The Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated strikes a strong and compelling balance between light weight insulation and comfort, making it a great choice for three-season camping.
Table of Contents
ToggleGood to know: this sleeping pad is unisex
Pros / Reasons to Buy
- High R-Value
- Thicker than competitors when inflated means more cushioning
Cons / Reasons to Avoid
- Expensive
- There are lighter alternatives with higher R-Values
Big Agnes have a reputation for making quality gear and the Rapide SL Insulated ticks a lot of the right boxes. Whilst it isn’t the lightest or best insulated pad in our round up, it still manages to strike a very appealing balance of specifications and is only beaten in these by much more expensive alternatives. If you hike through the year in changeable weather conditions, then this pad is a very attractive option – only really falling short for those who camp out in extreme cold (and even here it can be supplemented with a foam pad to boost insulation).
Compare to similar products:
Nemo Switchback | Nemo Tensor All-Season | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT | Rab Stratosphere 4 | Sea to Summit Comfort Plus Insulated | Big Agnes Divide Insulated | Nemo Quasar 3D | Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated | Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated | Exped Ultra 7R | Klymit Static V | Sleepingo Large | Tame Lands | Therm-A-Rest Z Lite Sol | |
Buying Options | |||||||||||||||
Our Rating | Best Foam Sleeping Pad | Best Air Sleeping Pad | Best for Comfort and Ultralight | Best for Winter and Best Mummy Shaped Sleeping Pad | Best for Summer | Best for Side Sleepers | Best for Back Sleepers | Best Budget Air Pad | Best Rectangular Sleeping Pad | ||||||
Type and Shape | Folding, closed-cell foam | Rectangular or Mummy Inflatable | Mummy Inflatable | Mummy Inflatable | Rectangular Inflatable | Mummy Inflatable | Rectangular Inflatable | Rectangular Inflatable | Rectangular or Mummy Inflatable | Rectangular Inflatable | Rectangular or Mummy Inflatable | Rectangular Inflatable | Mummy Inflatable | Rectangular Inflatable | Folding, closed-cell foam |
Comfort | Low | Excellent | Excellent | Very Good | Excellent | Excellent | Very Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Average | Average | Low |
Warmth/R-Value | Average (R-Value = 2) | Excellent (R-Value = 5.4) | Very Good (R-Value = 4.5) | Excellent (R-Value = 7.3) | Very Good (R-Value = 3.8) | Very Good (R-Value = 4) | Very Good (R-Value = 4) | Low (R-Value = 1.8) | Very Good (R-Value = 3.2) | Very Good (R-Value = 4.8) | Excellent (R-Value = 7) | Low (R-Value = 1.3) | Low - Average (No ASTM FF3340 rated R-Value, but likely around 2) | Low - Average (No ASTM FF3340 rated R-Value, but likely around 2) | Average (R-Value = 2) |
Weight | Regular Version - 415g/14.5oz | Regular Version - 522g/1lb 2oz | Regular Version - 368g/13 oz | Regular Version - 453g/1lb | Regular Version - 695g/1lb 9oz | Regular Version - 845g/29.8oz | Regular Version - 652g/23oz | Non-Insulated Regular Version - 650g/1lb 7oz | Mummy Regular - 490g/17.3oz | Regular Version - 510g/18oz | Rectangular Medium Version - 650g/23oz | Regular Version - 530g/18.7oz | 408g/14oz | 600g/21oz | Regular Version - 410g/14oz |
Packed Size | Regular Version - 51x13x14cm/20x5x5.5in | Regular Version - 25.5x10cm/10x4in | Regular Version - 10.4x22.86cm/4.1x9in | Regular Version - 11.3x22.86cm/4.5x9in | Regular Version - 24cmx12cm/9.4inx4.7in | Regular Version - 12x23cm/5x9in | Regular Version - 20x13cm/8x5in | Non-Insulated Regular Version - 20x10cm/8x4in | Mummy Regular - 24x11cm/9.5x4.5in | Regular Version - 18x10cm/7x4in | Rectangular Medium Version - 23x14cm/9x5.5in | Regular Version - 20x8cm/8x3in | 27x8cm/10.5x3in | 23x10cm/9x4in | Regular Version - 51x13x14cm/20x5x5.5in |
Open Size | Regular Version - 183x51x2.3cm/72x20x0.9in | Regular Version - 183x51x9cm/72x20x3.5in | Regular Version - 182x50.8x7.62cm/72x20x3in | Regular Version - 177.8x50.8x7.62cm/72x20x3in | Regular Version - 183x51x8cm/72x20x3in | Regular Version - 184x55cm/72x21.5in | Regular Version - 183x51x8.25cm/72x20x3.25in | Non-Insulated Regular Version - 183x51x9cm/72x20x3.5in | Mummy Regular - 183x55-42x10cm/72x21.5-16.5x4in | Regular Version - 51x183x11cm/20x72x4.25in | Rectangular Medium Version - 183x52x9cm/72x20.4x3.5in | Regular Version - 183x58x6cm/72x23x2.5in | 187x54.6x5cm/73.5x21x2in | 188x56x5cm/74x22x2in | Regular Version - 183x51x2cm/72x20x0.75in |
