Big Agnes - Insulated Air Core Ultra

Plus one. I have a therm-a-rest Xtherm, two cheap Amazon pads (they didn’t last), a Big Agnes, and I’ve tried the foam pads (they’re not for me). Exped seems to have the best tech. Their pads are quiet, comfy, reliable, and I love the synthetic down on the inside

Have you considered a camping cot? There are a lot of ultralight options now which are about the same price as a good sleeping pad for side sleepers. The only difference being is the weight, you’re looking at around 1.5kg for a cot bed which would be double the weight of a sleeping pad. For me, the extra weight is worth it for the comfort. For context I’ve tried Therm-a-Rest, Big Agnes and Nemo mats. If I’m going for comfort, the cot bed wins every time.

Big Agnes and sea to summit checks all your boxes. Small/compact, uses vertical baffles to prevent that bouncy castle feeling and provide actual support

I went from a Klymit to a Big Agnes. Night and day difference. 

It's very simple if it blows up with air and inflates - at SOME point it's gonna get a hole in it. That's life! The whole air mattress thing started with Therm-a-rest's and they were pretty tough back then, now with everybody sporting hard-on's for "ultralight" gear its gonna get worse. Same goes for actual air mattress, you can sleep on them but if you're not in Texas or Arizona yer still gonna freeze your butt off. Here's why ....... People these days buy inflatable pads for the comfort, but you really need them for the insulative qualities they actually provide. Don't believe me go sleep on the actual ground one night. When you crawl in to your sleeping bag you actually crush the down or syntho fill in the bag so there is no insulation there under you and the cold even in summer can seep right in. You need a pad under you to keep you off the ground ..... the best ones for that are still the cheap blue ensolite foamy's you buy at the cheaper stores but yes, for comfort they suck. There is a yellow thicker brand called Zotefoams Evazote and they got up to an inch thick but I haven't seem them for years but they were good quality and tough and CAN'T deflate ! So ultimately if you want comfort you need to go buy a big chunk of open cell white foam four inches thick and 7 feet long like you see in hobby stores - mega comfy and the size of a house! But now you can't pack it anyway so you're back to the blow up pads - and that's it. You can go to stores and look at stuff like Futons and crap but they don't pack well ! Heck even Ikea makes a folding mattress but again good luck carrying it around, right? Pick one but they WILL get a hole in them at some point however you can try to limit that with a cot. I've used them for years and its nice. I'm gonna suggest a Cabella's Lounger Cot but they are $350 bloody bucks and the same goes a real camping pad, something like a Exped Megamat itself is $400 bucks by itself. The two cots I wanna get are gonna cost me $405 bucks so add in two decent pads like Expeds and they're $500 .... great huh? It's nuts at a thousand bucks! I actually might just go get some memory foam cut at an RV store and use that. They can't deflate and its about the same bloody price as these inflatable ones, granted it won't be near as packable and portable but both my Thermarest leak, both my Big Agnes pad leak, even the TWO Coleman air beds leak, you can't win. My tent is 210 sq feet and 10 feet tall so I don't need backpack-ability either ........

Might be an issue specific to the pad or your back. We can be pretty particular when it comes to sleep, and it can take a few tries to really dial it in. I have a big Agnes air core pad. I don't think it's warm enough for winter camping but I've been comfortable laying on my back on it. I do usually side sleep, but I wake up on my back often and sometimes just lay on it to relax at the end of the day.

Big Agnes has valve issues, mine didn't even last 3 uses

Having a family of 4 can confirm individuals is the way to go. We’re all rocking Big Agnes pads. The kids are using big Agnes bags which have a pocket for the pad and keeps them from wondering around at night.

I've used my Exped for 500miles. I've never had a problem with it. Personally, I would only buy Exped or Big Agnes sleeping pads because they're the only ones I've never seen leak. Anything by thermarest is trash.

I have a pretty basic Big Agnes sleeping pad that's probably R-3.5 or something like that. I've used it for several trips in Washington and Oregon in the summer. Being cold from below was not a a problem. I think R-1.5 would be OK in the summer, the ground warms up quite a bit during the summer. A more insulated pad would only be necessary if the ground is frozen during the day. What probably matters most for you is size, weight, and comfort - it needs to be thick enough so you don't feel the ground through the pad. I would also look at how difficult it is to inflate. The one I have has a terrible valve that seems to be designed to be as inconvenient as possible. You have to blow into it, but there's a bit of resistance to air coming in, and the valve is such that it's hard to tell if it's open or closed. I'm attaching a piece of an old bicycle inner tube to make it possible to use a bike pump. Some pads have a built-in hand pump and that would be useful. I can't offer a recommendation for a specific product since I haven't bought one recently, and the one I have doesn't seem to be available any more.

