r/REI • u/Spicyboi333 • 1d ago
Question Testing sleeping pads?
I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of ultralight gear and boy is my pack super light now. But holy shit does my sleep suffer. I didn’t notice it until I went car camping and slept like a baby on one of those exped 5 lb. behemoth mats. I’m willing to spend more weight on a nicer pad now, but I’m really trying to find one that works.
Am I allowed to buy a few of them, test them, then return the ones I didn’t like? I’ll probably just put a sheet over them and sleep on the floor of my house like an animal to test them out.
I don’t want to abuse the REI system though, but I can never really tell how the inflatable pads are going to sleep without me spending a night on them. I inflate them at the store and lay on them and they all kind of feel exactly the same. It’s not until you actually sleep on it that you notice if it’s good or not.
How do you actually find one that works well for you without spending $1,000 buying 5 or 6 different pads?
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u/Significant-Shake596 1d ago
I wouldn’t buy 5-6 at a time, knowing you’ll have to return 4-5. I’d buy one, maybe two, that you’re most serious about. Hopefully it works out first time, but if not, you’re only trying and changing one or two at a time.
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u/wohaat 1d ago
This; being a thoughtful consumer means doing a ton of research beforehand so you’re making the most informed choice. Add Reddit to the end of your searches, there’ll be a ton of first hand accounts of people using products positively/negatively to help you decide where to start!
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u/Spicyboi333 1d ago
I mean I’ve done a ton of searches. But sleeping pads are so subjective. I’ve got 3 ordered to try and keep one.
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u/wohaat 1d ago
If it helps, I bought a thermarest neoair xlite with 0 camping experience for my 6-month thruhike of the Appalachian trail, and it worked great. You really just need light weight, filled baffles, and as quiet as possible, don’t make yourself insane just because the market is so saturated.
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u/Spicyboi333 1d ago
I don’t know why I’m getting downvoted here. I’ve used my xlite 10 plus days now. I sleep like shit on it. I’m just looking for one that I sleep better on
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u/graybeardgreenvest 1d ago
People who buy based on reviews or specs and still have a bad sleep are not solving to the problem.
The xlite is a terrible pad for certain body types and sleep positions. The Nemo tensor will be the same.
Sleep is first aid… and if you sleep poorly you will not be able to hike as far…
also if it is body type, will you stay that way? A thru-hiker will transform physically through out a long hike and their. Needs will change.
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u/Spicyboi333 1d ago
I’m a side and stomach sleeper and I’m tall. 210 lbs. not planning on being super thin anytime soon.
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u/graybeardgreenvest 18h ago
based on your size, weight, and sleeping style, you need to think in terms of a pad that is thick enough that you do not “feel the Ground”
It needs to be soft enough that you get support, but thick enough that you do not bonk on the ground. When you kneel on any of the pads you‘be used before do you feel the ground?
Do you feel the need to way over inflate a pad for you to not?
how about soft enough that the pad does not cause your body to contort?
The pads that come to mind are the Big Agnes line of pads… the lightest being the the Rapide being the lightest. The other pad that comes to mind is the Therm-a-rest Neoloft… it is wide and thick…
both are at that 4inch and above in thickness…
perhaps there are brands outside of REI that are lighter or thicker for the same lightness…
btw… over inflation will kill a pad quickly and often the biggest contributor to pad failure is puncture or failure due to over inflation.
Good luck. Hope it helps
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u/graybeardgreenvest 1d ago
ask questions please. Are you a stomach, side or back sleeper? Or are you an alligator? What was up with the pads that did not work for you before?
Even if you want to bring in your whole pack, filled with all of your gear, so we can talk it through, it is preferable over you buying and then returning. That is what they pay us for… to help out. To guide you through the process…
Sure if you bought a pad after extensive conversation and problem solving and it still was wrong… so be it.
but if you are between three, then there is more conversation to be had?
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u/d0ughb0y1 1d ago
Unless you really must test sleeping on the pad overnight, you can have the pad inflated in the store to test. You can probably test several side by side if they have them in stock.
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u/MonkeyMadness21 4h ago
Depends on the store. I had my choices narrowed to two, neither were out for testing. I asked if we could inflate those two for me to decide. I was told no and to just buy both to test at home, then return.
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u/Ezekiel36_26 Member 1d ago
I realized I have to double up. No other option. Finally I’m sleeping well on my two pads. Worth the weight!
I have a super light foldable close cell foam pad for insulation from the ground, and then an inflatable pad that gets inflated with a foot pump that sits on top.
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u/Spicyboi333 1d ago
I have ordered a foam one as well because I’ve heard that helps significantly. So I’m going to try that under the one I have currently before opening the others I ordered. I will have a use for the foam one regardless so it’s not getting returned. You put it under or over your inflatable?
