How to Choose the Best Sleeping Pad for Camping and Backpacking
NEMO Tensor Elite Mummy Sleeping Pad
$199.95 – to $229.95
The lightest Tensor ever made, the NEMO Tensor Elite Mummy sleeping pad is the solution for hyper-streamlined hikers. It weighs an ethereal 8.5 oz. (regular size) yet is stable and comfortable.
Key Details
Insulated
Yes
Pad Thickness (in.)
3 inches
Weight
Short Mummy: 7.6 ounces
Regular Mummy: 8.5 ounces
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- Custom-made 10-denier CORDURA® nylon shaves grams while protecting from punctures
- Apex™ baffle construction uses less material while still providing even weight distribution and stability
- Offered only in trim mummy silhouettes to minimize weight
- At 3 in. thick, Tensor Elite still provides plenty of plush cushioning and is whisper-quiet all night long
- 2.4 R-value offers comfortable warmth for 3-season use
- Updated zero-profile, microadjustable Laylow™ valve is made with softer TPU and is easier to operate in any condition
- Included Vortex™ pump sack is made from the same lightweight material as the pad and provides speedy inflation that reduces the amount of moisture introduced in the pad
- Protected by the NEMO Lifetime Warranty
Imported.
View the NEMO Tensor Product LineView all NEMO Air Pads| Best Use | Backpacking |
|---|---|
| Sleeping Pad Type | Air |
| Sleeping Pad Shape | Mummy |
| Insulated | Yes |
| Insulation Type | Synthetic |
| R-Value | 2.4 |
| Repair Kit Included | Yes |
| Stuff Sack Included | Yes |
| Packed Size | 3 x 5.5 inches |
| Sleeping Capacity | 1-person |
| Ultralight | Yes |
| Pad Thickness (in.) | 3 inches |
| Dimensions | Short Mummy: 63 x 20 x 3 inches Regular Mummy: 72 x 20 x 3 inches |
| Weight | Short Mummy: 7.6 ounces Regular Mummy: 8.5 ounces |
| Gender | Unisex |
| Sustainability | Contains materials that meet the bluesign® criteria |
Buying Advice
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Most Helpful Favorable Review
A Short Comparison
Drifter5 months ago
So far so good. The Regular mummy came in a bit heavier than advertised. So for you gram counters out there, my kitchen scale has the mattress at 8.97oz. The pump bag is an additional 3.9oz. The entire kit including air mattress, pump bag, velcro strap, repair kit and bag come in at about 14.5oz. I've been using my old Thermarest Neoair Xlite that came in around 12.3oz. The construction of the Nemo appears very similar to my old Thermarest and it's still in good condition after 1 AT Thru Hike and 4 LASHes, although it looks like a dirty ash tray. The Nemo is the same length as my old Thermarest at 72" but after inflating it and laying on it, the Nemo feels shorter. I'm 5'7" and with this pad at 20" wide, when laying on my back, my arms are laying on the ground and not on the pad but my Thermarest was similar. I don't carry the pump sack and air my mattresses up the old fashioned way. The Nemo took 23 breaths while my old Thermarest took about 18 but the Nemo is .5 inches thicker. Hope this helps. Happy hiking!
Drifter
Augusta, GA
17 people found this review helpful
Most Helpful Critical Review
The valve beyond frustrating. Complete deal break
Bird2 months ago
I’m hiking the CDT this season. Decided to give this pad a go. You can’t beat this weight. Comfort and durability are good too…
As expected, the R-value is quite low. I got super cold in April and early May due to the cold coming up through it from the ground. To be expected with its R-value. That’s on me - it’s fully disclosed in the specs. Now in late May, it’s no longer an issue.
The size is PERFECT!! As a 5’5” hiker, it’s wonderful to see a sleeping pad made for me. Why are nearly ALL sleeping pads 6 feet or greater?? Only a small percentage of men are taller than 6 feet and at least 30-40% of the backpacking market is women - the vast majority under 6 feet tall. For a field of products that usually focuses on being as light as possible. These oversized mats baffle me. The companies are ignoring their market demographics.
It rolls up into an impossibly tiny size. It’s no big deal fitting it into my pack. Cannot beat this!!!
The reviews made a big deal of its slipperiness. In use, this doesn’t seem to matter. It slides around no more or less than my yellow thermarest.
Durability seems good too. I’ve been treating with the same deference as my yellow thermarest for four weeks on trail. Zero issues. Definitely better than the now defunct uberlite.
The comfort is good. I think this is a shade more comfortable than my yellow thermarest. I think its dimpled design allows for slightly more natural movement than the vertical baffles of the thermarest. The difference is subtle but I’ve noticed.
