Best sleeping pads

Getting a good night’s sleep is not so simple when you go hiking in the great outdoors. Whether you are hiking on a mountain trail or discovering the innards of an exotic countryside, after a day’s hiking, it is not very easy to fall asleep unless your sleeping system is good.

Your sleep out in the wilderness depends on two main factors, comfort and warmth. For both of these, your sleeping pad plays a major role. The sleeping pad is the main barrier between the ground and you, and it not only provides you with a comfortable surface to sleep on but also keeps you warm by insulating you from the cold that emanates from the ground.

The sleeping pad  industry has moved and advanced quite a bit in the last few years, and from the simple sheet of foam, it has evolved into air filled foam, self-inflating pads and pads which need to be filled with air manually.

There are three main types of sleeping pads, the closed cell foam sleeping pad, self-inflating sleeping pads and the air-filled sleeping pads.

Foam closed cell sleeping pads

The cheapest and most basic sleeping pad is the foam one. This sleeping pad has closed air cells inside the foam that prevent the ground from pulling away the warmth from your body. The simple fact is that the convection properties of the ground actually zap away all the heat from your body. If the ground is cold, then you need a layer of insulation between you and the ground for your safety. At first it does not seem very apparent that you need this for your safety, but the basic fact is that eh ground has convection properties that pull away the heat from your body. When you sleep, any way your body temperature drops, so it is very important that you take proper steps to keep yourself warm when sleeping in the outdoors.

The closed cell foam pads are the lowest in cost and are usually less than half and inch in thickness. They are the best choice if your hiking and camping destination is not cold. A great plus about closed cell foam pads is that they are very durable and tough. While air filled and self inflating pads can get punctured and damaged, these foam mattresses are very tough and virtually indestructable.

Self-inflating Sleeping Pads

The self-inflating sleeping pads have a layer of foam with open cells in between two layers of fabric. Though it sounds very high tech, the self inflating sleeping mat is actually quite a simple mechanism. The layer of foam inside the air tight fabric cover has little open cells of air in it. When it is rolled up, all the air is pushed out and the mat becomes very compressed and the air sacks literally turn into a vacuum. When the mat is unrolled and the valve is opened, by its own natural properties, the air cells in the foam start to open up and pull in air into the vacuum that gets created. This inflates the self-inflating sleeping pad. You have to seal the valve so that the filled up air does not escape, and your sleeping pad is ready to sleep on. These pads are much more comfortable than foam pads, and also have higher insulation and heat preserving properties.

The only thing is that you might want to make the pad firmer or softer as per your sleeping preferences. To do that you can let some air out by pressing on the pad and then closing the valve. If you want more air in the sleeping mat then you need to fill in air with a pump or your mouth. Filling in air with the mouth is not a good option as it allows bacteria and moisture to enter into the air cells. The moisture and bacteria over a period of time can spoil the sleeping pad. The build of moisture and bacteria could cause mold inside and also make the insulating properties ineffective. There are self-inflating sleeping pads of different thicknesses and shapes, so you can actually get one to your liking which will not require and adjustments at all. Another point to keep in mind is that they can get punctured and damages, however repairs are pretty easy with a  repair kit at hand.

Air filled sleeping pads

The air sleeping pads are lightweight, fold to a very small size and deliver the maximum comfort. These air filled pads come in different thicknesses, and need to be inflated either with your mouth or with an air pump. They are at least 3 to 4 inches thick and make for the most comfortable sleeping surfaces. They are also very good insulators from the cold of the ground, keeping you warm and protected.

They take a little more time and effort to set up than self inflatable ones, but are a better choice for better sleep. Their only cons are that they can get damaged and punctured by sharp objects, cacti etc. but repairs are pretty easy and simple with a repair kit. Most of the air filled pads come with their own repair kit, so that should not be a problem.

Air filled sleeping pads keep your body heat insulated from the ground most effectively and also neutralize the effects of uneven or uncomfortable ground. We find this kind of sleeping pads to be the best.

Sleeping pads for colder places

If the place where you will set up camp or the region where you are hiking is cold, then you need to carefully think about your sleeping pad. Every sleeping pad comes with a value called the R-value, which defines the insulation and therefore the warmth properties of the sleeping pad.

For regular places an R-value of about 3 is fine, and if the climate is warm then even a 1 will do, as in the closed cell foam pads. However, if it is cold and you are also planning to set camp in snow covered areas, then your R-value needs to be higher. A minimum R-value of a 4 is required if it is going to eb cold. As the cold gets more severe, you need to up the R-value accordingly.

A great tip from experienced hikers is that for colder regions you should combine different sleeping pads. Combining a closed cell foam pad with an R-value of 2 with an air filled one with an R-value of 4 will give you a combined R-value of 6, which will keep you properly insulated even on very cold ground.  

The R-value goes from 1 to 11, where 11 is super insulated.

Top 10 best sleeping pads you can buy today

This list of sleeping below features the latest top selling sleeping pads of today. If you find a sleeping pad that fits your needs, you will do well to choose one of these top 10 best sellers.

If you want to go purely by brands then you can check out these biggest and best brands in sleeping pads – Therm-a-Rest, REI, Big Agnes, Sea to Summit and Nemo.

If you love to be out there in the great wide open, you will love the Top 10 best sleeping pads, so make your choice and head out already!