TGO Rating: 4
By laminating synthetic insulation to the upper and lower sides Exped has produced an airbed that is warm enough for winter camping while still being very comfortable and compact when packed – though not as small as airbeds with no insulation
TGO Rating: 3.5
The Adventure Superlite is lightweight, comfortable and reasonably compact when packed. It’s a typical self-inflating mat with solid foam at the edges and cored foam in the centre.
Big thick self-inflating mats are great for base camps and the SIM Comfort 5 DLX is no exception.
Alpkit’s new Airo 120 is a great mat for three-season backpacking. The weight is low for a self-inflating mat and it packs pretty small too. The very low cost makes the mat good value for money.
At the amazingly low price of £25 this self-inflating mat costs less than some closed cell foam pads. It’s reasonably light too and suitable for year-round backpacking as it’s filled with solid foam and so should insulate well on frozen ground and snow.
TGO Rating: 2
Kathmandu’s self-inflating mat is comfortable and the price is quite low for this type of mat. However it’s not that warm given the weight and bulk.
This is an interesting mat that looks like an airbed but has foam inside for warmth. It also has a built-in hand pump so there’s no need to get out of breath blowing it up.
The Duomat is the smallest, lightest, shortest, thinnest and least expensive mat tested. It consists of four pieces of linked foam that can be folded together to form a flat panel that can be put down the back of a pack for extra cushioning.
Snugpak’s Travelite Midi is a good ¾-length self-inflating mat that rolls up small and is suitable for three-season use backpacking. The weight and price are both quite low and it’s good value for money.
Launched two years ago, the NeoAir brought back the airbed as a viable choice for backpacking, providing amazing comfort at low weight and a tiny packed size.
