Sea To Summit - Ether Light XR Insulated Air Sleeping Pad

The ether light XR is the first pad that’s given me just as good a night sleep as I do at home. It’s such a comfortable pad. I’m a side sleeper and nothing compares to it for comfort for me. It can be a bit noisy so when I’m tossing and turning before falling asleep it can be a bit of a nuisance but it’s never hindered my sleep

It’s not crinkly or rustly, can be a bit squeaky! But think it also depends on sleeping bag material. Like I said it’s never cause me an issue but my partner has commented on it before

If comfort is a priority, you’ll do no better than the new Sea To Summit Ether Light XR.

I am a 181cm, 100kg side sleeper and just bought the S2S Etherlight XR. It arrived this morning and my [**first impressions are here.** ](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/1isa5ot/comment/mdq8c2p/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)

Auspost delivered a new S2S Etherlight XR (regular Mummy) this morning so I set it up next to my old Thermarest Xtherm (2020 model) - Here are my first impressions. **Comfort** \- It feels more comfortable than my Xtherm. At 10cm thick it is much more plush. **Size/shape** \- The extra 4cm in width feels good. I am a 181cm, 100kg side sleeper and this feels like a better size and shape for me. It is also wider near the foot which is very welcome. **Profile** \- the Etherlight is higher at the sides than in the middle which feels a lot more stable. The Xtherm with its horizontal baffles regularly made me feel as though I was about to roll off the side. **Noise** \- They are roughly the same in volume but it is a different sound. The Xtherm sounded like a muted chip packet - still crinkly but not as noisy as the old Xlite. The Etherlight sounds more like a thick balloon - still makes a noise but a lower pitch. **Weight** \- Heavier. On my scales the Xtherm is 440g. S2S was 481g. **Warmth** \- The design looks pretty good. The new Etherlight uses reflective aluminium film - similar to the thermarest. The welds use a loop in the centre so it maintains an air gap even at the weld. Will actually take a few nights outside to really tell. I am not expecting it to be as warm as my old mat but we shall see. **Slipperyness** \- The fabric feels a little more grippy than the Xtherm so hopefully won't slip around as much. Once again - will need a few nights in the outdoors to really tell. **Packability -** Great. It folds down to same size as the Xtherm. I believe is a great improvement over the old Etherlight XT due to the new insulation. So on most points the Etherlight looks to be a winner. Size, shape and comfort is great. Weight is a bit higher and warmth is TBD but I feel like this is going to be my main mat form here on.

I tried both and went with the Ether Light XR. It came down to what felt good. I didn’t think the baffle design on the Tensor AS was comfortable or distributed weight well and much preferred the baffling on the Ether Lite as a side/stomach sleeper. I plan on upping the R value with a Z-lite pad if necessary.

The Ether Light is woven nylon just like the Nemo, but 30D vs 20D for the top. I compared them back in May, but I remember they felt fairly similar material-wise. I did think the Nemo was slightly more crinkly. The Ether Light is a little slippery, but I think it makes it easier to flip around. My last pad was a polyester Exped Dura which had a lot of friction going on with my clothes, which made it annoying to flip around at night because my clothes and quilt would get bunched up and twisted.

No problem! It was one of the reasons I switched pads. The other was that I didn’t find vertical baffles all that great for side sleeping. The arm I slept on frequently went numb, and I’m pretty sure it was from the baffles pressing against it.

I’ll second the XR. It’s pretty comfy for stomach/side sleeping. But also, I tried out the NeoLoft at REI this weekend and holy crap is it a comfy cradle of air.

I have an Exped Dura 3R and it’s very warm and so far, has proven to be durable. I’ve taken it down to 30°f with no extra foam pad beneath and slept warm. Never had any air leak out. I’m not a huge fan of the vertical baffles, but I must say that the edge baffles being slightly thicker does help keep me centered. Exped uses a microfiber insulation on these pads instead of reflective film, and I’m sold on it. I intended to swap the Exped for the new Sea to Summit Etherlite XR that has reflective insulation, but I shivered my way through a 42°f night on it.

So I bought the ether light XR in the spring and was happy with it until October. My backside was constantly chilled on a 38°f night with a z lite sol under it and 10° down quilt. I was wearing wool socks, beanie, and baselayers. The second night was 45°f and I was more comfortable, but I was pretty disappointed given that it slept colder than the 3R Exped it was meant to replace. The old XT had reports of sleeping cold, but I was hoping that S2S had fixed that with the new iteration. If I were you, I’d get the Exped.

Yes, I could feel the cold coming through the XR with the ccf under it. I’d never had that issue with my 3R Exped, in fact, I have taken that down to 32°f with no ccf under it and never felt the cold. They have different insulation types, but I didn’t think that would matter based on the R ratings. The XR is more comfortable though, so I’ll probably keep it for warmer temps.

Picked up a S2S Etherlight XR and had my first 4 days on it recently. Super comfy, even as a side sleeper.

Sea to summit etherlight xr is very comfortable for a side sleeper as well, while not being too heavy or bulky.

I just got the updated Sea to Summit Ether Light XR and can't wait to give it a proper test run next weekend. It was super comfy on my living room floor. Comes in a few 25" wide options. If you need higher R value, there's the pro version which is 4-season.

I'd give it a 9/10. Very comfy, great packed size, teeny bit heavier than I'd want (but comfort totally justified it). There were a couple cold spots but the pad had deflated as the temp dropped, so I just topped it off and all was well.

\+1 for the Ether Lite! I've got a bunch of pads, but I always end up going back to this one for comfort. The material is a little squeaky and I would trust it below freezing, but it's very comfortable. I've also seen it on sale regularly for less than $150.

I own all the pads you have listed, I would go with the Tensor All Season. You might also take a look at the new XR version of the Ether Light. I believe they updated this version with a more traditional mylar style insulation resulting in better weight and a higher R-Value. If it's anywhere near the comfort of the old version, it would be a solid option. You might also look at pairing any potential pads with something like the Gossamer Gear thinlight. It would add quite a bit of protection with around an additional 0.5 R-Value.

Sea to summit has a lifetime guarantee on their products which ultimately became my deciding factor in choosing them between the same two pads you mentioned.

Yes on the ether light but get the newer XR version which has a higher r rating.

The new **Sea to Summit Etherlite XR** Mummy Large. 10cm/4inches thick and comfy. Packs small. 580grams. other good current inflatable pads - Nemo Tensor All Season - Thermarest NeoAir NXT - Naturehike R5.8 (Budget option at $90)

Sea To Summit Etherlite XR

The Sea to Summit Etherlite Woman has been replaced by the new Etherlite **XR** which is warmer lighter and packs smaller. My advice would be to test lie in a shop - Thermarest NeoAir NXT - [Sea to Summit Etherlite XR](https://seatosummit.eu/en-ch/products/ether-light-xr-insulated-air-sleeping-pad) - [Nemo Tensor All Season](https://www.nemoequipment.com/products/tensor-all-season-insulated-sleeping-pad)

The newly updated version Etherlite X**R** which came out around April is a much better pad. Packs smaller, weighs less and is much warmer. It uses silver reflection film instead of insulation. I owned the XT before and let me tell you if you can sell the XT and buy the XR it's that good. https://seatosummit.com/products/ether-light-xr-insulated-air-sleeping-pad?srsltid=AfmBOoq_8pObfHzj71aOkuP45MvfnKwCO0wnHfKuJmTFyxk1hzqLM942 Ether Light XR Insulated Air Sleeping Pad