Exped - Ultra Series
Models:
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Feb 10, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
228
74
"super comfy. ... And even me at 270lbs I can sit in my side and not bottom out (inflated a lot though)"
"I just put up with the pinholes and patching them on trail because I can't sleep better on any other pad. ... There's a huge difference in comfort depending on your body between the dimpled baffling of the Etherlight/Tensor and the horizontal baffling of the Xlite. ... I can't sleep on horizontal baffling despite all the good features of the Xlite. ... I'm a side sleeper and my arms and shoulders ache and/or fall asleep or go numb on the Xlite. For whatver reason I can only sleep on dimpled baffles (tensor, etherlight)"
"I just put up with the pinholes and patching them on trail because I can't sleep better on any other pad. ... There's a huge difference in comfort depending on your body between the dimpled baffling of the Etherlight/Tensor and the horizontal baffling of the Xlite. ... I can't sleep on horizontal baffling despite all the good features of the Xlite. ... I'm a side sleeper and my arms and shoulders ache and/or fall asleep or go numb on the Xlite. For whatver reason I can only sleep on dimpled baffles (tensor, etherlight)"
207
44
"I've used it in May and January, perfection in every season."
"I've used it in May and January, perfection in every season."
"I've used it in May and January, perfection in every season."
38
20
"Insulation instead of reflective layer is quieter ... Can’t stand the crinkly noise produced by reflective layer models. ... I find they’re less noisy than the reflective pads. ... Overall, i find expeds less noisy."
"Insulation instead of reflective layer is quieter ... Can’t stand the crinkly noise produced by reflective layer models. ... I find they’re less noisy than the reflective pads. ... Overall, i find expeds less noisy."
"Insulation instead of reflective layer is quieter ... Can’t stand the crinkly noise produced by reflective layer models. ... I find they’re less noisy than the reflective pads. ... Overall, i find expeds less noisy."
144
22
"it weighs under 350g"
"it weighs under 350g"
"it weighs under 350g"
107
18
"I've used it in May and January, perfection in every season."
"I've used it in May and January, perfection in every season."
"I've used it in May and January, perfection in every season."
Disliked most:
60
25
"found it to be the equivalent warmth of the insulated static v plus my ccf, and even pairing the etherlight extreme with a ccf, and having it fully inflated wasn’t nearly enough for sleeping on frozen ground or snow."
"I've only slept on it for one night with a Thinlight underneath, where it got down to 35F and I felt the cold under the pad for sure but it was fine. ... I would *never* use it without a Thinlight. ... not anywhere near as warm."
"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."
10
3
"Over time, the Exped began to leak ... As best I can tell, the rubber lining inside the fabric begins to slowly degrade and develop pinhole leaks. ... You never hear leaking air. You just wake up in the morning with your hip touching the ground (I’m a side sleeper)."
"Over time, the Exped began to leak ... As best I can tell, the rubber lining inside the fabric begins to slowly degrade and develop pinhole leaks. ... You never hear leaking air. You just wake up in the morning with your hip touching the ground (I’m a side sleeper)."
"Over time, the Exped began to leak ... As best I can tell, the rubber lining inside the fabric begins to slowly degrade and develop pinhole leaks. ... You never hear leaking air. You just wake up in the morning with your hip touching the ground (I’m a side sleeper)."
8
1
"In my opinion the Megamat vertical baffles don't help with comfort at all, though they might help with the feeling of support if thats what someone was looking for. Not for me."
"In my opinion the Megamat vertical baffles don't help with comfort at all, though they might help with the feeling of support if thats what someone was looking for. Not for me."
2
15
"decidedly not UL"
"Its packed size was significantly larger than the neoair, and I couldn’t actually fit it into my pack in the spot that works best."
"on 5+ nighter with a bear can, the bulk and weight would no longer be worth it for me."
22
14
"I don’t think it’s worth double."
"I don’t think it’s worth double."
"I don’t think it’s worth double."
I have an Exped. Not loud. And of them can make some noise sliding about on say tent floors, depending on the relative texture etc of the fabrics. Not way to know for sure until you try it. Or, more easily, just use something between them if it's an issue.
My exped is a piece of magic.
Same. OP, given that you have the space, I would recommend memory foam or something similar. I use a 6” trifold mattress, but in your case, given that you have the space and have trouble sleeping, I would recommend a normal one-piece mattress for you. If you do use the Exped, the secret is to adjust the air pressure. Everyone is different, but for me, if I let out air until my butt just barely touched the floor while sitting on it, that would be ideally comfortable (though not as comfortable as memory foam) when I laid down on it.
I got one years ago to try as a couples mat and it was way too small for us, but felt like a very nice one person mat. Great option if you really want to sprawl out in luxury and not have a car camping heavy mattress.
Exped Ultra is comfortable and ultralight. Pretty affordable, too. Give it a try.