Materials | Polyethylene foam backed with metalized foil | 20D and 40D Nylon with two layers of metalized film | 30D Ripstop Nylon | 30D and 70D Ripstop Nylon with Thermacapture Reflective Film | 75D Polyester with 100% recycled polyester 'Stratus R' insulation | 30D/40D Nylon withThermolite insulation and Exkin Platinum film | Ripstop nylon with Thermalite insulaiton and heat-reflecting film layer | 100% Recycled Polyester | 30D/40D Nylon withThermolite insulation and Exkin Platinum film | Ripstop nylon with two layers of metalized film | 20D Ripstop polyester with down insulation | 75D Polyester | Ripstop Nylon | 40D Ripstop Nylon | Polyethylene foam backed with Thermacapture Reflective Film |
Durability | Excellent - will still work even if torn or damaged | Good - supplied with repair patches | Good - supplied with repair patches | Good - supplied with repair patches | Good - supplied with repair patches | Very Good - supplied with repair patches and spare valve parts | Good - supplied with repair patches | Good - Supplied with repair patches | Very Good - supplied with repair patches and spare valve parts | Good - Supplied with repair patches | Good - Supplied with repair patches | Good - Supplied with repair patches | Good - supplied with repair patches | Good - supplied with repair patches | Excellent - will still work even if torn or damaged |
This article is part of our series on the best sleeping pads for camping, view all articles below:
- Best Sleeping Pads for Camping
- How we Tested Sleeping Pads
- How to Choose the Right Sleeping Pad for Camping
- Compare Sleeping Pads
Related content:
Analysis and Test Results
There are other products in our best sleeping pads for camping round up that beat the Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated in terms of weight, R-Value (eg. Insulation) and cost, but the balance big Agnes strikes between these factors with this product is very compelling and for this reason, I think that this is going to be a very attractive choice for a lot of hikers.
I was also very interested to see the wide range of size options this pad is offered in – six in total. This is great to see, especially in a product that is marketed as a light weight option – as it means you can pick a size that best suits you and not have to carry more sleeping pad than you need. All this coupled with Big Agnes’ well-respected name and reputation for making top-notch gear just adds to the appeal of this pad in my opinion.
Performance Comparison
Type and Shape
The Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated is the company’s warmest ultralight sleeping pad. It’s a rectangular inflatable design and I’m focusing on the regular sized version that unfolds to 183x51cm/72x20in in this review. This pad is offered in an extensive range of six sizes which include, aside from the Regular version, Petite, Tall, Regular Wide, Tall Wide and Double.
That range of sizes is particularly noteworthy, I think, because this pad is marketed as ultra-light, so you can buy the size that best suits your height and body shape and doesn’t leave you carrying more pad than you actually need.
Comfort
Inflatable sleeping pads are essentially thin air mattresses and they are, I think it’s fair to say, always going to improve your sleeping comfort relative to a thin foam sleeping pad, or just setting up your sleeping bag straight on your tent’s floor. As we’ll expand on more elsewhere in this review, this pad has a high R Value and part of the way it achieves this by being thicker than average – it’s 11cm/4.25in thick when inflated.
By contrast, most of the other sleeping pads we’ve assessed – even those with high R Values comparable to the Rapide SL – inflate to around 7.5-9cm/3-3.5in thick. That extra thickness equates to extra cushioning, so the Rapide SL scores well in terms of comfort. In use, I found the extra air volume that comes from the extra thick design means that you are less likely to feel the ground through the pad when you roll over or prop yourself up.
