Exped Ultra 6.5R

This is a very comfortable pad. The Exped Ultra 6.5R is 9 cm (3.5 in) thick, uses vertical baffles, and has a slightly stretchy top material; this feature combination leads to excellent pressure relief. Whether laying on my side, back, or stomach, I did not experience any pressure points and did not have my arm go numb when laying on my side (a common problem with pads that have poor pressure relief).

For stability, the vertical baffles with slightly larger outer tubes provide solid stability and help keep you centred on the pad. The Exped Ultra 6.5R has never felt like I was laying on a balloon, even with some air let out to increase comfort. Whether laying in the middle or on the edge of the pad and in a variety of sleep positions, I always felt stable. I found the optimum inflation firmness for the pad to be around 80% and the pad maintained its stability at that level.
If you use a quilt for top insulation and sleep directly on the pad, the softness of the top material is nice and adds some comfort to the experience.

One underrated comfort factor: the size range. Rectangular or mummy, regular or wide, short or long, you can customize the Exped Ultra 6.5R to your body and sleep style, and that matters more for comfort than it gets credit for.

In terms of warmth, the Exped Ultra 6.5R has an ASTM tested R-value of 6.9 and is advertised as an all-season pad good for temperatures below freezing. The insulation is a layer of synthetic fill fiber attached to the top of the pad, with reflective film glued beneath it. The sandwiched insulation is suspended from the top of the pad rather than filling its entirety. Having insulation close to your body maximizes the effectiveness of the insulation and allows the Exped Ultra 6.5R to save weight while staying warm.

In practice, I took it down to about -6°C (21°F) on frozen ground before feeling heat loss. Some people will be disappointed that the R-value does not sleep warmer, but R-value is not the end-all-be-all metric it is often treated as. Judged by warmth for its weight, -6°C (21°F) on a pad this light is impressive, and it lines up with how Exped actually advertises it. Credit to them for marketing real-world performance instead of leaning on the number.

It is important to note that the mummy-shaped versions of the Ultra 6.5R do not sleep as warm as the rectangular-shaped versions. The mummy pads do not have full coverage of insulation in the outer tubes and this leads to the pads starting to feel cold at around freezing, especially if using a quilt system for top insulation. The weight saving of the mummy version is tempting but be aware of the warmth trade-off.

The Exped Ultra 6.5R weighs 12 g (0.4 oz) more on my scale compared to Exped’s advertised weight, coming in at 551 g (1.2 lb). This weight is in line with other pads in the ultralight category like the Nemo Tensor All-Season (541 g (1.2 lb)) and Therm-a-Rest XLite NXT Max (542 g (1.2 lb)). But the Exped Ultra 6.5R is able to achieve that weight while being more comfortable and almost as warm as those other two pads.

The tested pad was the rectangular version, but you can save some weight by going with the mummy-shaped version. The mummy regular/wide Ultra 6.5R weighed 437 g (15.4 oz) on my scale, 114 g (4 oz) less than the rectangular regular/wide.

The Exped Ultra 6.5R packs up very small and will not take up much room in your pack. If packability is a priority, the Exped Ultra 6.5R is one of the most compact pads in the ultralight category.

Exped pads have always been difficult to use relative to the competition. The reason is the valve system they use. On most of their pads, Exped places the inflation and deflation valves on the bottom of the pad; this makes it difficult to add air into the pad or let air out to optimize the inflation firmness. You have to flip the pad over most of the time, which is impossible when laying on it. It is particularly difficult if the temperature drops in the middle of the night and you need to add air into the pad to increase pressure and warmth.

Other than the valve positioning, the Exped Ultra 6.5R inflates easily with the included inflation bag and is compatible with most pad inflator pumps. The pad also dumps air quickly through the deflation valve and is easy to roll up and pack away.

In terms of durability, the Exped Ultra 6.5R uses a 20-denier ripstop polyester shell with TPU extruded onto the inside to create an air-tight chamber and welded baffles separating the air chambers. The construction is simple, with vertical baffles leading to fewer welds than pads that have dimpled or horizontal baffling. While I have never had an issue with Exped valves, having two valves does double the odds of a failure at this common failure point.

Exped had a reputation for weld failures five to ten years ago, but the Ultra line has been around a few years now and seems to have resolved the issues. I have not had any failures across multiple Ultra pads. There have not been a large number of online reviews, but the over 20 that I assessed showed that durability has not been a major issue. I would now put this among the more durable ultralight pads on the market.

Exped pads have a 5-year warranty but Exped has been known to repair or replace damaged pads outside the warranty period for free (no guarantees though).

The Exped Ultra 6.5R is one of the quietest pads on the market. Despite having reflective film inside, there is no crinkle factor and the soft stretchy material the pad is made from has none of the rubbery squeak you get from some pads. Tossing and turning in a tent at 2 a.m., this pad will not wake you, your tent mates, or adjacent campsites.

The Exped Ultra 6.5R might be the best all-around pad on the market. It is warm for its weight, and very comfortable. The valve placement is its only real weakness. This pad is perfect for thru-hikers and ultralight hikers but its balance of strengths makes it an easy recommendation for just about anyone.