Big Agnes - Insulated AXL Air Sleeping Pad

Bought this to replace my neo air xlite women's because it's lighter and I thought this baffle style would be more comfortable. I took it out on the Batona trail in NJ this weekend with a 10 degree quit and froze my butt off. The temps were in the low 30s so I should've been fine with a 10 degree quit and a pad rated to 15 degrees. I was wearing every piece of clothing (baselayers, hooded down jacket, etc.) I brought and was still very cold. The pad felt like it was full of freezing air and was barely any warmer than the ground. Going back to my neo air.

Used the regular pad, not the mummy. Used it with the new Upper Slide 20* synthetic bag (see separate review). First used this combination in the Gunks. Temp got down to 24*. I did wear socks and thermals. Was very comfortable and plenty warm. This pad is as advertised when it comes to weight and how small it packs. What surprised me was how soft the material is. Filled all the way it's softer than any pads I've tried and doesn't have that stiff 'board' feel. Several more trips planned over the next several weeks where temps could dip into the teens. Will update...

Brought this pad on a spring camping trip in North Carolina. Nighttime temps hit the mid 20s and I had a 10* rated down quilt, I was freezing from below.

We bought these mats because I have bad knees and we were looking for quality, lightweight mats for a 10 day high Sierra trail hike. Half way through, one started to leak and we could not fix it with patches. We exchanged it, thinking it was one defective mat.

Slept on my new BA Insulated AXL Air pad this weekend during a backpacking trip near the Blue Ridge Pkwy in NC. Nighttime temps down to 38 deg.. I paired the pad with a BA Zirkel 20 deg sleeping bag (no down insulation on the bottom) and woke several times each night shivering from the cold pad. I used extra clothing and down jacket as insulate between me and the pad.

I have taken the regular sized rectangular pad out on a few trips with sleep temps ranging from high 30s to 50s. I have not personally had temperature issues. I use an ee revelation 20 degree quilt. Would like to add that on one particularly colder and very windy night the pad was so sufficient that I had to de-layer a bit and I am a colder sleeper (also a sloppy side/stomach sleeper).

It is telling that this product has been released for a full year and BA has not offered up an R rating. Last summer I hiked the JMT with this pad and I was cold at night. I have a 10 degree Feathered Friends sleeping bag, a silk liner, a (great) BA tent, and warm layers, and I could feel the cold from the ground. At one point in my hike, I lucked out and found a foil insulated bubble-wrap bag left at a campground by some day campers, and I was so cold that I cut it up and carried it with me for two more weeks as extra insulation under my BA pad. Ridiculous that I spent $180 on this pad and then carried bubble wrap around to stay warm! Keep up with that R&D, Big Agnes!

I recently bought this pad for my upcoming REI backpacking trip to Yosemite in July and was shocked on how incredibly loud it was. It was so loud that all my fellow backpackers on the group heard it and were talking about it at the campfire that morning.... In a very jovial way but somewhat serious way since it kept many of them up. I ended up sleeping on the ground for the rest of my trip so that everyone could get some sleep. The pad was lightweight, blew up quickly and very comfy but I honestly don't know how anyone could use this with another person.

Bought this for 180$ for the Hayduke Route, 800+ mile hike in Utah. Nights were sometimes in the teens, but mostly in the 20s. First night out was in the teens, was setting up camp, went to blow up my new pad and the valve was broken. The design is terrible. I couldn’t blow it up, had to shiver all night on the cold ground. Our water bottles froze solid. For 180$ it’s kinda insane how flimsy the valve design is. Had to go into Moab the next day and buy a NeoAir. Cheaper, high quality, I recommend it over this.

The good: it’s light and comfortable. The bad: it says insulated but doesn’t feel like it. I’m using it on the PCT right now and it feels like I’m lying on a block of ice.

Used the insulated regular wide pad on a 55* night and could feel the cold air coming up from the ground. No wonder big Agnes doesn’t provide an R Value for this pad. It felt the same as my 1.3 R valued amazon outdoorsman lab pad I got for $75. What a disappointment. Going back to the tried and true neo air xlite.

