HOW TO BUY A SLEEPING MAT

Design

Sleeping mats come in three primary designs. The lowestpriced type is the closed-cell foam mat, which is durable and surprisingly lightweight, but quite bulky to carry in a rucksack and the least comfortable option. Next up the price scale is the selfinflating mat, which has a layer of foam sandwiched between two layers of material; these provide the additional benefits of air pockets for more comfort. They are more compact than closedcell foam mats, but heavier. Finally there is the air mat, which has baffles inside to trap the air once inflated. These are very lightweight and compact but tend to be a little bouncy and not generally very warm, unless they have additional insulation inside, which some do (but they cost more).

Size

All the mats featured here are around 180cm long and 50cm wide, which is the standard size; but you can get shorter and longer options either to save weight or to fit your body size better. The thickness of mats varies greatly, and this is important to note as it will affect comfort, as well as price, weight and packed size.

Weight

The lighter the mat, the lighter your rucksack when backpacking. If you’re camping near the car this weight is likely to be of little concern. But the focus in this feature is on low weight with comfort – so all the mats here are good for backpacking and wildcamping when the mat has to be carried for a few hours at least. Weights shown are for the mat and its stuffsack.

Material durability

Closed-cell foam mats can be punctured with no loss of performance, but this is not the case with an air mat or a self-inflating mat. Some lighter mats may need more care in use than some heavier mats that use harder-wearing and more puncture-resistant materials. Some mats, such as the one shown, come with a puncture repair kit.

Packedsize

When backpacking you’ll need to carry the mat in or on your rucksack. The smaller it is when deflated and rolled up, the easier it is to carry. Closedcell foam mats often need strapping to the outside of a rucksack, while more compact self-inflating mats and air mats can be carried inside a pack.

Insulation

A mat provides comfort and insulation between you and the ground. So the ability of a mat to prevent heat loss is important, and some manufacturers provide an R value, which is a measure of the heat resistance of the mat. A rating of 2 is good for summer while a rating of 6 is good for winter. Thicker pads generally offer higher R values.