8 in Sleeping Pads
Sea To Summit - Ether Light XT Extreme Insulated Air Sleeping Mat
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Based on 1 year's data from Mar 22, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
14
0
"The Ether Light XT was very comfortable, would definitely recommend if you re primarily a side sleeper."
"its great for me and my tosses and turns."
"3+ inch thick pad with the waffle pattern is the way to go in my book. ... Back feels better in the morning and I wake up way less often because some body part fell asleep."
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7
"They are extremely lightweight for that kind of warmth."
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0
"Another feature I love about the Sea to Summit is that their storage sack is also the pump sack. I’ve often forgotten to bring my Big Agnes pump sack when I’ve had my Rapide with, whereas that never happens with the S2S one."
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"Quiet."
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"The Ether Light XT was very comfortable, would definitely recommend if you re primarily a side sleeper."
"3+ inch thick pad with the waffle pattern is the way to go in my book. ... Back feels better in the morning and I wake up way less often because some body part fell asleep."
"The Sea to Summit mats are incredibly comfortable with 4-6inches of foam."
Disliked most:
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3
"It fixes the problems of the XT like ... bulky pack size."
"Also it packs a little larger than some others ... The Sea to summit etherlight packs too big for what it is"
"The winter version is absurdly bulky."
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"It creeks and croaks like crazy though so anyone you go with will hate you. ... And no, it doesn't go away. ... People say that but they are lying lol. I think they just got used to it."
"My only dislike from the Etherlight is the exterior finish on the materials they used makes it squeaky on the tent floor and against some sleeping bags. ... The Sea to summit etherlight packs too big for what it is and the external material is super squeaky on a tent floor."
"Ether light I found noisy and sold it."
0
7
"Im not sure if I can trust S2S with another pad after my freezing XT. ... Comfort counts for nothing if using a quilt and you're cold."
"As a cold sleeper for the love of God do not get the ether light. I had it for a while and I was just dang cold all the time unless it was properly warm out."
"your Ether Light only has an R-value of 3.2 which is way too low for 0-15°F temps (you need at least 5+ for those conditions) ... no amount of merino will fix heat loss through the ground."
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"Then it developed a slow leak."
Equivalent_Chipmunk 1.0I've used an older XT extreme down to single digits fahrenheit and didn't feel like there was cold seeping through the pad. That was with a bag though and not a quilt, camping on snow, no foam pad. I don't think the XT/XR is a bad product per se, but I do think I'd steer in the direction of other brands just based on what's on the market right now. Exped's not what I'd choose though. Nemo and Thermarest have the best pads right now, imo.
RevQB 1.0I’ve slept on the Comfort Plus for a couple dozen nights and just picked up the Ether Light XT Extreme after having a couple nights of bad hip pain using the comfort plus. I haven’t slept on the Ether Light yet, but it seems to be much more comfortable for side sleepers like myself. I got the regular sized Ether Light XT Extreme and have the rectangular Comfort Plus. The Ether Light is a lot smaller when packed and I’m sure the non-extreme would be even smaller yet when packed. I also think the 3” thickness of the Comfort Plus is slightly exaggerated, seems to be less than that, but that’s anecdotal. The Ether Light is markedly thicker and fellow side sleepers seem to really enjoy it. I think both are pretty nice, but based on the necessity to sleep on your side and reduce packed size/weight, would recommend the Ether Light.
The Ether Light XT was very comfortable, would definitely recommend if you’re primarily a side sleeper. If not, and you will be primarily car camping, the Comfort Plus will do well. The Ether Light’s are not on sale anymore either which is a bit of a bummer.
Sudden-Grab2800 1.0I have a Sea to Summit Etherlite XT Extreme and it’s great. A regular is 7 x 9.5” packed; the large is 7.5 x 11”
THEHELLHOUND456 0.4I went S2S Ether Light XR PRO EXTREME. Great size, sound, and R value
lenn_eavy 0.3My wife has S2S mattress - the one you are looking at or slightly colder and she likes to sleep warm. We were doing Tour du Mt Blanc this year and you want all the comfort you can get for multiple days of 1000 m up and downs even if it is worth few grams more. Nemo seems to be thicker though? And you don't have to inflate it all the way, so it will make more room for your hips but watch out, too close to the ground and it'll get cold in the middle of the night. We both use Cumulus 250 quilts and I have Thermarest NeoAir Xlite (R 4.5) - I was sweating some nights so if anything, Nemo will be too warm for the proper Summer and maybe shoulder months.
acartine 0.2I'm a side sleeper and I find the etherlight XT really comfortable. It creeks and croaks like crazy though so anyone you go with will hate you. And no, it doesn't go away. People say that but they are lying lol. I think they just got used to it.
billymcnilly 0.2Self-inflating foam mats seem like a good middle ground. I hadnt seen the nemo flyer. Looks very similar to the new sea to summit pursuit self-inflating that i just got (5cm thick, 600g). It's extremely comfortable and i cant wait to try it out, after getting zero sleep on my etherlight xt recently. Do you have the zlite for extra padding, or for extra warmth?
croaky2 0.2\+1 on the NeoXTherm. Have used one for 20 years. Recently got a Sea2Summit Etherlite XT it is more comfortable for a side sleeper.
Loosetree123 0.2I switched from a s2s eatherlight xt to a zenbivy ultralight and have quite enjoyed it.
I was sporting the s2s ether light and had to let so much air out. Got zenbivy ultralight fully inflated is wonderful. 200 pounds side to stomach sleeper. Seems to have a different type stretchy material.
m3erds 0.2I went from an OK REI inflatable to a NEMO tensor and then a Sea to Summit Etherlite XT. The waffle-looking baffles on the two latter pads were a huge improvement in comfort. I think the Etherlite is slightly more comfortable but I switched mostly for durability reasons. 3+ inch thick pad with the waffle pattern is the way to go in my book. Back feels better in the morning and I wake up way less often because some body part fell asleep.