Big Agnes Air Core Ultra Sleeping Pad, Insulated, 25x72 (Wide Regular)

Product Information

If you are looking to camp when temperatures fall into the teens (F) and below, I recommend going with a sleeping pad that has an R-value at 5 or higher. That being the case, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm is the sleeping pad to beat. Sleeping Pad Weight The shape of a sleeping pad is another important characteristic to consider. You usually have two options: Mummy and rectangular. The Nemo Roamer Double Sleeping Pad is a beast. There is no other way of putting it. It is big enough for two people to stretch out on, deep enough so that you never feel the ground, and extra warm for winter camping. It is also quite heavy and bulky to carry.

Generally, if a sleeping pad has a different top fabric to the bottom and sides, this will be designed to make as less noise as possible. With winter sleeping pads that have a thermal reflective lining, you might think they will be even noisier. But because the noise issue became apparent early on, they are now developed to be very quiet to move about on. Value and Budget Synthetic insulation, while heavier than down, is often a better option because it is less likely to be affected by condensation that inevitably finds its way into any inflatable pad. Down Insulation If you’re new to camping, it’s reasonable to invest in one mid-range R-Value pad for every outing. As you start camping through the seasons, you’ll appreciate the function of a cold weather pad with a higher R-Value rating, and the importance of a warm weather pad when you’re out camping in a hot desert valley. The Nemo Tensor Insulated Sleeping Pad, like the previous models mentioned above, does have a non-insulated version with a 1.6 R-value, which again, doesn’t make the cut for a good 3-season sleeping pad in my opinion, so the insulated version wins again. Why this sleeping pad is great for side sleepers The KLYMIT STATIC V LUXE Sleeping Pad took the camping community by storm over a decade ago and this was one of the products that helped them do it. The Static V Luxe has a very unique baffle system with deep chambers running up either side and then a v-shaped system running down the main section. This makes it feel like more of a cot than a mat and even though it is only 2.5 inches deep in the middle the v-shape baffles support sideways sleepers like no other.

You can use a second sleeping pad underneath your primary pad to gain some extra cushion. A closed-cell foam pad will probably serve this purpose the best. The better option in winter may be to combine your inflatable pad with a foam mat which will lift your r-value and comfort. How Much R-Value Will a Foam Sleeping Pad Add?

If you are in good shape and of average height, then you don’t have to worry. If you are big and tall, XL options are often available as the most premium choices. If you are short or quite petite, then you may be able to save weight and money by using a 3/4-length pad. The reason we didn’t include any short pads is that in winter, you don’t want your feet to hang off the end, or they will get very cold at night. Noise Like I stated earlier, I currently own a 25 x 72 BA Insulated Air Core that I really like, but with my height being 5' 11" the effective length of this mattress is more like 70 inches, so I always have a hard time keeping a pillow under my head without having to dangle my feet off the end of the mattress. It’s not a fault of the mattress in any way, but it is something to consider when you’re selecting a mattress to make sure it will provide the amount of support you are looking for. Don’t let the R-value of a sleeping pad go by the wayside! In the list above, I mentioned several other sleeping pad options that will work well for side sleepers, but the lower R-value ultimately kept them off the list.Before I get into the details of the Insulated Air Core Ultra design, I wanted to comment on how comfortable the mattress is to sleep on since this is the primary reason for buying a mattress. As I mentioned earlier, I have been using an earlier version of this design for a number of years and have always found it very comfortable. While my old mattress size was a 25 x 72 and the mattress I am reviewing is a 20 x 78, I found this mattress to be just as comfortable as my old mattress. So from a sleeping perspective I am a very happy camper sleeping on this mattress. Air Valve— All the latest pads from Big Agnes have received an updated air valve in hopes of increasing inflation and deflation speed. The Insulated Q-Core SLX Sleeping Pad is one of several great sleeping pads offered by Big Agnes, which includes the regular Q-Core SLX Sleeping Pad. This insulated version outshines its sibling though because the R-Value is higher and fits well into the range of 3-season sleeping pads. Plus, it only weighs two more ounces for a regular-sized pad. Why this sleeping pad is great for side sleepers In general, I have always found that products from Big Agnes are well designed and are of good quality. The Insulated Air Core Ultra is no different and my overall impression is that the design is well thought out and the build quality is very good. The NeoAir XLite is only available in a mummy shape, but they offer various sizing options including a regular, small, large, and regular wide. A wide version is always a perk when it comes to side sleepers to help ensure we stay on the pad throughout our shifting from side to side during the night.

