Very little in life is more important than a good night’s sleep regardless of where you are, and with the new range of sleeping pads available, comfort has never been more compact. We try out 2 mats to see which one puts us to sleep first.

Cascade Designs Therm-a-Rest ProLite 4 Sleeping Pad
Some products are so dominant in their market segment that the manufacturer’s brand name itself becomes synonymous with the entire product category. Examples include “Skidoo” for snowmobile, “Kleenex” for facial tissue, or “Zodiac” for inflatable boat. “Therm-a-Rest” is another brand that has been so successful both in product design and durability that it’s been the only real choice in quality compact sleeping pads until very recently.

The ProLite 4 is the plushest mat in Therm-a-Rest’s “Fast and Light” series: a line designed for optimal compactness and light weight. The ProLites use Therm-a-Rest’s familiar “self-inflating” pad technology wherein open-cell foam is laminated within an airtight nylon shell. This is truly a time-tested construction developed by Therm-a-Rest that has proven itself to be incredibly dependable over many years of continual use. In order to shave grams and reduce bulk, the foam within the ProLite 4 is die-cut into a sort of waffle pattern and the mats also have a mildly tapered cut to further save weight while preserving cushioning and insulation where it counts most. The mats are suitable for four-season use and have an R-value (measures insulation provided) of 3.2.

There are three sizes of pads within the ProLite 4 category: Large, Regular and Small. All Prolite 4 pads are 1.5" thick. Our test sample was the “Regular” which measures 20"x72". The ProLites don’t come with a stuff sack or repair kit, which will put you back an additional $13 and $8 each at MEC.

The Prolite 4 is impressively compact: about half the size of my trusty old Therm-a-Rest and therefore truly a pleasure to pack, but it is also thinner with less cushioning. So while the pad was certainly comfortable enough, and cold from the ground was never an issue during my 3-season use, I sometimes did feel that my old back could use a little more pampering and I missed the extra thickness.

The correct “space versus comfort” ratio is obviously going to be different for each person, and it’s worth remembering that Therm-a-Rest have a full range of other mattresses, that while a little bulkier, offer more “cush for the tush.” The Prolite 4 will definitely appeal to the “fast and light” crowd who want to shave grams and bulk, but still enjoy the comfort of a full-length pad that is warm enough for colder (winter) temperatures. And of course Therm-a-Rest’s incredible track record for build quality and longevity means that your Prolite should endure many years in field.

Therm-a-Rest ProLite 4 ‘Regular’ Sleeping Pad
Weight: 1lb. 8 oz. / 680 g
Length x Width: 70 x 20 in. / 178 x 52 cm
Thickness: 1.5 in. / 3.8 cm
R-Value: 3.2
Suggested Retail: $94.95 US / $106 CAN

Cascade Designs
Web: www.cascadedesigns.com

Exped DownMat 7
Exped is a company based in Zurich, Switzerland that produces a range of outdoor gear. Their wares are distributed in North America by Outdoor Research of Seattle, WA. From their tents to their sleeping bags, Exped typically demonstrates a flair for innovative design, and their sleeping pads are no exception. Rather than the Therm-a-Rest style, self-inflating mattress that uses an open cell foam laminated into a nylon sheath, the Exped pad is a more traditional air mattress, but with a few important differences.

If you’ve used conventional air mattresses in cooler climes, you’ll know that they do not insulate well—I’ve frozen my buns off on frosty nights sleeping on an inflatable mattress. Exped solves this problem by loading its mattress with goose down. It’s an elegantly simple solution: the down lofting within the mattress keeps you warm and yet compresses really well when the mat is rolled up. Light foam barriers within the mattress prevent the down from escaping out the valves or migrating between the baffled chambers, eliminating cold spots. The down also stays dry because it’s sealed within the airtight and waterproof mattress. So what about the moisture introduced when you blow the mattress up by mouth? Well, you don’t blow it up by mouth—you use a pump. Then what about the extra weight and bulk of the pump? Enter innovative design solution number 2: the pump is the stuff-sack. The stuff-sack that the mat comes in is basically a drybag with a roll-top closure and a one-way valve on the bottom of the bag. This valve plugs onto the mattress’s valve, and by filling the stuff sack with air and then compressing it, you force air into the mattress. While it’s not the fastest pump in the world, it does work, and is beautifully compact. With practice, it typically takes about 9 or 10 stuff-sack compressions to fully inflate the mattress, which requires approximately 3 minutes work. A repair kit is also included.

Inflated, the DownMat 7 is 70" x 20" and a whopping 2.75" thick. Packed, it measures a compact 13"x 5.5" and weighs just under 28 ounces. Its R-Value is 5.9 and cold from the ground was never an issue.

Sleeping comfort is an incredibly personal thing, and while I’m very happy on the DownMat, I was surprised to hear one or two people say that they preferred the firmer support offered by much thinner pads. For me, the DownMat 7, while pricey, is a winner. It’s only slightly larger when packed than the Prolite 4 and is almost twice as thick, as well as providing more insulating value from the cold ground. In fact, it has actually replaced my Therm-a-Rest to become my sleeping mat of choice—something that I didn’t think would ever happen, and ultimately that’s probably the greatest recommendation that I can give it.

Exped DownMat 7
Weight: 27.9 oz. / 790 g
Length x Width: 70 x 20 in. / 178 x 52 cm
Thickness: 2.75 in / 7 cm
R-Value: 5.9
Suggested Retail: $140 US / $160 CAN

Exped is distributed in North America by Outdoor Research (OR)
Web: www.orgear.com