Don’t want to spend hours sitting on the ground? But you also don’t want to carry an additional couple of pounds on your next hiking, camping or backpacking trip? No worries, a solid hiking seat pad is the perfect solution for you!
Let’s start with a quick overview of the best seat pads:
| Name | Weight | Size | price | R-Value | Durability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Therm-a-Rest Z Seat
Great overall, not inflatable |
2 oz | 16 x 13 | $$ | 2.6 | 5/5 |
| Klymit V Seat
Great overall, inflatable, affordable |
2.6 oz | 14 x 14 | $ | / | 4/5 |
| Exped Air Seat
Very comfortable, less durable |
4.2 oz | 15.7 x 13.8 | $$$ | 3.1 | 3/5 |
| Therm-a-Rest Trail Seat Cushion
Nice balance between comfort and other factors |
4 oz | 16 x 12 | $$ | / | 3.5/5 |
| Redcamp Foam Hiking Seat Pad
Good overall, affordable |
1.9 oz | 15.75 x 11 | $ | / | 4.5/5 |
Best seat pads for hiking, backpacking or camping
In this section, I will discuss some of the best seat pads for hikers, backpackers or just for camping in general. Some of you will care mainly about their budget. For others, weight might be the most important factor. Depending on where you are planning to use the sleeping pad, you might also care a lot about ruggedness/durability.
I will cover both inflatable and CCF (= closed-cell foam) seat pads. If you are not sure what type of seat pad is best for you, I will go more in detail later in this article.
I will mainly consider the following factors when hand-picking the best products: weight, dimensions, R-value, price and comfort.
If you don’t know what R-value is, I will talk about it a bit more later in the article, but for a more in-depth explanation you can click here.
1. Therm-a-Rest Z Seat Cushion Insulated Sitting Pad
weight: 2 ounces | 16 x 13 x 0.75 inches | folded: 12 x 2.5 x 2.75 inches | R-value: 2.6 | Price: $
The first item on the list is the very reliable Therm-a-Rest Z seat. This one is not inflatable, but it’s very rugged, ultralight, durable and will still keep you warm and comfy. This is one of those “you can’t go wrong with this” product.
If you do not absolutely want an inflatable seat pad, I see no reason why you would not buy the Therm-a-Rest Z seat. It’s rugged, durable, has a good R-value (meaning it will keep you warm). The dimensions are good, it packs down very small but it still provides enough sitting space.
One of the most obvious advantages of a closed-cell foam seat pad over an inflatable seat pad is that you don’t have to care about leaks. See, out on the trail you might have to sit down on rough terrain once in a while. A small rock can easily create a small hole in your inflatable seat pad. This is why a lot of hikers and backpackers swear by a foam seat pad.
The Z Seat will cost you less than a cocktail in a fancy bar and it will probably last for life. In the off chance that it doesn’t, well there is still the Therm-a-Rest lifetime guarantee.
I absolutely love this product and because of that I don’t feel the need to make any other foam seat pad suggestions. It wouldn’t really make sense because the Z Seat is simply better than the alternatives in any circumstance (at least in my opinion).
However, if you really prefer an inflatable seat pad, I suggest you keep reading.
If you are interested in buying this, or simply want to check out the latest price, feel free to check it out on amazon: Therm-a-Rest Z Seat Cushion Insulated Sitting Pad
2. Klymit V Seat
weight: 2.6 ounces | 14 x 14 x 1 inches | folded: 3.5 x 1.5 inches | Price: $
Among the inflatable seat pads, the Klymit V Seat is currently my favorite seat pad for long distance hiking trips.
One of the main issues with inflatable seat pads is that they are not super rugged and can easily get damaged. The Klymit clearly performs better than most inflatable alternatives. Having said that, the Thermarest foam pad will still be a lot more rugged and durable. There is not a single inflatable product out there that will last a lifetime.
