Sea to Summit Comfort Plus Sleeping Pad: Definitive Review (2024)
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Looking for the ultimate low down on the Sea To Summit Sleeping Pad 2024? You’ve come to the right place!
Let’s cut to the chase… here at TopNotch, we tested the top 10 sleeping pads on the market and one of the best is the Sea To Summit Comfort Plus.
Want to know why?
Well in this review we’re going to cover…
- What makes this sleeping pad the perfect addition to your gear
- Some of its stand-out features
- How the Comfort Plus stacked up to the rest of the competition
- Lots, lots more!
In this definitive guide, we’re excited to dig into the nitty-gritty of this pad – examining everything from warmth to thickness, weight to durability, and, of course, inflation and comfort.
Ready for the ride?
Hold on tight…
- Manufacturer: Sea to Summit
- Dimensions: 78 in x 25 in x 2.5 in
- Weight: 36 oz
- Fabric: 40D Nylon Face Fabric
- R-Value: 6
- Number of Air Sprung Cells: 696
- Thickness: 2.5 in / 6.3 cm
Bottom Line : This sleeping pad makes every night a memorable experience with impressive insulation and adjustability…
Pros
- Impressive insulation
- Redundant air chambers enhance durability
- Maintains its original folds, making packability easier
- Built-in multifunction valve ensures easy inflation and quick deflation
- Dual air chambers for enhanced sleep customization
- Stable and supportive
Cons
- Material is relatively wrinkled and noisy
- Quite heavy
Our Verdict: Sea to Summit Comfort Plus Sleeping Pad
At TopNotch, we’ve seen a lot of gear… it’s kind of our thing.
So when we say that we couldn’t help falling in love with this backpacking sleeping pad, you know the Sea To Summit is indeed something special.
Why?
First, the durability was outstanding, thanks to the air chamber. The dual air chamber is your guarantee that those painful nights of sleeping on cold grounds are long behind you.
The multifunction valve is also a great touch.
Courtesy of this design, inflating and deflating the mat was much easier than with some of the others we tested.
Which is not to mention the premium insulation…
The outside of the Sea To Summit Pad is insulated using Exkin Platinum thermal technology, with the interior having Thermolite insulation.
This may all be a little jargony for normal people… so we’ll break it down: this thing is toasty, and the pad will hold and reflect your body heat throughout the night. If you plan on going winter camping, this pad’s going to be a great addition.
There were a couple of hitches though…
Initially getting to sleep can be a struggle, since this sleeping pad is made from stiff, crinkly material (the same stuff that is so wonderful for reflecting your heat). Basically, there’s a chorus whenever you roll over.
It was slightly heavy too, compared with some of the others we brought along.
Related: 8 Best Camping Mattresses
Our Analysis, Comparisons & Test Results
We tested the Sea to Summit Pad in several environments – from using it as a guest mattress in the spare room to a trip to Yosemite with the crew and a few other pads.
We’re BIG fans of afternoon naps as it is, so we had a lot of fun testing these products.
To get a better picture of its overall performance, we put together a set of metrics to rate our Sleeping Pads against – more on those shortly.
The way we see it, the Sea to Summit Comfort Plus easily strides into the realms of the best of the best camping pads.
It’s the ideal sleeping mat if you’re keen on comfort and insulation, and aren’t too worried about portability.
Comfort
The air sprung cells and the dual air chamber impressed us. For campers like us who have suffered from insulated sleeping pads loaded with pressure points, the Sea to Summit Comfort Plus was a well-needed relief.
The only sleeping pad that compares with the Sea to Summit Comfort Plus in terms of comfort is the Exped Synmat XP 9.
Comfort Rating
The dual air chamber design put paid to the infamous bounce anytime we shifted around on our sleeping pads. Sea to Summit has actually published an interesting article on this.
And yes…
…the elliptical size was also worth it as well. We were impressed with the breathability of the Sea to Summit Comfort plus, and the warmth from the exterior made it one of the best R-value sleeping pads we’ve ever had the pleasure to test.
Warmth
If you’re planning an overnight camping trip, heat retention and efficiency should always be at the top of your list. After all, mid-spring and fall are two of the best times of year to go camping, and that means nighttime temperatures that reach the 40s or lower in many states.
