The Lightest Inflatable Sleeping Pad on the Market: Nemo Tensor Elite Review

The trail up Mt. Katadyn, the northern terminus and highest peak along the Appalachian Trail, often sits above the clouds and cuts through car-sized boulder fields to reach the summit. Gripping a rebar ladder rung on a vertical rock face, I carefully pick another spot for my foot. I now understand why the rangers here have a fleet of daypacks for AT hikers to borrow. 

After summiting Katadyn, I walked into the remote woods of northern Maine with the same pack full of the same gear I carried up the mountain. I stopped to make camp for the night in a good place to watch the sunset. I pitched my tent and began inflating the feather-light Nemo Tensor Elite sleeping pad.

This pad was brand new — to me and the world. As I lay atop my sub-9-ounce bed, I wondered if the gossamer-thin fabric would hold up all the way to Georgia. 

Over the next 2,200 miles and 100 nights, I often looked at the patch kit I carried, wondering when I’d need it for that insanely light sleeping pad. But I never ended up using it. Not even once.

In short: The Nemo Tensor Elite is the lightest inflatable sleeping pad on the market. For thru-hikers and gram-counting backpackers seeking a reliable ultralight sleeping pad, it delivers exceptional performance without the durability concerns that typically plague this category. It has an R-value of 2.4 that’s warm enough for summer to early shoulder season, plush 3-inch baffles to keep space between you and the hard ground, and an easy-to-use inflation valve system.

If you’re shopping for a backpacking sleeping pad, compare the NEMO Tensor Elite to others on GearJunkie’s Guide to the Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads.

NEMO Tensor Elite Sleeping Pad

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9.3

How we rate products ⓘ

Specifications

• Weight: 8.5 oz. (regular mummy), 8.3 oz. without the stuff sack
• Baffle thickness: 3"
• R-value: 2.4
• Lengths available: Regular mummy (72") and short mummy (63")
• Width: 20"
• Packed size: 3" x 5.5"
• Fabric: 10D Cordura nylon ripstop
• Insulation: Aluminized film

Pros

• The lightest inflatable sleeping pad available
• Impressive durability
• Comfortable 3-inch thickness
• Relatively quiet
• Effective included pump sack

Cons

• Slightly slippery face fabric
• 2.4 R-value limits four-season use

Sam Schild

NEMO Tensor Elite Sleeping Pad Review

The Lightest Sleeping Pad Available

The NEMO Tensor Elite balances featherweight design with trail-worthy construction. Its 8.5-ounce trail weight includes the stuff sack (but doesn’t count the Vortex Pump Sack). It is the lightest inflatable sleeping pad currently available.

I’ve used the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT for ultralight backpacking for years. The XLite, a full 4 ounces heavier than the Tensor Elite, was previously the lightest insulated sleeping pad available. But now the Tensor Elite has taken that title.

The Tensor Elite practically disappears in your pack and weighs about as much as four energy bars (or a bag of Fritos for all you thru-hikers). It’s stupid light, so it’s a smart upgrade for your ultralight kit. 

Summer Weight Pad

Its 2.4 R-value is warm enough for summer backpacking trips. Depending on how warm you sleep, you may be able to use it in shoulder-season conditions.

I had planned to switch to my NeoAir XLite NXT, which has an R-value of 4.5, if conditions became too cold on the Appalachian Trail. I mainly had balmy conditions for most of the trail until the last 200 miles, when the temperatures dropped. But by that point, I didn’t want to deal with swapping out pads, so I foolhardily kept rocking the Tensor Elite.

The coldest night I slept with the Tensor Elite was about 15 degrees Fahrenheit. That was beyond this pad’s limitations, but I surprisingly stayed warm enough. If I moved around or my hip was too close to the edge of the pad, I could feel the cold air, but I’m honestly surprised by how warm this 2.4 R-value pad kept me.

I wouldn’t plan to bring this pad for winter backpacking, but it’s warm enough to keep you comfortable enough just below freezing. In the future, if I’m not expecting temperatures below 40, this is the pad I’ll bring.

Ultra-Comfortable

This 3-inch-thick pad always allows me to find a comfortable position. It’s comfy enough for back, stomach, and even side sleepers.

I’m a side sleeper, and if my hips are in the middle 16 inches of this pad’s 20-inch width, I never feel the ground underneath. If my hips are near the edge of the pad, I can occasionally feel the edge collapse. But I’m shocked by how firm and supportive it feels for a pad this light.

If you’re familiar with other Nemo Tensor models, which come in various fabric thicknesses and insulation levels, then the Tensor Elite will feel similar. The Tensor Elite uses the same Apex baffle construction, which provides even weight distribution and stability, as the other Tensor models.

It’s not a very loud pad, either. Some ultralight pads sound like you’re sleeping on a crinkly bag of potato chips. This pad isn’t silent by any means, but it’s not as loud when you toss and turn as others.

Easy Setup & Packing

The Tensor’s zero-profile, micro-adjustable Laylow valve allows you to quickly inflate the pad and fine-tune the level of firmness you prefer. And when it’s time to pack up camp, fully open the valve, and all the air rushes out.

The included Vortex Pump Sack (2 ounces) inflates the pad quickly and easily without any of your lung power. It’s also easy to inflate using your lungs, and many who read this are likely looking to shave ounces from anywhere. The Vortex Pump Sack works great, but it’s not too difficult to inflate the pad with your lungs the old-fashioned way, either. 

What Could Be Better

The 10D Cordura Nylon Ripstop material used on the Tensor Elite is slightly slippery. I’m not talking about slip-n-slide levels of slick, but this pad tends to slide around more than heavier pads. Thinner materials are more slippery, and the Tensor Elite isn’t immune to this. But it’s a manageable level of slippery.

It should also be noted that the Tensor Elite’s 2.4 R-value is relatively low. While you might be able to get some shoulder season use out of it in some climates, this is largely a one-season sleeping pad, which limits its use.

The Bottom Line: Nemo Tensor Elite Sleeping Pad

By December, I was standing at the other end of the Appalachian Trail, atop Springer Mountain in Georgia, having never even touched the patch kit. Over 2,200 miles and 100 nights, my Nemo Tensor Elite never caused me a poor night’s sleep. It never popped, never leaked, never crinkled. A crazy light sleeping pad durable enough to last an entire thru-hike, plus more? Count me in.

With the Tensor Elite, Nemo has finally made an ultralight sleeping pad that doesn’t feel like it’s one thorn away from disaster. I likely got a little lucky in never needing to patch this pad hiking as far as I did. The relatively less sharp Appalachian Mountains probably aided with that, too.

I can’t promise that you will have the same experience I did, but 100 nights without punctures is remarkable in my book. And it gives me confidence that this pad will continue to be reliable for many more ultralight missions.

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