Okay, now the con. The valve is TERRIBLE!!! Like really, really, really beyond god awful horrible design. Every night is an absolute struggle to get the valve to reseal. It’s usually 3-4 minutes of complete frustration. Then, my zero pump doesn’t work well with it. Its adapter doesn’t seal so I have to manually hold the adapter to the pad for the 1-2 minutes it takes to inflate. So annoying and frustrating. I spend 10-15 minutes every night swearing at this thing. Compare that to super easy setup with the thermarest, and the few ounces this saves becomes meaningless.
Due to the poor R-value and horrible valve, I’m switching back to my thermarest. If Nemo ever comes up with a better valve, I’d switch back in a heartbeat!!!
Bird
MI
7 people found this review helpful
Customer Images
Daido
More heavy than advertized
3 months ago
As a gram hunter I am sorry to find out that the mat is more heavy. The just bought mat (regular size) is 262 grams without the pumpsack, repair kit and stuffsack. Not 240 grams as advertized. Thats 9.2 % more. Ofcourse there can be some variation and my scale is also not 100%. But I’m wondering if this is ‘normal’ ??? Measured all-inn weight to my scale is 337 grams and not 305 grams. Hope to hear from you.
Originally posted on nemoequipment.com
Drifter
Augusta, GA
A Short Comparison
5 months ago
So far so good. The Regular mummy came in a bit heavier than advertised. So for you gram counters out there, my kitchen scale has the mattress at 8.97oz. The pump bag is an additional 3.9oz. The entire kit including air mattress, pump bag, velcro strap, repair kit and bag come in at about 14.5oz. I've been using my old Thermarest Neoair Xlite that came in around 12.3oz. The construction of the Nemo appears very similar to my old Thermarest and it's still in good condition after 1 AT Thru Hike and 4 LASHes, although it looks like a dirty ash tray. The Nemo is the same length as my old Thermarest at 72" but after inflating it and laying on it, the Nemo feels shorter. I'm 5'7" and with this pad at 20" wide, when laying on my back, my arms are laying on the ground and not on the pad but my Thermarest was similar. I don't carry the pump sack and air my mattresses up the old fashioned way. The Nemo took 23 breaths while my old Thermarest took about 18 but the Nemo is .5 inches thicker. Hope this helps. Happy hiking!
Age:45–54
Weight:175–200 lbs.
Height:5'7"
Yes , I recommend this product
TogetherOnFoot
Winston Salem, NC
I loved the Elite sleeping pad until....
2 months ago
The weight was tad heavier than advertised. The bag alone (no sack, no inflation bag, no strap) was 9.4oz. I could deal with this because its still one of the lightest bags available. The bag was comfortable. This was my first experience with a mummy shaped pad and I was OK, but just barely OK with the narrowness of this pad. It was marginally more quiet than my Tensor Thermal Bag from 2020. But ... it also went flat after 3hrs on our first camping trip. Thinking it may have been user error, I tried again with the same result. I woke at about 2am and reinflated the bag being extra cautious to make sure the valve was seated properly...but it was flat again by 6am. We're going on a 1000mi expedition and I need something reliable. It's a shame. I really wanted the weight savings this pad offers.
Age:55–64
Weight:150–175 lbs.
Height:5'7"
No, I do not recommend this product
Linds
Pinedale, WY
Sleeping on a wet bar of soap
1 month ago
I am a loyal Nemo customer and swear by their products.. I really wanted to love this sleeping pad, but for the price it is not worth it. I feel like I'm sleeping on a wet bar of soap and can't stay on the pad whatsoever - it's wonderful silkiness backfires if you move at all while sleeping. It's also very cold compared to most other pads I've used. Not worth the money. I'm replacing it with the Tensor Extreme Conditions and hoping for a better outcome.
Age:35–44
No, I do not recommend this product
Tristan
The pad that does it all!
6 months ago
NEMO raised the bar once again with the Tensor pad. I used this pad for a week of backpacking as an upgrade from the older Tensor version. The sizing is a real game changer– it really could fit inside my nalgene bottle. I was concerned about durability due to how small is it, but it's just as strong and durable as the other Tensors, if not more. I'm also a side sleeper who tends to move around during the night. I didn't hear anything from the pad throughout my trip. Finally, the temperatures dropped below freezing level for some nights. I used this pad in combination with the Pulse Quilt (34F comfort), and I slept like a baby! Overall the Tensor Elite is now my to-go pad for ultimate ultralight adventures, that's for sure!!
Yes , I recommend this product
Originally posted on nemoequipment.com
Ramblin
Ultralight and Ultracomfy!!!
