Many camping mattresses claim to be self-inflating, but the Sea To Summit Comfort Deluxe SI delivers like no other. Immediately upon opening the inflation valve, you can hear the long, gentle wheeze of air rushing into the pad, while you stand there, mouth agape, as it inflates before your eyes in a few minutes. This pad inflates without a motor faster than any pad we've tested. If you need a super firm mat, you'll want to top it off with a few breaths, but overall, this mat offers true self-inflation. The Comfort Deluxe also provides a luxurious sleeping experience.
Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe SI Review
If you're looking for a quick inflating mat that takes top marks for comfort, look no further.
Price: $190 List | $189.95 at Amazon
Pros: Self inflates quickly, luxurious comfort
Cons: More difficult to pack away than some other models
Manufacturer: Sea to Summit
Cons: More difficult to pack away than some other models
Manufacturer: Sea to Summit
By Matt Bento ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ Oct 25, 2018
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Our Verdict
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 This Product
Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe SI | |||||
| Awards |  |  | |||
| Price | $189.95 at Amazon | $170 List | $174.95 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $209.95 at REI | $141.93 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Self inflates quickly, luxurious comfort | Bed-like comfort, easy inflation, great value | Very comfortable, R-value of 9.5 is super warm, good value | Packs to half the size of similar mattresses, easy to use, warm, comfortable | Warm, comfortable, fits in a smaller tent |
| Cons | More difficult to pack away than some other models | Too big for some single person tents | Large packed size | Slight bounciness, heavy | Heavy |
| Bottom Line | If you're looking for a quick inflating mat that takes top marks for comfort, look no further. | All our favorite features we love from a camping mat at a great price. | This is the one we would lend to a friend. | Four inches of foam camping mattress comfort that packs into a relatively small package. | Our favorite option if you need a narrower comfy pad. |
| Rating Categories | Comfort Deluxe SI | REI Co-op Camp Dreamer XL | Exped MegaMat 10 | NEMO Roamer | Therm-a-Rest MondoKing 3D |
| Comfort (40%) | |||||
| Ease Of Use (20%) | |||||
| Warmth (20%) | |||||
| Versatility (10%) | |||||
| Packed Size (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Comfort Deluxe SI | REI Co-op Camp... | Exped MegaMat 10 | NEMO Roamer | Therm-a-Rest... |
| Test Model | Large Wide | XL | Green LXWide | XL Wide | Blue Depths Long |
| Dimensions | 79" x 25" x 4" | 78" x 32" x 4" | 77.6" x 30.3" x 4" | 80 x 30 x 4 in | 77" x 25" x 4" |
| Length | 79 in | 78 in | 77.6 in | 80 in | 77 in |
| Width | 25 in | 32 in | 30.3 in | 30 in | 25 in |
| Thickness | 4 in | 4 in | 4 in | 4 in | 4 in |
| Weight | 5.12 lbs | 6.38 lbs | 6.37 lbs | 5.25 lbs | 5.5 lbs |
| R Value | 5.5 | 5.5 | 9.5 | Unavailable | 11.4 |
| Type | Self-Inflating | Self-Inflating | Self-Inflating | Self inflating | Self-Inflating |
| Packed Size (inches) | 7.5 in x 25 in | 11 in x 30 in | 9.8 in x 31.1 in | 10.5 x 15 in | 7 in x 26 in |
| Storage | Stuff Sack | Stuff Sack | Stuff Sack | Stuff sack | Stuff Sack |
| Bed Material | 30D Polyester | Stretch Polyester | 50D Polyester with TPU Polyether film laminate | 50D stretch | 75D reverse diamond polyester |
| Valves | 1 valve | 1 valve | 2 valves | Zero profile | 2 Valves |
| Accessories | Stuff sack | Air Pump/Pillow | Mini Pump, Stuff Sack, Repair Kit and Manual | Stuff sack | Stuff sack |
| Breaths to Inflate | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The feel of this mat is very similar to others we reviewed due to its 30D knit polyester fabric. Four inches of foam core thickness keep you warm and well off the ground and allow plenty of leeway to half inflate that pad if you prefer a softer, squishier sleeping experience. The catch to this king of comfort? Packing it away is a wrestling match.
Performance Comparison
It's easy to get up with the sun after a good night's sleep, which is what our testers got from this comfortable camping mat.
Comfort
Comfort is the most important consideration in camping mat, and you'll hear no complaints from us in terms of feeling good and falling asleep on the Comfort Deluxe.
