NEMO - Tensor Trail Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Pad
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Jan 28, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
287
39
"it weighs under 350g"
"under 700 grams including stakes"
"It folds up and is super easy to bring on planes and for rentals"
149
39
"But I got 900 miles out of one pair of Lone Peaks on the PCT, and 750 from another pair."
"I had issue with Klymit losing air in cold temps and Tensor has been awesome."
"haven't had a puncture over the four years I've had it"
299
78
"Just had my second camp out with it. 0 issues with warmth at 50F , unsurprisingly. Also at 60f I didn ’t sleep hot so that ’s nice too."
"I can take it down to like 25-30F very comfortably."
"20 degrees F comfortably from below. Quilt wasn't up to it"
58
23
"my pad is much more muffled than most others with that layer. ... The noise alone is a winner for me since I tend to move a lot while sleeping."
"Because of this I bought the Nemo Tensor which is much quieter than the Sea to Summit."
"except quieter. ... much much quieter"
270
92
"I just put up with the pinholes and patching them on trail because I can't sleep better on any other pad. ... There's a huge difference in comfort depending on your body between the dimpled baffling of the Etherlight/Tensor and the horizontal baffling of the Xlite. ... I can't sleep on horizontal baffling despite all the good features of the Xlite. ... I'm a side sleeper and my arms and shoulders ache and/or fall asleep or go numb on the Xlite. For whatver reason I can only sleep on dimpled baffles (tensor, etherlight)"
"I sleep all night and no body aches."
"This specific pad and its sibling, Ether Light XT Insulated, have been my primary pads the past four-ish years. ... They are 4" thick and the most comfortable pads I've used, probably tied with the NeoLoft. ... Never woken with my arm numb, and the only pad I've ever slept seven-plus hours straight-through."
Disliked most:
26
28
"it's so ridiculously loud I can't use it!"
"Only real con is that this thing is CRINKLY ... definitely the loudest pad I've used ... would honestly be a dealbreaker"
"potato chip bag noise effects"
155
105
"found it to be the equivalent warmth of the insulated static v plus my ccf, and even pairing the etherlight extreme with a ccf, and having it fully inflated wasn’t nearly enough for sleeping on frozen ground or snow."
"I've got three nights on it so far in temperatures ranging from upper 30s to mid 40s and I have been cold on it every night. ... It wasn't freezing, but it was noticeably cool and feels like an accurate R-value would be significantly lower. ... That night the pad felt a little colder than my nights on the Neoloft have been, but not by much."
"too cold for what they said it was"
36
30
"Big Agnes has valve issues ... mine didn't even last 3 uses"
"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 paid good money for this thing and it is absolutely not worth it."
"I had a Nemo Tensor straight POP with a one-inch tear from a extremely tiny burr on the edge of my quilt pad strap!"
8
15
"I am a flopper and tended to roll onto the edges, which made them collapse and dumped me onto the ground."
"I had a very hard time sleeping on the neoair, the horizontal baffles killed my shoulders (Im a side sleeper)."
"25 inches wide a must for me, ounces be damned. ... 25 inch wide + short is something I’d be interested in."
13
18
"it hurts my back and hips so bad."
"I am a flopper and tended to roll onto the edges, which made them collapse and dumped me onto the ground."
"I find horizontal baffles extremely uncomfortable … it feels as if anything closer to the edge falls down and doesn’t give any support."
A_Capable_Gnat 1.0I think the Nemo Tensor Trail should be fine for you. I spent the last few years backpacking in the Ohio river valley (and elsewhere in the east coast and south) on a pad with a 2.5 R-value and was never once cold. I sleep notably warm as well, so I even used that pad down to 5F, but the reality is that winter in Virginia is rarely cold enough that this pad (especially if paired with a foam pad) would not be sufficient for you.
a_walking_mistake 1.0If I ever buy another inflatable pad, it'll be a [Nemo Tensor Trail](https://www.nemoequipment.eu/collections/sleeping-pads/products/tensor-trail-insulated-ultralight-sleeping-pad). Of all the inflatable options, it's simply the best blend of comfort/weight (assuming you avoid cold temps like I do) The horizontal baffles on the XLite are nowhere near as comfortable
Fiveohfourtwenty 1.0Nemo Tensor Trail is the correct answer.
generation_quiet 1.0The Nemo Tensor line of pads is what you need. I haven't messed with the Elite (8.5 oz / regular mummy), but the Trail (13 oz / regular mummy) and Insulated (14.1 oz / regular mummy) have treated me well this year. If you want to get full-season use, just get the insulated—it has an r-value of 5.4 and is only \~1 oz heavier.
