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Ultra 1R
Part of Ultra Series - #1 in Sleeping Pads

Exped - Ultra 1R

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5
1
1

Liked most:

8

1


"I recently slept on my Exped, straight on the ground (but in a tent) at 15⁰f and had no issues with the cold."


"They are not phony in the sense that the insulation ratings are way off. ... I camped in freezing temps for the last 5 years and am very toasty on every trip."


"the exped is the comfiest and warmest hands down."

16

6


"I'm exclusively a side sleeper and my backpacking set up I wake up pain free, so proper support for spinal alignment is so crucial as well as adequate cushion for hips and shoulders."


"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."


"I have bad discs in my neck and back, and can still side sleep on an Exped. ... They are a gamechanger for me."

5

2


"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 have several Expeds and I don't think they're that loud at all."


"I have an Exped. Not loud."

7

1


"Was concerned at how fragile it seems, but I've slept in some spikey places and never had an issue."


"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."


"I've used it for about 80 days over several trips. It's a very robust build."

2

0


"I had a hole in my Exped, out of warranty, had to pay for shipping but they repaired it and shipped it back for free. Super nice of them."


"Exped repairs pads for the cost of shipping to Tacoma."

Disliked most:

2

4


"There’s a weight penalty"


"not the lightest"


"not the smallest"

2

1


"Personally I was not able to sleep comfortably on the Exped MegaMat Lite, or its siblings (Dura/Versa/Ultra). ... A through-line in my testing of these is the vertical baffling: I regularly wake up and find my arm is numb. ... But in my adulthood I've probably maximum only got about two hours of sleep at a time on a design like these."

5

2


"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."


"(Exped backpacking style inflatable pad) not as quiet!"

1

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."

Positive
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Agerak • 6 months ago

Any Exped Med-Wide pads fit the bill. Incredibly comfy to boot. They are more expensive but a good nights sleep it worth it imo. Best investment I made for camping. I got my Deep Sleep for just over $100 on sale.

r/camping • Need 72in long 3-4in Thick Self Inflating Sleeping Pad ->
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Agerak • 3 months ago

Ahh ok then yea low or no R-value would be fine in those cases. Klymit also makes a good lightweight low R-value pad, it's what I used in Texas and worked quite well in warmer weather. Not as heavy or thick as the one you linked, but much lighter and packs down smaller. Great if you're backpacking but there are better options if car camping imo. Exped Ultra 1R is also a good pad, the more insulated 3 and 5 are also popular for colder temps. I've used the Dura versions which are a heavier/more insulated version and it was comfortable. I've also heard good things about Nemo Tensor but have no experience with it.

r/CampingGear • Lightweight Air Mattress Recommendation ->
Positive
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coldharbour1986 • 7 months ago

I've had my exped for around 4 years now, and it's never let me down. Was concerned at how fragile it seems, but I've slept in some spikey places and never had an issue. [this ](https://www.expeduk.com/products/ultra-1r) is the current version of what I've got, and can't praise it enough.

r/wildcampingintheuk • Sleeping Mat recommendations ->
Positive
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Leonidas169 • about 2 months ago

I can’t use anything over a 2 in summer or I sweat profusely on whatever side is against the mat. Sold my uberlite and picked up the 1R long/wide. Sleeps more comfortable as well.

r/Ultralight • What is the use case for an Exped Ultra 1r sleeping mat? ->
Negative
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WildernessResearch • 11 months ago

