Exped - Ultra 5R

I sleep on a Exped Ultra 5r AT HOME every night. If I ain't worried over big miles, I take it backpacking. Cradles me just right with the outer "tubes" a little fatter than the midle ones. And I recommend a pillow that's tall enough for side sleeping. I usually take a thermarest x-lite on longer sections though, a little lighter and sleeps fine too.

If the Prolite works great for you, why not keep it and cut weight elsewhere? Pads are quite subjective, like recommending shoes. I agree it's a grail hunt, I've went through a bunch too! The Neoair is my go-to, the Exped Ultra is my favorite, and I can get by on a z-lite in warmer weather.

I am an Exped Ultra 3R and 5R fan. I feel like they are highly underrated in the hiking community. My opinion is they sleep warmer than rated, are super comfortable, quite and cost less than a lot of pads. Just an FYI if you want another possibility/option. Edit: Sorry, I forgot this was Ultralight. I was thinking it was the Appalachian Trail sub.

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

I’ve only slept on the neoair and the exped from that list. I find the exped a little more comfortable to sleep on, but still always take the neoair because of the lighter weight, which is more comfortable in my pack. I am more of a rotisserie sleeper, but 1/3 of the time I’m on my back. I always opt for the 25” width because, well, I was born with arms and elbows! I cut my neoair down to 50” and use my backpack and sit pad under my feet. I don’t experience any discomfort from that setup and save 3-4 ounces thereby. I’m not sure I could cut my exped because of the baffle orientation. I keep it only to loan to friends.

I have three; Exped Ultra 5R, Exped Flex, and Exped Deep Sleep. Ultra & Flex are my backpacking pads and the Deep Sleep is for car camping. Side and back sleeper that runs hot. Spring/summer/fall in the PNW. Go wide/long since you like to roll around.

Stick with the foam imo! Although foam won't necessarily be the most comfortable option to sleep on when camping on hard surfaces (which can be mitigated with site selection), it offers comfort in other ways. It's comfortable in that it's very low-maintenance: it'll never pop or develop a leak, and it'll never deflate in the middle of the night. You don't have to baby it whatsoever. It's comfortable in that it takes mere seconds to set up and take down. It's comfortable in that replacing it is easy and cheap. It's comfortable in that it's very light for the weight and you can trim it down to lighten it further. It's comfortable that it serves multiple purposes, including a sit pad during the day and a mat for stretching. All of these things pay dividends on a long-distance hike where light, reliable, multipurpose, and time-efficient gear rules. Also, I don't think foam is nearly as uncomfortable as people make it out to be. You can always use extra clothes and other stuff for padding if you have to camp on a hard surface. I find inflatables to be slippery and annoyingly narrow, whereas I can sprawl on foam like I'm on a real bed. Edit: I'll add that I own a Thermarest NeoAir X-Lite and an Exped Ultra 5R. I'd take foam over them any day on a thru-hike for the ease of use, durability, and weight. The last thing I want to do after a long day of hiking is to spend time blowing air into a glorified pool floatie.

Exped's Ultra line has vertical baffles which I find very comfy, and in my experience the rails don't have the insulation issue the new BA pads (allegedly) do.

I have the Ultra 5R and it definitely packs down larger than my Xlite, but then again the Xlite packs down very small. I would say it's probably about the same as the BA pads, but don't quote me on that because I don't have any experience with BA. (Maybe someone else can speak to it.) That said, I haven't found the packed size to be a problem - I usually just fold it a couple times and insert it vertically against my back. I would definitely go to a local store and see if it's comfortable for you though! It's definitely very cozy for me. I really like the vertical baffles and agree that the Thermarest pads are just not very comfortable. Edit: just to add, if you care about weight the Expeds are a bit heavier than the competition (20oz for the 5R and 18oz for the 3R, iirc). So that's maybe where I would weigh the benefits. I really like bringing the 5R on trips where my main goal is to just relax and have a fun time chilling in the woods.

Not sure about Rab pads, have heard nothing about them. Thermarest Neoair seem less durable than Nemo Tensors from everything I have read and heard. My own preference had been Exped. Ultra series are lighter Dura series are more durable. Mummies or rectangular options with various R values available. Never had an issue with my Ultra 5R.

