With one of the wettest UK winters in living memory seemingly on the way out and the unbridled pleasures of spring just around the corner, it’s time to start preparing your gear for another exciting tranche of backpacking trips. And I think I have just the lightweight 3-season sleeping mat you need.
It’s called the Big Agnes Rapide SL, and it's so comfortable and supportive that it genuinely blurs the line between lightweight camping gear and the kind of sleep comfort you’d expect from home, well, kind of.
I trialled this best camping mat last autumn and quickly came to appreciate how much its extra thickness, plush texture and stable design improved my sleep, making a chilly night far more comfortable than I would have expected from such a lightweight backpacking pad.
Big Agnes Rapide SL insulated sleeping mat review
Price and availability
In the UK, the Big Agnes Rapide SL retails between £135 and £155 for the slim edition reviewed here. You can purchase it direct from Amazon (£155), Ultralight Outdoor Gear (£135), Alpine Trek (£138) and Taunton Leisure, where it's currently shifting for a knockdown £88.20.
If Stateside, consider going direct to Big Agnes, where the slim 20" x 72” version retails at $169.95. Alternatively, head to Amazon or REI Co-Op, where it retails at $159.15.
Design and features
Big Agnes is a Colorado-based outdoor brand renowned for its wide range of innovative camping and backpacking equipment. Founded in 2001 and named after a nearby mountain peak, the company focuses on lightweight performance, comfort and durability, and has already enjoyed great success with a tranche of award-winning tents, sleeping bags and insulated pads that have proven a huge hit amongst seasoned adventurers.
The Big Agnes Rapide SL is one such product that occupies the space between ultralight efficiency and wilderness comfort. And, believe me, this extraordinarily small package transforms into one of the most comfortable sleeping pads I’ve ever had the good fortune to try.
The Big Agnes Rapide SL is available in six sizes – 20 x 66”, 20 x 72”, 20 x 78”, 25 x 72”, 25 x 78” and a 40 x 72” double. I received the slim 20 x 72” (50.8 x 182.88cm) and, despite me being a skinnymalink, I think I would ultimately have preferred the wider 25” (63.5cm) model for a tad more girth.
The smaller form version I received weighs just 21.05 ounces (597g) while its packed bag measures a measly 8.46” x 4” (21.5cm x 10cm) – about the width of a toilet roll and not much taller. And best of all, it all goes back into its cinched waterproof bag without any finger-wrestling expletives, which is exactly what you want when you’re packing up after a stormy night on the peak.
With its generous 3.5” (9cm) thickness and raised outer chambers (4.25” / 11cm) that help keep users centred on the mat, the Rapide SL also offers genuinely impressive ground isolation despite its low mass.
One of the Rapide SL’s most notable design elements is its proprietary offset ‘I-Beam’ construction, which creates a stable internal structure while minimising material use.
This approach distributes body weight evenly across the surface of the pad, helping to prevent the ballooning sensation experienced with many cheaper air mats.
Crucially, its attractive, deep-orange, quilted pattern genuinely enhances comfort by producing a cushioned, pillowy feel that reduces pressure points – including the hips and elbows – during side sleeping. And what’s more, without any annoying crinkle sounds when you move about on it.
As to be expected from a company like Big Agnes, material choice plays a major role in the Rapide SL’s performance attributes. In this case, you get wonderfully textured, non-slip, double ripstop nylon paired with aviation-grade TPU lamination and strong welds, which cut a fine balance between durability and packability.
Make no mistake, this mat feels robust enough for regular three-season use and loads of inflation and deflation episodes. Rather handily, it also comes with three self-adhesive repair patches – just in case.
Insulation is an equally important design highlight with this mat. As a result, it uses dual layers of heat-reflective film to trap radiant body heat and improve thermal efficiency, resulting in an R-value of 4.8, which places it firmly in the three-season category and allows it to stretch a little further into chillier weather when paired with an appropriate sleeping bag.
Likewise, its internal antimicrobial treatment helps prevent mould or bacterial growth over time, and I consider that an exceedingly practical feature for gear that could end up being stored damp after a trip.
With its smart structural design, effective insulation technology and user-friendly features, this mat is a brilliant sleeping platform that feels far more substantial than its weight suggests – a key reason, perhaps, why it remains such a hugely popular choice among weight-conscious adventurers seeking dependable overnight comfort.