The version we're testing is the large-wide edition. Measuring 6'7" long and 29" wide, our testers found plenty of room to toss and turn without fear of rolling off the pad. The top material is soft, and we never experienced the dreaded sweaty mattress stickiness. When it comes to firmness, the one-way valve will let you inflate this pad as firmly as your lungs allow, or feather the valve by pressing it down until your desired level of softness is achieved. The Comfort Deluxe has high vertical sidewalls that don't collapse when your nighttime migrations bring you to the edge of the pad.
Glamping! That's how we do it in the Tuolumne Search and Rescue site, and this super comfortable mat fits right in.
Ease of Use
Self-inflation is what sets the Comfort Deluxe apart from the rest of the pad pack. While some pads took up to ten minutes or longer to self-inflate, we could sit and watch, mouths agape, as the Comfort Deluxe inflated before our eyes. This thing sucks in air like a surfacing whale, taking one long audible breath. We attribute this quick inflation to Sea-to-Summit's Delta-Core Technology.
Instead of a solid slab of foam, the foam inside of the Comfort Deluxe has triangle-shaped chambers to help cut weight and bulk, but we also feel this design helps the pad spring back into shape quickly while creating a vacuum inside the pad. Five to six full breaths will top off this pad to maximum firmness.
The Comfort Deluxe does not roll up and pack away so easily, however. The one-way valve can be flipped around so you can squeeze the air out of the pad without it reinflating, but this still doesn't work as well as a one-way valve dedicated to deflation. The Comfort Deluxe includes an elastic band to help keep the pad rolled tight while you shove it into the carrying sleeve. This is not a huge deal if you're only packing it away a few times a year, but our testers are constantly deflating and packing away these pads, and they appreciate a quick and easy system.
The one-way valve can be flipped around, allowing air to flow out but not in while you roll the mat up for storage.
Warmth
With an R-Value of 5.5, the Comfort Deluxe is adequately warm for most folks who are into camping comfortably in the lower 48. We slept on this pad in Tuolumne Meadows, CA, at an elevation of 8,600 feet with temps in the upper 20s without ever feeling the cold ground.
One thing we did notice on a cold night after a warm day, was that the pad lost some of its firmness overnight. Not by air loss, but because of pressure loss due to slow cooling of the air inside the pad. Because of the thickness and the delta-shaped air chambers, there is a lot of air in this pad, and it's more sensitive to pressure changes than other pads. Take this as a useful observation for the discerning sleeper, since it didn't detract from the slumber time of any of our testers. Also, consider how often you'll be sleeping out in sub-freezing temperatures. A pad with an R-value of 9 won't feel hotter in warm weather than this pad but will be heavier, bulkier, and likely more expensive.
Versatility
This pad is available in three sizes: regular wide, large wide, and double (whew!). We tested the large wide version. When purchasing any of these plush mats, keep the size of your tent in mind. Any tent that can hold two of these is going to need to be at least 4' 10" wide, and 4' 3" for the double. If you're mainly in the market for a super comfy guest bed, this pad is an excellent choice, and your visitors will thank you.
Compared to the Thermarest Dreamtime (right) this pad is slightly thicker but lacks the removable cover that makes the Dreamtime easier to clean.
Packed Size
When rolled up and crammed into its protector sleeve, this mat will take up 7.5" x 25" of premium space in your trunk or closet.
If space is not a big concern, the Comfort Deluxe is an excellent option without sacrificing comfort, just remember that you'll have to work a bit to get it back inside the storage sleeve.
Getting this pad back into its carrying sleeve is a difficult 10-minute ordeal.
Value
The varying sizes of this mat mean that there is a range in price. Though it more spendy than other contenders, ask yourself, "Do I want to sleep deeply every night, so I can have a big day outside?", and "If my inlaws come to visit and get great sleep on a comfortable mat, will they be nicer?" If the answer to either of those questions is yes, the extra dough is likely worth it. We slept on this pad directly on top of gravel and pine duff without experiencing any punctures or air loss.
Conclusion
The Comfort Deluxe comes very close to being our favorite camping mat. It's super comfortable and inflates easily. Our testers are always on the go and don't want to spend time rolling up and squeezing the air out of camping mats. Maybe our impatience makes us a little biased towards a mat with an easier storage system, but we also realize there are folks out there who really hate inflating pads, and the Comfort Deluxe sets up quickly and easily.
— Matt Bento