Exped Ultra 3R vs Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated
In short: The Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated is warmer by 1.6 points of R-value; the Exped Ultra 3R saves 1.9 oz; the Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated is 3.5 inches thick against 3.
| Spec | Exped Ultra 3R | Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$170 | ~$170 |
| R-value | R 3.2 | R 4.8 |
| Season band | Three-season | Cold three-season |
| R-value standard | ASTM F3340 | ASTM F3340 |
| Weight | 1 lb | 1 lb 1.9 oz |
| R per ounce | 0.20 R/oz | 0.27 R/oz |
| Thickness | 3 in | 3.5 in |
| Pad type | air | air |
| Inflation | pump sack | pump sack |
| Dimensions | 72 × 20.5 in | 72 × 20 in |
| Packed size | 9.1 × 4.3 in | 1.9 L |
| Insulation | Texpedloft synthetic batting welded to the top and bottom of the air chambers | Two layers of heat-reflective film inside offset I-Beam chambers |
| Top fabric | 20D | 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
Exped Ultra 3R
- Synthetic batting instead of reflective film: silent, and it feels warm immediately rather than after the air heats up.
- Every size is the same price, so the wide version is free — almost nobody else does this.
- The Schnozzel pump bag inflates the pad in two passes and works as a dry bag the rest of the time.
- Three inches of loft at 16 ounces with 20-denier recycled face fabric.
- R-value 3.2 is the lowest of the insulated pads here except the summer specialists.
- 16 ounces is three more than an XLite for a lower R-value — the batting costs weight.
- $170 is mid-pack, and the warmer 6.5R is only $30 more.
- Exped's size codes (M, MW, LW) take a chart to decode.
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.