Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated vs Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated
In short: The Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated is warmer by 0.5 points of R-value; the Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated saves 3.8 oz; the Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated is 3.5 inches thick against 3.25.
| Spec | Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated | Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$170 | ~$170 |
| R-value | R 4.8 | R 4.3 |
| Season band | Cold three-season | Cold three-season |
| R-value standard | ASTM F3340 | ASTM F3340 |
| Weight | 1 lb 1.9 oz | 14.1 oz |
| R per ounce | 0.27 R/oz | 0.30 R/oz |
| Thickness | 3.5 in | 3.25 in |
| Pad type | air | air |
| Inflation | pump sack | pump sack |
| Dimensions | 72 × 20 in | 72 × 20 in |
| Packed size | 1.9 L | not published |
| Insulation | Two layers of heat-reflective film inside offset I-Beam chambers | Two layers of heat-reflective film inside O-beam chambers |
| Top fabric | not published | not published |
Shaded cells mark the row where one has a measurable advantage. Weight, thickness, girth and shape are left unshaded on purpose: heavier is sometimes tougher, wider is sometimes warmer, and calling a winner on those would be an opinion dressed as a measurement.
What each one does well, and costs you
Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated
- The 4.25-inch outer rails against a 3.5-inch centre genuinely cradle you — the best answer here to rolling off a pad in the night.
- R-value 4.8 at 17.9 ounces is a strong three-season figure, better than most pads within an ounce of it.
- Six sizes from a 66-inch short to a 40-inch-wide near-double.
- 1.9 litres packed, which is smaller than the loft and weight suggest.
- Pumphouse inflation sack, storage sack, spare valve seal and repair patches all in the box.
- Big Agnes doesn't publish the face fabric's denier, which makes durability hard to compare against pads that do.
- The raised rails make the sleeping surface narrower than the stated width — a 20-inch pad sleeps like an 18.
- $170 for the standard size, with the wide versions jumping to $220.
- The quilted top surface traps grit and is fiddly to clean.
Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated
- 14.1 ounces with R-value 4.3 — within a rounding error of the XLite on both counts.
- 3.25 inches of loft, a quarter-inch more than the XLite.
- Post-consumer recycled nylon ripstop rather than virgin fabric.
- Single-port dual-function valve makes micro-adjusting firmness easy at 2 a.m.
- Loses the offset rails that make the Rapide SL worth buying, for four ounces.
- The wide sizes jump $42 to $212, which is a steep step.
- No published face-fabric denier.
- Only three sizes, and no short version.