Big Agnes  Rapide SL Insulated Sleeping Pad

Like many of the other reviewers here, this pad leaked on me right out of the box on my first (and only) trip with it. And just as disappointing, when I returned it, the employee claimed, "but this pad is so easy to repair!" Seriously?! This implies that I should expect it leak and I will most certainly have to repair it. And how easy is it to repair a pad on a backpacking trip? I've had a comfortable Thermarest pad for years and many trips without a leak, but would like to upgrade to something wider. I keep reading reviews of all brands that these pads leak pretty consistently. Is no company making a quality sleeping pad that doesn't lose air anymore?

I've bought 2 of these, and altho they're comfortable (when they stay inflated) both have had problems with leaking within a month of purchase. In addition, both had the insulative lining fall off and bunch up inside, also within a month of purchase. I work outdoors and had these in one location without having to deflate/re-inflate more than a handful of times. The pad surface is also very noisy. My past experience with REI they have replaced faulty products without hassle. This time was no joy, they told me l had to contact the company.

I tested the pad on different occasions and downtown the 30s. Based on the R value, the pad should have been ok. I started looking into the issue and fairly quickly figured out that this is a common issue with Big Agnes pads. Big Agnes insulation is different from Nemo and Thermarest. Instead of it being in a weaving pattern, it's just one gigantic piece of reflectix. The piece tends to fall to the bottom of the pad when inflated, and therefore, cold air can enter through the side walls. The pad is super comfy, but because of the issue, I am going back to Nemo.

Truly just an all around great pad, in the past I’ve found Big Agnes pads to be extremely comfortable but not nearly as warm as the R value might suggest. I think they’ve finally fixed it with this pad, when laying on it you can feel the warmth bouncing back at you similar to other R5 rated pads, but this one is way more comfortable than the tensor, helix, and thermarest pads. Sleeps similar to my QCore deluxe in terms of comfort but way warmer and lighter. New weight and pack size is a huge bonus as well. With the warmth from this pad it’s almost a 4 season pad on its own, definitely with a ccf pad to bump another R2.

I bought BIG AGNES RAPIDE SL and used it last week for the first time - it was around 0 celsius (not that cold, but cold ground) outside and, very unpleasant surprise, I felt cold. It seemed like the pad is full of cold air and no insulation, it was cold at the pressure point where my body touched the pad (i am a side sleeper). I did not see if the reflective film fell on to the ground, but it felt like that. I did a ton of research before buying one and nobody mentioned any warmth problems. Is the reflective film problem has ALL THE RAPID SL pads or just few, should I send it to warranty? What do you think? Thank you.

I bought this for some upcoming backpack trips and I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I am with this pad. I am a side sleeper and constantly toss and turn at night. With this pad my hips never feel the ground and it makes little to no noise. The pad keeps me cradled in it as well and the setup and take down is SO easy! It also packs down your the size of a Nalgene water bottle which is also a plus. I am absolutely so pleased with this investment and cannot recommend this enough to people who have trouble getting comfortable sleep out there. Best slept I’ve gotten while backpacking this far

Test your gear before you use it. This was leaking air immediately after taking it out of the packaging. I tried it out inside and woke up halfway through the night with a half way deflated sleeping pad. Absolute shame and failure on B.A. quality control and engineering.

The width of the regular pad measured 19 inches, so one inch less than the advertised 20 inches. I think this is due to the large baffles along the sides, so Big Agnes assumes that the pad will be slightly deflated when you use it which would push the pad to the 20 inches. However, even with it slightly deflated, I found it much too narrow. Also, the larger baffles are effective only to their peak-- then, if you venture beyond them and towards the edge of the pad, you'll start sliding quickly off the pad. This brought the usable width to even less. This problem could be avoided with a regular wide pad

Warm, very comfortable, great for side sleepers & easy to blow up. I used it with a foam pad underneath. I’m 5’4” - 125 pounds & the regular non-mummy, worked great with my Sea to Summit mummy down bag. The side baffles kept me from rolling off & I had zero issues with leakage. Freezing rain & wind the entire time and I was snug as a bug. Love it!

I’m not sure why this sleeping pad doesn’t get more attention. You can’t even compare the comfort to the more popular Thermarest. It’s sooo much better. I sleep horribly in the backcountry. I am a light sleeper, I toss and turn, and I often get cold at high elevation because I don’t like to wear layers and I use a quilt. This pad far surpasses Nemo, Thermarest, and Sea to Summit in terms of comfort. The thickness and “rails” make all the difference. I always buy wide pads with all brands of sleeping pads because otherwise the edges tend to collapse and I roll off. I previously owned the Q Core Deluxe and SLX Insulated. This feels the same as those, but lighter weight and warmer. I can’t say I’ve tested the durability to its full extent yet, but I used the two previous models on two different JMT trips and they held up perfectly. I have never lost air from them or punctured them. They’ve taken a beating. So, this pad weighs a little more, but if you want a better night’s sleep in your tent, this sleeping pad is worth a few extra ounces. It’s also the quietest sleeping pad, especially compared to Thermarest.