Sea to Summit vs NEMO Sleeping Pad: Ether Light XR or Tensor?
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Sea to Summit vs NEMO is a choice between a plush pad and a warm one. The two makers list the same 72 x 25 inch size, but the Sea to Summit Ether Light XR is 3.9 inches thick with an R-value of 4.1, while the NEMO Tensor All-Season is 3.5 inches thick with an R-value of 5.4. We read both makers' pages and both Amazon listings on 9 October 2026, then read what independent testers found.
Quick answer
Checked on 9 October 2026. Pick the NEMO Tensor All-Season if warmth and weight come first: its maker lists R 5.4 and 530 g in the Regular Wide size. Pick the Sea to Summit Ether Light XR if you want the plusher, thicker pad for three-season trips: its maker lists 3.9 inches of thickness and R 4.1. In a nine-pad field test, both made the finals.
Both, with a buy button each
Sea to Summit Ether Light XR (Rectangular Regular)
Plush, thick and roomy, with a pump sack built into the stuff sack. Sold by Sea to Summit North America. Read more
NEMO Tensor All-Season (Regular Wide)
Warmer and lighter on paper, with a Vortex pump sack. Sold by NEMO Equipment, 100+ bought last month. Read more
Where to go deeper
An R-value is not a temperature rating. Sea to Summit says on its own page that temperature "ratings" for sleeping pads are estimates based on air temperature, and that an R-value of 4.1 is suitable down to conditions where a hard frost might occur. Your sleeping bag and your clothes still matter.
How we compared them
The NomadsToolsLab team read both makers' product pages on 9 October 2026 and checked both Amazon pages with a US delivery address; every number in the table comes from the makers' pages unless we name a tester. What surprised us: the thicker pad is not the lighter or the warmer one. In the same 72 x 25 inch size, Sea to Summit lists 605 g and NEMO lists 530 g, and NEMO's R 5.4 is well above 4.1.
The test we found that put both in the field is a video from Outdoor Empire (May 2025): nine backpackers slept on nine pads over three nights. The NEMO Tensor All-Season came out as the best overall pad, with two testers in one group giving it 5 out of 5, and the Ether Light XR was a "dang close second" that got the most up-votes for its design, its pump sack and its roomy surface. Their kitchen scale found the NEMO 20.3 oz and the Sea to Summit 21.9 oz (long and wide sizes, pad only). In their phone-app noise test the two came out close, but the NEMO sounded more crinkly. They say in the video that some of the pads, including both of these, were given to them for free. Better Trail (July 2025) rates the XR the second-plushest pad it tested and calls the fabric noticeably quieter than the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir line, but heavier than pads with similar R-values.
Our conclusion: warmth and weight go to the NEMO, comfort and cushion to the Sea to Summit.
Sea to Summit vs NEMO at a glance
| Sea to Summit Ether Light XR | NEMO Tensor All-Season | Therm-a-Rest XLite NXT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Sea to Summit Ether Light XR: 72 x 25 in | NEMO Tensor All-Season: 72 x 25 in | Therm-a-Rest XLite NXT: 72 x 25 in |
| R-value | Sea to Summit Ether Light XR: 4.1 | NEMO Tensor All-Season: 5.4 | Therm-a-Rest XLite NXT: 4.5 |
| Thickness | Sea to Summit Ether Light XR: 3.9 in | NEMO Tensor All-Season: 3.5 in | Therm-a-Rest XLite NXT: 3 in |
| Weight (maker) | Sea to Summit Ether Light XR: 605 g | NEMO Tensor All-Season: 530 g | Therm-a-Rest XLite NXT: 1 lb (0.45 kg) |
| Packed size | Sea to Summit Ether Light XR: 9 x 5 x 5 in | NEMO Tensor All-Season: 10.5 x 4 in diameter | Therm-a-Rest XLite NXT: 11 x 4.6 in |
| Fabric | Sea to Summit Ether Light XR: Nylon, denier not listed | NEMO Tensor All-Season: 20D top, 40D bottom | Therm-a-Rest XLite NXT: 30D top and bottom |
| Amazon, 9 Oct 2026 | Sea to Summit Ether Light XR: In stock, Sea to Summit NA | NEMO Tensor All-Season: In stock, NEMO, 100+ bought | Therm-a-Rest XLite NXT: In stock, Amazon.com, 100+ bought |
The sizes are the Regular Rectangular (Sea to Summit) and Regular Wide (NEMO, Therm-a-Rest) versions. Weights are the makers' own and are measured slightly differently, so the testers' scale numbers above are the fairer comparison.
1. Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated (Rectangular Regular)
Sea to Summit Ether Light XR (Rectangular Regular)
The Sea to Summit Ether Light XR is built with Air Sprung Cells and ThermalCore insulation. Sea to Summit's page lists an ASTM-tested R-value of 4.1, 10 cm (3.94 in) of thickness, 605 g (21.3 oz) and 665 g (23.5 oz) packed for the Regular Rectangular Wide size, and a packed size of 9 x 5 x 5 inches. The stuff sack has an integrated pump sack and the pad comes with PillowLock patches and a repair kit. The maker says all its sleep products are free of PFAS and flame retardants.