The only pillow i've ever found comfortable was the REI Co-Op Trailmade pillow. It's a non-inflatable pillow stuffed with memory foam squares. So it's definitely heavier and takes up more span than inflatable pillows, but after trying several brands of inflatable I just needed something different. I don't see it for sale anymore, so not sure if they still make it. If you aren't hiking in, and size isn't an issue, I would just use your home pillow. For me the big thing for side sleeping/stomach sleeping is a good mattress. If space isn't an issue a foam mattress would be best, there are a bunch of \~$50 tri-fold 4" memory foam mattresses on amazon. But these take up a HUGE amount of space in a car to transport. For backpacking I use an inflatable Big Agnes insulated pad, but those are like $150. If you aren't backpacking, amazon has several options for cheap inflatable camping mattresses, but you will probably need to buy or borrow an air pump to fill them, as they don't come with them usually. For the sleeping bag I've found I can sleep in any style as a stomach sleeper. Mummy style bags just kind of stay with you, so when you curl your legs up, the bang stays mostly form fitted. If you are sleeping on your stomach, do you sleep in "tiger pose" where you have one leg bent up and the other straight? Mummy bags can make sleeping like that difficult. Big rectangle bags would let you sleep in "tiger pose" with one knee up and the other leg straight, which is how I sleep at home. If you are going with a non-down warm sleeping bag, you can always bring a secondary blanket too, so you don't have to splurge on a super expensive 20 degree bag or anything.

I started on the old school thermarest shortie, then a full length, then switched to a big agnes inflatable--which i liked but went through two of them with bad valves. Switched to a nemo a couple of years ago, and love it. It's a little "crinkly" sounding, but otherwise well worth it. Good choice :-)

Funny, I just spent last night sleeping on a Big Agnes pad with a very slow leak, after having just patched a slow leak in the same pad.

I have a Big Agnes Air Core pad. Coupled with a Sea to Summit pillow it packs down to the size of a large beer can and is more comfortable than most hotel beds. I have a little pump (believe it’s called Little Giant) that inflates and deflates it for me easily, and in a pinch can be really helpful for starting fires!

I have sea to summits, big agnes, and nemos for the fam. It all depends on the person.

You must be a warm sleeper. I would classify myself as an average-to-cold sleeper, and I'd absolutely freeze on an R2 CCF at 32F. Forget about going lower. The first time I ever slept comfortably at freezing temperatures was the first time that I used an insulated inflatable sleeping pad (Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Ultra, R4). I was 38 at the time. The previous 27 years of my camping experience, I slept on CCF and froze my ass off whenever the temps were below 50F.

I suggest individual sleeping bags or quilts for colder weather. When I purchased sleep bags, I looked for a comfort rating that is the same or lower than lowest expected temperature. A 20f sleeping bag may have comfort rating of 30 or 40 degrees. To sleep well in 30 degrees, look for a 10 degree bag or quilt. A pad with R5 or better rating. The REI Helix is liked by many because it’s close to R5 and it’s lightweight. Big Agnes pads, I have 3, tend to sleep cold so I discount their R values. I have used a quilt plus an additional fiberfill blanket in colder weather. It worked well, but I first tried it car camping when I knew I had a back up system (more blankets) available. Recently I purchased a 10 degree quilt for temps down to mid-20s. It’s still in the teens at my house with lows in single digits. I like quilts but it did take some time to learn how to use mine well and stay warm. For the novice, a sleeping bag is a wise choice. Once you digest all the comments here, settle on a budget, and get a better idea of what conditions you will experience, consider making a new post over in r/backpacking with greater detail.

I'm late 20's and I've never had a decent sleeping pad until this year, I got myself a big agnes inflatable pad off of ebay, my god I'm actually comfortable sleeping.

If you want small the mega mat isn't the answer. I use a Big Angus pad and I am happy with it. I couldn't imagine sleeping on just a foam pad though

I also have one of these and loved it initially. After two months on the road it is now failing almost every night. I’ve exhausted the patches that came with the pad and it’s now covered with third party gear repair patches. I am ~75kgs and I don’t over-inflate it. I paid good money for this thing and it is absolutely not worth it.

I went through this same list, only didn't consider the Exped because I don't like the vertical baffles and instead had the Nemo Tensor All season on the list. Ultimately I chose the Sea to Summit Ether light XR. It packs insanely small, offers enough warmth, is reliable, has a good valve system and should be the most comfortable or on par with the Big Agnes. I opted out for the big Agnes because I read a lot of issues with the pad being very cold, and the side baffles not being Insulated (enough). I opted out of the Nemo pad due to comfort and reliability. The S2S was just much more comfortable and less slippery/balloony in store compared to the Nemo and I read a lot of people which had their Tensors fail before. Although those were more the older models. Although I still think you can't go with either of the pads on your list this was my decision. If you like vertical baffles, the Exped might be a good and cheap option too! Here you see how tiny my S2S Ether light XR packs. https://preview.redd.it/pav531cpkk3g1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5bc9d8576da471a714c4c5588442d662c9d68d40

I have a big Agnes pad. Inflatable and not sure exactly what specs, but any inflatable pad is going to have some noise imo. I love mine. I’ve had it for 8 years, which feels kinda unreal for an inflable. Never had an issue with it and definitely put it through the gauntlet- camped in the desert a lot, cowboy camped, camped on rocky areas. Never had a leak. Love it and feel like it’s worth the price tag

Bought my Big Agnes pad for $100 at REI ten years ago and still going strong. Not a single leak. I’m a side sleeper and it’s pretty comfy. 

