Nice pad, but my hips don't like it

By Cabernet Ranked #464 - Lightweight Sleep Pads June 21, 2010

I feel like the Princess and Pea when I look for sleeping pads. I just brought the ProLite Plus on a week-long trip in Yosemite, but unfortunately, the ProLite Plus isn't the pad for me. I'm mostly a side sleeper, and although the pad is thick, I couldn't comfortably sleep on my side, no matter how inflated it was. My hips either hit the ground or the pad felt really hard underneath, and my shoulder was sometimes "pinched" so that it was sore once I moved. Oddly enough, I have a older, thinner Women's ProLite 3 (pink) that is more comfortable. I opted for the non-women's pad here for length - I'm 5'8" and have learned that if my feet hang off the pad they'll be too cold to sleep.

What I loved about the pad:
1. It's made in USA
2. Thermarest backs it up with a (limited) lifetime warranty
3. It packs up easy
4. It's pretty light
5. And it's super warm. In temps of high 30s/low 40s, I slept in a 10-degree down bag with a holey silk liner wearing only a sports bra and thin leggings or a t-shirt and shorts. And I'm a very cold sleeper. I tried the Women's ProLite 3 in the same conditions and needed leggings, socks, t-shirt, long-sleeve shirt, and the hood of my silk liner, and I was still a little cold.

The self-inflating feature is okay, but you still have to "top off" the pad or blow it up entirely if you're impatient (not really a selling point for me). I will happily take an inflatable pad if it's more comfortable. In fact, the most comfortable pad I've slept on is the Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Thermo 6 - thick, inflatable, and warm, but that pad's not perfect either. (I have also tried the Thermarest Z Lite and 3/4 length Thermarest Women's ProLite 3.)

Bottom line: unless you're a really picky sleeper you will probably be happy with this pad. My boyfriend tried it for a night and loved it. (He was shedding all the layers he'd worn the other nights.)

p.s. Don't bother with the stuff sack - once you roll up the pad and close the valve, the pad will stay rolled up on its own.

View Details: Therm-a-Rest Prolite Plus Sleeping Pad

Helpful Votes: 1 Yes