Have you tried them both in the field for a while? Trying to find the most comfortable pad and now down to these two.
Which one is more comfy for side sleepers?
I know Justin Outdoors tested them and rewatched the video a few times. But I would like to get a bunch of other opinions.
I've been bitten by a rare and elusive "comfortable SUL" bug and on my way to a very comfy 4.5lb base weight.
There's only one pesky thing in the way - pillow height.
I'm using the 2026 Zenbivy pillow and case, with the Monbell Plasma puffy stuffed on top. It's an absolute bliss of a 2.8oz pure luxury item. Combined with a good torso foam pad and a backpack at the feet, the sleep system now feels more comfortable and durable than with an XLite/tensor/etc. And of course, way lighter.
But.
The aforementioned pillow loft problem. The cut-down torso pad is still from my knees to above my head. That was done to keep the already lofty Zen pillow on the pad high enough without fussing. I'm a side sleeper and need the loft. I know I can cut off those two extra foam sections down to the shoulders and keep the pillow on the groundsheet. But when I did that, that extra 0.7-1.0" of missing height took away the magic of the lofty pillow.
So my question to you is – what do you use to get the pillow higher off the groundsheet if above treeline? My pack already has so few things in it, and I wear most of the Alpha stuff to bed.
This dilemma is now a matter of principle – I must solve it and cut those two sections off. :) :) :)
Please help!
Looking to buy the yellow Nordisk Ven 2.5 short sleeping pad.
Looking for this extra small OG sleeping pad! In the CONUS for shipping.
Recently, I came across a pad that looked so good, I ordered two and tested them the night it came. The bits first:
2026 Rab Ultrasphere 5 Long Wide
R5.5
16.65oz (weighed)
3.5” height
Packed size 7.5 x 3" (packed size, measured after repacking from factory folding)
77 x 25"
2026 Rab Ultrasphere 5 Medium Wide
R5.5
15.50 (weighed)
3.5” height
7.25 x 2.5" (packed size, measured after repacking from factory folding)
72 x 25"
Lately, Ive been testing the Nemo Tensor Elite as well, so naturally I took them both out the same night.
Loved both. Like - real love.
Comfort
Comfort on Rab is fantastic, similar to Zenbivy Flex Air. (Comfort on Tensor Elite is just as fantastic too, btw.) They pack down to about the same mind-blown small size.
Size
The Rab packs down to 1/2-1/3 of the Nemo Eclipse of the same size. With a tarp and this pad and maybe a Timmermade false bottom bag we might be talking SUL holy trinity.
Warmth
Tensor Elite without a GG Thinlight underneath is comfy for me down to 45-40F. Ultrasphere 5 is good down to mid 20s, warmth just a tad colder than Zenbivy FlexAir. What I’m surprised no one is talking about it. This and Tensor Elite are easily the best pads of 2026 so far.
Cons
Few so far. I don’t think it sleeps quite like R5.5, more like R5. Still to be tested. The deflate valve is crappy and hard to deflate, but works regardless. Could be a taller pad too. Time will tell, of course.
I asked Justin Outdoors to test it, he’s got one in queue.
This is the brand new and revised 2026 Ultrasphere 5 version, not the largely failed Ultrasphere 4.5 which tried, but didn't measure up at all to warmth and had widespread durability issues.
Looking forward to your thoughts.
Looking to add warmth to my Nemo Tensor Elite MW pad.
The Elite hovers at 45-40F comfort limit. You could push it to 30F but it won't be a blissful night.
So.
There are Aliexpress, GG, Yamatomichi, and Oware pads out there that range from 0.5 to 4 R-values. Adding a superlight torso-length foam mat would dramatically increase the pad's range and may just push it into 20F or lower. The key is a blissful night. Hoping to pair with an EE Enigma 30 or ideally, an HMG 40 bag.
Any ideas? Links to other awesome pads in this range?