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.

Exped Ultra 5R in rectangular wide. You will love the lengthwise air chambers and how quiet this pad is. Not to even mention the side bumper action feature.

Exped has wide pads that are very quiet. The 5R is warm enough for me to 20F for sure, so in rectangular (not mummy) it might suit you. If you believe that noise comes from a pad squeaking against the fabric of a tent floor, then putting a 1/8" thinlite (or goodnite) CCF pad between an inflatable and tent floor will create enough friction to "lock" the inflatable in place and prevent squeaking. Also such a CCF will add to warmth [and weight]. And the lengthwise air chambers may help a side sleeper stay centered on the pad. I still have to wear earplugs to sleep but I imagine that you do as well because of the frogs, toads, crickets, and katydids that are tremendously noisy at night.

Lengthwise baffles are always the best. Why is that you may ask? I think one reason is that one can easily feel or sense that one is not about to move off the pad and even that one is centered on the pad. The Exped has slightly larger "in diameter" edge tubes, so that also helps one sense in total darkness where one's body, legs, and feet are on the pad. I sleep on my back, on my stomach, on my left side and on my right side, and everywhere in-between. Also it is helpful to get a mummy-shaped pad to save some weight. Also helpful to get a wide pad. Also helpful to have a virtually noiseless pad.

I'll offer a contrasting viewpoint: My Exped pads can be inflated to be quite firm with the Schnozzle pump sack that they come with. I usually have to let some air out. If I use my Pad-Pal inflator then I have to blow in another partial breath. My hip doesn't come close to bottoming out, but I am not very heavy myself.

ExPed Ultra 5R has been a solid mat for me. Been plenty warm down <0°c>-10°c. I have the rectangular wide & it's been comfy and I've never found it noisy. I also have a Light Tour r7.5 - wide mummy, it's very light and small, smaller when it's blowed-up too, and definitely a bit noisy. Tolerable tho I'd say. I've found it to be warm enough down to just below freezing on the one camp I've had it out in the cold. I do generally sleep pretty warm and have a nice quilt, but it was definitely noticeably warmer than my 3.smthn summer mat I was A/B testing it against.

Doesn't that have down in it? I was looking at that one then, iirc I realized they used down insulation in it? and like... Who amongst us hasn't woken up in a newly formed lake or stream at least once while r/wildcampingintheUK ? 😂 I went with the 5R & have been fine on it below freezing (I do sleep pretty warm in general, but tbh think 5R is pretty decent for most UK-type situations)

I have the Xped 5R... It's _very_ comfortable and warm (much much warmer than I would ever need if I didn't plan on going down below 5°c!). But it's a _little_ bit chunkier and heavier than I might like if I wasn't in need of the warmth. XLite is lighter and more compact, but significantly less comfortable IMHO, also very warm. Can't speak to the Nemo personally. My summer pad is the [Kilos Gear Aerocloud UL](https://kilosgear.com/products/aerocloud-sleeping-pad-ul) and I really rate it; comfortable, lightweight, compact, and honestly surprisingly warm still, never really even felt the cold until it got down below 0°c - & obvs _much_ cheaper than the other options you've listed. Comfort is a little bit of a personal preference based on your physique and sleep preferences; but I would certainly recommend the kilos gear pad. Sorry to give you even more options 😂

Another vote for the Exped Ultra 5R. I LOVE mine. It is so comfy, and as a side sleeper the horizontal baffles stop my leg from sliding off onto the ground, which can be uncomfortable and cold. I have used it in -2 conditions, the side of my body that was on the mat was plenty warm, the side to the air, not so much, but that's a sleeping bag issue. And I feel the cold, so to be warm on the mat is saying a lot. As far as durability goes, I can't comment on that as I haven't spent a lot of nights on it. Ultralight is usually at the compromise of durability though. There is a more durable version, it has a bigger packed size and weight. Just depends what your priorities are and what you're willing/not willing to sacrifice.

