Sleeping Pads for Bike Touring: A Superlight Option for Side Sleepers

By Logan

PUBLISHED Sep 17, 2013

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UPDATE: Check out our latest post with 6 new ultralight sleeping pads reviewed.

I have been sold on Big Agnes gear since I first stretched out the Air Core sleeping pad I got for my birthday 2 years ago. On our recent tour in Mexico and Central America I carried their Copper Spur UL3 tent, the Air Core Insulated sleeping pad and the Pitchpine SL sleeping bag. All of this gear was purchased based on reading solid reviews and being generally impressed by the feather-weight products in Big Agnes’ super and ultralight categories. Now that I am putting together an ultralight pannierless kit for an upcoming trip, I was glad to find that they have several new products that boast even lighter and smaller packages. Here are three tried and tested air chamber sleeping pads for bike touring (one non-Big Agnes). Two of which have a lot of road use from our recent tour.

Big Agnes Q-Core Sleeping Pad

The most interesting of the three is the Q-Core Super Light (SL) sleeping pad. It comes in several widths and lengths, in both rectangle and mummy. I chose the 20 x 78 x 3.25″ Mummy variation because of its packed size. It rolls nicely into a 3.5 x 11″ burrito-sized roll that can easily fit on a fork-mount cage or be strapped on to a rack. 

I had the opportunity to give it a go on our trip to Vermont and was very impressed. Because I’ve only used this pad a few times, I can’t vouch for its toughness, but it feels durable. I found the Q-Core to be even more comfortable than my Air Core. It seems slightly thicker and cozier. The dimpled, quilt style feels more plush, and the slightly loftier side rails keep you from rolling off of the pad. Some people complained when this pad was first released that it came up 2″ short of its claimed 20″ width. Mine actually measures slightly over 20″ when inflated, so I guess that was a kink that Big Agnes worked out. I can only hope that it holds up as well as my Air Core. Another plus for the Q-Core is the amount of time it takes to blow up. This could be attributable  to the mummy shape, but it seemed to take half of the time that I usually spend huffing and puffing my Air Core. My only complaint about this sleeping pad is the stuff sack. Mesh!? Not very durable or protective, but that’s hardly a deal-breaker.

Model/Size: Q-Core SL / 20 x 78 x 3.5″ Mummy
Actual Packed Size (no compression): 3.5″ x 11.25″
Actual Weight (including stuff sack and repair kit): 538 grams (18.9 ounces)

If you are interested in a detailed review of the Q-Core, check this out. Plus this guy’s beard is mesmerizing:

Big Agnes Insulated Air Core

I am briefly highlighting this pad because I have given it a thorough testing. Although it was slightly bulkier and heavier than I wanted, this is the pad I settled on for our Central American tour, and I have put in countless hours on it, in both ridiculously hot and fairly cold temperatures. I love this sleeping pad. I have honestly stated on several occasions that it’s more comfortable than most beds. However, it’s no superlight tiny packed roll like the new Q-Core. Never-the-less, it served me very well. Big Agnes has since re-worked the design slightly and the newest variation is a few ounces lighter and packs slightly smaller than its predecessor.

Model/Size: Insulated Air Core / 20 x 78 x 2.5″ Rectangle
Actual Packed Size: 5 x 9.25″
Actual Weight: 835 grams (29.4 oz)

Exped SynMat

My wife, Virginia, decided on this sleeping pad for our trip. I can vouch for it’s comfort and it’s durability, but other than that, I only included it here as a point of comparison. In my opinion, it’s heavier and slightly more noisy than the Big Agnes pads. Its only two benefits can be derived from its unique hand pump system. This system was designed to allow for mat inflation without filling the chambers with humidity from ones breath. I’m not really sure what advantage that ultimately provides. It also allows you to save your breath for more important things. Also, to let air out, you just op open the valve instead of having to lie and wait for the slower Big Agnes valve to expel all of its air. Despite those benefits, Gin is opting for a Big Agnes for our next tour. She finds the hand pump system to be a little awkward and more time consuming than the old fashioned Big Bad Wolf method.

Model/Size: SynMat / 20 x 72 x 2.8″ Rectangle
Actual Packed Size: 6.5 x 10″
Actual Weight: 886 grams (31.3 oz)