Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated

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Editor rating: 9.0 / 10
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Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Review Facts

Sleeping outside can offer incredible health benefits along with general stress reduction. That stress reduction can be inhibited by restless sleep though. The biggest disadvantage of camping or sleeping outside is that the sleeping conditions aren't always the greatest. This is usually because sleep happens within a structure (oftentimes) that does very little to protect the camper from the elements outside of some minor rain coverage (and even sometimes that fails if the equipment isn't quality). This is why it is important to purchase items that are quality, safe and appropriate for the environment. 

Our website provides product reviews that help consumers find products that are reliable and safe to use. We want to provide an outlet for consumers to find honest reviews on products that are based on other actual experiences. This article focuses on one product in particular which is the Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated sleeping pad. We looked at what consumers who tried this product thought of it and whether they think it's worth the investment. We hope this article serves you in your next sleeping pad purchase and makes your next outdoor adventure a comfortable and restful one. Enjoy!

Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Extremely comfortable for all sleeping styles 
  • Lightweight in design for easier towing 
  • Attractive design 
  • Holds heat well 
Cons
  • Some valve issues 
  • Higher end in price

ACCESSORIES

The Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated comes with some accessories to make the overall experience a little easier and convenient. This includes the mat itself which has a pump and lip friendly valve to pump the device up when out on the trails. It also comes with a sack which it and the additional accessories and easily slide into. This makes it convenient and also protects the device when stored.

It comes with 6 self-adhesive patches if the worst happens and the device ends up with a hole. It also makes it easier to patch the device than glue and patches as they are self-adhesive. It also comes with a spare silicone one-way valve insert. This helps prevent leaks if the current one fails.

Overall, the Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated comes with several handy additional accessories to make your next outdoor adventure a successful and comfortable one.

MATERIALS

The Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated is made of an ultra-light material that helps the hiker go further without getting tired and the material can easily pack down in order to offer up more room in your backpack. It offers 40D rip-stop nylon along its face in order to stop rocks from breaking down the fabric causing holes. This material is well-know with camping products due to its strength and yet lightweight nature. It also offers Thermolite insulation which helps with heat retention, keeping the body warm even when sleeping on the cooler ground.

The device also comes with aeronautical technology which is a liquid-extruded TPU that is bonded permanently to the shell of the fabric. This stops the fabric from essentially breaking into fragments, keeping it inflated and structurally sound even when laying on the fabric and moving around on it.

CAPACITY & LENGTH

This product is a single person "air mattress". It measures in at 72 inches in length, 21.5 inches in width and 2 inches in height. When packed up it measures out to about 4 inches by 9 inches for easier storage and less room used up in your pack.

One area that reviewers noted is that this product is a touch short. Though it is ideal for anyone under 5'5", the length of this product can be a little short for taller individuals. As far as capacity goes, this product is made for one person and is smaller than a single bed. This product is definitely meant for those who want a lightweight alternative to an air mattress and not for someone looking for a large luxury bed. Additionally, this may not be ideal for those who roll around a ton as it will be more likely than not followed by those individuals waking up on the ground and not the mat.

COMFORT

Reviewers all had a resoundingly positive experience with the comfort of this mat when it is blown up. The highlights of the pad are the listed revolutionary Air Sprung Cells which really do help those of all sleep styles. Even those who sleep on their side and require a little more support to their curves felt that this device was supportive and comfortable without any real pressure points when sleeping. This is positive.

The primary issue with this bag is that some readers found that the bed doesn't stay inflated throughout the night. The odd thing is that those who had an issue with it were less than those without the issue which leads us to believe that either those who didn't find this issue potentially didn't stress test the bag (as in didn't use it frequently enough to encounter the issue) OR those who found the issue simply had faulty products and alternative stock selection would have helped the issue.

Regardless, an engineer mentioned that the bed had a fundamental design flaw at the inflation/deflation valve. It also sounds like the more and more one uses the valve, the harder and harder it is to get the cap back on. This could be the issue and potentially, again, just some of the stock. There were a lot of people that found it did stay inflated throughout their use which makes us lean towards potentially a single item issue and their warranty should help with this problem.

WATERPROOFING & WEATHER PROOFING

This product does offer waterproofing when considering its anti-microbial treatment and liquid-extruded TPU bonds, however, there are no specific waterproofing features added to this product as it is meant to be used inside a tent. It is also slightly lifted off the ground due to its inflatable nature meaning that it should protect the camper from any light water leaks in the tent.

