Every score on this site comes from a fixed set of categories, tested the same way, every time. No marketing copy, no manufacturer claims taken at face value: just what actually happens when the gear goes out in the field. Here’s exactly what each number means.
Comfort (out of 10)
Comfort is the category most reviews get wrong, because it’s usually just one person’s gut feeling after a single night. We break it into three things that actually predict whether you’ll sleep well, night after night.
Pressure relief (4 points): Is it genuinely comfortable at 80–90% inflated? Does your arm go numb sleeping on your side? Any pressure points after an hour of lying still?
Stability (3 points): Does it feel like lying on a balloon, or does it hold you steady? We specifically test this at 60–70% inflated, since that’s closer to how most people actually run their pad.
Bottom-out resistance (1 point): Sleeping on your side at 80–90% inflated, do your hip or shoulder ever touch the ground through the pad?
Top softness (2 points): How the surface itself feels against skin, independent of how firm the pad is inflated.
Warmth (out of 10)
This score is built around 3-season use on dry, not-frozen ground, not a worst-case winter scenario. It maps directly to the lowest temperature we’d actually trust the pad to keep you warm at.
Score
Comfortable down to
10
-10°C (14°F)
9
-8°C (18°F)
8
-6°C (21°F)
7
-4°C (25°F)
6
-2°C (28°F)
5
0°C (32°F)
4
5°C (41°F)
3
10°C (50°F)
2
15°C (59°F)
1
20°C (68°F)
0
Warmer than 20°C (68°F) only
Weight & Packability (out of 10)
Split into two pieces: raw weight on a scale, and how small it actually packs down, because two pads with identical weight can pack very differently.
Weight (up to 7 points), for a 3-season pad:
7: under 300 g (10.6 oz)
6: 301 to 400 g (10.6 to 14.1 oz)
5: 401 to 500 g (14.1 oz to 1.1 lb)
4: 501 to 600 g (1.1 to 1.3 lb)
3: 601 to 800 g (1.3 to 1.8 lb)
2: 801 to 1,000 g (1.8 to 2.2 lb)
1: 1 to 1.2 kg (2.2 to 2.6 lb)
0: over 1.2 kg (2.6 lb)
Pack size (up to 3 points): how compact it rolls or stuffs down, on top of the raw weight score above.
Ease of Use (out of 5)
A pad that scores well everywhere else but is a genuine hassle to inflate, deflate, and pack away loses real points here. We look at:
Whether the inflation valve sits on top, where you can actually reach it
Whether an included inflation bag makes setup faster or is just extra gear to carry
Whether the valve is a common type, or something proprietary that’s a pain to service
How easy it is to fully dump the air when you’re done
How easily it rolls back up without a fight
Durability (out of 5)
Durability is hard to fully verify in the field with any single pad, so this score leans on a mix of hands-on construction quality and everything else we can find:
What the warranty actually covers, and for how long
The manufacturer’s track record on this pad and similar models
Patterns across other owners’ and reviewers’ reports
Hands-on build quality: seams, fabric, valve construction
How much babying the pad seems to need to survive normal use
Noise (out of 5)
The “crinkly pad” problem is real, especially for anyone sharing a tent. We rate it simply:
5: No noise
4: Minimal noise
3: Some noise
2: Moderate noise
1: Lots of noise
0: Impossible to sleep next to
These scores combine into the overall letter grade you see on every sleeping pad review and comparison table: the same math, every time, so an A on one sleeping pad means the same thing as an A on another.
Weight & Size (out of 10)
Weight is scored against tents of the same capacity, since a 2P tent is never going to weigh what a 1P does. Pack size is scored on top of that, because two tents at the same weight can take up very different room in a pack.
Weight (up to 8 points), 1P tents:
8: under 300 g (10.6 oz)
7: 301 to 500 g (10.6 oz to 1.1 lb)
6: 501 to 700 g (1.1 to 1.5 lb)
5: 701 to 900 g (1.5 to 2 lb)
4: 901 g to 1.1 kg (2 to 2.4 lb)
3: 1.1 to 1.3 kg (2.4 to 2.9 lb)
2: 1.3 to 1.5 kg (2.9 to 3.3 lb)
1: 1.5 to 1.7 kg (3.3 to 3.7 lb)
0: over 1.7 kg (3.7 lb)
Weight (up to 8 points), 2P tents:
8: under 400 g (14.1 oz)
7: 401 to 650 g (14.1 oz to 1.4 lb)
6: 651 to 900 g (1.4 to 2 lb)
5: 901 g to 1.15 kg (2 to 2.5 lb)
4: 1.15 to 1.4 kg (2.5 to 3.1 lb)
3: 1.4 to 1.65 kg (3.1 to 3.6 lb)
2: 1.65 to 1.9 kg (3.6 to 4.2 lb)
1: 1.9 to 2.15 kg (4.2 to 4.7 lb)
0: over 2.15 kg (4.7 lb)
Pack size (up to 2 points): how small it packs down, on top of the raw weight score above.
Ease of Use (out of 10)
How much the tent asks of you, from pitching it in the dark to climbing in and out at 3am.
Setup and take-down speed (4 points): how quickly it goes up and comes down, on your own.
Versatility (3 points): how many ways it can be pitched, and how well it adapts to an awkward site.
Getting in and out (2 points): door size and shape, and whether you have to crawl over anything to do it.
One-handed zipper use (1 point): whether you can work the zip without a second hand holding the fabric.
Stormworthiness (out of 10)
What happens when the weather turns. Wind is the biggest single piece of this, but a tent that handles wind and still soaks you when you open a door hasn’t solved the problem.
