Remove 1 or more items before adding another item to compare.
The Best Budget Sleeping Pads: Tested
Our four favorite sleeping pads for less than $100 include options for backpacking and car camping, plus a variety of pad types and warmth ratings.
The Best Budget Sleeping Pads: Tested
Our four favorite sleeping pads for less than $100 include options for backpacking and car camping, plus a variety of pad types and warmth ratings.
How to Choose Sleeping Pads
Sleeping pads and camping mats offer cushioning and insulation for sound sleeping. Learn about types of pads, insulation, R-value and other features.
The Best Wide Sleeping Pads of 2023: Tested
Our crew of member-testers cued up the best sleeping pads available for backpackers seeking longer lengths and more spacious widths.
The Best Sleeping Pads for Camping of 2023: Tested
We bring you nine of the comfiest self-inflating sleeping pads of the year, plus one hybrid sleep system and a portable cot.
How to Store a Sleeping Pad
Storing your sleeping pad properly is super easy: We explain how to do it so that you and your pad enjoy many peaceful slumbers together.
How to Repair a Sleeping Pad
Got a hole in your inflatable sleeping pad? Most of the time the fix is easy. We explain the basic steps to make your pad cushy again.
Understandably, a lot of us focus on cushioning in a sleeping pad. In the outdoors, though, a pad's ability to help you sleep warm is perhaps even more important.
Air pads: These inflatable mattresses with insulation inside pack small and weigh little relative to their size. Relying solely on air inflation is good and bad: It allows you to fine-tune firmness but also leads to the pad softening when temps drop. Punctures are also a minor concern, as is a rustling noise when you move on around on some air pads.
Self-inflating foam pads: These have open-cell foam insulation that provides warmth and padding; a few breaths of airlet you finalize inflation and pad firmness. Relative to their size, they are heavier and bulkier than air pads.
Patch kit: An essential accessory to pack for both air pads and self-inflating foam pads.
Closed-cell foam pads: The original backpacking pad is still revered by ultra thrifty hikers who prize ultralight, ultradurable gear. The tradeoff? You get minimal warmth and cushioning.
If you're carrying the pad on your back, then reducing weight and packed size is important.That's why many backpackers choose air pads. Self-inflating foam pads offer comparable warmth and comfort, though, and offer more affordable options for budget-minded backpackers.
For camping, comfort counts most, so the type of pad, its weight and packed size are less important.You're free to choose a pad that's as thick and roomy as you want—as long as the inflated pad fits inside your tent (and the price fits within your budget).
R-value measures a pad's resistance to heat flowing through it (hence the "R"). A higher R-value indicates a warmer pad.
Many variables affect warmth, including factors like humidity, tent design and what you wear. Your sleeping pad's R-value and your sleeping bag's temperature rating, though, are the two biggest determinants of how warm you will be.
Below are rough guidelines that correlate sleeping pad R-values, nighttime low temperatures and sleeping bag temperature ratings:
Pad R-value below 2.0: Warm weather (50°F low); pair with a 30°F bag
Pad R-value 2.0 to 3.9: Cool weather (32°F low); pair with a 20°F bag
Pad R-value 4.0 to 5.4: Cold weather (20°F low); pair with a 15°F bag
Pad R-value above 5.4: Extreme cold weather (0°F low); pair with a 0°F bag
Individual metabolisms vary, so you might need to get a warmer or cooler pad/bag combo. When in doubt, go warmer. For more details about temperature ratings, sleep systems and selecting a pad, read How to Choose a Sleeping Pad.
REI carries top camping categories like Camping Chairs and Five Panel Hats. We also offer checklists and a vast selection of sleeping pad gear to help get you ready for your next outdoor adventure.