Sea To Summit - Ether Light XT Insulated Air Sleeping Mat
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Based on 1 year's data from Jan 28, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
276
93
"It’s is SO MUCH more quiet than the s7 it ramped up the suction power from 4000 to 19000 yet I can let it clean my office room while being in a call now."
"Extremely quiet compared to our last one to the point where we can have it running while my partner is in work meetings (besides emptying water and dust bin, but that is 10 seconds of loud x 2)."
"pads that lift on carpet so you can run it while the baby naps"
533
105
"it was hands down the best night of sleep I’ve had in a tent."
"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."
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."
83
26
"They are extremely lightweight for that kind of warmth."
"Not much else compares to the warmth and weight."
"they can’t hold a candle to the warmth... of the Tensor."
7
0
"3+ inch thick pad with the waffle pattern is the way to go in my book. ... Back feels better in the morning and I wake up way less often because some body part fell asleep."
"The Sea to Summit mats are incredibly comfortable with 4-6inches of foam."
"I’m a side sleeper and the extra thickness is welcome"
Disliked most:
45
78
"getting stressed out about the whole process of plugging in, lifting, storing the giant Kirby and not vacuuming at all in the end."
"heavy as hell"
"You do NOT want a Kirby if you have stairs - trust me."
12
16
"sounded like a loud squeaky balloon. ... Every time I shifted weight or switched sides it was loud. ... Even someone walking by looked at me and said “that’s really noisy”."
"it made horrible noise in tent and especially when sleeping in cabins ... My camping mates hated me ... The spund was more like a rubbery groan instead of crinkly chip bag sound, very annoying."
"my husband could hardly sleep with how noisy it was ... It annoyed it me too."
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"I had to return the etherlite after waking up with a sore back every night."
"I'm a side sleeper and had one of the worst nights sleep on the S2S Ether ... Something about the S2S made my spine bend the wrong way on my side."
"My ass is always hitting the ground with the Klymit V."
5
17
"I had to return my Etherlight XT since it was too cold to use even in summer."
"Im not sure if I can trust S2S with another pad after my freezing XT. ... Comfort counts for nothing if using a quilt and you're cold."
"If I need more than 4 R insulation (I'm sleeping on snow most likely) I'm taking a ccf for backup because I don't want to die."
2
8
"which started leaking after 3 nights"
"had multiple get air leaks in all the seams so I gave up on using it."
"Avoid StS Etherlight XT at all costs, as I have had two getting pinctures where the dividers attach. ... Constant flats from just lying on them."
Fred_Dibnah 1.0Hey I have the black S2S Ether Light XT Air Sleeping Mat (reg-wide) I normally hammock camp but tried a tent. I'm a side sleeper and had one of the worst nights sleep on the S2S Ether, I had to swap with my partner who has a thin 1 inch think Thermarest. Something about the S2S made my spine bend the wrong way on my side.
Total-Reaction-8637 1.0When you put it on a hardwood or vinyl floor, does it sound like a balloon rubbing when you move on it? The XT was bearable on silnylon tent bottom, but with wood hut or a PU tent bottom everyone in a 50 foot range hears every move.
Masseyrati80 0.5Sea to Summit has a structure they call "air sprung cell". I personally own an old NeoAir but have tested a Sea to summit pad with that structure and I must say, it was much comfier. I've been trying to justify chucking in the money for a new pad, but am not there yet.
Check out airpads by Thermarest, Exped and Sea to Summit. Not the self-inflating ones, the ones with thick air chambers. They can be up to 4" thick, and the comfiest ones are miles away from a roll mat. If you buy one, don't inflate them by blowing, as exhaled air has enough moisture in it to cause issues down the line.
askvictor 0.4The sea to summit is 10cm thick, which is amazing for it's size and weight. But it's made of a noisy fabric
badi95 0.4Ended up getting a couple sea to summit mats on sale for $60.
I got some Sea to Summit Ether Light XT pads on sale a few months ago for the kids and they seem to be happy with them. So they may not need something as nice as a megamat for a little while.
Beneficial_Clock6838 0.4Test both and then decide, because everyone has a different body. I personally switched from the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated (size L with similar baffle structure to the Tensor) to the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT (size RW). Both are wide, the NXT is just regular length and as a side sleeper, I’ll never go back. I think the crucial point is to inflate it to the right pressure because overinflation won’t be comfortable. My preferred pressure is when I sit on the pad I almost touch the ground, but when I lie down, it feels perfect.
billymcnilly 0.4Self-inflating foam mats seem like a good middle ground. I hadnt seen the nemo flyer. Looks very similar to the new sea to summit pursuit self-inflating that i just got (5cm thick, 600g). It's extremely comfortable and i cant wait to try it out, after getting zero sleep on my etherlight xt recently. Do you have the zlite for extra padding, or for extra warmth?
Ive used the sts ether light xt and the ba zoom ul, and the zoom ul is more comfortable for a side sleeper imo. Not sure if the xr is much better than the xt
Bobby6k34 0.4I love my Ether Light highly recommend and from what I've heard there warranty is exceptional. I went with the XT Insulated req wide amazing sleeps on it.
I love my Ether Light highly recommend and from what I've heard there warranty is exceptional. I went with the XT Insulated req wide amazing sleeps on it.
butters091 0.4Just used my Helix last night and would recommend. To me it’s much comfier than than the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT I had before
evening_crow 0.4Sleeping bag won't do anything for comfort while laying down. A good pad is what you want. Sea to Summit Ether XT Light, followed by Nemo Tensor, are my recommendations. Pillows are more forgiving. Wife and I use the Therm-a-rest ones.
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