Though this product doesn't offer much for waterproofing features it does offer a non-wove layer which reflects back radiant heat and offers better heat retention to the camper. This helps keep the camper warm when the ground is cold. In addition to this, the product offers a Thermolite insulation layer which helps with air circulation as well as heat loss when sleeping.

So not only does it offer ventilation but it also offers some additional heat retention. Those who bought this product were really impressed with how warm they felt while they slept and didn't feel that any of the cold from the ground seeped through the product which is really positive.

STYLE

This product is designed quite nicely. It is sleek in design and offers a more modern appearance. It is offered in a couple of different color options depending on the buyer and their style. It folds up quite nicely as well and comes with a carrying pouch that can easily be stored when not in use. Those who bought this product liked how it looked and appreciated the different color choices.

Another benefit to the Exkin Platnium non-woven layer of this product is that it is virtually silent unlike most products on the market this one doesn't make that awful rubber grinding sound. It actually stays quite which is also beneficial to the sleepers around you.

DURABILITY

This product offers a patent-pending multi-function valve for inflation in order to offer a more fine-tuned air pressure adjustment. This helps protect the product from over inflation and potential busting. It also offers liquid-extruded TPU product that bonds permanently fabric of the shell in order to stop delamination which is the breaking down of fabrics into their individual strands. This essentially means that the product will all stay intact to prevent air from leaking out.

It also offers an anti-microbial treatment in order to avoid any bacterial building up within the product. Obviously cleaning inside the product would be impossible and therefore this is a nice feature to protect the inner layers of the product and keep the product in good shape inside and out. Those who bought this product were happy with its reliability and durability.

There were very few comments about issues with holes and leaks (outside of the actual valve issues). It also comes with some self-adhesive stickers if one does appear. Overall, the product is quite durable which helps with its price point.

WEIGHT

This product weighs in at about 480 grams or 16.9 ounces which is quite light considering what this product is, which is essentially a traveling mattress or a lightweight air mattress. Another highlight of this product is its weight. It is designed specifically to be carried. It is meant for long hikes with a camping or outdoor destination so they have designed this in a way not to weigh down your pack too much. Those who bought this product loved the weight of it. They noted that considering its weight it's hard to understand how comfortable and durable this product truly is which is really positive.

PRICE

The price point is probably one of the bigger issues to this product. The reason being is that considering how small this product is both inflated and deflated, some reviewers found that the price point was a little iffy. That said, those who really appreciated this product for what it is understood the product. They thought that the product was worth the cost and they found that it was the convenience of the bag (it's lightweight and yet very comfortable nature) that really helped the price point. And due to its durability, this product should last the consumer for a long time. This is, of course, assuming it stays inflated and continues to be convenient.

EASE OF USE

This product seems like it's pretty easy to use. It offers a patent-pending multi-function valve (as mentioned above) which helps with its ability to adjust the pressure of the device a little easier with more precision. The valve can either be pumped up with a pump in under a minute or can be blown up by mouth in under 12 breaths. It also stores really nicely into its little patch and, as mentioned, can fold up quite small for those looking for more room in their packs.

Those who bought this product were quite impressed with its ease of use. They liked that it inflates easily as well as folds up and stores easy. They also appreciated the simplicity of the product noting that they required no instructions in regards to how to use it. Overall, this product is quite functional and easy to use.

KEY FEATURES

- 181 Air Sprung Cells for the ultimate comfort and support
- Single-chamber design for lightweight towing
- Multi-function valve for fast inflation and deflation
- 40D rip-stop nylon for increased durability and longevity
- Exkin Platnium non-woven inner layer for better heat retention
- Thermolight insulation for better air circulation and protection
- Aeronautical technology for additional durability
- Lightweight, additional repair kit for easy fixes even in a pinch

BOTTOM LINE

This product seems to be a fairly decent one considering. It definitely seems like the start of the future for more comfortable wilderness adventures. This product offers support and comfort but still a lightweight design for those looking for a lighter pack on longer trips. It also folds up relatively small for those looking for more room in their packs for essentials like food and water. This pack is also well designed in that it blows up in 8-12 breathes ensuring that the inflator doesn't end up breathless (excuse the poor puns).

The primary flaws in this product are that the price is on the higher end and there are some serious deflating issues which, of course, defeats its purpose. The positive here is that not everyone experienced this issue and the warranty of the product may solve this issue. Overall, it's a nice product made by a reliable company and offers a ton of really interesting and revolutionary features. It is definitely worth considering for your next sleeping pad purchase.