6. Big Agnes TwisterCane BioFoam

Best foam sleeping mat: If you prefer an open cell mat, this is the option we rate highest

Price: £50
Weight: 397g
R-value: 1.7
What we liked: Durable, eco-friendly
What we didn’t like: bulky

Big Agnes’ TwisterCane BioFoam Sleeping Pad is a great bit of simple and relatively inexpensive kit that will do the job for climbers, backpackers and Cub Scouts alike. Unlike most other foam mats, however, these mats are made from sustainably-sourced sugarcane biomass (over 60%), in a process that is not just carbon-neutral, but actually removes carbon from the atmosphere.

Admittedly, this isn’t the thickest or the warmest sleeping pad around, nor the most packable. Unrolled, it has a depth of about half an inch, or 13mm, with an R-value of 1.7. The roll mat design means it is reasonably compact and still straps to the outside of a pack, but isn’t quite as space efficient as a concertina or Z-folding closed-cell foam mat. We’d love to see Big Agnes come out with a BioFoam mat of that design, with thicker dimensions and a higher R-value.

Still, in its current form, the TwisterCane would work well for warmer-weather adventures, especially if you’re a hardy wild camper or seasoned trail hiker accustomed to relatively spartan levels of comfort. And as the brand suggests, it could also be combined with an insulated air mat for additional warmth and comfort, creating a robust four-season system for year-round use, even on frozen ground or snow.

Selected for our Green Gear Guide 2021/22 – Read our full Big Agnes TwisterCane BioFoam sleeping mat review. 

Buy the Big Agnes Twistercane BioFoam : $47 at Bigagnes.com 

7. Therm-a-rest XLite NXT

Price: £210
Weight: 350g
R-value: 4.5
What we liked: excellent warmth-to-weight ratio
What we didn’t like: tapered shape makes it quite narrow, expensive.

This has an r-value thermal rating of 4.5 which makes it suitable for four season use in conditions down to 0°F or -18°C. It also weighs just 350g, so the warmth-to-weight ratio this offers is impressive. The secret is in its dual layer of chambers and an internal lining that radiates your body heat back to you. 

In our tests, we found it very quick and easy to assemble, mainly thanks to the convenient pump sack that it comes with, and we also found it comfortable to sleep on. As you can see, it has a tapered shape, which suits back sleepers best, but we still found that side and front sleeping was also comfortable on this. If you do move around a lot at night, you might find this a little on the narrow side. 

We liked the fact it has Therm-a-rest’s WingLock valve on it. It’s very convenient to use, allowing you to make minor adjustments to the air pressure in the middle of the night with ease and supporting fast inflation and deflation.

All packed up, this is a very compact mat, especially for one that’s made for cold weather use. It’s about the size of a Nalgene bottle. 

Selected for our Outdoor 100. Read our full Therm-a-rest NeoAir Xlite NXT review.

Buy the Therm-a-rest NeoAir XLite NXT: £210 at Ellis-brigham.co.uk

7. Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated

Price: £140 (Petite)
Weight: 521g
R-value: 4.8
What we liked: Very thick and comfy, stable, excellent warmth-to-weight balance
What we didn’t like: Petite version we tested is very narrow

This is available in a number of different lengths and widths, so you can choose the right mat for your size and also your preferences when it comes to weight. If you’re an ultralighter, for instance, you might want to opt for its shortest and lightest version, which is the 20” by 66” version, or there’s a two-person option if you’re after a bit of luxury.

8. Sea-To-Summit Comfort Light Insulated

Price: £165
Weight: 620g
R-value: 3.7
What we liked: Comfortable, lightweight, quick and easy inflation
What we didn’t like: Quite heavy for an inflatable mat

The immediate thing that’s noticeable about this is the intriguing looking air cells. It’s what Sea-to-Summit call ‘Hybrid Layer Air Sprung Cell technology’. The idea is that small pockets of air are more stable than a few big ones, offering you much more comfort and support than large lilo-like tubes.

The Exkin Platinum fabric used here reflects radiant heat back to the camper, while Thermolite insulation prevents heat loss between the user and the ground, and this combination of tech makes the mat warm enough to be used in cold weather.

We tested this on a week long trek through Lapland where the temperature hovered around zero degrees celsius at night. It was perfectly comfortable to sleep on – both in terms of how warm it kept us and how it felt. In fact, after a while we stopped worrying about pitching our tent over smaller rocks because we knew we just wouldn’t feel them through the mat.

As for the inflation method, it comes with a lightweight bag that you scoop air into and then force it into the mat through the valve by pressure. It’s remarkably easy and quick and most importantly, it saves your breath!

Check out our full Sea-to-Summit Comfort Light Insulated review.

Buy the Sea to Summit Comfort Light Insulated: £118 at Amazon.co.uk

9. Nemo Quasar 3D

Price: £150
Weight: 774g
R-value: 3.3
What we liked: sustainably-produced, very durable
What we didn’t like: Quite heavy and bulky

Packable, durable, weight conscious and sustainably produced, it’s difficult to find a box that the Nemo Quasar 3D sleeping mat doesn’t wholeheartedly tick. 

