Best cheap sleeping pads for camping and backpacking

What are the best cheap sleeping pads for camping, backpacking or hiking? In this article, I will provide an in-depth answer to that question. There are plenty of options out there, but some are just very overpriced, others are low quality and will result in very cold nights. I have done my research and hand-picked some of the best options you can buy today.

All products on this list are covered by lifetime warranty. However, make sure to check if the warranty applies in your country.

Best cheap sleeping pads

Note that certain options are more suited for regular camping, while others are more optimized for backpacking and hiking. There are a couple of things that are more important in certain situation. For example, if you are going for a regular camping trip, the weight of your sleeping pad will be less important. If you are camping/backpacking in a cold environment, the R-Value will be a lot more important, etc.

There are a lot of things you should think about before buying a sleeping pad. Especially if you don’t want to break the bank – you should be careful not to end up with a low quality sleeping pad. Luckily for you, I’ve managed to find good options for any type of hiker, backpacker or for regular camping!

If you are not sure what sleeping pad is the best match for your needs, I will give a detailed explanation at the end of this article.

Warning: changing the color of certain sleeping pads might change the R-value.

Outdoorsman Lab Sleeping Pad

14.5 ounces | 2.2 R-Value

Outdoorsman Lab is a USA-based company out of Colorado that is quickly emerging as a consumer favorite for outdoor gear. The Outdoorsman Lab Sleeping pad is high quality and pretty budget-friendly.

Weighing 14.5 ounces it can also be considered lightweight, making it suitable for hiking and backpacking trips. Even though it’s not suitable for the coldest winter nights, the 2.2 R-Value will still keep you warm on most nights!

One of the reasons this sleeping pad has an edge over most other cheap sleeping pads is that it is remarkably durable, Outdoorsman Lab uses a patented technology.

The pad is made out of 200-Denier ripstop woven Nylon laminated with TPU. If you have no idea what this means, read this: It’s excellent in preventing wear and puncturing, plus it’s water resistant.

Except for the fact that this sleeping pad is very light, it’s also very compact. Coming in at a compact size of 8″ x” x3″ and a sleeping size of 73″ x 21.6″ x 2.2″.

Is it the most comfortable sleeping pad in the world? Not really. However, when taking into account the compact size, ultralight weight and cheap price I would say it’s very comfortable all things considered! If you absolutely don’t care about comfort, you might be more interested in the Thermarest z-sol, but for those of us who prefer some comfort during a night in the outdoors, this is the cheap sleeping pad to get!

If you are interested in buying this product, it can be found on amazon: Outdoorsman Lab Sleeping pad

Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol

14 ounces | 2.6 R-value
My favourite low-comfort budget-friendly sleeping pad for backpacking and hiking will always be Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol. The only reason not to buy this would be comfort. Some people don’t like to sleep on a foam sleeping pad, they prefer to sleep on an air sleeping pad. However, most hikers/backpackers will sleep just fine on one of these. Among foam sleeping pads, it’s still known as one of the most comfortable sleeping pads.

Not only is this sleeping pad pretty cheap to begin with, it’s also very durable. Probably the most durable on this list. A durable product means a lot of money saved in the long run.

I would recommend this sleeping pad for backpackers, hikers and for regular camping trips in summer, spring and fall. I would not recommend using this product during winter, unless the temperatures don’t drop too much below freezing point.

This sleeping pad is also pretty lightweight at only 14 ounces.

Therm-a-Rest also provides a lifetime warranty on all their sleeping pads. This is what they have to say about their products:

Our products are built to withstand the rigors of a life outside and we stand behind the quality of every product we make. If you need to repair a Therm-a-Rest product, we will do everything we can to repair or warranty it as quickly as possible.

You can find all the information you need about their warranty by clicking here.

I feel like this is the best cheap sleeping pad for backpacking, hiking or camping. With the exception of people who really want the comfort of an air sleeping pad.

This sleeping pad can be bought from amazon: Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol

Sleepingo Camping Sleeping Pad

14.5 ounces | 2.1 R-value

The next option is another very cheap sleeping pad. It’s even cheaper than the first option, but it’s not as durable. I would recommend this product to anybody who is on a tight budget and prefers an air sleeping pad. However, this sleeping pad is mainly meant for summer camping.

That said, you might be able to use the Sleepingo sleeping pad in fall and spring as long as long as the temperatures don’t drop below 2 degrees Celsius/36 degrees Fahrenheit.

All in all, the combination of weight, price and R-value makes this a very high value product. If you prefer air in your sleeping pad and you won’t go out camping in very cold temperatures, this might be your best option. A perfect option for regular camping, but also for backpacking and hiking because of how lightweight this product is.

You can check out the latest price on amazon: Sleepingo Camping Sleeping Pad

Gear Doctors – Self Inflating Sleeping Pad

33.6 ounces | 4.3 R-value

The next cheap sleeping pad on the list is the most budget-friendly sleeping pad for winter camping. This one is notably heavier than the other options, but that’s simply the price you have to pay for a very cheap winter sleeping pad.

A sleeping pad with an R-value of 4.3 at this price is pretty impressive. If you want a similar sleeping pad at a lower weight, you will have to pay significantly more money. As usual it’s a choice between price and weight.

No doubt about it, this is the best sleeping pad for camping/backpacking during the winter when on an extreme budget!

This sleeping pad is available on amazon: Gear Doctors – Self Inflating Sleeping Pad

Honeybull Sleeping Pad

17.6 ounces | ? R-value

The Honeybull sleeping pad is another very cheap option. The first thing that’s noticeable is that they did not provide an R-Value. This means you should only use this particular sleeping pad during the warmer months.

