Nemo Tensor Elite sleeping mat | Tested and reviewed

The Nemo Tensor Elite is a sleeping mat that's all about one thing: saving grams. For weight-conscious wild campers, this mat is a revelation, delivering surprisingly impressive comfort, stable cushioning and well-executed features, despite weighing a featherlight 326g.

If you ditch the storage bag (12g), Velcro strap for keeping the mat tightly rolled (3g) and Vortex Pump Sack (63g), you can even achieve a trail weight of just 248g, the weight of the mat itself – now that's ultralight. Packed way, it’s incredibly dinky, too – not much wider or taller than a Coke can.

The R-value is 2.4, which is not 3-season suitable, but it’s ideal for spring and summer adventures. The shape is a tapered mummy, which feels a tad narrow, thin and lacking in spaciousness, but ultimately does the job, and comfort levels are good courtesy of Nemo’s grid-like Apex baffles.

Made from 10-denier Cordura, everything about the mat feels premium and well-designed, and we particularly loved the inflation-deflation system. The pump sack is quick and efficient (only 2.5 sets to fully inflate) while the Laylow valve has a really clever micro-adjustment system for air pressure fined-tuned to your preference.

Our only concern is whether the ultralight build lacks long-term durability.

Comfort

Considering Nemo has done everything in its power to make the Tensor Elite as featherlight and packable as possible, it’s still pretty comfortable. I’d rate it at around a 7 or 8/10. It features horizontal baffles with a gridded texture, providing a relatively even sleeping surface.

Personally, I prefer horizontal baffles to vertical ones, which can feel a little ridgy, so I certainly got on well with the design of the Tensor Elite.

It's worth stressing here that comfort is highly subjective and what one camper finds cosy is different to the next. The best thing to do is to try a range of sleeping pad designs. You may discover you prefer vertical baffles to horizontal ones, or you may find a flatter surface suits better.

Materials, shape and size

The materials, size and shape of the Tensor Elite are all geared towards lightweight packability. The outer fabric is a 10-denier ripstop Cordura nylon, vanishingly light and tougher than its barely-there feel would suggest, thanks to Cordura’s advanced fabric design. The fabric is also bluesign-approved, so has been produced to have a minimal impact on people and the environment.

Nevertheless, this is not the most rugged option on the market and I’ll be interested to see how easy it would be to puncture, as well as how durable it’ll be in the long term. Having said that, it does come with Nemo’s Lifetime Warranty, so the brand should sort any issues, within reason of course.

When it comes to shape, Nemo has opted for the kind of gram-shaving, lightly-tapered mummy design seen in so many backpacker’s sleeping pads. I tested the regular version, which measures 183x51cm, which is a pretty standard size, but also far from the biggest footprint out there.

Unlike many pads, there’s no lengthier alternative either, only an even shorter, 160cm-long version. It’s fair to say that there won’t be many Premiership goalkeepers or NBA players rocking up at the campsite with the Tensor Elite – mind you, they’ve got the cash to go glamping anyway. I digress… If you want a large mat profile, apply elsewhere.

Inflation and deflation

Nemo’s products often feature a certain amount of flair when it comes to design and flair is certainly present here in the superb inflation system. The triple-layered, low-profile valve and Vortex Pump Sack create one of the best systems we’ve seen, making for quick and efficient inflation and deflation.

Like Sea to Summit’s Ether range and Rab’s Ultrasphere, the valve features two caps: one that pops off and allows inflation without letting any air out; another that acts like a plug, letting air escape easily when removed for rapid deflation.

The ingenious bit is the little nipple-like protrusion on the valve that allowed me to make tiny adjustments to the pad’s air pressure. Each press lets out a little bit of air, allowing me to fine-tune the mat to my requirements.

Then, there’s the Vortex Pump Sack, used instead of blowing the pad up directly by mouth. This has the advantage of keeping most condensation out of the pad’s interior, which can lead to mould over time. I found that two-and-a-half sack-fulls was enough to fully inflate the Tensor Elite. Fast, efficient and very clever.

Warmth and R-value

Of Nemo’s Tensor pads, the Elite is the lightest and has the lowest R-value: 2.4. This makes it suitable for summer and the warmer ends of the shoulder seasons, but I’d want something that insulates better for cold days in March, April, October and November.

So, if you’re not bothered about winter camping and you’re looking for an all-rounder, the 5.4 R-value offered by the Tensor All-Season is a better option.

On the other hand, if you’re serious about both summer and winter camping adventures, the best option might be to go for the Tensor Elite for speedy summer missions and use the Tensor Extreme for winter and everything else in between. However, this two-pad approach doesn’t come cheap!

To achieve its insulating properties, the Tensor Elite features a single layer of ‘Thermal Mirror’ Mylar, a polyester film that reflects heat back towards the body.

Overall the mat is about 8cm thick, which isn’t as plush or deep as some, though enough to insulate effectively from the ground below. The 8cm thickness is comparable to the Rab Ultrasphere 4.5, which suggests 8cm is a common, average thickness size for an ultralight mat.

Weight and packed size

When it comes to packability, the Tensor Elite is up there with the best, comparable to Rab’s Ultrasphere with the added bonus that it’s not a nightmare to stuff into its sack (unlike the Rab).

I measured the packed size as 15x9cm, though Nemo suggest the stuff sack is even smaller (14x8cm) on its website. Either way, it’s still a mightily small unit, not much bigger than a Coke can.

It’s also ultralight, at 326g, putting it in the same league as Thermarest’s superb NeoAir XLite NXT. However, the XLite has the edge in terms of warmth-to-weight, with an impressive 4.5 R-Value, while it’s also slightly cheaper.

As you may have already gathered, to achieve this low weight, Nemo has made compromises in terms of size, the materials used and the resulting R-value.

I measured the mat itself to be a featherlight 248g, while much of the rest of the package’s weight is the Vortex Pump Sack (63g), with the storage bag (12g) and a Velcro strap (3g) finishing things off.

Whether or not you think the weight saving is enough to justify a pad that insulates less effectively will depend on how gram obsessed you are. An all-rounder, like Rab’s Ultrasphere, may be a better option if weight isn’t the be-all-and-end-all, while it’s difficult to ignore the impressive stats of Thermarest’s NeoAir XLite NXT too, when placed in direct comparison.

Features

Repair patches are included with the pad for emergency fixes while out in the wild. Nemo provides how to videos on its website to deal with such situations.

Verdict

The Nemo Tensor Elite is an amazingly featherlight sleeping mat (248g) with surprisingly impressive comfort levels, designed for gram-saving ultralight enthusiasts – but it’s not very warm.

Complete the ultimate camp setup with our lists of the best sleeping bags and the best one-person tents.

About the author

James Forrest is a prolific peak bagger and long-distance walker who’s one of the most high-profile outdoor writers in the UK. He writes regular features and route guides for Trail 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. James reviews every type of outdoor kit for Trail and is a real authority on everything you need for wild camping and packing light for a multi-day walk.