Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated - Women's Review
Compare prices at 3 resellers Pros: Lightweight, small packed size, included pump sack
Cons: Not as comfortable as Ether Light and same weight, thin
Manufacturer: Sea to Summit
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated - Women's | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  |  | ||
| Price | $148.95 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $149.89 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $188.95 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $150 List | $100 List $99.95 at REI |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Lightweight, small packed size, included pump sack | Very light, super compact, comfortable, versatile, warmer than normal XLite | Comfortable, quiet, lightweight | Comfortable, lightweight, small packed size | Comfortable, good valve system, warm |
| Cons | Not as comfortable as Ether Light and same weight, thin | Noisy, expensive, delicate materials | Expensive, heavier than the NeoAir XLite | Not very warm, not very durable | Heavy and bulky |
| Bottom Line | This lightweight sleeping pad is relatively comfortable, but a Jack-of-all-trades and master-of-none | This super light and compact sleeping pad is a great choice for someone looking to go fast, light, and warm | A versatile sleeping pad that is incredibly comfortable | This super comfortable sleeping pad is a great choice for summer backpacking and camping trips | A comfortable, warm sleeping pad with unique "rails" that will cradle you when you sleep |
| Rating Categories | Sea to Summit Ultra... | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir... | Sea to Summit Ether... | Exped SynMat UL | REI Co-op AirRail Plus |
| Warmth (25%) | |||||
| Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Durability (10%) | |||||
| Weight (25%) | |||||
| Packed Size (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Sea to Summit Ultra... | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir... | Sea to Summit Ether... | Exped SynMat UL | REI Co-op AirRail Plus |
| Measured Weight | 14.6 | 12 oz | 15 oz | 14.6 oz | 25 oz |
| ASTM R Value | 3.5 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 3.7 |
| Thickness | 2 in | 2.5 in | 4 in | 2.8 in | 1.5 in |
| Width | 21.5 in | 20 in | 21.5 in | 25.6 in | 23 in |
| Packed Size | 4 x 9 in | 9 in x 4.1 in | 11 x 4.5 in | 10.4 x 4.3 in | 9.84 x 5.51 in |
| Tested Length | 72 in | 66 in | 66 in | 77.6 in | 66 in |
| Bottom Material | 40D nylon | 30D rip HT Nylon | 40D nylon | 20 D polyester | 75D polyester |
Our Analysis and Test Results
This sleeping pad is somewhat warm, somewhat light, and somewhat packable, but not the best at any of these. We struggled to find a place for this Jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none sleeping mat in the new Sea to Summit line.
Performance Comparison
Warmth
The UltraLight Insulated is at the lower end of the pack in terms of warmth when compared to the rest of the products in this review. Its R-value has been slightly increased due to new testing standards from 3.3 to 3.5. This pad is lightly insulated and will keep you protected from the ground for the full summer season (and stretch into spring and fall), but is not many other products we tested.
Comfort
This pad is relatively comfortable. We like Sea to Summit's women's specific shape that is wider at the hips and tapers at the shoulders, as it's much more comfortable than a pad that is widest at the shoulders and tapers down to the feet. We also like that this mat has quieter materials than others, which makes for a more comfortable, peaceful sleep for you and your tent mate.
The waffle-like texture of the Ultralight cushions well. However, this pad is one of the thinner models of the air mattresses without foam and you may find yourself bottoming out if the mat is not fully inflated.
Durability
As far as we can tell, the UltraLight is relatively durable. It has 40 denier materials, which are tougher than the least durable products of the bunch. We like its valve system, which seems relatively durable in comparison to the screw-closed ones. This pad comes with field repair patches and an extra valve piece for the one-way valve system, which can aid in an emergency.
Weight
This is one of the lightest sleeping pad in this review, weighing 14.6 ounces - without its stuff sack. The name of this product is a bit misleading, as we would not describe this sleeping pad as "ultralight" in the slightest; to be fair, it is the lightest of Sea to Summit's women's models. Leave the stuff sack at home to save 1.8 ounces.
Packed Size
The UltraLight Insulated packs down relatively small. It has about the third smallest packed size and is more compact than other comparable models.
Value
For a high-quality product, the UltraLight is decently priced. Its weight, packed size, and warmth are better than other products that ring in at a similar price point. However, we might splurge to up our game on the models that outperform the UltraLight.
Conclusion
Don't get us wrong; we like the Sea to Summit UltraLight Insulated, and it's a decent pad all around. It's relatively warm, comfortable, light, and packable. We think it would be a good choice to bring on multi-day backpacking adventures because it is light and packs down small. However, when compared to other products by the same manufacturer, better options exist. If Sea to Summit could make this significantly lighter, it would be an excellent option, but right now, the performance is too close to be up for debate.
— Jessica Haist
Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by Testing.
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
Learn More