We recommend inflating and deflating using the Vortex pump sack (included), although the Nemo Quasar can be inflated using lung power alone. When fully inflated you get 3 ½ inches of cushioning. One end has a slightly elevated head baffle to keep your camp pillow in place, with the rest of the mat using curved body mapped baffles, making for an extremely comfortable night’s sleep.

There are two versions, insulated and non-insulated. Unless you’re strictly a summer camper, we recommend that UK campers opt for the insulated version, which bumps the R-value of the mat from 1.8 to 3.3, making it suitable for three-season camping.

The best bit? You can sleep easy knowing that your purchase has had no negative impact on the planet, it’s made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials.

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2021/22 – Here’s our full Nemo Quasar 3D Sleeping Mat review. 

Buy the Nemo Quasar 3D: £140 at Alpinetrek.co.uk 

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10. Snugpak Air Mat

Price: £62
Weight: 630g
R-value: Unknown
What we liked: Comfortable, great value, innovative design
What we didn’t like: Not much insulation

The clever thing about this sleeping mat by British brand Snugpak is that you don’t need to waste your breath on it or even carry some form of pump either. That’s because there’s a pump built into it.

To inflate it you open up a little valve in one of the corners and then you either stamp down on this repeatedly or pump it with the palm of your hand. Do this for about a minute, and maybe give a puff or two at the end for a little extra pressure, and then viola, you have a very comfortable mattress to sleep on – one that’s actually rather large as well.

There isn’t any insulation (as far as we can tell) in this, so it’s not one for winter use, but for spring through to autumn this will serve you well.

At 630g there are much lighter mats out there, but there are also heavier and much more expensive ones as well. £59 for a mat like this is a great deal in our books.

Check out our full Snugpak Air Mat review.

Buy the Snugpak Airmat: £70 at Snugpak.com

Choosing The Best Sleeping Mat For You

Most sleeping mats are very lightweight with backpacking in mind, while others are the ones you’d want if you were camping in the same place for a few days – the kind you wouldn’t want to lug across somewhere extremely wild.

Best Three Season Sleeping Bags

And that’s the first decision to make: What will you be using the mat for? Sleeping mats all sit on a scale between weight and comfort, but always bear in mind the temperature you’re expecting. If you’re going to be using it almost exclusively for long-distance backpacking, then you want to consider weight over comfort.

If you’re just going to be camping in a car or staying in one place for a few nights, then comfort wins, but it will be at the expense of weight. The old school roll away mats can still be bought (also known as closed-cell foam), take for example the Therm-a-Rest option in the list below. The main focus of this group test, however, will be on inflatable mats.

Bear in mind also that we’re testing one mattress from each of the relatively few companies that make sleeping mats. Within their ranges, you will find you’ll find something that suits your needs. Take a look at our Sleeping Mats Buyer’s Guide for an in depth look into the different features of sleeping mats.

Warmth

When buying a sleeping mat, be sure to check out the warmth rating. Mats are usually rated for warmth by using the R-Value. This is the same value you may recognise to measure the insulation efficiency at home. Unlike a sleeping bag which can be ventilated, you should always buy the sleeping mat with an R-Value that is the lowest temperature you’ll encounter. Plus if you’re a cold sleeper, always boost the R-Value. For winter, aim for 4-4.5 or greater, and for extreme cold look for higher than 5.7. For three-season use in the UK spring, summer and autumn, then 2.1-4.5 is fine. Less than 2 should suffice for ultra-lightweight summer camping.

There are various ways designers increase the warmth of a sleeping mat. Firstly, is thickness. You’ll be higher off the ground and with more air between you and the cold earth; that’s more air to heat up and keep you warm. Another way to increase warmth is through the materials that are used. A thicker material will generally keep the cold out a little bit more. And finally, a layer of down or synthetic insulation can be used to add warmth. Even a very thin layer can make a huge difference when you’re sleeping on top of snow.

Construction

Durability has always been an issue with sleeping mats. In the constant push to make these mats lighter, the materials used tend to get thinner and thinner and sometimes at the expense of durability. Over the years, we’ve noticed that mats tend to be the item of camping gear that fails the most with heavy use. Three main things can happen: the valve can go, which is a hard fix; and the interior baffle walls can disfigure and balloon.

Any punctures, however, can usually be fixed quickly on the go. Most mats come with a puncture repair kit and can be fixed pretty much like a bike inner tube.

Inflation

There have been a few changes in inflation systems over the last couple of years, in an attempt to eliminate getting dizzy blowing up the mattress. Some use a pump, perhaps fashioned out of a piece of fabric supplied. That said, for most of the lightweight mattresses, because they are quite small and thin, you should be able to fill them in 20-30 breaths or so. Thermarest makes a battery powered pump that works well, and Exped and Sea to Summit favour pump bags to fill them. Larger mats, such as the Quechua, are self-inflating, requiring only minimal topping up.

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