Sea To Summit

Ether Light XT Insulated Sleeping Pad - Women's

Tall woman review

I am a 5 foot 10 inches tall female side sleeper who moves around a lot in my sleep and found the Etherlight XT WL to be the most comfortable sleeping mat I have ever owned. It is easy to inflate & being tapered, fits better in the tent when there are 2 of us. It has reduced noise but still does make a little bit of rustling sounds when I am changing my position. Love that the pillow can be "locked" to the mattress as well. I am based in New Zealand where the weather can range from freezing cold to very warm. I would be very careful with making sure the ground is free from any lumps & bumps under my tent OR I put some spare clothes between the mat and my tent floor for extra protection & warmth. Reviewed on 25 May 2024.

Comfortable but leaks

After 30 nights of use, leaks started developing on the rims of the circular dimple buttons, or what some people call the spot welds. The first night it started leaking, it took 9 hours for my butt to touch the ground. The second night it took 3 hours. I tried searching for the leak 3 separate times, finding and patching only 1 leak each time. But after fixing the 3 leaks, it's still leaking somewhere and it's now accelerated. Now it only takes 1 hour for my butt to touch the ground, so it seems that the problem has become worse. I've also run out of the 3 large rectangular patches that came with the mattress. Only the smaller circular patches remain but they're too small to cover the dimples. So I've given up on repairing. Although the first 30 nights sleeping on this mattress was really comfortable due to it being deeper than most other brands.

Great mat

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This is my second one of these actually. My previous one eventually got a leak. But it has treated me well. I got the women’s version cuz I’m short and always cold so I like the extra insulation. Still gets a bit cold in below freezing temps, but summer camping it does well. I like the size and shape and ease of inflating and deflating. I would def recommend. Slightly higher R rating would really make it perfect.

LOVE

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Amazing Sleeping pad! I bought this for my trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It is so light and compact. The shipping was very quick and easy. I ordered it last second and it came sooner than expected. The size and width is perfect!

The sleeping pad is great but not the pillow lock system

I use this sleeping pad for backpacking and bicycle camping. It is very comfortable, but a little noisy, but my husband and I have gotten used to it. It does take a little longer to blow up (more like 6-8 bags) but the size and comfort is worth it. I love the two way air valve so that as you're inflating it, the air you have already put in it stays put. To deflate, just open the valve and the air whooshes out. I have used it in 30 degree weather and have had no cold penetration through the pad. My only complaint is the pillow lock system. I bought a Aeros Ultralight pillow and applied the sticky Velcro-type pieces. It worked great for about three trips. But now the sticky pieces have traveled all around and the pillow won't stay on the pad. I don't know if this is a pillow or a pad problem but that was very disappointing. But ,the pad has worked great so far, and packs up small, so five stars for the pad, but one star for the pillow system.

Comfy, but so cold

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

I'm torn on picking a star review. Maybe I should have realized from the r rating that it would not be warm enough. But it is so cold that it is completely useless to me without another piece of gear (thermarest z-lite foam pad) which makes me want to give it one star. The description talks about its insulation so I thought it would be at least somewhat functional. You can feel the cold are beneath you. I started noticing it when temperatures got into the low 50s. It was annoying but tolerable. Lower than that, it is really unpleasant. I tried putting a reflective foam pad underneath and that didn't help, still too cold. If I put the pad on top, it is warm enough. But then I start wondering why I'm using two pieces of gear instead of just buying a better inflatable pad. I've talked to someone else who also felt the cold air when he tried it, so it's not just me. If you only backpack in very warm temperatures this pad would be fine but otherwise, it's not worth it. Also, it is noisy. It sounds like inner tubes rubbing against each other whenever you move on it. Temperate aside, it is very light and quite cushy. I really wanted to like this pad but it is not warm enough for the Pacific Northwest, even in the summer.

So comfy but OMG noisy

This is hands down the most comfortable sleeping pad I’ve owed. The stuff sack makes blowing it up easy and I love that you can attach an inflatable pillow to it. I’m so disappointed in how noisy it is though. I toss and turn a lot and everyone I’ve ever shared a tent with complains about how loud it is (and it also wakes me up when I move). If anyone has suggestions on how to make it *not* noisy, I’m all ears because others don’t seem to have this issue?

Noisy

Despite the claim that this pad is quiet, it’s not. I’m not sure what the problem is but I disturbed my friends who were sleeping in separate tents but close by. We had small camp sites in a kayaking expedition and for three weeks it didn’t make me popular! It could have been my tent bottom, but even testing it after I got home with a pad cover, it was still too noisy. I had to sell it on.

Awesome pad!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I tried this pad in my living room for a couple hours. It is very comfortable and I like the width and the shape. I don't feel like I'm going to roll off easily. It is a bit heavy but it's insulated and a wide mat so I'm willing to have those few extra ounces for comfortable sleep. Looking forward to doing a proper trip with it!

My favorite- worth every penny

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I’ve tried many sleeping pads and this is my favorite by far. Totally worth the money for maximum comfort and minimal weight. Highly recommended for backcountry backpacking and camping. Also sets up and packs down fast & easy.