I have the Exped and I find it comfortable and I have tried it at about 35F, it did the trick. The only thing is that you can't "over-inflate" it. Or maybe mine is a defect. At some point, you can't put more air inside, but the pad remains pretty soft. The thing is, for me, this is the perfect firmness, especially if you sleep on your back. When I sleep on my side, my hip is almost touching the ground (which is fine). I'm pretty sure it's not a defect and that's just the way they are, though.

I have an Exped Ultra 5R and don't find it loud at all.

Agreed the Exped is surprisingly comfy for a side sleeper. I went with the ultra 5r but that shouldn’t make a difference. Tried and eventually got rid of: thermarest, ether light, klymit.

[here's](https://www.reddit.com/r/WildernessBackpacking/s/7vAF6wA3dd) some suggestions I made recently. None are UL really but neither is the pad you're coming from. Best bet is probably the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite in the usual mummy size for best/lightest in the segment. Exped Ultra 5R is fantastic but decidedly not UL

Do you have a max budget? Do you have a good sleeping bag to pair it with? Any of the modern inflatable pads will fit in your bag unless you've brought enough other stuff to cross the continent on foot, lol Here's our experiences, though not a comprehensive review of everything on the market. TLDR probably get you an Exped Ultra 5R. Nemo Tensor: I am a flopper and tended to roll onto the edges, which made them collapse and dumped me onto the ground. Pad is comfortable otherwise. It does make quite the crinkly sound when moving. Exped Ultra 3R: probably a bit cold when temps are approaching the lower end of your range. Large side baffles (like the Big Agnes you linked, I think) keeps you from flinging yourself off the pad. Thick and comfortable. Fantatsic pump sack inflates the thing in like 20 seconds. Was entirely too cold for us where it gets colder than your range. Side note, it was paired with a Big Agnes sleeping bag which was horrible. Terrible bag. Exped Ultra 5R: all the pros of the 3R but warm enough! Great pad, my wife's current go-to. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite MAX: or whatever the yellow rectangle \~5R one is. Lacks the side bolsters of the Exped and is thinner, but is very comfortable and IIRC lighter. Another great pad, my current go-to. Pump sack is beyond useless, too porous and leaks air instead of blowing into pad. I just blow it up by mouth. Generally, I've found we prefer rectangular pads. If you're with someone else and you both have rectangular pads - make sure they fit in your tent! Many tents are tapered and your feet will overlap which is super annoying

I haven't tried the Rab pad, but the other two will not get you below freezing. Exped ultra 5r is a great option, as already mentioned. The naturehike 5.8 pad could also be a good option - although there isn't much data on durability.

The Tensor AS and Ultra 5R are great pads for the canadian rockies. Both might be slightly cold depending on where you're going in mid-may as there can still be snow on the ground or the ground could still be frozen even if the snow has melted. I find frozen spring ground as cold as snow in the middle of winter. I'd look at a Neve Waratah quilt. The Waratah -8C is $353 CAD.

Exped 5r Regular/wide. Were the same height so don’t get the long. Absolute beast of a sleeping pad!

Naturehike is not ASTM rated. Skip. The Rapide is a great pad but is a bit cold. If you want the direct replacement to this pad get the Boundary Deluxe, which is the new name for the Q Core Deluxe. However if you are going to go winter camping over snow go for a higher R value pad. Exped Ultra 5 Exped Ultra 7 Sea to Summit Etherlight XT Extreme Thermarest XTherm Nemo Tensor Extreme

I currently use an Exped Ultra 7R which packs smaller, is lighter, and has an additional 2 R value than the S2S pad. They also have a 5R pad that’s even lighter. I have yet to find any down side to Exped other than they’re a bit on the costly side. I’m not sure about the S2S pad, but many 4 season pads have a crinkling sound from the reflective insulation layer, but my pad is much more muffled than most others with that layer. The noise alone is a winner for me since I tend to move a lot while sleeping.

Exped 5R is awesome. May be a little out of the price range but worth it.

+1 on this, I tried several pads (foam and inflatable) as a side sleeper and the Expeds are AMAZING. I actually get good nights sleep on trail with them and they’re pretty good in terms of weight. I’ve got the 3R, 5R, and 7R versions now. The inflating part takes some getting used to (“schnozzle bag”) but is kinda fun. At least they don’t advertise themselves as “self-inflating” like some other pads that don’t actually self inflate.

