Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated sleeping mat | Tested and reviewed

The real selling point of the Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated mat is its price. It feels like it has the credentials and feature-set to be priced closer to £200, so at £150 it represents excellent value for money. The R-value of 4.8 is particularly impressive considering the price-tag. Indeed, it’s a warmth upgrade compared to other more expensive sleeping mats such as the Sea to Summit Ether Light XR (4.1 R-value, £205) and Mountain Equipment Mirrostat 7.0 (4.5 R-value, £200).

The catch? The only real drawback of the Rapide SL is its weight. It clocks in at 607g including mat (538g), pump sack (53g), storage bag (12g) and repair kit (4g), which is slightly heftier than its competitors.

The Ether Light XR and Mirrostat 7.0 are 60g and 77g lighter respectively, while the Rab Ultrasphere 4.5 (4.3 R-value, £170) offers an even bigger weight saving of 144g.

The Rapid SL’s rectangular profile (183x51cm) adds roominess compared to mummy-tapered pads, and the 10.8cm-thick vertical baffles (featuring Big Agnes’ “offset I-Beam construction”) deliver good levels of comfort, support and stability.

Inflation and deflation are very straight-forward too, via the included pump sack and high-tech dual valve. On our first attempt, it only took a few minutes and four loads of the pump sack to fully inflate.

Comfort

The Rapide features vertical baffles and something of a gridded texture that helps the vertical ridges to be less pronounced as some. This is the offset I-Beam construction at play, designed to provide multi-directional support and stability for a more even-feeling sleeping sensation.

I don’t usually get on that well with vertical baffles but I found the Rapide to be pretty comfortable – around an 8/10. It’s not the plushest pad in the world but nor is there anything wrong with it in this regard.

When it comes to comfort, one camper’s ideal mat is different to the next person, so it’s always a good idea to try a few different designs before you buy to get a sense of what suits you as an individual. I prefer horizontal baffles or more textured mats to those with a vertical structure, though you may think differently.

Materials, shape and size

The pad’s fabric is made from a durable, superlight nylon double ripstop that’s a little more rugged than some of the lighter pad’s we’ve tested.

As usual, there’s TPU lamination – in this case ‘aviation grade’, according to Big Agnes – to enhance the pad’s durability. When all is said and done, the materials at play here provide a decent compromise between lightweight qualities and the robustness needed for wild camping adventures.

I tested the ‘regular’ version (20”x72”), which measures 183x51cm – fairly standard for a single sleeping pad. Unlike many backpacking mats, it’s got a rectangular profile, rather than a weight-saving, tapered mummy design. This adds a touch of roominess to the footprint.

As well as the regular version, there are footprints available to suit a variety of individuals, with a shorter version (168cm in length) and a longer version (198cm); wider (63.5cm) versions of the regular and long mats; and, finally, a spacious double version that’s 102cm wide with the standard 183cm length.

This weighs over a kilogram and, unsurprisingly, has a large, packed size, so isn’t ideal for the trails. However, it’s an option for wild camping couples who’d rather carry in just one, albeit large, pad or for car campers searching for a good camping mattress.

Inflation and deflation

Inflation and deflation have been carefully considered, with a dual valve system comprising two separate labelled holes, each with a cap over it. The ‘In’ hole is a one-way valve for inflation, meaning no air escapes while it is open.

However, like Nemo’s Tensor Elite, it also features a teat-like micro-adjustment feature that enabled me to fine tune the inflation by letting a little bit of air escape with each press. The ‘Out’ hole is basically the air plug – to deflate, I simply removed the cap and rolled the mat up.

As is often the case nowadays, the pad comes with an inflation sack that you blow into and then attach to the pad to inflate – in this case, it’s called the Pumphouse inflation set.

The advantage of these kinds of sacks is that they stop unwanted moisture getting into the mat’s interior, which can lead to mould build up in the long term. It took me around four sack-fulls to fully inflate the pad first time around. All in all, an effective and modern inflation-deflation system.

Warmth and R-value

If it’s insulation you’re after, you get a lot of bang for your buck with the Rapide. Boasting an R-value of 4.8, its insulating ability is better than many more expensive pads.

The caveat here is that much of the competition, such as Sea to Summit’s Ether Light XR or Mountain Equipment’s Mirrostat, feature better warmth-to-weight ratios and are, therefore, substantially lighter.

Nevertheless, the Rapide is more than suited to 3-season adventuring and only just falls short of suitability for winter.

There are two layers of heat-reflecting film hidden within the pad, designed to bounce heat back towards the body. It’s the same technology used in emergency blankets and in spacecraft, when it’s used in reverse to reflect harmful energy from the sun in the opposite direction. Next time anyone tells you your pad isn’t very “spacious”, tell them that.

It’s thicker than most, at 10.8cm, and the internal air chambers also trap warm air, keeping you insulated from the cold, hard ground beneath your tent.

Weight and packed size

The Rapide isn’t at the cutting edge of lightweight packability but it’s still pretty decent as a wild camping option. Packed down, it’s nicely compact and not too much larger than one of those 1-litre Nalgene bottles that gets carted out whenever outdoor brands need a size comparison. I measured it as 23x10cm – not the smallest, but not bad.

Big Agnes has a bit of a reputation for ultralight kit but this isn’t a product that will enhance this perception. The pad itself weighs 538g, while there’s also the weight of the pump sack (53g), storage bag (12g) and repair kit (all 4g of it) to reckon with in your backpack.

All together, it weighs in at 607g – hardly the kind of weight a former SAS Commando would boast about carrying up Pen y Fan, but it’s twice the weight (and then some) of a pad like Nemo’s Tensor Elite. So, OMM runners and ultralight mountain goats should apply elsewhere.

However, considering the durability and decent price of the Rapide, it all feels like a decent compromise for most people – a pretty versatile pad, then.

Verdict

The Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated is a great all-rounder of a sleeping mat with a 4.8 R-value at an affordable price-tag of £150 – but it’s a touch on the heavy side.

Want to have the most comfortable sleep possible? You might want to check out our list of the best sleeping bags and the best camping pillows, too.

About the author

James Forrest writes regular features and route guides for Trail and LFTO, and has been one of our main gear testers for the last few years. James is based on the edge of the Lake District so when he isn’t off on his latest crazy adventure or challenge, he’s walking in his local fells.