Nemo Tensor Ultralight Sleeping Pad

Product Information

You’ll find the NEMO Tensor 20R in hot competition with many pads, including self-inflating pads and air pads, but we found it’s unique and dialed-in features top notch, while also being competitively priced. There’s no arguing this is an extremely comfortable pad. It’s warm, the baffle pattern nestles well, and the splay room is awesome. The hold-up factors are weight, maintenance requirements, and maybe price. Even if the Long/Wide and/or Insulated versions aren’t the best fit, NEMO’s Tensor line is absolutely a top-tier pad. Part of the popular Tensor series the insulated version offers a solid 4.2 R rating that will keep you warm most of the year round. Each sheet of film is slotted over these trusses, with different-sized holes in each sheet. That eliminates the need to weld them in place. By free-floating each sheet, NEMO not only cuts weight but greatly reduces the loud crinkly sound that is so common — and insomnia-inducing — with insulating air pads.

Insulated models leverage 2 layers of suspended Thermal Mirror™ metallized film for a lighter and remarkably quiet sleep when compared to the competition. As a founding member of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) Climate Action Corps, NEMO has set aggressive goals for making more climate-friendly materials choices. The Tensor now uses Bluesign-approved, 100% recycled, luxury polyester on the top and bottom. Note that most sleeping pads have an R rating of 1.0 (good for warm weather) to 5.5+ (for use in extreme cold).

Our Verdict

And now to the crinkle factor. Even after all of the sleeping pads I’ve owned and tried, I never had one with metallic heat reflector technology. The Tensor reminded me why: the crinkle! The Tensor isn’t the original or main offender with the crinkle (that honor goes to the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite), but where does the madness end? I wasn’t woken up by the noise of the heat reflecting panels, but I did find it irritating every time I turned over. The thermometer on my watch read 25 degrees Fahrenheit for most of the night. My sleeping bag was rated to 20 degrees, but the Tensor is only rated for 30-40 degrees. (NEMO doesn’t use R-Values, but general temperature ranges). My legs were cold, and my frustration grew as I realized I had misjudged the weather.

The Tensor EC borrows some core elements from existing NEMO pads, like one-way lay-low valves, and suspended Thermal Mirror metalized film. However, it employs a new baffle tech called Apex. Four layers of its thermal film are placed over trapezoidal trusses (flexible, vertical supports within the pad), as opposed to the common rectangular design. Once settled in for the night, I noticed that the air-textured surface isn’t as slippery as the thin nylon used on my other ultralight pads. The barely perceptible soft texture also makes less sound when sliding the sleeping bag across it, further enhancing the Tensor’s quiet nature. If any of you have ever been to a music festival and camped out for a week, then you will know how much you come to value the little comforts after 3 to 4 days of hard partying! Seasoned festival pros know too well the value of bringing a sleeping pad along with them for the ride alongside a good festival tent. This is a 20-inch width pad with a tapered mummy shape. You can see it’s not heavily tapered. If you want a larger Tensor, consider the 25-inch width model. Our mummy-shaped, regular-length sample measures 72 inches long and 20 inches wide and has a verified weight of 14.9 ounces.Standard length for Regular-sized sleeping pads. The Larges are longer, the Shorts shorter (obviously). Looking for something a bit warmer? Have a look at the ThermaRest NeoAir XLite NXT instead. Durability The Tensor Insulated is an all-season sleeping mat with a focus on a silent night sleep. This particular model is the regular wide version, so it's brilliant for those wanting extra wriggle room. The rest of us sane people however tend to take a more measured approach and know that there is a time and a place to use a sleeping pad. For example, whilst a lot of campgrounds, forests and mountain tops are kind of moist, soft and ok to sleep on, others are just not. Also, if you are camping in icy conditions then hard frozen ground can ruin your night’s rest and your vertebrae at the same time!