A backpacking or tenting sleeping pad’s R-value measures its resistance to warmth loss to the bottom once you lie on it at night time. Pads with greater R-values do that extra successfully than pads with decrease R-values. R-value isn’t a measure of heat per se, however of a pad’s skill to forestall the lack of the heat that your physique generates. It’s identical to the R-value used to price house insulation.
Sleeping Pad R-Values and Air Temperature in Levels
What’s the correlation between air temperature and sleeping pad R-values? When do you want a pad with a better R-value? This desk is predicated on Exped’s suggestions in Fahrenheit and Celsius levels.
| Air Temperature (F): | 50 | 30 | 25 | 10 | 0 | -15 | -25 | -40 |
| Minimal R-Worth | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Air Temperature (C): | 10 | -1 | -4 | -12 | -18 | -26 | -32 | -40 |
| Minimal R-Worth | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
As well as:
- R-values are additive, so you may mix two pads to extend your heat stage. For instance, it’s widespread to hold a foam sleeping pad (often R=2) in winter to make use of as a sit pad when consuming and melting snow you could place beneath an inflatable pad to extend their mixed R-value for sleeping.
- Ladies want greater R-values pads as a result of they’ve decrease physique mass than males. A further R-value of 1 is often hedge for ladies and different chilly sleepers.
- If a pad mannequin has a number of sizes, all of them have the identical R-value until specified in any other case
- EN sleeping bag temperature rankings are predicated on utilizing a sleeping pad with an R-value of 5 or greater. If you end up sleeping chilly in temperatures the place you’d anticipate your sleeping bag ought to hold you heat, it could be as a result of your sleeping pad has an R-value lower than 5.
Sleeping Pad R-Worth Comparability
The next desk supplies a side-by-side comparability of the ASTM F3340-18 rated sleeping pads accessible within the US market. The pad weights listed are sized for 72″ lengthy x 20″ extensive pads, although there are a couple of exceptions under. The R-Worth of a pad stays the identical if you choose an extended, shorter, or wider variation of the pad.
Key: Air – Air Mattress, SI – Self Inflating, Foam – Closed Cell Foam
Sleeping Pad R-Worth Normal
In 2020, the outside {industry} rolled out a world and industry-standard R-value take a look at process referred to as ASTM F3340-18. This implies you may examine the R-values of various sleeping pads made by totally different producers and know that they’re all utilizing the identical take a look at process to measure the R-values of their pads. That’s an enormous profit for shoppers and can ultimately have the identical influence that the adoption of standardized sleeping pad temperature rankings had for evaluating sleeping luggage from totally different firms.
The businesses which have adopted the brand new R-value sleeping pad customary (ASTM F3340-18) and retested all of their present sleeping pads embrace:
- Therm-a-Relaxation
- NEMO
- REI
- Exped
- Sea-to-Summit
- Huge Agnes
- Klymit
What’s New in Sleeping Pads in 2023?
- Thermarest has come out with a brand new NeoAir NXT era of pads which are quieter, thicker, and have a barely greater R-value than the final era NeoAir pads. I don’t suppose the modifications actually warrant changing your present NeoAir pad although, however the modifications needs to be enticing to new purchasers.
- Huge Agnes has a handful of recent light-weight pads which are 3+ season succesful. They’re not broadly accessible in retail but, however they make good gear and is likely to be an fascinating different.
- Klymit continues to have an impenetrable product naming scheme. I don’t get it.
Standing of Business Adoption
The adoption of the brand new R-Worth customary was pushed by REI, which requires that the sleeping pads listed on the market on its principal web site have an ASTM F3340-18 R-Worth score.
Many sleeping pad firms have nonetheless not adopted the brand new ASTM F3340-18 sleeping pad R-Worth customary and it’s not clear that they ever will. In actual fact, many producers don’t take a look at their pads in any respect, however “estimate” the R-values of their sleeping mats and pads. Within the absence of a normal definition and take a look at process, it’s arduous to inform if their estimates are correct or whether or not they’re similar to these produced by the usual ASTM F3340-18 R-value testing protocol.
Up to date January 17, 2023.
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