Convective heat loss is one big problem we’ve struggled with as a team, waking up chilled to the bone in the morning.
Warmth Rating
Good news…
…is that the Sea To Summit has excellent thermal efficiency.
First, we couldn’t thank Sea to Summit enough for the dual air chambers of this sleeping pad. With this in place, this insulated sleeping pad was more efficient, trapping warmer air close to our bodies and reducing convective heat loss.
But that’s not all.
We also didn’t struggle with radiative heat loss thanks to the Comfort Plus Insulated being having a reflective barrier.
Truth is…
…with an impressive R -value of 5, we had pretty high expectations for the Comfort Plus Insulated.
And we weren’t disappointed!
Versatility
It hurts in more ways than one when you buy a sleeping pad that doesn’t last or you can’t use at different times of the year, or in different locations.
Yeah, we’ve been there too!
Well, the Comfort Plus Insulated was ready for all the rough treatment we could hand out on the campsite. Despite our best efforts (and we did tear and puncture tests, among other comparatively barbaric processes (!)), we couldn’t put a dent in this thing.
Versatility Rating
So we know, it will also be good as a back up for visitors in the spare room…
In terms of durability…
This is where this sleeping mat’s 40 denier nylon comes in.
This heavy-duty material means the pad is rugged and can survive both one-off accidents and persistent usage directly on the ground. The outer fabric was sturdy and incredibly durable.If it seems like we’re harping on the dual-chamber design of this pad, we unashamedly are.
Once again, this excellent design choice improves an important aspect of the Sea to Summit; this time, it’s durability.
The redundant air chamber is a great addition for those mountaineering enthusiasts or campers heading to the backcountry for longer trips.
After all, air chambers are often the first thing to go on your pad, and the extra one means you can stay comfortable, even if something does somehow damage your pad.
Packed Size
Make no mistake about it…
…with all the great features of the Sea to Summit Comfort Plus, it was near impossible for it to still be very portable.
This is an unfortunate fact of camping life: comfort and durability kill weight and portability. It’s an impossible balancing act for any product.
Packed Size Rating
Coming at a significant 27.6 oz, we admit the Sea to Summit Comfort Plus sleeping pad isn’t the most attractive weight if you’re a fan of lightweight camping mats.
If you ask us, we think the guys at Sea to Summit still need to improve the maximum performance to weight ratio. This pad is heavy, even for all the features and great stats.
And once again, we must mention the dual chamber…
…though not in as flattering a light.
While the design is excellent for comfort and durability, it is far from optimized for size and weight. Other dual chamber mats do better in this regard, so this lost some points for us as well.
If you don’t mind sacrificing some of the legendary features of the Comfort Plus Insulated, you may consider going for the Comfort Light Insulated, which weighs a little less.
Ease of Use
One other feature that attracted us to the Comfort Plus Insulated was the valve system.
Yeah, we LOVED it!
The one-way valve sits nicely on the bigger deflation valve. This made it far easier for the sleeping pad to inflate and deflate. Indeed, making adjustments was equally seamless.
Looking for the perfect blend between plush and stable?
Ease of Use Rating
The Comfort Plus Insulated gives you five breaths on the top and ten on the bottom.
However, it’s only fair that we admit its faults as well.
It would have been nice if Sea to Summit made the pump sack a bit lighter.
We’ve definitely tested better pump sacks.
But this time around, we were too eager to jump on anything that saves us the hassle and lung power of standard inflation.
Conclusion: Sea to Summit Comfort Plus Sleeping Pad
Well, you’ve made it.
Let’s finish up this review by, well, summarizing what we’ve talked about.
We had no problem including the Sea To Summit Pad Comfort Plus Insulated in our list of best camping sleeping pads, given the comfort and durability it gave us.
We were delighted with the wealth of innovation Sea to Summit invested on this product, making it versatile and flexible.
While we liked the supportive air cells, other people might prefer the surface to be more even.
But that’s all small fry, so to speak.
All in all, for the quality and class this sleeping pad presents, we’d buy it anytime any day.
That’s all from us, now it’s over to you to make your choice of sleeping pad for your next overnight adventure.
