A close look at two sleeping pads buyers cross-shop. They score within a hair of each other, so it comes down to the details below.
| REI Co-op Traverse Insulated Air Pad | Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| GearScore | 76✓ | 75 |
| Warmth (R-value) | 4.3 R | 4.5 R✓ |
| Weight | 21.0 oz✓ | 22.0 oz |
| Warmth-to-weight | 0.72 R/100g✓ | 0.72 R/100g |
| Packed size | 4.65 L | 1.66 L✓ |
| Thickness | 3.5 in✓ | 3.3 in |
| Durability | n/s | n/s |
| Price | $139 | $99.95✓ |
| Features | 2Pump sack included, Repair kit included | 2Pump sack included, Repair kit included |
| Type | Inflatable | Inflatable |
| Shape | Rectangular | Rectangular |
Highlighted cells mark the better spec: Traverse Insulated Air Pad in blue, Insulated Air Core Ultra 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.
Put the REI Co-op Traverse Insulated Air Pad next to the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Ultra and the trade-offs are clear. They are close enough that this really is about which handful of specs you weight most.
The Traverse Insulated Air Pad is 1 oz lighter, stronger on warmth-to-weight, and thicker for more cushion. The Insulated Air Core Ultra is warmer (R 4.5 vs R 4.3), more packable (1.7 L vs 4.6 L), and $39 cheaper. Their GearScores land within a couple of points (76 vs 75), so neither runs away with it.
Pick the Traverse Insulated Air Pad 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 Insulated Air Core Ultra if warmth and packability matter more to you, or you are focused on colder nights and shoulder-season trips.
The REI Co-op Traverse Insulated Air Pad. It is 1 oz lighter than the Insulated Air Core Ultra.
The Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Ultra. It is warmer (R 4.5 vs R 4.3) than the Traverse Insulated Air Pad.
They are nearly tied at 76 and 75 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 Traverse Insulated Air Pad for low weight, or the Insulated Air Core Ultra for warmth. The spec table above shows exactly where each wins.