The Best Shoulder Season Sleeping Pads
Create the perfect sleep system for cooler autumn nights by putting the right insulated mat under your sleeping bag.
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NEMO Tensor Alpine
One tester slept on the Tensor Alpine for a two-week trip around Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula and says it was the most supportive pad she’d ever used. Credit polyester “trusses” on the interior that connect the top and bottom of the pad, improving stability. Buy NEMO Tensor Alpine now/Read the full review
Exped SynMat TT 9 M
This pad has eight individually-inflating vertical baffles, allowing testers to easily dial in custom firmness with separate valves for each. At 20.5 inches wide it’s slightly larger than standard regular-size pads, and the vertical sidewalls make it seem even wider. Buy Exped SynMat TT 9 M now/ Read the full review
Sea to Summit Women’s Etherlight XT Insulated
For a pad this light, 4 inches of thickness is as cushy as it gets. The weight savings are due to the pad’s shape, which is optimized for the female body: The Etherlight XT starts narrower (about 20 inches) at the shoulders and transitions to 21.5 inches wide through the hips and knees. And it’s 66 inches long, rather than the standard 72. (There’s also a unisex version.) Buy Sea to Summit Women’s Etherlight XT Insulated now/Read the full review
Klymit Insulated Static V Luxe SL
This is one of the biggest pads we’ve ever slept on. Compared to a standard pad, it’s 7 inches wider and 6 inches longer. We especially love the width, which let us sleep with our arms by our sides without them falling off the pad (the raised, 4.5-inch-wide side rails help). Buy Klymit Insulated Static V Luxe SL now/Read the full review