The Nemo Tensor line of pads is what you need. I haven't messed with the Elite (8.5 oz / regular mummy), but the Trail (13 oz / regular mummy) and Insulated (14.1 oz / regular mummy) have treated me well this year. If you want to get full-season use, just get the insulated—it has an r-value of 5.4 and is only \~1 oz heavier.
Geoscienceguy 1.0I’ve used mine down to 20 degrees. Any colder and I use a foam pad underneath. The tensor is awesome, especially when paired with the right bag for conditions.
IceCreamforLunch 1.0I have a Nemo Tensor Insulated (Reg rectangle) and absolutely love it. It's super comfortable, I haven't found it to be noisy at all, and it's quite light.
I can’t comment on the others but I have had a Tensor Insulated for a few years and absolutely love it. I’m a side sleeper and I’ve used it down to 30F and it gets the job done but that’s about its limit. If I were going to be in temps consistently that low I’d put foam under it.
No it has a good baffle structure. Amazing for its weight. I inflate it, then let bits of air out so that my shoulder is about an inch off the ground when I’m on my side and then it’s perfect for the night.
KsKwrites 1.0I’d second the Nemo Tensor all season ultralight insulated. I waited till it went on sale and snagged it for about $150. With an R 5.4 it may actually be too warm for your summer trip but I’ve used it almost all year around. Very comfy when I was 79kg and incredibly comfy now when I’m 69kg. I toss and turn a lot so I went with the wider option. If I could sleep without rolling I woulda gone with the mummy regular to save the weight. If you’re not needing as high an R value, the Tensor Trail can save you weight and money at R 2.8. If you can find a crazy sale, the Tensor Elite saves you almost half the weight, but I believe it is a relatively new pad with minimal time to see how well it will hold up to time in the wild.
longwalktonowhere 1.0For -5C and durability I would personally take the Thermarest X-Therm mummy. R7.3, 440gr (although mine weighs 460gr in reality), and a 70D material on the underside. Anecdotally, I can feel the cold seep through my Nemo Tensor Insulated (R4.2) from around freezing.
Same here - Tensor Insulated down to about freezing when I can start to feel the cold seep through. The Tensor Insulated has been replaced by the significantly warmer Tensor All Seasons, and that would be my recommendation.
After reading a lot of advise like this, I bought a rectangular wide pad for my thru hike (Nemo Tensor Insulated). When my partner joined for a bit with an X-Lite regular mummy, it turned out that she (5ft) much prefers the wide pad, while I (6ft side sleeper) sleep just as well on the regular mummy (even though I, too, often kick a knee up). Obviously she took the Nemo back home to save me some weight for the remainder of the trip. Just goes to show how personal these things are.
I have both pads, notice no difference in comfort, and sleep equally well on either one. Guess I’m just an easy sleeper - certainly after a long hike!
Both Thermarest and Nemo pads work for me, and I suspect many others would as well. Regarding shape, I think I actually need *less* space than someone who sleeps on their back. Regular mummy pads work great for me.
mikesegy 1.03 season tensor is really what you should get unless you wanna winter camp. I love camping but winter camping is not for everyone. But no doubt get the tensor. 10000% https://www.rei.com/product/228438/nemo-tensor-trail-ultralight-insulated-sleeping-pad?sku=2284380002&store=&CAWELAID=120217890018031554&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=147758271279&CATCI=pla-2022408626626&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C21700000001700551_2284380002%7C2022408626626%7Cbrand_flag%7C9920629669&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=9920629669&gbraid=0AAAAAD_DTlxwAE6K8qThhTEh4hPO024V0
MilesBeforeSmiles 1.0Unless you are camping in winter get a Nemo Tensor Trail. The 2.8R rating it has will be good down to freezing, it wil crinkle way less, and is much lighter.
You'd have to sleep pretty cold for a 2.8r rated mat to not be enough gound insulation for 3 season camping. Ground insulation doesn't generate or trap warmth around a sleeper, it just reduces the heat loss to the ground. Whether you are a cold or warm sleeper, that rate of heat loss will be the same.
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