Pad width

[Mdfowlman2]

Looking to order a pad soon, been looking a lot of the thermarest. Only hangup is the regular size is 20” wide, seems super narrow and no one has the wide/large in stock.
Is this one of those cases where is seems narrow until your on it?

 

[thegrouse]

I am 6' 200# and the 20 seems too narrow, I would hold out for a wide.

 

[Drenalin]

At 6-ft, 215 lbs a regular is too narrow for me, and I’m a side sleeper. My perfect pad would be about 30” wide by 74” long, R-value around 5, and weigh 20 ounces or less. If anybody finds that pad, please let me know!

 

[magtech]

Big agnes slx had some wider than 20" available the other day. Ill be sleeping on mine tonight to see how it works.

 

[LZek10]

I looked at the Thermarest and the Exped pads for quite a while. Ended up ordering the Exped Downmat HL after a few recommendations but I am still waiting on it to arrive. Their wide version is 25.6".

 

[Cliffy65]

5’10” 185lb. Had Thermarest xtherm, regular is too narrow and hips pushing through. Noise began to bother me too, so 43 must be the age where I become precious! Bought exped downmat UL winter LW after reading through recommendations on here. Only had 2 nights on the snow it, but is obviously wider, quieter and more comfortable but heavier.

 

[Carrot Farmer]

I just ordered my first Exped, a 10 LXW (30”x78”) mat for truck/base camp

Can’t wait to give it a go.


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[mlgc20]

I will start by saying that I have several Thermarest pads and like them. But IMO, the NeoAir pads have less "usable" width than other pads of the same width. With the horizontal baffles, the sides tend to start collapsing when you get near the edges. Vertical baffled pads like my BA Q-Core and Exped Downmat allow you to use their full width. The 20 inch NeoAir is fine for someone who is really small. My daughter loves hers. But, she is 5 feet tall and 95 pounds. But, I wouldn't recommend the regular size NeoAir to any full grown man. The 25 inch Neo Air will work for most men. But still feels narrower than other brands of the same width.

 

[Clovis]

It may depend on your size, gear weight concerns, type of trip, etc., but I am a little bigger than Drenalin and am much more comfortable on a wider pad, even for backpacking. I have settled on the Exped Downmats as the best combination of comfort, warmth and acceptable weight for me after trying a lot of different pads.

 

[rclouse79]

I was glad I went to an rei and laid on them before purchasing. The narrow would not have worked for me.

 

[Brian_23456]

Sleeping pad sizes remind me of tent sizing, way too small. I have one normal sized pad that never gets used, only the wides, and I'm not even a wide person!

 

[Lowg08]

I have the BA q core slx in the 30”. I’m 6”2 230 with wide shoulders and the 30” is great

 

[*zap*]

6' 190# wide 4 me. 27" or 30".

 

[Mdfowlman2]

I ended up going with the long/wide
Big Agnes insulated AXL air.
Little more than I planned to spend but it’s plenty big enough, thick enough to side sleep, and it’s under 1lb

 

[magtech]

I'm 5'9 180 ish. Have some back issues so I roll around in the night. Every night I've slept on my 20" pad i always end up half off and wake up moving around.. I have a 23" ill try next. Lightweight isn't always better imo.

 

[sneaky]

I ended up going with the long/wide
Big Agnes insulated AXL air.
Little more than I planned to spend but it’s plenty big enough, thick enough to side sleep, and it’s under 1lb

What temps you plan on using your pad in? You can't just focus on weight, R value is a much better figure to be concerned with. That AXL Air is a 3 R value. For early seasons that's sufficient but not for later hunts.

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[Mdfowlman2]

What temps you plan on using your pad in? You can't just focus on weight, R value is a much better figure to be concerned with. That AXL Air is a 3 R value. For early seasons that's sufficient but not for later hunts.

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For this year it’s a mid September hunt. Could be November mule deer next year. I want one pad, I won’t make it out near enough to have 2 pads. I also figured for a late season hunt I could add a foam pad under the air pad and end up around the same weight as the heavier pads but be able to go light when it’s not too cold.
I’m considering just going with the xtherm, just not sure how side sleeping will fair on that pad at 2.5” thick

 

[tttoadman]

I have nothing but Exped long wides. one insulated and one without. just right for me.

 

[MTElkChaser]

6’ and 180lbs here. A 20” pad is too narrow for me.

I just bought a new pad a few weeks ago and got a wide (25”) and if I could go wider, I would.

A good sleeping pad is something I’m not going to count my ounces on. I have to sleep good or I have a miserable time. Pick your poison I guess, but I’m going to lug around a comfortable pad and pillow regardless. Good luck!

 

[Desk Jockey]

6’3” 250# side sleeper. I bottom out a lot of pads when I move Around and sleep on my side. Result is cold spots and hip pain. For me wider is a necessity And I don’t mind regular length because I sleep on my side 90% of the time and tuck my knees slightly. I also tend to build a pillow out of my pack and clothes off the end of my pad. In addition to saving pad room it doesn’t shift and fall off the pad when I move at night.

after getting fed up with the noise of my NeoAir I went looking for a new pad. LandEd on the ether light xt from sea to summit. I favor the 6’ rectangular wide version that is 72” by 25”. It weighs 22oz and has 4” of dreamy thickness. They bill it as a three season pad but I have used it comfortably to ~20*.

Never say never, but i Haven’t used another pad since this guy showed up. That extra inch of cushion is amazing.