I bought this to replace and upgrade from my Thermarest neo light shorty. I used this for 2 weeks in August at Glacier NP and was not impressed with insulating properties in even moderate weather. I'm a side sleeper and even on a 45* night I could feel the chill on my ground side. Turn over and within 5 minutes my previously warm top side was feeling the chill. I was in a 30* bag and admittedly it is a good one, but nowhere near the quality of WM or Feathered friends. However, my neo light performed just fine with my bag. I'll be returning this and looking at a Thermarest. Also, it was a lot more difficult to get the last few cubic inches of air out so it would fit in the stuff sack.

So I was very happy with the weight and small packed size of this pad... first trip it seemed to go down some overnight but I thought maybe due to temperature drop. Second trip out with this pad by the third night it was only lasting about 3 hrs before I was on the ground. Was hoping it was a fluke and I was intending to return and try another but after reading all the other reviews of similar problems I am not going to chance it again. Pad was always used inside a tent. Also, I would say that I was very cold on a couple nights with this pad when the temps were only around 40F and I don’t usually get cold. That was with a 20F bag even. Wanted this pad to work out for me but it didn’t.

Used for the first and maybe last time in New Hampshire. The pad itself is comfortable, easy enough to use and lightweight but there is absolutely no insulation. I could feel the cold seeping up through it and had a miserable few nights. I bought this when it was first released and feel very misled by the temp ratings and claims put out by BA. Should have waited for more folks to use and review it! I really wanted this to be a replacement for my noisy and less-than-comfortable NeoAir Xlite but it's turned out to be a somewhat expensive mistake.

I returned the both the short and women's Thermarest light weight pad for this one. I love it. It is quiet when I turn over and that's good for me and others close by. I like that it doesn't deflate as I inflate it too. Too bad the short version isn't in the store as it would SELL. I had to order on REI on line.. I wish there was a SHORT version as there ARE 4 extra inches of weight that I don't us as I'm in the short range up to 5 ft 2 in and it is 5 ft 6 in. Please know its lighter weight is due to less stuff inside of it which reduces its % rating but Quiet is worth it

While this pad is very comfortable to lay on, it looses heat like an un-insulated mat. I would compare it to me nemo tensor which has no insulation. They claim it is good down to 15 degrees. That's a joke to me. Maybe if you pair it with a 0 degree bag. I used a 10 degree bag with this mat in 27 degree weather, no wind, and my entire backside was freezing. Anywhere that was touching the mat felt like a cold spot. If you look at the insulation under the light you can see how pathetic the insulation is. For the insane price of $240 for the 25x27, its not worth it. Allot of this mats comfort comes from its thick size. This also requires allot of air to blow up. While my S2S comfort plus is almost 10oz heavier, it achieves the same comfort with much less air, has 2 layers, is made with much heavier strength more durable material, is easier to deflate, and is way warmer. If you add in the extra layers you will need and the pumpsack it probably ends up being heavier at a more expensive price with less assurance. I own the thermarest neo air, xtherm, nemo tensor, and the S2S comfort plus for comparison.

I used my new mat on a 7-night backback trip. I was happy with its weight and compact size when deflated and rolled into its stuff sack. It is so much more comfortable than my old self-inflating sleeping pad. However, I'm not convinced paying the extra $ for the insulation was worth it. Also, it is very slippery - the first three night my bag kept slipping off the mat. I finally decided to try putting the mat IN the bag and sleeping on it that way. Since I use a liner in my sleeping bag it worked out. These mats are very noisy too. I could hear my partner squeaking in her tent, and she could hear me in mine.

First off, if you already have a pump sack that uses industry accepted inflation port size, it will not work with this pad as the port is too large. That's right, for some reason Big Agnes decided they would go with a proprietary inflate port size so you have to buy a pump sack from them. I will not purchase another pump sack when I already have one that fits four of my other pads.

