Versa 1R Sleeping Mat

I used to use just this style of sleep mat, largely because it packs super small and light: https://www.millets.co.uk/16231192/exped-versa-1r-medium-sleeping-mat-16231192 Since my back went to hell, I've added a layer of non-slip mats on top of one of these, then still use my air mattress because I now car camp and it's still amazingly comfortable after 6 years of use for a couple of weeks a year; https://www.millets.co.uk/15983967/hi-gear-slumber-campbed-15983967

I've had four Expeds. Still have two. Both have the built-in pump. One has synthetic fill. The other has some down insulation which makes it good for ~10F colder than without. The first two developed tiny leaks (could not find them even with submerging). They were a few years out of warranty. Exped still replaced both. I appreciate a company that stands behind their products. I also like side-sleeping. I have not used these as much as what you will. So durability...🤷

Check out airpads by Thermarest, Exped and Sea to Summit. Not the self-inflating ones, the ones with thick air chambers. They can be up to 4" thick, and the comfiest ones are miles away from a roll mat. If you buy one, don't inflate them by blowing, as exhaled air has enough moisture in it to cause issues down the line.

Modern-day insulated inflatable hiking pads are 3 to 4" thick and the comfiest are miles better than anything I've seen any military force use. Reliable brands include Thermarest, Exped and Sea to Summit, with the latter having an "air sprung cell" structure I find the comfiest of them all. Model names include Neoair for Thermarest, Versa for Exped, and Etherlight and Aircell for Sea to Summit. Add an inflatable pillow and you're set for an actual night of sleep instead of just waiting for time to pass. Some bag manufacturers make wide or extra wide models. I'm not as well updated on bags.

Since you mentioned below that you have issues with your arms falling asleep, I'd experiment with some different sleeping pads. Lots of folks complain that horizontal baffles are less supportive at the edges and lead to falling off the pad or their arms going numb. I'd try out some lightweight pads with different baffle styles (dimpled and longitudinal). Maybe the Exped 1R/3R and the S2S Ultralight XR/Ultralight Air. If you have an REI nearby, it would be easy to experiment and return whatever doesn't work out. Are the inflatable pillows uncomfortable due to height issues, or just the feel? Maybe a hybrid approach like this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-QGaNQHMZY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-QGaNQHMZY) I love mine. It's soft, supportive, light, and stays put on the S2S pillow lock patches. Best of luck.

I was using a backpacking style exped inflatable pad and recently replaced it with a self inflating one. Takes up a lot more space but far more comfortable (and quiet!).

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.

Insulated inflatable sleeping pad. Yes, an air mattress. But the ones with high R value will insulate you. Exped, Nemo, Thermarest, Sea to Summit, others. There are lightweight ones for backpacking and imaginably so they're going to tend to be more expensive. There are other ones that may be more comfort focused that aren't as light if you're just doing car camping. Get one from a company that does ASTM rating. This does kind of sound like "big sleeping pad" or a cartel. And it kind of is. But prior to them using that standard, it was the wild west. Sleeping pad manufacturers would just put any number on there that didn't mean anything. So a bunch of companies got together and decided to use this standard. It just gives you that relative comparison across brands. If you're not going below 32 f, then consider a pad that is R value 4 to 5. If you're going to be going below freezing but not necessarily below zero f, consider R value 6 or better. If you're going to be going below zero f then, you want to get up into the ones that are rated at R value 7.5+. You can stack an inflatable on top of ccf pads to increase your insulation. You can put an insulated sleeping pad on top of a cot if that's what you want to do. If you're using an inflatable, obviously you want to make sure it won't pop on the cot. About using a cot. Just getting you off the ground isn't going to make your warm. You'll still need insulation. The cot is irrelevant to heat transfer to the ground. You'd just end up with cold air under you instead of cold ground. One to look out for is the upcoming Nemo Eclipse which is supposed to be due out in march. It's going to be 4 in thick so probably comfortable. With an R value of 6.2 it should be pretty comfortable down to about zero f. No one really has information on this yet. So if you're looking to buy right now, you're going to look at other stuff. Check out the websites. If you see ones you're interested in, watch YouTube reviews. They're usually pretty good videos on most every product that's out there. I wanted to add, R value on sleeping pads and ground insulation is equally important to understanding top insulation. If using a sleeping bag or backpacking quilt, it's important to understand the EN or ISO rating. And really to look at the comfort rating. Understand also that those standards are assuming you're sleeping on a sleeping pad with an R value about 5 plus wearing base layer or thermal underwear, wool socks, and a warm hat.

I've used sleeping pads from Exped, Sea to Summit, Thermarest, Klymit, and a bunch of random off brands like outdoorsman lab and ampex. In my experience all brands will hold air all night and are roughly equally reliable out of the box, the difference is the higher end brands have better support if you get a defective product. That being said, Exped makes my personal favorite inflatable sleeping pads and if you mostly camp in warm weather you can currently get their 1R from their website for $50 https://www.expedusa.com/products/ultra-1r-mummy If you go out in colder weather, add a 1/8" EVA foam pad like this one: https://www.gossamergear.com/products/thinlight-foam-pad Combine those and you get a sleeping pad that can get you down to just about freezing (in my experience) for a total weight of ~1lb and a cost of ~$80