In this article, we take a look at one of the new up and coming sleeping pads on Amazon, the Elegear Sleeping Pad. We put it to the test in real camping scenarios, in cold weather, warm weather, on rough ground, and here we tell you how it held up.
About Elegear | About The Pad | Our Review | Summary
You can purchase the Elegear Sleeping Pad on:
Amazon
About Elegear
Elegear is simply a company created to provide inexpensive, but effective camping gear for those looking to get in the outdoors.
Our Testing Scenario
We are pretty much spending every weekend hiking, camping, or fishing, or backpacking, so we have been able to put this pad to the test on some warm nights, as well as some chilly nights in the backcountry. Both car camping, and tent camping around the Colorado 14ers.
About The Pad
Technical Specs
| Compacted Size | 5.1in x 10.23in |
|---|---|
| Inflated Size | 24.8in x 77.5in x 2.4in |
| Inflation | About 30 seconds to 1 minute utilizing a hand/foot pump built in. |
| Thickness (Inflated) | Thickness: 2.2″ for optimal comfort, support, and warmth |
| Weight | 1.65lb / 750g |
| Material | 40D nylon + TPU |
| Colors | Blue |
| R-Value | Unknown, but was warm in 35 degree F situation – See our article on R-Values |
Additional Features
- Waterproof
- Built in comfortable pillow
- Foot / hand pump built into foot section for easy pumping
- Comes with patch kit
- Comes with bag to pack away in
Free Standard Shipping
This item has free shipping on Amazon.
Returns
Free returns available via Amazon.
Our Review
Comfort
As far as backpacking sleeping pads go, this is more comfortable than the cheap options. While this doesn’t stack up to the most expensive options, the value per comfort of this pad is great. Having a built in pillow is a huge deal for comfort. Additionally, this pad is very long, and blows up relatively thick, which ads a lot of comfort over ultralight camping and backpacking options.
This pad is substantially more comfortable than non-inflatable pads like the Therma-Rest Z Lite.
In terms of comfort, we would rate this really high compared to other backpacking sleeping pads. The air pad design does a great job of distributing your weight.
Ease of Inflation
This device is easy to inflate. The foot / hand blow up pad built in make it easy to blow up the mattress in less than a minute. It can be done inside a tent, in a car, or on the ground easily. The easiest way is to use your foot.
Ease of Deflation
This is actually one of the easiest sleeping pads we have used to deflate. A simple deflation latch at the foot part of the pad, then make a couple folds, and the pad has awesome clips to help while you roll up the pad.
Packability
This pad is significantly larger than other backpacking pads. Poth inflated and deflated. This makes the packability for backpacking not great. This is very much a car camping sleeping pad due to the size. It folds up to a fantastic size if you plan on camping in or near your car.
Warmth
If you are camping above 35 degrees F, you should have no problem with warmth of this sleeping pad. If you are a winter camper, you may want to consider a pad with a higher r-value. We are not sure the R-value of this pad, but it held up fine in reasonably cold conditions.
Durability
Within 1 year, we actually have experienced some leaking and the paid is no longer usable. We have updated this review to reflect that. While this is not necessarily common for other reviewers, we had to mention it in our review.
Size
This is a huge pad when inflated. It is suitable for an extremely tall person. The size makes it very comfortable for most camping situations when compared to other pads, but the size makes this pad not ideal for backpacking. Again, if you are car camping, or camping in a short distance from your car, this is a fantastic sleeping pad option.
Cost / Value
You can’t beat the value of this sleeping pad. It is very inexpensive when compared to close alternatives. This makes it a fantastic budget sleeping pad option.
Recommendation
This is a budget friendly sleeping pad. Unfortunately, our pad started leaking about 8 months into using. If you frequently camp out of your car, or want a pad for sleeping in the wilderness, this is a cheaper option. While this isn’t ideal for backpacking situations, it was great for car camping while it worked. If you just need a pad on a budget, this is a solid option, but if you are looking for an upgrade, or long term pad for backpacking, we recommend stepping up in price range.
*Disclaimer: We were given this pad by Elegear to review. This review is our honest opinion as we were genuinely impressed by this product. The links above to Amazon are affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase this pad through that link, we get a small commission that supports our site. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Max DesMarais is the founder of hikingandfishing.com. He has a passion for the outdoors and making outdoor education and adventure more accessible. Max is a published author for various outdoor adventure, travel, and marketing websites. He is an experienced hiker, backpacker, fly fisherman, backcountry skier, trail runner, and spends his free time in the outdoors. These adventures allow him to test gear, learn new skills, and experience new places so that he can educate others. Max grew up hiking all around New Hampshire and New England. He became obsessed with the New Hampshire mountains, and the NH 48, where he guided hikes and trail runs in the White Mountains. Since moving out west, Max has continued climbed all of the Colorado 14ers, is always testing gear, learning skills, gaining experience, and building his endurance for outdoor sports. You can read more about his experience here: hikingandfishing/about
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