Sea to Summit
Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Air Sleeping Mat (Regular)
Best use
- Made for
- Bikepacking, Backpacking and wild camping
Why these labels
- Bikepacking: The maker states this use, and the published specs do not rule it out.
- Backpacking and wild camping: The maker states this use, and the published specs do not rule it out.
From the maker's stated use and the published specs.
- Summer wild camp: 8/10 UK, roughly May to September, nights above about 8 °C, sheltered pitches.
- Three-season hills: 8/10 UK hills in spring and autumn. Wind, rain, and nights near freezing.
- Winter camp: 8/10 UK winter or high ground. Below freezing, strong wind, possibly snow.
- Weight: 8/10 How much it adds to your pack, compared with the whole market.
R-value 4.1 (ASTM).
Three-season and shoulder-season wild camps where a thick, comfortable mat matters more than the last 100 g
- Valve
- XPRESS valve
- Type
- Air
- R-value
- 4.1 (ASTM)
- Weight
- 470 g (Regular)
- Thickness
- 10 cm
- Size
- 183 x 55 cm
Packed size 1.9 L, 20.5 cm long and 11 cm across Compare with a 2-litre bottle
Shorter than a 2-litre bottle and about as wide as one. Drawn to scale.
Where to buy
Cotswold Outdoor £173.95 In stock. Free delivery. Page shows RRP £205.00; free next-day delivery over £125.
View at shop: Cotswold OutdoorOutside £184.50 In stock. Free delivery. Special price, 10% off £205.00.
View at shop: OutsideUltralight Outdoor Gear £184.99 In stock. Free delivery.
View at shop: Ultralight Outdoor GearPrices checked 8 Nov 2026 on each shop's own page; shops can change them. We earn no commission on these links; shops are listed by price. More
Our ratings (out of 10)
1 to 10, compared with the whole market. Each says what it's based on. How we score
Warmth
From maker's figures 7/10How well it stops the cold ground chilling you. 7: Better than most.
Maker's R-value of 4.1 sits in the R 4–5.4 band: three-season and a frost, not deep winter. Sea to Summit says its R-values use the ASTM F3340 test.
Thickness
From maker's figures 10/10How deep it is. Deeper is comfier, above all for side sleepers. 10: The best you can buy for this.
10 cm thick.
Quietness
From reviews 8/10How little it crinkles or squeaks when you turn over. 8: Clearly better than most.
Three reviewers say it is quiet and free of the crinkle of foil-lined mats, though none says it is completely silent.
Weight
From maker's figures 8/10How much it adds to your pack. 8: Clearly better than most.
470 g for the mat alone (525 g with stuff sack and pump) sits in the 400–549 g band.
Packed size
From maker's figures 8/10How much room it takes in or on your rucksack. 8: Clearly better than most.
Maker gives 20.5 x 11 cm packed: 3.1416 x 5.5 x 5.5 x 20.5 = 1,948 cm³, about 1.9 L, in the 1.5–2.4 L band.
What reviewers say (out of 10)
Ratings marked * are from reviews and are not part of the trip score. They are reviewers' scores, not our own measurements. How we score
Comfort*
Reviewers' average 9/10How comfy it is, including for side sleepers.
7 reviews on comfort, e.g. "we find it to be very comfortable, and one of the comfiest in its weight class".
Stability*
Reviewers' average 8/10How well you stay on it without rolling off or bouncing.
5 reviews on stability, e.g. "the raised side rails along the perimeter helped the pad cradle my body and keep me centered.".
In short
Good for
- Three-season and shoulder-season wild camps where a thick, comfortable mat matters more than the last 100 g
- Side sleepers and restless sleepers who bottom out on thinner air mats
- Cool nights down to about freezing with a decent sleeping bag
Strengths
- 10 cm thick with Air Sprung Cells that spread weight, so hips and shoulders stay off the ground
- R 4.1 at 470 g, and quieter than reflective-film mats
- Stuff sack doubles as a pump sack, and the valve lets you let air out to adjust firmness
- Comes with a repair kit of six patches and a spare valve insert, plus PillowLock patches to stop a pillow sliding
- Sea to Summit strengthened the welds compared with the older Ether Light XT
Weaknesses
- Heavier than the lightest warm mats: 470 g against 440 g for the NeoAir XTherm NXT (R 7.3) and 370 g for the XLite NXT
- R 4.1 is not a winter mat: reviewers move to the Pro version or a higher R-value below freezing
- Fabric can feel clammy or sticky on warm nights
- More seams than a simple baffle mat, so a puncture can be fiddly to find; the circular patches in the kit are made for the cells
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.
ShowHide sources (8)
- Sea to Summit: Ether Light XR Insulated Air Sleeping Pad (specifications)
- Adventure Alan: Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated ASC review
- Better Trail: Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated review
- CleverHiker: Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated review
- Treeline Review: Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Air sleeping pad review (tested)
- Backpacker: The Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads of 2026 (Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated, Most Comfortable)
- Live for the Outdoors: Sea to Summit Ether Light XR sleeping mat, tested and reviewed (R-value 4.1, regular)
- Fiona Outdoors: Review: Sea to Summit Ether Light XR inflatable sleeping mat