Bottom Line
The Exped Ultra 6.5R is a reliable, all-season sleeping pad that balances warmth, comfort, and packability better than most. It’s warm enough to handle true winter conditions, yet still light enough to bring along year-round.
The combination of vertical baffles, plush thickness, and supportive side rails creates a stable sleeping platform that caters especially well to side sleepers. The rectangular shape (and wider options) gives you more usable space, which is nice for anyone who shifts positions throughout the night.
We tested the Ultra 6.5R on a weeklong trip through the Grand Canyon and during chilly overnights in the Rocky Mountains, and it delivered solidly across a range of conditions. However, if you’re sticking to warm-weather trips or prioritizing minimal weight, this pad may be more than you need. We have more favorites reviewed in our best sleeping pads gear guide.
How We Tested
We tested the Ultra 6.5R on a weeklong backpacking trip through the Grand Canyon, along with several chilly overnights in the Rocky Mountains. These trips gave us a mix of warm desert camps and colder alpine conditions to evaluate the comfort, warmth, durability, and overall ease of use in real-world settings.
Quick Specs
Exped Ultra 6.5R
Best Cold-Weather Sleeping Pad
CleverHiker Rating: 4.5/5.0
Price: $200
Weight: 1 lb. .2 oz.
R-Value: 6.9
Thickness: 3.5 in.
Pros
- Comfy
- Many size/shape options
- Warm
- Packable
- Reasonably lightweight for warmth
Cons
- Not the most durable
- Not the lightest
Comfort
The Exped Ultra 6.5R provides above-average comfort for all-season use. The medium width version is 72 inches long, 20.5 inches wide, and a comfy 3.5 inches thick. Blown up to full capacity, 3.5 inches is plenty thick enough for most people not to bottom out.
Although most companies seem to be phasing out vertical baffles, we think the ones on the Exped Ultra are quite comfortable. The side rails aren’t huge, but the vertical baffles help to hug the body to keep you in place. Side sleepers will especially appreciate the forgiving feel of the vertical baffles.
The top plastic sheet is pretty standard for inflatable pads – nothing especially cozy or comfortable. Larger folks might also consider sizing up to the 25.6-inch medium wide version, as we found the regular one a little on the narrow side.
Weight & Packability
The Exped Ultra prioritizes a large sleeping surface and ample insulation over major weight savings. That said, it’s an average weight for an inflatable sleeping pad, especially considering how warm and comfortable it is. The long wide version is only 5 ounces more.
The pad is super easy to roll up thanks to its simple shape and flexible fabric, and the stuff sack has plenty of extra room so you don’t feel like you’re trying to stuff 10 pounds into a 5-pound bag.
Durability
The Ultra 6.5R sacrifices a little in the durability department to keep the pad light and warm. Most air pads use fabrics in the 30–40 denier range, while this model relies on 20-denier ripstop polyester throughout. It’s not the most fragile pad out there, but it does require a bit more care in use and site selection. If you’re sleeping on snow, the chances of ripping the 20D polyester are much lower.
We recommend pairing the pad with a Thinlight foam pad for extra protection. If you do happen to get a puncture, the included field repair kit makes it relatively straightforward to handle fixes in the backcountry. One point of noticeable durability is the inflate and deflate valves, which can be common leak points on other pads.
Warmth
One of the standout features of this pad is its 4-season warmth. It uses microfiber insulation as well as layers of reflective foil to achieve an impressive 6.9 R-value. That’s plenty for most winter conditions, and is even overkill for the summer. Combined with a 3.5-inch thickness, this pad is rated for use in temperatures down to -31ºF. Pair this baby with a foam pad in the winter, and you’ll be cookin’ with gas.
Ease of Setup
The Ultra 6.5R is pretty straightforward to set up, apart from a couple of quirks. The included “Schnozzel” pump sack creates a firm connection to the pad and has a large opening that makes it easy to capture lots of air. We were able to get the pad entirely inflated with just 3 fills of the pump sack. The pump sack saves your lungs and keeps moisture out of the pad.
If anything, the pump sack is a little overbuilt – with a buckle roll top enclosure and a valve cap. In our experience, we’ve found these things to be unnecessary, and they do add more weight. The pump sack weighs 2.8 ounces, but for less than an ounce more, you could get the electric Ultra pump for truly effortless inflation.
Our only other gripe is the placement of the inflate and deflate valves. They’re located on the underside of the pad, which can make them a bit tricky to find in the middle of the night. On the plus side, they stay out of the way of your pillow, and the fine-tune adjustment valve is a nice touch for dialing in firmness.
Should You Buy the Exped ultra 6.5R?
The Exped Ultra 6.5R is a great do-it-all sleeping pad for year-round use. It delivers enough insulation for winter conditions while remaining light and packable enough to justify carrying on shoulder-season and even summer trips. For backpackers who want one pad to cover a wide range of conditions, it’s a good piece to build a sleep system around.
The vertical baffles, side rails, and generous thickness make for a very comfortable surface, especially for side sleepers. Sprawlers and larger folks will appreciate the rectangular shape and the availability of wider options for even more room to spread out.
If you’re primarily a warm-weather backpacker, an ultralight enthusiast, or trying to keep costs down, the Ultra 6.5R may be more pad than you need. There are lighter and more affordable options that handle typical three-season conditions without the added bulk and insulation.
What Other Backpacking Pads Should You Consider?
Check out our full guide to backpacking sleeping pads to find out which one is most compatible with your sleeping style.
Big Agnes Divide Insulated Review: The Divide is one of the best budget buys on our list and features a similar design and comfort to the Ultra 6.5R. It has vertical baffles, generous thickness, and a rectangular shape but it’s significantly heavier.
Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft Review: If optimum comfort is what you’re after, backpacking pads don’t get much more plush than the NeoLoft. You’ll take a weight penalty and spend a little more money, but the comfort of this thing is crazy.
Therm-a-Rest XTherm NXT Review: The XTherm provides the same level of warmth as the Ultra (actually a little bit more) but features a different baffle design that might be better for stomach or back sleepers. The horizontal baffles are stiffer and more supportive than vertical baffles.