I’d get the 3R and supplement with a CCF pad for the occasional sub freezing trips. That’s my personal setup.
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.
I second this. Love my exped 3R and 5R. The UL 5R is ~$160 and sleeps better than thicker pads I've used
I second this. Love my exped 3R and 5R. The UL 5R is ~$160 and sleeps better than thicker pads I've used
I am an Exped Ultra 3R and 5R fan. I feel like they are highly underrated in the hiking community. My opinion is they sleep warmer than rated, are super comfortable, quite and cost less than a lot of pads. Just an FYI if you want another possibility/option. Edit: Sorry, I forgot this was Ultralight. I was thinking it was the Appalachian Trail sub.
I am an Exped Ultra 3R and 5R fan. I feel like they are highly underrated in the hiking community. My opinion is they sleep warmer than rated, are super comfortable, quite and cost less than a lot of pads. Just an FYI if you want another possibility/option. Edit: Sorry, I forgot this was Ultralight. I was thinking it was the Appalachian Trail sub.
Exped Ulrta 3R or 5R. It's my favorite. I only use the 3R and pair it with a CCF pad in cold weather.
I backpack a lot and have a lot of bad back issues. I always dial my gear in at home before going into the field. I like Exped Ultra pads, I mostly use the 3R. They are highly underrated and are super comfortable for me. I use the trekology pillow. I have expermented with two in the past but I am back to one. I have used sleeping bags and quilts. Bags are out for me. Quilts are more comfortable. This year I went with the Zen Bivy light bed and it is very comfortable. I flip and flop all night and love this quilt/half sheet so far. I can get into any position for comfort.
I use the Exped Ultra 3r and love it. Their pads are highly underrated.
Exped pads are highly underrated!
After various attempts of finding the right set up: Exped on top of a cot. Watch for REI sales for the Exped, and watch the garage sale area for the cot.
Any Exped Med-Wide pads fit the bill. Incredibly comfy to boot. They are more expensive but a good nights sleep it worth it imo. Best investment I made for camping. I got my Deep Sleep for just over $100 on sale.
Ahh ok then yea low or no R-value would be fine in those cases. Klymit also makes a good lightweight low R-value pad, it's what I used in Texas and worked quite well in warmer weather. Not as heavy or thick as the one you linked, but much lighter and packs down smaller. Great if you're backpacking but there are better options if car camping imo. Exped Ultra 1R is also a good pad, the more insulated 3 and 5 are also popular for colder temps. I've used the Dura versions which are a heavier/more insulated version and it was comfortable. I've also heard good things about Nemo Tensor but have no experience with it.
That bag will not hold up, it’s a rectangular and won’t seal well and temps are below what it’s rated for. Even with layers and extra blankets it’ll be an uncomfortable at best night. The pads are also borderline and I’d recommend a couple more Rs to get to a better insulation value. You can either upgrade one of the pads (maybe a 5R Exped) or add another pad to your setup. I don’t like stacking too many pads as they tend to slide and you lose insulation. Tie wrapping them together can help.
Exped is good, several models depending on what kind of camping. For reference I’m 6’ 330lbs. MegaMat/DeepSleep used for car camping. Dura used for backpacking. You may also be able to use furniture foam which would be cheaper and can be cut to different sizes.
I've got an Exped 5R in a long/wide size. It's listed as 77.6" x 25.6" x 3". I had a 7R a couple of years ago in the same size. It was a 3.5" thick mattress though. Honestly they've been some of the comfiest sleeping pads I've owned. I'm pretty much the same size as you are as well. I'm 6'2" and 215. I've never found the size of the pad to be too short or narrow. And I toss and turn like I'm clothes in a dryer. There's plenty of thickness to keep you from sinking in even if you're a side sleeper. The only downside to the pad is it's packed size. Which is bulkier than the traditional suggested sleeping pads, but it's really not that bad for what you get. Also I just looked at the Megamat. The 5R has a higher r-value, is still 3" vs 4", but that megamat packed size isn't worth the extra space at all in my opinion. I think the bulk of the megamat will cause more problems than it solves in the long run.
I've got an Exped 5R in a long/wide size. It's listed as 77.6" x 25.6" x 3". I had a 7R a couple of years ago in the same size. It was a 3.5" thick mattress though. Honestly they've been some of the comfiest sleeping pads I've owned. I'm pretty much the same size as you are as well. I'm 6'2" and 215. I've never found the size of the pad to be too short or narrow. And I toss and turn like I'm clothes in a dryer. There's plenty of thickness to keep you from sinking in even if you're a side sleeper. The only downside to the pad is it's packed size. Which is bulkier than the traditional suggested sleeping pads, but it's really not that bad for what you get. Also I just looked at the Megamat. The 5R has a higher r-value, is still 3" vs 4", but that megamat packed size isn't worth the extra space at all in my opinion. I think the bulk of the megamat will cause more problems than it solves in the long run.
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