I do like to sleep comfortably when backpacking, and have spent a lot of time trying to figure out what works best for me. I've tried many pads over the past decades, including these two, along with similar Exped sleeping pads like the Ultra, Versa, and Dura. I am primarily a side sleeper, so that informs some of my sleeping experience on these, and am 190cm and 95kg. Personally I was not able to sleep comfortably on the Exped MegaMat Lite, or its siblings (Dura/Versa/Ultra). A through-line in my testing of these is the vertical baffling: I regularly wake up and find my arm is numb. I think these might work better for me if I was primarily a back or chest sleeper; lots of people like them and recommend them. But in my adulthood I've probably maximum only got about two hours of sleep at a time on a design like these. I have only had to contact Exped for warranty once, and they ended up shipping me a new unit before I even had to send the old one back: top marks here in support. I just picked up the Therm-a-rest NeoLoft before the holidays and took it on two trips in Mt Hood National Forest. Maybe the most comfortable backpacking pad I've personally used recently, even if the large (long wide, 78x26) weighs 2lbs! When fully inflated it is 4.6" thick. One of the few pads I've slept more than six straight hours on, which is kind of how I prioritize pads. Not only comfortable, but has a soft-touch stretchy fabric which feels good against the skin (I tend to sleep with quilts rather than bags). The first night I did wake up to find my arm was numb, so curious if that was a one-off with a weird sleeping position... R-value is 4.7, so I haven't used it at all in the past 45 days because of the cold where I am. It looks like the REI exclusivity is now over in early 2025, and this can be picked up lots of different places. Honestly the thing I dislike the most is the valves; I just don't care for the old-style Therm-a-rest valves. Realizing your question was specifically about those two, I also wanted to recommend what I have found to be my most comfortable pads in recent years: 1. Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Extreme Insulated. This specific pad and its sibling, Ether Light XT Insulated, have been my primary pads the past four-ish years. They are 4" thick and the most comfortable pads I've used, probably tied with the NeoLoft. Never woken with my arm numb, and the only pad I've ever slept seven-plus hours straight-through. In the PNW I use the non-Extreme-variant in the warmer half of the year, and the Extreme-variant in the colder half. The stuff sack with the inflation aid built-in is the smartest I've seen. Extreme version has an r-value of 6.2, and the non-Extreme version r-value is 3.2. The Extreme has that spider-web looking Thermolite insulation, which in my mind is the most reliable winter/cold insulation; it doesn't crinkle and potentially fail like newer thin reflective films in other lighter pads (NEMO Tensor, Big Agnes Rapide, etc). On the flip side that makes the Extreme very heavy, more than 2lbs, and also packs down the biggest of any backpacking pad I've owned. 2. REI Helix. Been using this on-and-off for the past few seasons. One of the few pads that has me sleeping through the night. It is only 3" thick, but I have found the trick is to fully inflate: the dimples do a good jump of evening out my weight and not experiencing any arm numbness. The long wide is 1lb 13oz, and seems pretty sturdy compared to other REI-brand pads I've used in the past; no leaks yet... R-value of 4.9. I always wake up refreshed and feeling good on those mats, baring any environmental issues outside of the pad. I cannot recommend the NeoLoft in that way yet, but will continue to use and test it out in the near future with an additional foam pad underneath to make it safe for snow conditions (as the r-value stacks). And I don't think I will ever recommend an Exped pad for backpacking. Exped does make fantastic foam inflating car-camping pads though!

r/outdoorgear • Thermarest Neoloft vs Exped MegaMat Lite 12 ??? ->
Positive
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After_Pitch5991 • 11 months ago

Exped utra pads are great and highly underrated. Zen bivy light half sheet and light quilt is amazing with it. Game changer for me.

r/AppalachianTrail • I can’t get comfortable to sleep on the trail. Help me with a sleeping pad, please. ->
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After_Pitch5991 • 7 months ago

Exped pads are highly underrated!

r/Ultralight • Very poor sleep on the NeoAir X Lite NXT. Recommendations? ->
Positive
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goodhumorman85 • 9 months ago

I know they are light but the neoair durability isn’t great. Also Cascade (thermarest) just moved from Seattle to Reno and I bet things are super disorganized still I opted for the Exped Ultra series. There’s a weight penalty but I find them much more comfortable, and Exped repairs pads for the cost of shipping to Tacoma.

r/Ultralight • Sleeping Pad Situation and my PCT lighterpack list ->
Positive
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AdeptNebula • 2 months ago

Exped Ultra is comfortable and ultralight. Pretty affordable, too. Give it a try

r/Ultralight • Therarest Neoloft VS. Zenbivy Flex Air Mattress ->
Positive
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Comfortable-Pop-3463 • 5 months ago

Most 20D pads seems to be "too fragile". Only exception seems to be the exped ultra somehow. But it's really hard to have a good picture on pads reliability.

r/Ultralight • RAB Ultrasphere 4.5 review ->
Positive
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gijoe4500 • 9 months ago

I have a Nemo Tensor, Thermarest NeoAir X-Lite, and an Exped Ultra. My favorite of the 3 is the Exped. I haven't used the Rapide, but I'd put it in the same class as the ones I have. At that point, they are all so similar, buy the one that is the most comfortable for you. $20-30 less or more at that price point isn't huge, and is 100% worth it for more comfort.

r/CampingGear • Recommend a sleeping pad: BA Rapide SL or something else? ->
Positive
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Known-Ad-100 • 11 months ago

I second exbed ultra, i also really like the sea to summit aeros deluxe backpacking pillow. They're a little annoying to set up and not the lightest or smallest, but it's very comfortable. I haven't done a thru, so I can't attest to long distance carries but I'm a very light sleepier with difficulty falling asleep and also absolutely need sleep, I'm not one of those people who can do well with minimal rest. I can only imagine on a thru I'd want maximum comfort for quality sleep. Some other commentor noted to inflate and slightly deflate and this is necessary although with practice you'll probably learn exactly how much to inflate and not have to tinker too much each night.

r/AppalachianTrail • I can’t get comfortable to sleep on the trail. Help me with a sleeping pad, please. ->

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