Why would you choose Honeybull over the alternatives on this list? Well, there are 2 main reasons:

This is a very comfortable sleeping pad
You get a compact pillow as a bonus

Now, this pillow might not seem like a big deal, but if you would buy it separately, this would costs you quite a bit of extra money.

This is what Honeybull has to say about their products:

HoneyBull is confident you will love our products. If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, let us know! Contact us via Amazon and we can help with any issues that you may have. Customer satisfaction is our top priority, and that’s the HoneyBull guarantee!

Obviously, this sleeping pad isn’t for everybody. I would not advise this for camping/backpacking/hiking during any other season than summer. Also, since this sleeping pad is slightly heavier than some of the alternatives, I would probably recommend the “Sleepingo Camping Sleeping Pad” over this one for intensive hiking trips.

Once again, this sleeping pad can be bought from amazon: Honeybull Sleeping Pad

Klymit Static V2

16.3 ounces | 1.3 R-value

The Klymit Static is a pretty popular well-appreciated budget sleeping pad. This cheap sleeping pad is also guaranteed for life, which is absolutely awesome!

The sad thing is that this sleeping mat is only suited for camping during summer because it only has an R-value of 1.3. If the temperature isn’t an issue, this is definitely an option to consider. It’s pretty lightweight, very comfortable, very durable and it comes with a lifetime warranty. Also, it pretty compact when packed, it packs down to the size of a soda can (packed size: 3 x 8″)

A last argument: This is one of the few sleeping pads that labels as affordable, but has also been tested by a lot of hikers on all kinds of trails/camping grounds.

All in all, the Klymit Static definitely earned its spot on this list of the best cheap sleeping pads.

Check out the latest price on amazon: Klymit Static V2

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm

15 ounces | 5.7 R-value

I almost did not want to include this one because this product is not particularly cheap…

Why did I include it? Well, I wanted to provide solid options for every type of hiker. If you are a high intensity hiker, who really benefits from an ultralight sleeping, but you are also spending the night in extreme cold, this sleeping pad is for you.

I was unable to find a cheaper alternative that is both lightweight and usable in extreme cold weather and I said I would include options for every type of hiker. The combination of lightweight and high-quality almost always results in expensive products. However, for some hikers, this is a necessity.

As usual, this sleeping pad can be found on amazon: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm

Therm-a-Rest LuxuryMap

52 ounces | 6.8 R-value

Last but not least, the Therm-a-Rest LuxuryMap. Now, if you paid a little bit of attention, you will have realized that this is the third sleeping pad by Therm-a-Rest that made it on this list. This is no coincidence, Therm-a-Rest is a very solid brand when it comes to sleeping pads. They truly provide value, it doesn’t matter if you are going on a camping trip, a backpacking trip or on a high-intensity hiking trip, Therm-a-Rest will have an appropriate sleeping pad for anyone.

This sleeping pad is different from my other recommendations because it’s truly optimized for cold weather camping. It has a 6.8 R-value, which makes this the warmest sleeping pad in the list.

The downsides? It’s pretty heavy and it’s not as cheap as some other options on this list. Therefore, I would recommend this sleeping pad for camping, maybe even for backpacking, but not for long distance hiking trips. It’s simply too heavy for that, you should go with the “Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm” instead.

This sleeping pad can be bought from amazon: Therm-a-Rest LuxuryMap

What sleeping pad is right for you

The first thing you should know is, in what temperatures will you be sleeping? I added an R-value to every option, but what exactly does this R-value mean? Let me give you a quick overview:

R1 – R2.1: Summer (up to 2 degrees Celsius/36 degrees Fahrenheit)

R2.1 – R3.3: 3 seasons (up to -6 degrees Celsius/21 degrees Fahrenheit)
R3.3 – R5: winter (up to -18 degrees Celsius/0 degrees Fahrenheit)
R5+: extreme cold (lower than -18 degrees Celsius/0 degrees Fahrenheit)

Note that these ratings are an estimation of what should keep you comfortable during the night. However, different people will need different R-values in the same temperatures. If you are not sure how cold it will get during the night, better be safe than sorry and go for a slightly higher rated sleeping pad.

Now, temperature is not the only thing that matters. Weight is another important one. If you are a hiker that does a lot of miles in combination with a lot of elevation gain, you will really benefit from the ultralight sleeping pad. However, if you are just going for a regular camping trip and you plan on staying in one place, weight doesn’t matter that much. If weight is not an issue for you, you will often have the luxury to get a cheaper and a more comfortable sleeping pad.

The next big factor: durability. Since this article is titled “best cheap sleeping pads”, durability has to be mentioned. If a product is durable, you will not have to buy a new one very soon (sometimes you don’t ever have to buy a new one). Certain brands are so confident in the durability of their products that they provide a lifetime warranty. My point is, a cheap product is not necessarily always the best budget option in the long run. Spending a bit more money today might result in a lot of money saved in the long run.

Conclusion

Before you buy a new sleeping pad, make sure to think about the temperatures you will sleep in. This is the most important factor! Once you know that, you can make a selection of possible sleeping pads. Other factors to consider would be weight, durability and obviously price.

You will soon notice that a lot of sleeping pads are pretty expensive. Luckily for you, this list of cheap sleeping pads includes options for everybody.

My best all-round recommendation for camping, backpacking and hiking would be Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol. If, for some reason, you don’t like this one, or it doesn’t fit your needs, take a look at the other options in this article. I’m sure at least one of these will fit your needs!

These were my recommendations for affordable sleeping pads for camping and backpacking. Have you tried any of these? What are your experiences? Do you have any recommendations of your own? Feel free to let me know in the comments below!