ashenPrimarily used for insulation purposes that certain sleeping bags fail to provide, sleeping pads can be the perfect companion for a memorable outdoor night sleep. The Sea to Summit Ether Light XT is a comfortable, lightweight sleeping pad recommended by a good many fellow travelers. However, will it suit you and your travel partner? What do you need to know prior to buying a sleeping pad? Here’s all you need to know about this sleeping pad from Sea to Summit.
Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Specs
- Weight: 15 oz | Dimensions: 66″L x 21.5″W x 4″Th
- R-value: 3.2
- Thickness: 4″
- 30d / 40d nylon material
- Reflective platinum layer and synthetic insulation
- Includes stuff sack, field repair kit, and PillowLock patches
- Available in different sizes & a separate Women’s version
Checklist of A Sleeping Pad
- Type of sleeping pad- Inflatable, Closed-Cell Foam, Self-inflating. The Sea to Summit is of the inflatable type. Due to the offered thickness, they are the most comfortable.
- R-Value or the temperature rating- R-value is the rating of temperature that denotes the quality of an insulation material. The accepted standard is between 1-6. Higher the value, better suited is the sleeping pad for colder temps.
- Weight- An important metric of any outdoor gear. This is dependent on the activity. If you are backpacking you need to place lightweight at the top of your checklist. Car camping, you needn’t worry so much. However, you should not compromise comfort for lightweight.
- Size and Shape- The usual sizes are small/petite, regular and large. There are also the double and extra wide sizes. Size is again important if you are backpacking as inflatable sleeping pads pack down the smallest. There are 3 shapes in sleeping pads, semi-rectangular, rectangular and mummy. A mummy shape or semi-rectangular is the best choice if you are looking to minimize and balance weight with space.
- Price- A majority of us would want a sleeping pad that would suit any outdoor activity. Therefore, having a sleeping pad that can conquer it all requires paying a worthier price. The frequency you use it plays a major role here. If you are using it many times a year, you’d obviously want a durable, well built pad and it would most likely cost above 100 bucks if it is from a popular manufacturer.
Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Review
So with all that in mind, let’s see how the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT holds up to the paper specs. In general, Sea to Summit products are held to a high standard in the travelers community. The same can be said to the Ether Light XT when skimmed from the outside. However, we will look into the feedback of the users to see if it has any drawbacks.
Comfort
Air-sprung cells make up the sleeping surface and it resonates the feeling of a spring mattress. It also uses flexible loops to create large air pockets that are ideal for side sleepers. Better yet, the best thing about the surface of the pad is that it prevents you from falling over in your sleep. Insulation using synthetic fibre also ensures a quiet sleep so as to not disturb anyone else. Most experts agree that the Ether Light XT is superior to the other competitors primarily due to the large quilted baffles over the tubular baffled.
Warmth
Rated at 3.2, it isn’t ultra-warm to shield you from the northern winds should you choose to visit there. Basically a 3.2 R value can handle a temperature of 15 F. Another thing we must mention is that you can combine two pads to increase your warmth level. Anyways, for the Ether Light XT, professional gear testers state that it was adequate for spring through fall temps with a 30-degree sleeping bag. We will see the majority feedback later.
Flat Valve and Pump Sack for Inflation
Inflation is pretty easy with the multi-function reversible valve and the integrated airstream pumpsack. The valve is multifunctional because one is for inflating the pad, and a closed cap for closing the valve completely. You can also deflate quickly by lifting both caps and the air rushes out through the big valve hole. This saves time especially if you are in a hurry as you don’t have to waste time rolling the pad many times to force the air out. Usage instructions are printed on the outside of the stuff sack, follow them and the process will be quicker than you might anticipate.
Weight and Size
At 15 ounces it isn’t actually heavy and in fact weighs the same as the pad with the highest R value which is 6.9. Nonetheless, the warmth and comfort offered aligns with the weight and there is really no room to argue that it should be of lighter weight considering the four inches of loft. Packing down to 4.5 x 9.5 inches , it doesn’t hinder your mobility or takes up much space.
What The Users Say
We’ve had the breakdown of specs, now let’s see what the users have to say about the pros and cons of this sleeping pad. After examining several platforms, we can conclude that the general reviews are positive and encouraging to any potential buyer. Not that there weren’t any negative experiences. However, the happy customers trump the disappointed ones.
To start off, users are loving the comfort, warmth, lightweight and ease of inflation. Robert who purchased the Women’s large even claimed that the pad is dog proof as his dog had moved all over it getting comfortable and he had no issues with holes or punctures. Furthermore, he advises that it has lots of room to roll around on as an active sleeper and it wasn’t loud. A user from Germany mentioned that he took this in a mini tent for a lengthy bike ride in the south of France during the end of October. Although the weather was already cold, he slept warm and comfortable. He also advises that the packed size is really tiny.
The bad user experiences were less than a handful. First of all, noise seemed to be a common issue even among the happy customers. For some, it was annoying to the point where it sounded like garbage bags. Cody, who used this pad for car camping claims that he patched well over 50 holes in the pad and they’re all due to poor construction around the baffle areas. Tim who used it on a 5 day campout advised that there was a slow leak somewhere making the durability factor questionable. Again, these were less than a handful of users compared to the overall satisfied customer base. Our recommendation? The Sea to Summit Ether Light is a fantastic, durable sleeping pad that provides optimum value to the price you pay. The comfort level, three-season warmth, conforming to your body shape and the durable exterior fabric all work together to bring about a great outdoor camping experience.
Sea to Summit Ether Light XT vs Thermarest
A popular comparison when it comes to sleeping pads. To summarize as much as possible, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite significantly differs from the Ether Light XT in terms of the R-value, weight and the inflation system. The R value is 4.2, weight is 16 ounces and inflation is done using a new winglock valve. Padding thickness is 2.5 vs the 4 inch of the Ether Light. Conclusively, it trumps the Ether Light in the aspects of weight, warmth and ease of inflation. According to Outdoorgearlab, the Thermarest is a top pick in the “Best Sleeping Pad For Women of 2022 while the Ether Light XT is a great performer amongst the contenders for “The Best Sleeping Pads for Backpacking and Car Camping”. You can also checkout our post on the famous Sea to Summit dry bags here.