A lot of it depends on how you sleep. I’m a side sleeper which means they all suck, but it’s better than nothing even if your hips end up touching the ground (especially when it’s cold). The biggest differences are weight and durability but overall sleeping pads are things I pretty much exclusively pick up on sale. I have a couple of Big Agnes pads from several years ago that are tough and do the job- my wife sleeps on her back and hasn’t had complaints

This is the biggest drawback I had with the equivalent burnt orange Big Agnes Air Core Insulated, but BA replaced it at no cost within a week ^((although now it's the Divide Insulated Pad in a quite awful yellow and slightly lower r-Value...))

Spend money. Get a good quality mattress, this is not the place to go cheap. Restful sleep is important for recovery. The most expensive air mattress is still cheaper than a hotel for a night. I use a Big Agnes. It's 4 in thick, 25 in wide, 76 in long. I can inflate it quickly with the included pump sack, it's gets firm and hold air throughout then night. It has a 4 R value so it insulates well. I sleep like I'm in a bed. This was the single biggest upgrade to my gear and the best value (although it wasn't cheap). Anything you find on Amazon will be crap quality. Buy from a reputable brand. Check out outdoorgearlab.com for reviews. They are the Consumer Reports for gear.

75l gregory bag, big agnes inflatable mattress (comfy)

I really like the ones that aren’t as tall. I’m a not a big guy. But my arms always fall off them. Having that drop be 2+ inches like it was on my big Agnes was very uncomfortable.

I have an exped and multiple air mattresses, and I still prefer my Big Agnes. Warm, roomy, supportive, compact, affordable.

Plus one. I have a therm-a-rest Xtherm, two cheap Amazon pads (they didn’t last), a Big Agnes, and I’ve tried the foam pads (they’re not for me). Exped seems to have the best tech. Their pads are quiet, comfy, reliable, and I love the synthetic down on the inside

I'd say it's at the very least quieter than my Big Agnes that I used most recently. In all honesty at 390lbs every thing is noisy when I toss and turn, but I wouldn't say it's extra noisy or anything. As far as better than self inflating, I'd say yes by a large margin. That being said, I've also got to admit the last self inflating pad I regularly used was probably 10 years ago. I'd assume tech has come a long way since my last self inflating pad but I don't know for sure. I never had one that would ever keep me completely off the ground the entire night. there were always high and low spots and not much insulation back then. If you do go that route at the very least I'd try to find the thickest pad in your budget. Also on noise, maybe a pad cover like the Thermarest Synergy may help as well. I'm looking into that as a little extra protection from dog claws but I'm sure it would dampen noise too.

Big Agnes insulated air core. Bigger outside baffles keep you on pad.

I am a big fan of all the Big Agnes products and have a Big Agnes Air core sleeping pad thats worked well without any issues. It provides warmth and comfort at night and collapses into a very small bag when getting packed. [https://www.bigagnes.com/collections/sleeping-pads?filter.p.m.custom.weight\_facet=Pads%3A+18oz+or+less](https://www.bigagnes.com/collections/sleeping-pads?filter.p.m.custom.weight_facet=Pads%3A+18oz+or+less)

I’m a back sleeper with a big Agnes pad and would recommend from comfort pov.

Big Agnes are the best

The therma rest and the nemo both haven't high r-value to size to weight ratio. so if you're a to pack light and super warm and want a large pad those are the best options plus they have good valves. Big agnes makes a comfortable as hell pad, it weights about the same as the the other 2 but its r value is about 4. Not bad at all, I sleep cold so i like the warmer matt, the the BA is the most comfortable inho. Alps mountaineering also makes a couple of good ones, but the valves aren't as nice.

I try to save weight everywhere so that I can "afford" a heavy inflatable pad. I've got a Big Agnes something or other. Its heavy, but my hips dont touch amd the numbness issue is much better than before. I value sleep over an extra pound in my pack.

The premium REI pads are your best bang for your buck. I had the big Agnes but ended up buying the cold weather REI

Big Agnes is what I use. They are so much quieter than other inflatables.

I had a Big Agnes for a decade. It sprung a leak on a trip this time last year. I found the leak on a seam and called to ask about repairing it. They asked for a pic, which I sent as well as a pic of the valve cut off (per their instructions) and my new pad arrived in a few days. No charge. I’ll never buy a pad from a different manufacturer again. https://preview.redd.it/qcc2h29uz8ve1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4a5db870df20331f504fddf587c14258a32a7250

Perhaps you are over inflating it? I was having a problem with my big Agnes and let out a bunch of air and it was much more comfortable. Now I inflate it to just enough so my hip doesn’t hit the ground when I’m on my side.