Therm-a-Rest - Z Lite Series
Models:
Z Lite Sol
Z Lite Original
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Based on 1 year's data from Mar 17, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
4
5
"As a side sleeper and getting up in age the extra weight and space is more than worth it for me. ... And as a side sleeper it helps my lean frame get extra padding."
"I can even sleep on my side without hip pain."
"I also side sleep on it. I'm not claiming that it's as comfortable as an inflatable. I only claim that it is sufficiently comfortable."
16
2
"I've never been cold on it even in sub freezing"
"Was down in the 20s a few nights and I was fine with that and my quilt"
"keeps us warm ... We only camp in winter, early spring and fall."
11
1
"I have been using my thermarest ccf pad for 20 years."
"I've been using the same one for almost twenty years and it still works great."
"never leaks or pops ... never needs to be patched"
8
0
"doubles as a luxury sit pad ... doubles as a framesheet for frameless packs ... doubles as a yoga mat for stretching out"
"CCF pads are also handy because they can double as a durable, waterproof, insulated seat if you want to sit down for lunch out in the snow."
"If you want it shorter, you can cut a section or two off. The piece makes for a nice dry sit-pad."
9
1
"Well if you need quality, comfort and light easy portable one… term a rest is just the best in the market. ... We use those for 20 years down here wile fly fishing in bariloche, patagonia Argentina."
"It’s 100% packable because you keep it outside your pack (ideal for lunch breaks) and it’s folded up."
"The Z-lite is 350 grams / 12.4 ounces. ... As far as storage, you can strap this outside your pack and don't have to worry about scraping up against rocks/branches."
Disliked most:
3
11
"I tried laying on it on the carpet in my apt and it’s so uncomfortable I couldn’t sleep on it unless it was an emergency"
"arms hung over the sides and hurt in the morning"
"I tried laying on it on the carpet in my apt and it’s so uncomfortable I couldn’t sleep on it unless it was an emergency"
7
3
"I sleep in some smartwool merino leggings to keep my legs warmer as they ’re off the end of the foam pads."
"Both of my riding buddies were on blow up mats one Nemo and one thermarest. Both were cold and not sleeping well the whole trip."
"Different story in winter."
0
1
"that makes the pad less slippery than using the Z Lite in its recommended reflective up state."
aaommi 0.1The therm-a-rest is the most popular and i have the blue one but depending on the conditions you camp in you could pick the lighter one (yellow). That being said this one and the nemo extreme conditions will have higher denier material underneath which makes them less prone to puncture. I don’t know about the other ones on top of my head. Nemo and thermarest both have good warranties and spare parts, so I’d be leaning towards that. It’s polarizing but both are known to make a lot og noise no matter what they claim.
ActiveManufacturer15 1.0—-Therm-a-Rest Z Lite camping mat —-One Tigris Down camp blanket —-Helikon Tex Swagman —-Mil Surp US GI Poncho or a British Basha is better —-Mil surp US GI bivy sack This is about as light and compact that will keep you warm and cumfy down to about 10 degrees from my experiences Edit: forgot the bivy sack !
AdAny6270 0.1Just cut one down. I did that with a thermarest.
Agerak 1.0Most closed cell foam pads will be lower R value but can easily get 2 to reach about the same. They tend to not be as comfortable though. Thermarest Z lite has been one of the better that I've seen, but most closed cell foam pads are about the same. I'd make sure to check the dimensions so that they work with you/your pack system.
Alarming-Weekend-999 1.0I used it in the military. Assuming you're talking about the brown Z-fold "Iso Mat"? It's not that heavy. We'd wrap our tarps around it so both can be laid down quickly to bivouac. The military uses these because: - Air pads simply squish down and contact the ground at the point of most force (usually your shoulder or butt). And they pop. - Z-fold because rolling foam stresses the material and damages more quickly over time. I prefer these over the "egg-carton" z-folds because of the smooth surface.
albion70 1.0Z-Lite (6 panels) with an 1/8in ccf pad from atom packs underneath. I figure this comes to an r-value of about 3, fine for me down to about 2C. I sleep in some smartwool merino leggings to keep my legs warmer as they’re off the end of the foam pads. All of this coupled with good site selection on thick grass or pine needles under some tree cover to help with trapping some heat around the tent and I’m comfortable. Different story in winter.
AliveAndThenSome 1.0We have a similar setup, but my wife and I share a double sized down quilt (EE Accomplice) on two air pads and our dog has his cut down ZLite and synthetic Kifaru woobie. Our dog (heeler) is about 40lbs. We are vigilant to keep him from getting on our uncovered air pads. Our quilt more or less covers our two pads, so it adds a layer of protection, but we insist that he stays in his ZLite as much as possible. We've gone out dozens of times and only lost a pad once when he was young and tried to bolt after a goat.
ants_taste_great 1.0Z lite. Only about $50 and works great even in wet weather.
Atomic_kobra 0.1Throw a thermarest on top of a Walmart foam pad lol save yourself some money on the process. Otherwise I would just stick to Thermarest.
audiophile_lurker 1.0If you have a budget limitation, see if you can find therm-a-rest z-lite sleeping pads used. They work well from insulation perspective, just are not very comfortable for larger adults often enough. If the kids are not tall yet, you can also trim these to size to manage the weight you have to carry.