Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated Air Sleeping Mat Written Review Review by The Good Ride

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Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated Air Sleeping Mat Written Review

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How The Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated Air Sleeping Mat Review Happened:

I borrowed this for an extended demo and sent it back.
Size: Large
Days: 5
Conditions: Nights in the low teens and twenties.
Riders: Davey (Size 12, 240lbs, 6’4”)
Boots: Burton Ion Boot
Bindings: Union Force
Jacket: Burton AK Cyclic Gore-tex Jacket

Pant: Volcom Rain Gore-tex Bib

Sleeping Bag: Sea to Summit Spark SP Sleeping Bag

Sleeping Bag Liner: Sea to Summit Xtreme Liner

Sizing: 

I am 6’3.5” 245lbs and the large sized pad fit me perfectly. It is 78 inches long and 25 inches wide at the shoulders. This pad comes in a rectangular shape with square edges. I reviewed the regular shape that has curved edges. I like this shape more than the rectangular because it minimizes extra surface area that you’re not laying on so you can maximize floor space inside your tent.

Temperature Regulation:

On my splitboarding trip, the nighttime low got down to 12 degrees and I did not need any extra insulation from the snow on the ground. I know a lot of times people will bring an extra thin foam pad to insulate their main pad from the snow but I didn’t need that with this. The only drawback with this pad is that it is bulkier than some ulta lightweight pads, but, you usually end up needing two of those. So you end up carrying a similar amount of weight/volume on your back. I would feel comfortable sleeping on this pad without an extra insulation layer between the snow (other than my tent fabric) all the down to the low single digits.

Stuff Sack Air Pump:

The stuff sack has a great airbag pump system. You open up the sack and waive it around, (preferably in a windy place) until the sack is full of air. Then roll the top to secure the air inside, and connect the nipple to the air valve on the pad. Then continue rolling the bag downwards, pushing the air into the pad. It will take somewhere between 2-5x to fill your pad, depending on how much air you can catch. Overall, very easy and efficient process.

Fill By Mouth:

This pad is quick to fill by mouth. It took me around 10 full breaths to fill up the pad.

Deflated Size:

When fully deflated the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Sleeping Mat is very thin, about as thick as a gore-tex rain jacket. It packs up to about a foot in length.

Inflated Size:

The Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Sleeping Mat inflates to 4 inches thick. It is very comfy. I preferred to sleep on this pad at about 85-90% full. This allows the pad to cup your body a little bit. The extra thickness also allows for extra insulation from cold sleeping surfaces. 

Weight:

The large is 22 oz, regular is 17.3 oz and the small is 16.6 oz. I carried this pad strapped to the outside of my backpack. I did not notice the weight while hiking and it did not feel like I was carrying anything extra on my backpack.

Exterior Fabric:

The Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Sleeping Mat has a 30D/40D fabric with a liquid extruded lamination. 

Inflation Retention:

Exceptional inflation retention. This pad didn’t lose air on any of my trips.

Air Valve:

The multi-function valve works great at holding air. The first valve allows air in and no air out, very handy if you forget to close it all the way. The second valve allows for a full release.

Pillow Lock Technology:

Four magnets hold Sea to Summit Pillow Lock pillows in place while you sleep. I didn’t try this out but I have heard it works well.

Final Thoughts:

Overall I’m very impressed with the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Sleeping Mat. It provides a good balance between insulation and weight. Great option if you’re looking for an extra comfy sleeping pad that can handle most cold weather.