For an inflatable seat pad, the Klymit can be considered lightweight, very compact and affordable. Note that some people did not think it was comfortable enough. However, there is always a trade-off. You can’t expect a hiking seat pad to be equally comfortable than one that is twice as heavy and a lot more expensive.
Once again, this seat pad is pretty cheap, so it really won’t hurt you if you just want to experiment with it. Try it out and see if it works for you.
If you want an inflatable seat pad for long distance hiking/backpacking trips, this would definitely be my number one recommendation. It won’t be as comfy as some of the heavier/more expensive alternatives, but on long distance trips weight becomes very important. Therefore, I would recommend sacrificing a bit of comfort here.
For more product information -including the price- you can check out the Klymit V Seat on amazon: Klymit V Seat
3. Exped Air Seat
weight: 4.2 ounces | 15.7 x 13.8 x 2 inches | folded: 3.1 x 5.5 inches | R-value: 3.1| Price: $$$
The Exped Air Seat is the most expensive item on my list. So, is it worth the money? I would say it’s not worth it for most backpackers/hikers, but some people might get a lot of value from it, so I still wanted to include it.
The biggest benefit of the Exped Air Seat is that it’s very comfortable. It’s a pretty firm seat pad when fully inflated. It can be used in the outdoors, but it’s also a solid option for other outdoor activities, like canoeing. Or you could simply use this in a budget air flight. Making your flight a lot more comfortable.
This is the seat pad for people who care a lot about comfort. However, if you are planning on using this on long distance hiking trips, I would probably recommend another option over this one. Not only is this product pretty heavy. It might also get leaks if you use it on a rough underground.
That said, if you know you will always be able to sit on grass or a rockless underground, you should be fine. So, it’s still an option for shorter backpacking trips or for an overnight camping trip. Also, with an r-value of 3.1 it’s one of the warmer options! It might also be great for winter camping.
All in all, this is not the best seat pad for serious hiking trips. However, I would recommend this to people who might have multiple uses for it (during flights, long car trips, canoeing, backpacking). However, try to avoid a rugged underground with a lot of loose rocks, it won’t survive too much of that.
Once again, if you want to know the latest price, you can take a look on amazon: Exped Air Seat
4. Therm-a-Rest Trail Seat Cushion
weight: 4 ounces | 16 x 12 x 1.5 inches | folded: 6 x 2.5 inches | Price: $$
The last option on the list is another product from Therm-a-Rest. It’s a self-inflating lightweight seat pad that can be used for hiking, backpacking, but also for various other outdoor activities.
This product is pretty similar to the Exped air seat. I would say that this product is slightly more rugged, durable and a bit less expensive. But the Exped Air Seat will be slightly more comfortable.
If comfort is one of your top priorities, I would recommend the Exped Air Seat over this one. However, if this isn’t the case, I feel like the Therm-a-Rest Trail Seat is the right option for you.
If you can live with the fact that this seat pad weighs 1.4 ounces more than the Klymit V Seat, I would also recommend this one over the Klymit. The Klymit is awesome, but there is a very clear trade-off between weight and comfort.
Most hikers and backpackers care a lot about weight. However, if this doesn’t matter that much for you, it might make more sense to buy the Therm-a-Rest Trail seat cushion instead.
You can find the latest price on amazon: Therm-a-Rest Trail Seat Cushion
5. Redcamp Foam Hiking Seat Pad
weight: 1.9 ounces | 15.75 x 11 x 0.5 inches | folded: 11 x 3.94 x 1.7 inches | Price: $
It’s very affordable, but slightly worse overall than the Therm-a-Rest pad.
It’s not as thick, not as comfortable, it’s durable – but not as durable. However, it’s still a great seat pad for outdoor adventures when you are on a budget.
One advantage of this seat pad is that it’s slightly lighter than any alternative on the list, making it the winner in the weight section.
The product can be found on amazon: Redcamp Foam Hiking Seat Pad
What is a CCF pad?
CCF stand for closed-cell foam. The first option on this list (the Therm-a-Rest Z Seat) is an example of a CCF seat pad.
