Therm-a-Rest Sleeping Pad R-value Rankings

Therm-a-Rest Sleeping Pad R-value Rankings

Lance Hammer
Welcome to our definitive, all-inclusive sleeping pad R-value (warmth) ranking. Scroll through to see all of our pads listed, from highest R-value to lowest, within their respective categories. The “best” sleeping pad is not at the top, and the “worst” sleeping pad is certainly not at the bottom. Rather, the pads with the highest thermal resistance come first, and those with the least come at the end of each category. We know that if you are trying to choose a sleeping pad, there are a lot of considerations. Trying to compare pads across categories like weight, thickness, material, length, width, and R-value can be mind-numbing. We also thought it would be helpful to rank our pads according to their R-value. After all, staying warm at night, or at just the right temperature, is a nice thing to do while camping, right? With the new, industry-wide ASTM R-value standard, you can finally compare all pads equally and make more informed decisions regarding warmth when you purchase a sleeping pad. resting on sleeping pads in sleeping bags

Fast & Light

For alpinists, ultralight backpackers, and those that need to keep their packs small and light for their backcountry pursuits.
Sleeping Pad R-value Sizes Weight (oz) Thickness (in) Type
NeoAir® XTherm™ NXT XTherm NXT Sleeping Pad 7.3 Regular Regular Wide Large 15.5 oz. / 0.44kg 1 lb 3 oz. / .54kg 1 lb 4 oz. / 0.57kg 3 in / 7.6 cm NeoAir®
NeoAir® XTherm™ NXT MAX 7.3 Regular Wide Large 1 lb 7 oz. / 0.65kg 1 lb 8 oz. / 0.68kg 3 in / 7.6 cm NeoAir®
NeoAir® XLite® NXT XLite NXT Sleeping Pad 4.5 Regular Short Regular Regular Wide Large 11.5 oz. / 0.33kg 13 oz. / 0.37kg 1 lb / 0.45kg 1 lb 1 oz. / 0.48kg 3 in / 7.6 cm NeoAir®
NeoAir® XLite® NXT MAX XLite NXT MAX Sleeping Pad 4.5 Regular Wide Large 1 lb 3 oz. / .54kg 1 lb 4 oz. / .57kg 3 in / 7.6 cm NeoAir®
*NEW* NeoLoft™ Women's ProLite Plus Sleeping Pad 4.7 Regular Regular Wide Large 1 lb 9 oz / 0.71 kg 1 lb 14 oz / 0.85 kg 2 lb / .91 kg 4.6 in / 11.7 cm NeoAir®
Women's ProLite™ Plus Women's ProLite Plus Sleeping Pad 3.9 Regular 1 lb 7 oz / 0.65 kg 1.5 in / 3.8 cm Self-Inflating
ProLite™ Apex™ ProLite Apex with a Sleeping Pad R-value of 3.8 3.8 Regular Regular Wide Large 1 lb 6 oz / 0.62 kg 1 lb 12 oz / 0.79 kg 1 lb 14 oz / 0.85 kg 2 in / 5cm Self-Inflating
ProLite™ Plus ProLite Plus Sleeping Pad 3.2 Small Regular Large 1 lb / 0.45 kg 1 lb 7 oz / 0.65 kg 1 lb 15 oz / 0.88 kg 1.5 in / 3.8 cm Self-Inflating
Women's ProLite™ Women's ProLite Sleeping Pad 2.7 Regular 1lb 2 oz / 0.51 kg 1 in / 2.5 cm Self-Inflating
ProLite™ ProLite with a Sleeping Pad R-value of 2.4 2.4 Small Regular Large 12 oz / 0.35 kg 1 lb 2 oz / 0.51 kg 1 lb 8 oz / 0.69 kg 1 in / 2.5 cm Self-Inflating
NeoAir® UberLite™ NeoAir UberLite with a Sleeping Pad R-value of 2.3 2.3 Small Regular Regular Wide Large 6 oz / 0.17 kg 8.8 oz / 0.25 kg 11 oz / 0.31 kg 12 oz / 0.34 kg 2.5 in / 6.4 cm NeoAir®
Z Lite™ SOL Z Lite SOL with a Sleeping Pad R-value of 2.0 2.0 Small Regular 10 oz / 0.29 kg 14 oz / 0.41 kg 0.75 in / 2 cm Closed Cell Foam
attaching sleeping bag to sleeping pad