Wind resistance (up to 4 points):
4: over 100 km/h (62 mph)
3: 71 to 100 km/h (44 to 62 mph)
2: 51 to 70 km/h (32 to 43 mph)
1: 31 to 50 km/h (19 to 31 mph)
0: under 30 km/h (19 mph)
The remaining 6 points:
Sagging or stretching when wet (2 points): whether it needs re-tensioning in the middle of a wet night.
Rain coverage with the doors open (2 points): how much you can open up in the rain without getting wet.
Wind intrusion (1 point): whether wind gets under the fly and blows debris or spindrift inside.
Splashback (1 point): whether rain hitting the ground finds its way back into the tent.
Durability (out of 10)
Every component that can fail, weighted by how badly it ruins your trip when it does.
Floor durability (2 points)
Fly durability (2 points)
Cordage (1 point)
Zippers (1 point)
Clips and buckles (1 point)
Sewing quality (1 point)
Poles (2 points), for a poled tent: pole material, diameter and how they hold up to repeated setups.
Trekking pole requirement (2 points), for a trekking pole tent: whether it needs more poles than the tent sleeps, so a 1P needing more than two loses points here.
The last two are exclusive. A tent is either poled or trekking pole supported, so any given tent is scored out of 10.
Livability (out of 10)
How it feels to actually spend time in, which matters most on the days you’re stuck inside.
Vertical walls (2 points): how much of the floor space is usable rather than sloping away.
Fits a long, extra-wide pad (2 points): 198 cm (78 in) by 76 cm (29.9 in).
Interior pockets (2 points)
Vestibule space (2 points): one point for fitting a pack and shoes, one more for also fitting a chair that isn’t collapsed.
Sitting up anywhere in the tent (1 point): not just in the middle.
A spot for gear inside (1 point)
Condensation (out of 5)
Every tent gets condensation in the wrong conditions. What separates them is how much they collect and how easily you can deal with it.
Overall prevention (2 points): how much actually forms on a cold, still, damp night.
Ventilation potential (2 points): vents, door configurations, and how much you can open up without letting weather in.
Ease of wiping it down (1 point): whether you can clear the walls without soaking everything else.
These scores combine into the overall letter grade you see on every tent review and comparison table: the same math, every time, so an A on one tent means the same thing as an A on another.
Weight (out of 10)
Straight off the scale, empty.
10: under 300 g (10.6 oz)
9: 301 to 400 g (10.6 to 14.1 oz)
8: 401 to 600 g (14.1 oz to 1.3 lb)
7: 601 to 800 g (1.3 to 1.8 lb)
6: 801 to 1,000 g (1.8 to 2.2 lb)
5: 1 to 1.2 kg (2.2 to 2.6 lb)
4: 1.2 to 1.4 kg (2.6 to 3.1 lb)
3: 1.4 to 1.6 kg (3.1 to 3.5 lb)
2: 1.6 to 1.8 kg (3.5 to 4 lb)
1: 1.8 to 2 kg (4 to 4.4 lb)
0: over 2 kg (4.4 lb)
Comfort (out of 10)
Most of this score is one question: how much weight can the pack carry before it stops being comfortable? That number already reflects the harness, so the remaining points cover specific problems a good carry can still have.
Weight carrying (up to 7 points), the heaviest load it carries comfortably:
7: over 27 kg (59.5 lb)
6: 23 to 27 kg (50.7 to 59.5 lb)
5: 19 to 23 kg (41.9 to 50.7 lb)
4: 14 to 18 kg (30.9 to 39.7 lb)
3: 12 to 14 kg (26.5 to 30.9 lb)
2: 10 to 11 kg (22 to 24.3 lb)
1: 7 to 9 kg (15.4 to 19.8 lb)
0: under 7 kg (15.4 lb)
The remaining 3 points:
No pressure points (1 point): nothing digging into your back, pinching hipbones, or rubbing.
Hipbelt comfort (1 point): shape, cushioning and foam quality.
Shoulder strap comfort (1 point): cushioning, shape and width.
Access to Items (out of 10)
How much you can get at without stopping and taking the pack off. Water bottle access carries half the score on its own, because it’s the thing you reach for most.
Water bottle pockets (5 points): whether you can reach them while wearing the pack. Loses 2 points if only one side is reachable.
Overall organisation (2 points): brain, front pocket and anything else, judged on whether it earns its weight.
Shoulder strap pockets (1 point)
Bottom pocket (1 point)
Hipbelt pockets (1 point)
Adjustability (out of 5)
How many people the pack can actually fit properly, rather than approximately.
Torso (up to 3 points):
3: adjustable torso length
2: three or more sizes
1: two sizes
0: one size only
Hipbelt (up to 2 points):
2: adjustable or swappable hipbelt
1: two sizes
0: fewer than two sizes
Durability (out of 5)
Where a pack wears out first, and how much there is to go wrong in the first place.
Abrasion resistance (2 points): main body, bottom and pockets.
Seam construction (2 points)
Complexity (1 point): lots of toggles, buckles and zippers means more that can fail.
Features (out of 5)
What the pack does beyond carrying weight, and whether any of it is worth the grams. Points are awarded across:
Modularity: what removes or reconfigures, and how well the pack adapts to a shorter trip.
Waterproof material
Sealed seams
Unique pockets, storage or solutions: anything that solves a real problem rather than adding a buckle.
These scores combine into the overall letter grade you see on every backpack review and comparison table: the same math, every time, so an A on one backpack means the same thing as an A on another.
