low that you sag too much into the pad. It does take a bit to get used to the way it feels when you have it just right."
4
3
"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)."
"Mind you, my Exped mat has never been the same since I camped in a prickle patch."
"Expeds CAN leak"
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."
I have an Exped. Not loud. And of them can make some noise sliding about on say tent floors, depending on the relative texture etc of the fabrics. Not way to know for sure until you try it. Or, more easily, just use something between them if it's an issue.
r/CampingandHiking • Sleeping Mats Recommendations? ->I've had great success with Thermarest, REI, and Exped self inflating mattresses. All have good customer support too. I wouldn't ever bother with an all air mattress. Poor insulation, rotten in cold. Get a FlexTail pump.
r/camping • What’s the best air mattress for camping that doesn’t deflate overnight? ->I tried long term sleeping on an Exped. They're a seif inflating pad. It did not last a full year. The fabric in those is glued to the foam, and as it turns out tossing and turning can eventually break that bond, and the fabric blister.
r/CampingGear • Anyone sleeping on their camping mattress permanently 365? ->Yes. They were going to honor the warranty, but it was less than a year so just easier to drop it at REI where I bought it and get a refund. Definite bummer; great mattress even at home. If they ever do a long lasting home version I'll be all over it...literally. :)
r/CampingGear • Anyone sleeping on their camping mattress permanently 365? ->My exped is a piece of magic.
r/bicycletouring • Sleeping pad recommendations ->My exped is really comfortable and warm
r/bikepacking • Recommendations for sleeping pad ->I've used it for about 80 days over several trips. It's a very robust build.
r/bikepacking • Recommendations for sleeping pad ->Same. OP, given that you have the space, I would recommend memory foam or something similar. I use a 6” trifold mattress, but in your case, given that you have the space and have trouble sleeping, I would recommend a normal one-piece mattress for you. If you do use the Exped, the secret is to adjust the air pressure. Everyone is different, but for me, if I let out air until my butt just barely touched the floor while sitting on it, that would be ideally comfortable (though not as comfortable as memory foam) when I laid down on it.
r/overlanding • Most comfortable long term sleeping mattresses/pads? ->I had a Tensor and it was uncomfortable for me as well. I’ve found Exped inflatable pads comfortable. My favorite right now though is the Neoloft.
r/backpacking • Are inflatable pads uncomfortable for anyone else? ->Exped pads are highly underrated!
r/Ultralight • Very poor sleep on the NeoAir X Lite NXT. Recommendations? ->After various attempts of finding the right set up: Exped on top of a cot. Watch for REI sales for the Exped, and watch the garage sale area for the cot.
r/camping • Camping Cots ->Exped is the current king of the semi self inflating mattresses but there are other worthy considerations which are more affordable, especially on sale. I went with a Lost Horizon I found on clearance for half price. Probably not as bomb proof as the Exped, but after about a dozen trips this summer it’s going strong without issues. The bottom line is these type of mattresses are exponentially more comfortable than anything else on the market. I will never go back. The only drawback is they don’t roll up small.
r/camping • Is a self inflating sleeping pad better than an air mattress? ->A sleeping pad is not the spot you sacrifice for the minuscule weight savings possible. I use an Exped mat that is like 4” thick, extra wide, XL, and insulated and I’m not even sure it’s heavier than the 1” Thermarest I used for 20 yrs prior.
r/motocamping • What‘s the comfiest (ultralight) camping mat for dual sporting? ->I (64M) swear by my Exped. Not cheap but comfort in a relatively small package. It comes in a bag that can be attached to anything. YMMV
r/camping • best camping mattress that packs small? ->I (64M) always used a cot when camping. REI had Expeds on sale and I have read such good things about them, so I bought one. They are the best mattress for camping I have ever used. Even weighing 230lbs, side sleeper, I would have a tough time touching the ground through the mattress. They are quick to fill up with the enclosed hand pump and quick to deflate. They are light and I now prefer it over the cot that I have used for many years.
r/camping • Exped Megamat or alternative ->Go EXPED. Best pads IMO. The vertical baffles make a huge difference and they are not crinkly at all.
r/CampingGear • Any strong reason to choose one over the others? ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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