All the inflatable options are not CCF. It’s also used in insulation materials – which makes perfect sense because we are also looking for insulation in seat pads and sleeping pads.
I don’t want to get too scientific here. However, if you do care about the scientific part, you can check out this article about Closed Cell Foam.
Inflatable vs foam seating pads
I have talked a lot about inflatable and foam seating pads. However, you might not necessarily know what is best for you. What are the ups and downs for each option?
To be honest, it’s pretty simple. Inflatable seating pads are often considered a lot more comfortable, but having that comfort comes at a huge price.
The downsides of inflatable seat pads:
- They are often heavier than CCF seat pads (this isn’t always true for sleeping pads, but it is for seat pads)
- They are not as rugged – once there is a leak it becomes totally useless
- They are more expensive (not always the case, but most of the time)
For most backpackers and hikers, I will always recommend to give up some comfort and enjoy all the other CCF seat pad benefits.
What’s important in a seat pad
Type
As I already discussed, the choice between an inflatable vs a foam seat pad is a pretty important decision.
Warmth
Just like sleeping pads, seat pads have a “warmth rating” called the R-Value. Now, the R-value would definitely be more important in a sleeping pad because this will keep you warm during the entire night. If you get too cold when sitting on a seat pad, you could simply stand up and move around for a while.
Still, you bring a seat pad with you to be more comfortable. Well, being cold on your pad doesn’t really sound like it’s a very comfortable experience. Therefore, I would always take a look at the R-value before buying a seat pad.
Now, I must say that this is really only important when you are hiking/camping/backpacking in colder areas. Especially when you would use it during the winter and the ground would be covered with snow.
Weight
Weight is usually especially important for hikers and alpinists. It’s less of an issue if you are going on a camping trip and you don’t need to cover much ground.
Some hikers would do anything to keep their backpack as light as possible. However, a seat pad is technically a luxury item (it’s not essential like a sleeping pad, a sleeping bag, hiking boots…). The hikers who care that much about going ultralight usually don’t even bring a seat pad.
However, a seat pad is one of the most brought luxury items on hiking trips, simply because it provides so much value.
I have also heard about hikers who use a groundsheet as a seat pad. It won’t be as comfortable and it won’t provide as much warmth, but it still makes sense because it won’t add any weight if you would bring a groundsheet anyway.
Size & comfort
Last but not least, size & comfort is also an obvious important factor. For some people a foam pad is just fine, but others might think this is not comfortable at all, they might feel like there is little difference between sitting on the floor.
As usual, it depends from person to person. So think about how comfortable you want your seat pad to be.
Also, keep in mind that the size might also be an important factor to look at if you are somewhat bigger than the average person. Otherwise, the pad will probably not be comfortable either.
Conclusion
If you are still not sure what seat pad is right for you, let me quickly wrap things up for you.
- Don’t absolutely hate a CCF seat pad? Simply go with the Therm-a-Rest Z Seat. It’s such an awesome product for a very affordable price. If It’s still too expensive, the Redcamp foam pad makes a great CCF budget option.
- Want to have the lightest inflatable seat pad, perfect for hiking and backpacking? The Klymit V Seat would be the right option for you!
- Is comfort the most important factor? Go with the Exped Air Seat – make sure that you avoid very rugged/rocky undergrounds, tho.
- Want a good inflatable hiking seat pad and are you ok with carrying an additional 1.4 ounces? The Therm-a-Rest Trail Seat Cushion is the perfect match for you.
That wraps it up, if you have any experience with any of these seat pads, please let me know your findings in the comments below. Also, if you have any other recommendations, I would love to hear them!
Oh and if you are also looking for a solid sleeping pad (especially if you care about your budget) I would suggest you check out the following article as well: best cheap sleeping pads for camping and backpacking.
Also, if you care a lot more about comfort than weight, you might consider a good camping chair over a seat pad: Best cheap camping chairs.
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