Two sleeping pads worth lining up side by side. They score within a hair of each other, so it comes down to the details below.
| Rab Ionosphere 5.5 | Trekology R5 Insulated | |
|---|---|---|
| GearScore | 74✓ | 73 |
| Warmth (R-value) | 5.5 R | 5.5 R |
| Weight | 24.3 oz✓ | 28.0 oz |
| Warmth-to-weight | 0.80 R/100g✓ | 0.69 R/100g |
| Packed size | 2.71 L✓ | 3.55 L |
| Thickness | 3.1 in | 4.0 in✓ |
| Durability | 12 /100 | 43 /100✓ |
| Price | n/s | $54.99 |
| Features | 2Pump sack included, Repair kit included✓ | 0 |
| Type | Inflatable | Inflatable |
| Shape | Rectangular | Rectangular |
Highlighted cells mark the better spec: Ionosphere 5.5 in blue, R5 Insulated in amber. A blank spec is never counted as a win. GearScore is the rating for the Overall use-case (0 to 100). Pick another above to re-score. Prices are current MSRP.
The Rab Ionosphere 5.5 and Trekology R5 Insulated take different routes to the same job. They are close enough that this really is about which handful of specs you weight most.
The Ionosphere 5.5 is 4 oz lighter, stronger on warmth-to-weight, and more packable (2.7 L vs 3.5 L). The R5 Insulated is thicker for more cushion and more durable. Their GearScores land within a couple of points (74 vs 73), so neither runs away with it.
Pick the Ionosphere 5.5 if you care most about low weight and warmth-to-weight, which makes it the better call for counting grams on long miles. Pick the R5 Insulated if cushion and durability matter more to you, or you are focused on comfort and room to move.
The Rab Ionosphere 5.5. It is 4 oz lighter than the R5 Insulated.
The Rab Ionosphere 5.5. It is stronger on warmth-to-weight than the R5 Insulated.
They are nearly tied at 74 and 73 on the default algorithm, so re-weight the score to your own priorities to break the tie.
It depends on your priorities. Go with the Ionosphere 5.5 for low weight, or the R5 Insulated for cushion. The spec table above shows exactly where each wins.