Paria Outdoor Products Recharge Sleeping Pad - Ultralight, Insulated Air Pad - Perfect for Backpacking, Bikepacking, Kayaking and Camping

Bought this because I wanted something a little more plush and warm than my 2" thick R 1.3 pad. The Paria does not disappoint. I'm a side sleeper and weigh 195 pounds and never felt like I was going to bottom out this pad. It was also silent - no crinkling sound as you roll over. The size is pretty company and mine easily rolls up and fits into a 4L dry bag with room to spare. I'm 5'10" and had plenty of room - no feet dangling off one end or pillow sliding off the other. I also had no issues with the width even though it is narrower than my older pad.Of course this plushness comes at a price: inflating this takes quite a bit more time/effort than inflating a 2 inch pad. My one issue with the pad is the inflation valve: it's completely flat and that makes it a little more awkward to inflate than pads with protruding style valves. Also the valve is really just a rubber flap. The upside is it's simple design so less likely to wrong and also makes it easy to deflate. The downside is sometimes the flap doesn't fully seal when you're inflating it causing air to escape between breathes. This is especially noticeable in the first few breaths.

Sleeping mats and inflatable pads are not the easiest thing to select. One of my biggest gripes is that the lightweight ones are noisy, while the ones that are quiet are heavier than a full weeks worth of backpacking gear and almost as large. This inflatable pad proved to be the exception on both counts.First, this pad does require you to blow it up. Fun, I know. It takes about 20 breaths but it's doable. For the price, I feel like I can handle replacing it when it eventually molds from the moisture in my breath.The R-value was the key to my selecting this pad. I needed something warm for a search and rescue training I was doing this past weekend. It was going to be COLD, teens or twenties at night and windy in the mountains. My other inflatable pad was fine for summer and provided a small amount of cushioning, but I knew it wouldn't meet my needs for this weekend. I was thrilled to find this pad is thick as advertised, but weighs about the same as my lesser pad. Even better? It doesn't crinkle when you move around!I love the material this is made from, it has a bit of grip to it and feels sturdy. It can take some work to deflate and inflate, but easier than a pool toy. I was very warm and cozy on my trip and much of that is due to having this sleeping pad.

So let me start off with I don't own any of the higher end air mattresses, and to be honest I don't need to. I am a guy on the larger side and I am also a side sleeper, and have had very good night sleeps with this air mattress. The only thing I would like to see is for the company to include the $15 pump they sell for it with the mattress or at least as an option combo on Amazon. I did buy it separate and found it useful, light, and can roll up with the mattress to pack together. As for packed size and weight, I am not a gram counter so did not weigh it but would be happy with it in my backpack, I mostly car camp. I have used this in temps down to 26°F and was very comfortable. I did not find it to feel cold when laying on it. Would I recommend it, yes and I have to some friends and have let friends use it and they said the same thing about it. The one I got was the XL version. The other thing we all like was we didn't loose air overnight. I left it inflated for a week in my house and was still fully inflated just to check it before going camping with it. I am giving it 3 star for the ease of inflate, as using a battery pump would be much easier, but I am satisfied with the pump they offer on Paria's website because it is good for backpacking.

I'm reviewing the XL version. For reference here are the pads I currently own:* Sea to Summit Insulated Comfort Plus Regular Rectangular (x2)* Sea to Summit Insulated Ultralight* Klymit Static V LITE* Chillax Sleeping PadI'll just compare it to it's closest completion, the Klymit Static V LITE.The Recharge XL:* is 15% grams heavier (700g vs 609g, standard stuff sacks and patch kits included)* is $11 (~17%) more expensive* is MUCH more comfortable for a side-sleeper* has a MUCH better inflation/deflation valve* is SLIGHTLY (7%) better insulated* is a good deal easier to fold into thirds lengthwise and roll up to get it back into it's stuff sack* takes a lot of air to blow up!The increase in comfort is really dramatic to me as a side-sleeper. It makes choosing the Recharge XL a no-brainer. It's just a much better pad.It's a real shame the inflation/deflation valve isn't compatible with other pump sacks like the Sea to Summit one. I think that's worth docking it a star. A small rubber band/gasket adapter would be very welcome.That said this is a great, extremely comfortable pad. It's almost as well insulated as the Sea to Summit Comfort Plus Rectangular pads. It's $120 less expensive. It's just as comfortable. It's quieter (if you care about that). It's 223g lighter. The only real gripe is the inflation valve. But it's far from the worst (that honor would go to Klymit, though I think older Thermarest pads are similar). You could buy two S2S pads for yourself and your significant other. Or you could buy five of these. Or two of these and 240 $1 tacos.I'm going to go ahead and say it: This pad isn't perfect. But it you're looking for an insulated pad, this is probably the best available right now. As much as I love them, I'm having a real hard time justifying keeping my S2S pads right now. By carrying two of these instead I'll save almost a pound in weight and $240 in my wallet.It's going to be tough deciding between taking this (700g) or my S2S Ultralight pad (480g) for solo trips. Sure this one is heavier (700g vs 480g), but the comfort! I don't see taking the Klymit pad out again ever really.