Ether Light XT Insulated Air Sleeping Mat

Ah yes that was a common issue with the older ones. I have the newest one and fear it might have the same problem. Slept on it only one night but felt some cold spots where the most pressure was. Meanwhile it's R4.1 rated so should definitely be suitable for 3 season use. However my Nemo Astro Insulated feels warmer with mylar film in it

For almost your exact use cases I've got the Sea to Summit Ether light XR. It's quite expensive though, but will last you! It packs really small, isn't too heavy and incredibly comfortable. Much more than the one you found. If you think it's too expensive I'd highly recommend the Naturehike R5.8 pad. It's around $100 and heard someone slept on snow with it and seems pretty reliable too. Also not heavier than others on the market and packs small

You're welcome! Not sure why I was downvoted above haha. Yeah it was steep for me too, although found one for $160 so not too bad. It's very comfortable and as long as you don't go below freezing it should be good for you! Yes sure do! Not sure how reliable it is. But knowing Naturehike with their tents and other items they sell, you het excellent quality for the price :)

Second s2s etherlite. I tried nemo tensor in store and I wasn't even comfortable there. I stopped waking up when I switched to etherlite. I think they have an updated version with a higher R score which I will get next year since I sleep cold and do a lot of shoulder season stuff.

I had the XT and it's by far the most comfortable one I ever had. But holy crap, I backpacked in the San Juans last fall and a few days dipped under freezing and I was really cold. My sleeping bag is rated 15 so it's likely not that. I also had a light foam pad underneath and it didn't help that much. Now I'm also stuck either getting the XR or the extreme version. I really like fall backpacking trips but I need one that's warm enough:(

I am use 6' 3" and I use the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated, the large and rectangular one. It is 4 inches tick. Very comfortable. If it is not cold and if I am not seeking comfort, then I just use the nemo foam pad, but if I want comfort and warmth, I use the inflatable one. I find the whole deflating the pad and rolling/folding ritual cumbersome, but the damn thing is quite comfortable.

Exped Dura. It has down. I have the 6R LW. You can get a slightly lighter version which is lighter due to thinner face fabrics. Avoid StS Etherlight XT at all costs, as I have had two getting pinctures where the dividers attach. Constant flats from just lying on them. And I am not the only one. This is why I bought the Exped Dura.

My 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.

I use a Sea to Summit EtherLight XT, which they claim is 4" thick and with a 4.1 R value, but even the size L is only 25" wide. I'm a side sleeper, so I appreciate the extra thickness and am less worried about the width. It looks like the Big Agnes Zoom UL comes in roughly the same width. You could go crazy and buy a double-wide mat from any of the major brands, with widths from 40-50", but it seems a lot of those pack as large as 11x6".

I recently swapped to the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated and can definitely recommend it. I’m a side sleeper and the extra thickness is welcome but it’s not much bulkier packed than my previous pad.

Thanks - I’m fairly certain that’s the one I’ve got.

Sea to Summit EtherLight XT Insulated. I also have a NEMO Tensor Ultralight but find it too thin for side-sleeping.

Can't speak from a racing context, but I've got 2 different inflatable sleeping mats that I'd vouch for. NEMO Tensor Trail Ultralight to save weight and bag space, but I do find it thin for side-sleeping and I'd expect it to be under-insulated for colder conditions. Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated packs larger and heavier, but it's now my year-round option due to the additional comfort and R value. It'll still take up less space than your foam pad. I carry a little Flextail camp inflator for blowing up my pad - inflates in like 30 seconds, I'll also use it to deflate just to get all of the air out, avoids humid breath causing mold inside the pad. I'm tent-camping, and the inflator doubles as an LED lantern inside my tent, which is especially handy as I'll often wake before the sun.

I highly rate the nemo tensor (3.5"). I used to use a sea to summit etherlite xt (4") which was really comfy but heavy and had 3 of them with plastic weld multi-failure. I've tried thermarest neoair xlight nxt (3") and i hated it, felt like sleeping on a puffy bag of chips and unstable. For the pain you're feeling though, most mats are similar and the decider is getting a mat thick enough that you can deflate it so soften the pressure. Deflating the mat a bit if i'm going to sleep on the back helps with back pain and general pressure by increasing contact area. Raising the feet also helps, usually i put spare clothes under the feet. Choosing a sufficiently large/wide mat too.