Warmth
The Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated has an R Value of 4.8 – putting it at the better insulated end of the products we’ve assessed. The R Value is an industry standard way of measuring the heat insulation provided by a sleeping pad. Higher values equate to better insulation, though you should keep in mind that having a well-insulated pad alone won’t be enough to keep you warm on a cold night.
You’ll need to pair the pad with a sleeping bag with an appropriate temperature rating for the ambient temperature, and these ratings in turn often assume that you’ll be wearing a certain amount of clothing in the bag. The flip side of this is that a well-insulated pad won’t make you overheat in warm weather provided the rest of your sleeping system is appropriately rated.
The upshot of all this is that if you sleep outdoors in a range of different temperatures and only want to own one sleeping pad, then one with a higher R Value makes more sense.
Big Agnes say this bag is suited for three season use, but this pad will do well in milder winter conditions and, as R values are culminative, it can always be combined with a relatively cheap and light closed-cell foam pad like the Nemo Switchback to boost its insulation if you want to sleep out in more extreme cold conditions.
Ease of Use
Inflatable sleeping pads like this Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated are always going to be more involved to set up than closed-cell foam pads which can typically be unrolled or unfolded in a matter of seconds. By contrast, an inflatable pad takes minutes to set up, though with practice, it can be unpacked and ready to go in well under five minutes without you needing to break a sweat doing so.
This sleeping pad comes with an inflation tool – Big Agnes call this the ‘Pumphouse High Volume Inflation Sack’ – and this is basically a variant on the inflation tools I’ve seen with every other inflatable pad I’ve reviewed. The inflation tool looks a bit like a roll-top dry bag with a valve at the non-open end that connects to the pad. You connect the bag to the pad, breath lightly into the open end to expand the bag and then start rolling it shut.
This compresses the air in the bag and forces it into the pad as you continue to roll. The process sounds involved – and it’s worth practicing a few times before you head out onto the trail if you’ve never done it before – but once you’ve got your head around it, it’s easy enough and doesn’t require much physical exertion.
Of course, you can also inflate the pad using your breath alone – though this is much more laborious and, having done this myself a few times in the past, I’d say that the inflation tool is well-worth the small amount of weight it’ll add to your pack for the effort and time it will save!
Weight
As I mentioned at the outset, the Big Agness Rapide SL Insulated comes in a number of different sizes and, as you’d expect, the different sizes all have different weights. Given that this product is targeted at the superlight backpacking crowd, I think this wide range of sizes is a great thing: you can buy the pad that’s most appropriate for your height and body shape, potentially saving some unnecessary weight in the process.
The regular sized Rapide SL weighs in at 510g/1lb 2oz. Compared to the other premium ultra lightweight pads in our round up, that’s the same weight as the regular version of the Nemo Tensor All Season, and slightly heavier than the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT, which weighs in at an impressive 453g/1lb for the Regular version. Both these pads have a higher R Value than the Rapide SL. Taking things to the extreme, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir X Lite has the same R Value as the Big Agnes and weighs in at 368g/13oz. All these pads are more expensive than the Rapide SL.
If you always hike with your partner, you might be tempted by the double version of this pad as it offers the same sleeping area as two of the regular sized pads. Whilst the double does work out lighter than two regulars, the weight saving is modest at only 50g/1.76oz and it actually has a slightly higher packed volume than two regular pads too.
Version | Weight |
Petite | 482g/17oz |
Regular | 510g/18oz |
Tall | 539g/19oz |
Regular Wide | 652g/23g |
Tall Wide | 709g/25g |
Double | 1005g/37oz |
Packed Size
The regular sized variant of the big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated packs down to 18x10cm/7x4in – that’s amongst the smallest packed size of the products in our round up – and is particularly notable when you consider the extra thickness of this pad. The small packed size meant I had no issues fitting this into my pack around other camping gear.
Version | Packed Size |
Petite | 18x9cm/7x3.5in |
Regular | 18x10cm/7x4in |
Tall | 19x10cm/7.5x4in |
Regular Wide | 20x10cm/8x4in |
Tall Wide | 20x11cm/8x4.5in |
Double | 27x14cm/10.5x5.5in |
Open Size
As I’ve mentioned earlier in this review, the Big Agnes Rapide SL is offered in six different sizes ranging from the Petite all the way up to the Double Wide – and you can see a breakdown of the different sizes in the table below. The Regular version I’ve tested opens up to 183x51x11cm/72x20x4.25in.