Trek & Travel

For those that don’t compromise on comfort in the backcountry.
Sleeping Pad R-value Sizes Weight Thickness Type
NeoLoft™ *NEW*NeoAir Loft Sleeping Pad 4.7 Regular 1 lb 9 oz / 0.71 kg 4.6 in /11.7 cm NeoAir®
Women's Trail Lite™ Therm-a-Rest Trail Lite Sleeping Pad 4.5 Regular 1lb 10 oz / 0.74 kg 1.5 in / 3.8 cm Self-Inflating
Trail Pro™ Trail Pro with a Sleeping Pad R-value of 4.4 4.4 Regular Regular Wide Large 1lb 13 oz / 0.82 kg 2lbs 5 oz / 1.04 kg 2lbs 7 oz / 1.11 kg 3 in / 7.6 cm Self-Inflating
NeoAir® Topo™ Luxe Therm-a-Rest Topo Luxe Sleeping Pad 3.7 Regular Regular Wide Large XLarge 1lb 7 oz / 0.65 kg 1lb 11 oz / 0.77 kg 1lb 13 oz / 0.82 kg 2lbs 2 oz / 0.96 kg 4 in / 10 cm NeoAir®
Trail Lite™ Therm-a-Rest Trail Lite Sleeping Pad 3.2 Regular Large 1lb 10 oz / 0.74 kg 2lbs 3 oz / 0.99 kg 1.5 in / 3.8 cm Self-Inflating
Trail Scout™ Trail Scout 3.1 Small Regular Large 15 oz / 0.43 kg 1lb 8 oz / 0.68 kg 2lb 1 oz / 0.94 kg 1 in / 2.5 cm Self-Inflating
NeoAir® Topo™ Therm-a-Rest Topo Sleeping Pad 2.3 Regular Regular Wide Large 1lb 5 oz / 0.59 kg 1lb 12 oz / 0.80 kg 1lb 14 oz / 0.85 kg 3 in / 7.6 cm NeoAir®
NeoAir® Venture™ NeoAir Venture Sleeping Pad 2.2 Regular Large 1lb 3 oz / 0.54 kg 1lb 10 oz / 0.74 kg 2 in / 5 cm NeoAir®
RidgeRest® SOLite™ Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest SOLite Sleeping Pad 2.1 Small Regular Large 9 oz / 0.26 kg 14 oz / 0.40 kg 1lb 3 oz / 0.54 kg 0.625 in / 1.5 cm Closed-Cell Foam
RidgeRest® Classic
Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest Classic Sleeping Pad
2.0 Regular Large 14 oz / 0.40 kg 1lb 3 oz / 0.54 kg 0.625 in / 1.5 cm Closed-Cell Foam
sleeping pad sleeping bag and camping pillow

Camp & Comfort

For those looking to bring a slice of luxury to their campsite.
Sleeping Pad R-value Sizes Weight (oz) Thickness (in) Type
MondoKing™ 3D MondoKing™ 3D with a Sleeping Pad R-value of 7.0 7.0 Large XXLarge 4lbs 6oz / 1.99 kg 5lb 8 oz / 2.50 kg 4.25 in / 11 cm Self-Inflating
LuxuryMap™ LuxuryMap Sleeping Pad 6.0 Regular Large XLarge 3lbs 4 oz / 1.48 kg 4lbs 3 oz / 1.90 kg 5lbs 2 oz / 2.33 kg 3 in / 7.6 cm Self-Inflating
BaseCamp™ BaseCamp Sleeping Pad 6.0 Regular Large XLarge 2lbs 8 oz / 1.14 kg 3lbs 6 oz / 1.53 kg 4lbs / 1.82 kg 2 in / 5 cm Self-Inflating

Measuring R-Value of Older Therm-a-Rest Sleeping Pads

Obviously, not all of the pads we've ever made since 1972 are listed above, so what about the R-Values of older sleeping pads? Older sleeping pads often don't have R-values listed because the standard for measuring sleeping pad thermal resistance, or R-value, didn't exist when they were made. However, a general rule of thumb is that the older the pad, the lower its R-value tends to be. Foam pads, which provide solid insulation, usually have an R-value of 3 per inch of foam thickness , making them great for warmth. On the other hand, older air pads (pre-2000) typically do not insulate well with most R values below 2. These pads were used for cushion from the ground. No one had figured out how to make them insulative yet. Related Posts: Updated. Originally Published February 4, 2020.
Back to blog