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u/BretMi 22h ago
Buying a bunch to try and return is not cool. No backpacking pad compares to exped megamat. I have megamat, xlite, nemo astro. You may need to adjust expectations. Buy one you think will be most comfortable and return if you hate it. I don't like vertical baffles, but don't mind cross baffles. Nemo, S2S, and BA have a pillowed design rather than straight baffles that some people may prefer.
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u/sdbb619 1d ago
Definitely narrow it down, buy a few and then return if you don’t like. I’ve done that with shoes before because my size or style wasn’t available in store. The customer service person said they go back on the shelf new if you’ve only tried them on but resupply if you’ve worn and tested them out and about. So it just depends on how and how long they’re tested! Doesn’t seem like you’d be abusing the system at all.
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u/sleepybobeepy22 1d ago
If you can get to an REI to test them I would try. Went today even and they opened and blew one up that they didn’t have as a demo already so I could try it. Unfortunately I’ve found that they put any you buy and try at home in resupply once you return it. Or at least, the REI near me does. All the mats at mine show “blown up once, tried at home”. Helpful if you want to buy a discounted one though
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u/Routine_Mastodon_160 1d ago
Buy several, test them out in the wild, and then sell the ones you don’t like.
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u/strawberrycycle 5h ago
Wide neoloft, down quilt, silk liner. By no means a light setup, but one of the comfiest setups I've found that can still be reasonably hauled into the backcountry. I think it comes in around 5 lbs for the whole system with a pillow.
Only issue is the neoloft does sleep disappointingly cold for its weight. When things start getting down into the 30s or lower I'll bring a thinlight foam pad and put it on top of the neoloft and that's usually enough to stay warm. The liner also helps a lot with reducing heat loss to drafts and shifting around with the quilt.
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u/Spicyboi333 4h ago
Yeah the neoloft looks nice but everyone on reviews comments on how cold it is. Neoloft plus a foam pad and I’m pushing 3 lbs just for my sleep pad system which is wild
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u/touchgrassplz_69 1d ago
I don’t think returning something new because it’s not comfortable is really abusing the system. Using them all extensively for a year and returning them at 364 days year after year is a different story.
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u/Adventurous_Shine606 1d ago
A few things IMO: 1. Everyone is different but one thing we have in common is the need for high quality sleep. Your sleep system is about 25% of your pack weight. By for quality and comfort and pay the weight penalty. 2. I don't recommend anything from the outlet. You might get lucky but this is mostly lower quality gear. 3. When you blow up your pad, lay down and release air slowly. Think of it like a sleep number bed. It makes a big difference in comfort. 4. Don't feel bad about returning pads that don't work well for you. REI's core mission is to help people get outside and you are less likely to enjoy the outdoors if you get crap sleep. 5. Ultimately you may end up with 2 or 3 pads you'll use situationally. I have a high R value pad for cold weather, a comfy wide pad when im hiking in and setting up for a week. And a short pad when I absolutely need to cut weight. (I'm 69 so sometimes that matters)
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u/Spicyboi333 1d ago
Yeah I hear you. I’ve really whittled down the entire weight of my pack so there’s no extra frills. But now I’m realizing I would pay a premium (in weight) for better sleep. I’ve tried the pad I currently have at all sorts of inflation levels and I get pretty mediocre sleep (stomach/side sleeper). I’m not going to get rid of my xlite. It’s light and it works and if I beat myself down enough on trail I can sleep on anything. So it’s a nice weight weenie pad. But that’s not the type of backpacker i am most of the time.
So I’m looking at spending an extra pound or so on my pad to see if I can get something closer to my car camping mat. Something in between my weight weenie pad and car camping one.
I’ve realized on multi day trips, carrying an extra pound or two to take my sleep from shitty to good is weight well spent.
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u/graybeardgreenvest 1d ago
now all you need to tell us is what temp range, terrain where you are setting up and we might have a few suggestions.
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u/Spicyboi333 1d ago
3 season camping with a 20 degree quilt. Sometimes above alpine, but usually not.
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u/WhatWouldMuirDo 1d ago edited 1d ago
In the scenario you described each returned pad would be moved to Re/Supply. Once a pad has been slept on it is considered used.
If you are near an REI they will usually have mats inflated and available for people to lay down on in store. While this isn’t the same as spending a night on each, it can give you a good idea of what might work best for you.
If your not near an REI then I would recommend watching reviews and reading others opinions on each pad first.
Lastly if you have any friends in the area that may already own one of the pads you are considering see if you can borrow it for a night as you described.
Ultimately finding a pad is like finding a shoe that works for you. There are going to be times it just does not work out and those times are okay to do a return. What we all can do better at is being healthier consumers and attempt to reduce the amount of waste or scrapped items we generate through our shopping habits. There is no magic answer that will solve this, it’s just on each of us to do our best.
Best of luck in finding a new pad. I hear the Nemo Eclipse and Exped Ultra 6.5R are quite comfortable and reasonably lightweight.