Whilst it is thicker than most of the other inflatable pads we’ve assessed (which in turn makes it more padded). The surface area of the open pad is pretty much identical to competitor’s ‘Regular’ pads. I’m around 180cm/5ft 10in tall and what I’d consider ‘average’ build. I do roll around and stretch a lot in my sleep and it it’s not unusual for me to wake up having rolled off my sleeping pad, so whilst the regular version of the pad is adequate for me (and I’ve had plenty of great night’s sleep on regular pads), I do sometimes prefer a longer and/or wider sleeping pad if I don’t need to be super strict on the weight I’m carrying.
Version | Open Size |
Petite | 51x168x11cm/20x66x4.25in |
Regular | 51x183x11cm/20x72x4.25in |
Tall | 51x198x11cm/20x78x4.25in |
Regular Wide | 64x183x11cm/25x72x4.25in |
Tall Wide | 64x198x11cm/25x78x4.25in |
Double | 102x183x11cm/40x72x4.25in |
Features
I think this pad offers a number of stand-out features. First of all, it’s thicker than most when inflated – and it achieves this without sacrificing light weight and small packed size. Whilst you could argue that a higher volume pad will take longer to inflate, the time difference here is small and the extra thickness does provide improved cushioning and therefore comfort.
Next up, and in common with the Big Agnes Divide Insulated pad we’ve also reviewed, the Rapide SL features and antimicrobial treatment on the inside. Given that you might well find yourself inflating this pad in damp conditions, I think that’s a nice peace-of-mind feature.
Finally, the pad features thicker edges to help prevent you from rolling off in your sleep.
Materials
The Big Agnes Rapide SL is, in common with most other lightweight inflatable sleeping pads I’ve reviewed, made from lightweight, ripstop nylon. The pad also uses two layers of metalized film internally to help improve insulation.
Durability
Closed-cell foam sleeping pads will always win out over inflatable pads when it comes to durability and the fact is that all inflatable pads are vulnerable to punctures. What’s more, the lightweight nylon that this Big Agnes pad is made from feels very thin and insubstantial, however, I’ve seen this type of material used in enough outdoor products over the years to know that despite it’s thin feel, it is a strong and hard-wearing material that does not need delicate treatment.
In common with any inflatable sleeping pad, I wouldn’t use the Rapide SL directly on sharp rocks or rough or thorny foliage, and I certainly wouldn’t step on it without removing my boots first, but I think this is all common sense and in this regard, the Rapide SL is no less durable than other inflatable pads. Big Agnes supplies this pad with repair patches, so you can still use it should you suffer a puncture on the trail.
Sustainability
Big Agnes don’t publish any info on whether recycled materials are used in the Rapide SL. The nylon used in the pad’s main shell is recyclable once the pad reaches the end of its life, but the metalized film used internally may make the pad harder to recycle in some areas.
As a company, big Agnes are actively adding more products to their range that feature recycled materials and which are designed with circularity in mind. If the sustainability of the products you buy is a priority for you, you may want to consider Big Agnes Divide Insulated pad as an alternative.
Price
At the time of writing, the Big Agnes Rapide SL costs $149.90 for the regular version of the pad, putting it at the more expensive end of the pads we’ve assessed (though still far from the most expensive). Given its light weight, high R-Value and the fact it comes from a well-respected brand, we think that many hikers won’t have an issue with the price.
Conclusion
Big Agnes have a reputation for making top-quality gear and I’m pleased to report that the Rapide SL ticks a lot of the right boxes. It strikes what I think is a good balance between weight, high R-Value and comfort and I also particularly like that it is offered in a very wide range of sizes: Big Agnes is targeting this as a lightweight product, so being able to choose a pad that’s right for your body size and sleeping habits is a great way to ensure that you are not carrying more weight than necessary (this is a marginal gain for sue, but as many who value light weight gear will tell you, small savings can quickly add up).
Whilst this pad is not the cheapest or best-featured pad we’ve assessed in this round up, I think it’s combination of features, plus a healthy dose of brand loyalty will make this a great choice for many hikers.
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