Exped - Ultra 5R
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 30, 2025 Scoring
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"
287
39
"it weighs under 350g"
"under 700 grams including stakes"
"It folds up and is super easy to bring on planes and for rentals"
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"
53
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."
"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"
"I sleep on a Exped Ultra 5r AT HOME every night. ... Cradles me just right with the outer "tubes" a little fatter than the midle ones."
3
0
"as a side sleeper the horizontal baffles stop my leg from sliding off onto the ground, which can be uncomfortable and cold."
"Lengthwise baffles are always the best. ... 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."
"Large side baffles (like the Big Agnes you linked, I think) keeps you from flinging yourself off the pad."
Disliked most:
87
30
"found it to be the equivalent warmth of the insulated static v plus my ccf, and even pairing the etherlight extreme with a ccf, and having it fully inflated wasn’t nearly enough for sleeping on frozen ground or snow."
"If I need more than 4 R insulation (I'm sleeping on snow most likely) I'm taking a ccf for backup because I don't want to die."
"I've only slept on it for one night with a Thinlight underneath, where it got down to 35F and I felt the cold under the pad for sure but it was fine. ... I would *never* use it without a Thinlight. ... not anywhere near as warm."
20
18
"Was bulk and weight that chased me away from self inflators years ago. ... I find the selfinflating foam so comfortable, more so than than air mats, but it's 790 grams, very bulky and just 3.8r. Can't justify it."
"The only downside is the bulk. ... It takes up a lot of space in my pack. ... When I I’m out for long hauls I don’t have the room for it and switch to the Tensor All-Season."
"on 5+ nighter with a bear can, the bulk and weight would no longer be worth it for me."
1
22
"Dropped about 9ozs and kicked myself the rest of the way down the trail for being so gullible. ... I could really feel those 9ozs off my back."
"decidedly not UL"
"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."
23
3
"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."
"At some point, you can't put more air inside, but the pad remains pretty soft. ... When I sleep on my side, my hip is almost touching the ground"
"Even on that bad boy i can not find good rest. ... I felt like an idiot having that thickness and pricey pad, and still not being satisfied and enjoying the experience. ... I have a couple of pressure points on my ribcage that actually is the biggest comfort issue for me i think."
18
4
"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."
"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)."
"Too hard and it feels like a spring ready to bounce you off if you roll over"
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? ->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 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.
r/AppalachianTrail • I can’t get comfortable to sleep on the trail. Help me with a sleeping pad, please. ->Exped Ultra is comfortable and ultralight. Pretty affordable, too. Give it a try.
r/Ultralight • Therarest Neoloft VS. Zenbivy Flex Air Mattress ->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? ->I second this. Love my exped 3R and 5R. The UL 5R is ~$160 and sleeps better than thicker pads I've used
r/backpacking • Three season sleeping pad that doesn't break the bank ->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.
r/Ultralight • How are people liking the Nemo Tensor Elite? ->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 ->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 ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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