+1 for exped 5r, its heat transfer resistance is amazing at only 555g

G'Day Practical, I've had an Exped Synmat which I recently replaced with an Exped 5R (I haven't used this yet, but it is the successor the Synmat). The Synmat lasted quite a few years and I was very happy with it. Both mats are rectangular rather than tapered so I think you will be less likely to slide off it. I certainly never had any problems, which is why I bought the 5R. Regarding sleeping bags, I have a three season bag (Exped Ultralite 300, \~300 g down) which I can pair with an inner bag (Macpac Snowflake, 130 g down). I used this combination (along with a silk inner sheet) in Nepal up to 4000 m (in accommodation) and was always comfortable. Note, you didn't mention having an inner sheet. If you do not have one, I advise you to get one (silk, not cotton). I think it is worth buying quality products from reputable manufacturers. They will last you a long time and be reliable.

They're all good pads. I find them all comfortable in their own ways. Exped has the nicest fabric, but it's also the thickest which I don't really like. The Nemo tensor is the overall most comfortable, no nonsense, best of all worlds. The Xlite is my favorite however. I like the horizontal baffles. The new NXT version isn't as loud as its predecessors. The mummy shape is tapered in the perfect places unlike Expeds mummy pads, I prefer it over rectangular ones.

The Thermarest NeoAir is indeed lighter. At just 12 ounces the semi-mummy arguably the best quality sleeping pad in this range and weight. But it's also not cheap. The NeoAir Xtherm is the cold weather version, R 7.4, and 16 oz. The Nemo Tensor Extreme is rectangle, R 8.1, and 18 oz. Both the Thermarest and Nemos are quieter than they were in the past. Also, the more you use them, the more quiet they get. Agree the Thermarest pump sack is the worst of the bunch, no question, but I've gotten mine to work enough. The Rapide is usually warm enough for most people 3 seasons, and the reason to buy it is indeed it's thickness, and the sides being raised. Agree the Exped 5R is good for most people. It's a simple, comfortable, rectangle. R 4.8, and 1lb 4 oz. That's certainly heavier than the Thermarest but $50 cheaper.

I think a lot of the inflatable pads are cold in sub freezing temperatures because they are getting cooled from the sides by the cold air. The cold sides will then cool the rest of the air between the mylar sheets. I imagine the exped don’t suffer as much from cooling from the sides because it’s filled with synthetic/down insulation and not “just” layers of mylar film. (This is just my theory) I was miserable on my thermarest xtherm at -20-25C. Going forward I will use my exped 5r coupled with a ccf, mammut bamse extreme, on top at those temps.

I'm about to buy the thermarest neoloft. It's thick and quiet, reasonable weight to comfort ratio and Nalgene sized. I have an exped 5r right now and can't stand it. Not comfy and sooooooooo loud.

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.

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.

+1 on Exped ultra. This was way more comfy for me than the XTherm or the S2S

Hell yeah for the exped. Super comfy and I haven’t had problems with them leaking like I did with the tensor.

Exped dura/ultra. Good european quality, not comparable to all the US trash

Exped Ultra or if you will be in a bit rougher terrain the exped dura. I use a dura5r and its mor comfortable than my bed at home

Self-inflating mats are basically 1990’s technology. Heavy and less comfortable than fully inflatable mats. Get yourselves decent comfortable inflatable mats like. Sea to Summit Etherlight XT insulated or Exped Ultra.

I like the feel of the self-inflating mats (POE InsulMat and ProLite Plus) when testing at home, but I get much better sleep on the air mat (Exped Ultra LW) when camping - more hours and my shoulders aren’t so tight in the morning.

A big driver behind that unstable feeling are the horizontal baffles of the xlite.  Vertical baffles (my favorite) or dimples will feel much more steady at any height, and to with those baffles I think you’d be able to get away with a normal short without feeling that instability.   Tensor is well-recommended but IIRC they have some durability issues.  Exped ultras appear to be getting increasingly popular, that’s what I use for the most part.

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!