Inflation process
The Big Agnes Rapide SL’s inflation system is similar to most backpacking mats and comprised of two one-way valves: one for inflation, the other for deflation. You could feasibly use just lung power to inflate the mat but this will probably make you lightheaded well before reaching the goal. This is why Big Agnes – indeed most inflatable backpacking mat manufacturers – includes a lightweight balloon sack to help speed up the process.
However, I’ve never been able to capture enough air in the sack at any one time to make it that practical. In essence, you need to open out the wide end and attempt to scoop in some air before quickly rolling over the end so you end up with a balloon-like structure for squeezing air into the mat. However, this isn’t easy when the sack’s valve is attached to the mat since you have to lift the whole mat up when trying to scoop in more air. Some users simply breathe into the sack and roll it up, but even this may make you feel light headed. The upshot is that it takes several minutes to complete the inflation task.
So I contacted Flextail to call in one of its hugely popular pocket-sized, rechargeable battery pumps to see what all the backpacking fuss is about. The Chinese company sent me its latest MAX PUMP 3 and TINY PUMP 3X (retailer links) and, oh my word, what a pair of amazing little inventions they are.
I first tried the Flextail MAX PUMP 3 which also serves as a 300-lumen LED lamp with three light settings, a fold-out tent hook and a tripod mount for setting it on the floor or table. The MAX PUMP 3 filled the Rapide SL in 23 seconds flat using its 5kPa (500 L/min) of ample pressure. It also made decent work of filling the much thicker Coleman Supercomfort foam mattress which also comes with a similar fill sack. These were amazing results, especially considering how small and light it is – just 122g. The MAX PUMP 3 comes with five adaptors to cover most types of air mattresses and water toys, plus a small nylon carry sack.
I then filled the Rapide SL using the even smaller, cheaper and lighter rechargeable TINY PUMP 3X which weighs just 67g. It performed the same air-filling task in just 27 seconds at 300L/Min. This model also serves as a 300-lumen LED lamp and comes with a commendable five light settings, from soft warm white to bright. Like the MAX PUMP 3, it also comes with a variety of adaptors.
Both of these air pumps are among the most practical and versatile of camping inventions I’ve come across. Furthermore, they can also be used to fan the flames of a campfire and even attached in reverse to suck out any remaining air in a mattress or air-beam tent. No, they will not fill an air tent – that would be asking way to much – but they will tackle a myriad of other camping tasks with consummate aplomb. Whichever model you opt for, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Comfort and performance
There are many reasons why I love this 3-season backpacker mat. Its pack size is tiny, and it doesn’t weigh much more than a filled water bottle. It’s far more comfortable than I expected and exceedingly supportive, in no small measure thanks to the two raised outer chambers that helped keep me centrally located during testing.
I also found its insulation highly effective during my late-autumn test, and I really rate the quality of the outer material, which feels robust, non-slippery, and wonderfully textured. The fact that it comes in the most delicious burnt orange colour is simply the icing on a substantially irresistible cake.
I tested the Big Agnes Rapide SL while writing my MSR Hubba Hubba NX tent review, and it was a perfect complement to the MSR in every regard. Although I’m built like a pipe cleaner, at no point did any of my body structure come into contact with the hard ground, and that was with a decent amount of softness in the mat.
I’ll admit that I initially thought its slim width and 9cm of depth would be insufficient for a visit to the land of nod, especially since I’m more used to heavily foamed camping mattresses like the Coleman Supercomfort or Quechua Ultim Comfort, but I was wrong because I slept like a puppy.
No, it’s not the lightest mat by a long shot – many others weigh in the region of 250g – but it’s a lot more comfortable to sleep on than so many ultralight models that appear to have been made out of some kind of crinkly mylar. And that, to me, is of more importance than a few extra grams of pack weight.
However, as mentioned earlier, I would definitely have chosen the 25” width version had I purchased this mattress myself, since the extra five inches would allow for more elbow room and less chance of my knee slipping off the edge.
Verdict
The Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated sleeping mat strikes an impressive balance between comfort, warmth and packability. Its generous 3.5” thickness and supportive construction deliver excellent cushioning and a sound night’s sleep, while the 4.8 R-value provides reliable three-season insulation for most UK conditions. If you’re looking for a relatively light and packable inflatable camping mat that provides exceptional comfort above all else, step right this way.