It has an R-value of 10.6 which is a full 2 units more than its closest rival. This will keep you warm down to extreme temperatures of -54 degrees F thanks to the insulation inside which is an open-cell polyurethane foam that won’t let you down. The top surface is a50D stretch tricot nylon which is super soft and comfortable while the sides and bottom are made from a tougher 75D polyester for durability. Because the insulation feature of this mattress is not well communicated by BA, I decided to dig a little deeper to see what is going on inside of the Insulated Air Core Ultra. The out port on the valve assembly used to deflate the mattress is just a simple opening that is reasonably large and actually large enough for me to insert a borescope to take a look at inside the mattress. The use of the pressure adjustment feature is very simple. You first remove the in plug from the port which exposes the diaphragm feature, but does not allow air to escape, and then you gently take your finger like is shown in the picture below and press in the center of the diaphragm and let out air until the mattress is at the desired firmness. This feature works very well and it’s easy to just let out a very small amount of air or a lot. Utilizing the borescope provided significant insight into the design details of the insulation approach used with this mattress design.Unlike the Q-Core SLX, this pad has a higher R-value of 4.5 so it will help keep you warmer on colder nights. The Insulated Air Core Ultra Sleeping pad weighs 22oz, which isn’t very light, but not too heavy either. For such a great price, the extra warmth is worth a few more ounces. I've never used a lightweight inflatable pad, only a Therma-Rest RidgeRest (which my 25 year old body didn't mind, but my 40 year old body does) or a Coleman air bed when car camping. Down is by far the most expensive but offers an unbeatable weight-to-warmth ratio. Synthetic is more budget-friendly and reliable but will be heavier and often bulkier. Another plus is that the Insulated Q-Core SLX Sleeping Pad comes in wide sizes, which can be advantageous to side sleepers who tend to turn from one side to the other during the night, helping you stay on your pad without the fear of rolling off onto the cold ground. For the last several years I have been using a 25 x 72 Big Agnes Insulated Air Core and have very much enjoyed the mattress and have never had any issues with it on the trips I have used it on. The opportunity came up here at Trailspace to review the latest version of this mattress now called the Insulated Air Core Ultra, so given my experience with the previous version I really wanted to see how the design has evolved and improved over the previous design.

The R in R-value stands for resistance which is a sleeping pad’s main role in winter. R-values range from 0 to over ten and represent the thermal powers of the insulation. An R-value of 2.5 is good for late spring, summer, and early autumn, but in winter, you will need something higher. We recommend a minimum R-value of 4 – 5, but ideally, you want to go as warm as possible. Does Deflating Your Sleeping Pad Reduce Insulation? The Sea to Summit Comfort Plus XT Insulated Air is another winter sleeping bag that feels warmer than its 4.8 R-value rating. It has air-sprung baffles created by spot welds instead of seams so that you get a very even platform to sleep on. These air-sprung baffles seem to conform to your body better than other directional baffles. The in port of the valve assembly is used to inflate the mattress and is also used to do fine adjustments of the internal pressure for comfort. The in port has a small flexible feature to which a diaphragm is attached that acts as a one way valve when filling the mattress with air. We have tested dozens of sleeping pads over the years, and one feature we never used to pay much attention to was the inflation valve and how easy it is to inflate and deflate the pad. What brought this to our attention was a mid-range sleeping pad that had a terrible valve design. It would get caught on the sleeping bag and come open in the night, leading to waking up cold and having to reinflate it when you should be catching z’s. Because we haven't tested the Air Core Ultra just yet, the rest of this review continues to reflect its predecessor, the Air Core. Hands-On Review of the Air Core

Hands-On Review of the Air Core

Before I get into what I learned, I will share a short video I made that if you view it first, my discussion below will make a lot more sense. The video is of one of the smaller diameter center tubes next to the larger diameter side tubes.