First, this pad is very comfortable and very light. As a slide sleeper, I really enjoyed the thickness. However, the temperature rating on the pad is not at all accurate. I was cold on nights well within it’s designated range. It also didn’t seem to be durable. After a few trips it started losing air. I submerged it in water to try to find a hold but there wasn’t one. It would lose air slowly throughout the night and I’d wake up in the morning with my hip touching the ground. Because of this I returned it. I’m going to try out the yellow Big Agnes pad that is slightly heavier and made with the more durable fabric. Hopefully that will solve the cold and durability factors because other than that it was very comfortable.

It was only 45 degrees at night so I was not concerned about being cold especially with my 10 degree quilt, wool layers not to mention 3 of us in a 2-person tent (!!!) Sadly, I was surprisingly so cold all night on this iceberg, I mean sleep pad. While the pad claims to be a 3-season pad for temps as low as 15 degrees, I would strongly disagree. I immediately returned the next day knowing there'd be chillier nights on the trail and this was not the one for me.

I’ve got week of use on this pad so far and I’m very impressed. The reviews about poor cold weather performance nearly scared me off, but I’m glad I gave it a try. I’ve used it from 30-60 degrees with a 28 degree bag and been very comfortable. It packs down smaller and lighter than my SLX pad and is quieter than my Xtherm. The pump sack system is also very efficient and works better than those of other brands I've used.

the specs said this pad is quiet; Big Agnes solved the loud pad issue. While it is very comfortable, it is not quiet. I also like the pads with two valves, one for putting air in and one for letting air out. My other Big Agnes pad has a second valve. Before I get up, I open the out valve, and all the air rushes out. With this one, you have to open the cover and position it into the valve so it holds the flap open. It's more complicated. But, this pad is very light, and very comfortable!

The most comfortable pad I've used. I'm a side sleeper, and even with 2in pads, my hip would dig into the ground. This pad is super comfortable, for my hip and across my whole body. I totally disagree with the 15 degree rating. You can feel the cold coming through the pad.

I was so excited when I bought this pad, because it was so comfy. I could even fall asleep on my back without feeling like I was falling off. Then the first time I went camping and it got below 40 degrees, I could feel the cold of the ground through the pad. I mean to be fair I survived the night, but the temperature rating of this pad is a joke.

I had an uninsulated Nemo Tensor before the AXL. I slept warm on that in 30 degree weather. Using the exact same sleep system, but with the AXL I was so cold I shivered all night at 30. I noticed the cold was coming up from the ground. Returning this pad! It should be warmer than the Uninsulated Nemo Tensor not colder!

I bought this for in my hammock,and set it up in the back yard. I bought the regular mummy,as I wanted the lightest that I could get. The regular was very narrow,and thought that I would have to get the regular wide,but ay 50% more weight. I found that I could not sleep corner to corner with this pad. Even with moderate temperatures,it did not feel warm on my back,and would be cold at lower temps. I returned it and bougjt a new underquilt which converts into a pod. I tried it out in the back yard with the same temps and a big wind blowing,and was toasty in just a t-shirt. I know about the expense,but if you are going to sleep off of the ground,you need a good down underquilt. The money we spend on a phone wpuld more than pay for all of your camping needs.

Two Bikepacking trips with this pad and woke up cold both nights. I have several other Big Agnes pads and have had no problem. Second trip I took my -20 bag rather than my 30 degree bag and at 28 degrees I was still woken by cold from below. Love the size and weight but not worth carrying.

I tested my new Big Agnes Insulated AXL Air in a three-season room with one side window open.

I don't write too many reviews but on occasion a strong product stands out and deserves a good review. I have used a variety of pads in the past and this is by far the most technical one I have used. This pad is just over 10 ounces - 300 grams! Its super durable and the fabric is not stiff - feels great. The pad is compliant and packs down to a very small volume. But the best part is the comfort - three inches of air cushion. So far all nights have been solid. Super light, compact and a great night of rest - cant wait for backing season to start!