6 months ago
I’m amazed at how comfortable this pad is considering it weighs less than 10 ozs! It blows up to 3” thick and sleeps just like a normal-weight pad but packs down to size of a 12oz beer. It’s proven more durable than my other ultralight pads but I still like pairing it with my Switchback foam pad for peace of mind and comfort. My favorite thing about this pad is the user-friendly inflation system. The vortex pump lets me fill up in 4-5 breaths and I absolutely love being able to micro-adjust in the middle of the night without having to get up!
Yes , I recommend this product
Originally posted on nemoequipment.com
Bird
Michigan
The valve beyond frustrating. Complete deal break
2 months ago
I’m hiking the CDT this season. Decided to give this pad a go. You can’t beat this weight. Comfort and durability are good too… As expected, the R-value is quite low. I got super cold in April and early May due to the cold coming up through it from the ground. To be expected with its R-value. That’s on me - it’s fully disclosed in the specs. Now in late May, it’s no longer an issue. The size is PERFECT!! As a 5’5” hiker, it’s wonderful to see a sleeping pad made for me. Why are nearly ALL sleeping pads 6 feet or greater?? Only a small percentage of men are taller than 6 feet and at least 30-40% of the backpacking market is women - the vast majority under 6 feet tall. For a field of products that usually focuses on being as light as possible. These oversized mats baffle me. The companies are ignoring their market demographics. It rolls up into an impossibly tiny size. It’s no big deal fitting it into my pack. Cannot beat this!!! The reviews made a big deal of its slipperiness. In use, this doesn’t seem to matter. It slides around no more or less than my yellow thermarest. Durability seems good too. I’ve been treating with the same deference as my yellow thermarest for four weeks on trail. Zero issues. Definitely better than the now defunct uberlite. The comfort is good. I think this is a shade more comfortable than my yellow thermarest. I think its dimpled design allows for slightly more natural movement than the vertical baffles of the thermarest. The difference is subtle but I’ve noticed. Okay, now the con. The valve is TERRIBLE!!! Like really, really, really beyond god awful horrible design. Every night is an absolute struggle to get the valve to reseal. It’s usually 3-4 minutes of complete frustration. Then, my zero pump doesn’t work well with it. Its adapter doesn’t seal so I have to manually hold the adapter to the pad for the 1-2 minutes it takes to inflate. So annoying and frustrating. I spend 10-15 minutes every night swearing at this thing. Compare that to super easy setup with the thermarest, and the few ounces this saves becomes meaningless. Due to the poor R-value and horrible valve, I’m switching back to my thermarest. If Nemo ever comes up with a better valve, I’d switch back in a heartbeat!!!
Height:5'5"
No, I do not recommend this product
BellaDog1959
Oakland, CA
Great for smaller person; happy so far.
3 weeks ago
I have used this on three short fair-weather backpacking trips (none below 40 degrees). I was thrilled to finally get an ultralight pad that is cut for a shorter person, but very skeptical about it's narrow size and thin material. Other than being a little slippery with a sleeping bag (Nemo recommended adding a few spots of gear grip, which I haven't tried yet), it has performed well. The pump sack works great, inflating with only 3 or 4 pumps. Letting out a little air makes side sleeping more comfortable; I did not hit the ground (I am 125 lbs). I will add that I am using a 1/8" Gossamer Gear foam pad underneath to add some warmth and protection from puncture. If all goes well, I plan to use this on a longer through-hike this fall. In the meantime, I remain cautiously optimistic about this incredibly tiny and light pad.
Age:65–74
Weight:100–125 lbs.
Height:5'4"
Yes , I recommend this product
EasyHike
West Brookfield , MA
Cutting edge weight and packability!
2 months ago
This pad is a weight saver for sure . Cut 11oz. Off from my previous go to pad and pump bag setup . It is smaller than a 12 oz can . Pad is comfortable , a bit slippery , while on my back arms and feet fall off easily due to its slim profile . I’m a side sleeper and it feels like it’s going to be great . Haven’t got out on the trail yet but will do another review after ten nights on trail . I’m 6’2” and 225 lbs.
Age:45–54
Weight:225–250 lbs.
Height:6'2"
Yes , I recommend this product
Marlin
Amazing as always..
6 months ago
Always impressed by NEMO’s quality and designs. The All Season Tensor alone is amazing and I have enjoyed my time spent sleeping on it. With that, I had to add the Tensor Elite to my arsenal. This pad weighs close to nothing and truly packs down to the same size as my 1L pot (Tiny). I am excited to see how well the 10D CORDURA holds up as time goes on but overall it feels very durable.
Yes , I recommend this product
Originally posted on nemoequipment.com
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