On 9 October 2026 the listing we link (Rectangular, Regular, 72 x 25 x 4 inches) showed In Stock with an Add to cart button, shipped by Amazon and sold by Sea to Summit North America, with a 30-day refund or replacement. The page showed no category rank and no bought-last-month figure.
The trade-offs, per the testers: Better Trail found it heavier than pads with similar R-values, the fabric slightly clammy and plasticky, and the dual-tab valve able to dump air if both tabs are pulled by accident. Per the maker, mouth-inflating takes 20 or more breaths, so use the pump sack, and dry the inside before long storage.
2. NEMO Tensor All-Season Insulated (Regular Wide)
NEMO Tensor All-Season (Regular Wide)
The NEMO Tensor All-Season uses Spaceframe baffles and two suspended layers of Thermal Mirror film. NEMO's page lists R 5.4, 3.5 inches of thickness, a minimum weight of 530 g (1 lb 3 oz) and a packed weight of 620 g (1 lb 6 oz) for the Regular Wide size, with a packed size of 10.5 x 4 inches. It uses 20D nylon on top and 40D on the bottom, a Laylow valve and an included Vortex pump sack.
On 9 October 2026 the Regular Wide listing we link showed In Stock with an Add to cart button, shipped by Amazon and sold by NEMO Equipment, with a 30-day refund or replacement and 100+ bought in the past month. The page showed no category rank.
The trade-offs, per the testers: Outdoor Empire found it slightly noisier than the Exped and the NeoLoft, and Better Trail found it about half an inch thinner than the Ether Light XR, so less cushion.
Also worth a look: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT (Regular Wide)
The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT is the third pad from the same nine-pad test. Therm-a-Rest's page lists R 4.5, 3 inches of thickness, 1 lb (0.45 kg) and a packed size of 11 x 4.6 inches for the Regular Wide, 30D nylon top and bottom, and a pump sack, stuff sack and repair kit in the box. In the nine-pad test it finished mid-pack: the lightest pad they tested, but the testers rated the Ether Light XR above it. On 9 October 2026 the listing was in stock, sold by Amazon.com, with 100+ bought last month.
Which one to pick
You sleep cold or camp in shoulder seasons: the NEMO, with R 5.4 against 4.1. You are a side sleeper who wants more cushion: the Sea to Summit, 3.9 inches thick with raised side rails, which Better Trail found stable for tossing and turning. You count every gram: the NEMO, or the Therm-a-Rest if its lower warmth fits your trip. You want the easiest inflation: both include a pump sack, and Outdoor Empire's testers praised the Sea to Summit's.
For the rest of the kit see our cargo van conversion guide, the best headlamp for camping, Jetboil vs MSR and our digital nomad packing list.
- Same 72 x 25 inch size. Sea to Summit lists R 4.1, 3.9 inches and 605 g; NEMO lists R 5.4, 3.5 inches and 530 g.
- In Outdoor Empire's nine-pad test, the NEMO was best overall and the Ether Light XR a close second.
- Both include a pump sack. On 9 October 2026 both were in stock on Amazon.
Watch: the nine-pad test
Video by Outdoor Empire. Their description has affiliate links, and they say some pads, including the NEMO and Sea to Summit, were given to them for free.
Nine backpackers rotate through nine pads over three nights; the NEMO Tensor All-Season, Sea to Summit Ether Light XR and Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT are all in it.
NEMO Tensor All-Season (Regular Wide)
Sea to Summit Ether Light XR (Rectangular Regular)
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT (Regular Wide)
FAQ
Is the Sea to Summit Ether Light XR or the NEMO Tensor All-Season warmer?
The NEMO. Its maker lists R 5.4 against R 4.1 for the Ether Light XR, and Outdoor Empire lists the same two figures.
Which sleeping pad is more comfortable?
It depends on how you sleep. The Ether Light XR is 3.9 inches thick with raised side rails, and Better Trail rates it the second-plushest pad it tested. The NEMO is 3.5 inches thick, and two testers in one of Outdoor Empire's groups gave it 5 out of 5.
Which is lighter, the Sea to Summit or the NEMO?
The NEMO. For the 72 x 25 inch size the makers list 530 g for NEMO and 605 g for Sea to Summit. Outdoor Empire weighed long and wide sizes on a kitchen scale and got 20.3 oz for the NEMO and 21.9 oz for the Sea to Summit.
Are these pads noisy?
A little. Outdoor Empire measured an average of 33.9 dB for the NEMO and 32.6 dB for the Sea to Summit, and says the NEMO sounded more crinkly.
Do I need the pump sack?
Both pads include one. Sea to Summit says mouth-inflating the Ether Light takes 20 or more breaths.
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See our cargo van conversion guide and the Southeast Asia backpacking gear essentials.
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