Flex Air Mattress

I’m on the heavier side (220 lbs) and a side sleeper. I opted for the flex air Zenbivy pad and love it. Most comfortable pad I’ve ever personally used. I don’t have experience with the UL pad but the core design should be similar. What I found is that the pad needed to be inflated very firm which keeps my hips and shoulders from bottoming out on the ground. With a normal pad this would be too firm and lack comfort but, with the dimpled design, the increased inflation was very comfortable. That being said, having the 4-way stretch top fabric could be very different from the UL pad and not work as well so YMMV. I think it’s worth a shot. It’s always difficult to balance comfort with weight savings. Other contributors may have better insight on the UL pad but I hope this piece of information helps somewhat.

Hello, I was hoping to get some advice given I have a concern for air leaks on some brand new pads. I tried almost all the pads at REI and ended up really liking the REI helix. Given I liked that dimple pattern decided to try the Zembivy Flex air and currently it’s my ideal sleeping pad as a stomach sleeper. My concern is both the REI helix and zenbivy flex air leaked enough air overnight for my hips to touch the floor during turns and be cold with the rei helix being more pronounced. This was while I was testing them indoors at 65 F. Is this expected from this kind of pad? Did I really get two “defective” pads? It’s not a deal breaker but I really liked both of these pads and trying to figure out if this is normal?

I recently bought both the neoloft and the Zenbivy Flex Air. Both have 4-way stretch fabrics on the sleeping side which help reduce pressure points. I think the neoloft is slightly more comfortable but honestly they’re pretty similar, and the zenbivy is ~1/2lb lighter. The zenbivy is a little louder when you move around but it’s not crazy or super crinkley. Before these I was sleeping on the Zenbivy UL mattress and I think the stretch fabric definitely improves the comfort at the cost of a few ounces.

Seems to be a lot of reports of the Neoloft sleeping extremely cold for its claimed R-Value. If you are looking for comfort and warmth. The Zenbivy Flex Air is a little lighter, comparably as comfortable and seems to be true to its R-5 rating. Therm-a-Rest warranty is better and uses thicker materials, but I have hard time justifying the weight of the pad and having to worry about being cold when temps drop below 40f.

I can't speak to the Exped, but I've used both the Nemo and the Rapide. The Rapide is noticeably more comfortable, heavier, bulkier. It's a lower R-value, and doesn't seem to live up to it's rating even. I'm not saying it's a bad buy. Nemo Tensor seems to be the best combo of comfort and weight I can find if I emphasize weight. If I'm emphasizing comfort, the Zen Bivy Flex Air is maybe 6 oz heavier, and is the most comfortable backpacking pad I've ever tried. It's absolutely superb. That said, I don't use it because of the weight, but I'll sure as hell slide over on to my girlfriend's mat when she gets up.

The x-therm is quite a bit of overkill for 30° F, even for a cold sleeper. I think the Ether Light would run pretty cold for me at 30°. Are you finding those particular ones on sale? Cuz I think you should be looking at something like NeoAir XLite NXT or Nemo Tensor All Seasons. The Tensor is about the same weight, but a half inch thicker and somewhat warmer. Either would be fine in those temps, but the Tensor would give you a bit more cushion. The Exped Ultra 6.5R is a little bit cheaper than those two very popular ones, and compares very well in specs. My comfort favorite is the Zen Bivy Flex Air. The stretch top is super nice. It's about 4-6 oz heavier than the others.

Try the zenbivy flex air, its super comfy is 1lb 1oz and has an R value of 4.8.

No experience with the NeoLoft, but I was quite impressed with the Flex Air. It's a bit louder than I'd prefer, but sleeps warm for its R value when inflated firmly, and the topper material is really comfortable! I have about 20 nights on a loaner from a friend, and will probably buy one if I decide to stick with ground sleeping (I tend to prefer a hammock when I'mbelow the treeline).