Exped Ultra 3R vs Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated
In short: The Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated is warmer by 1.1 points of R-value; the Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated saves 1.9 oz; the Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated is 3.25 inches thick against 3.
| Spec | Exped Ultra 3R | Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$170 | ~$170 |
| R-value | R 3.2 | R 4.3 |
| Season band | Three-season | Cold three-season |
| R-value standard | ASTM F3340 | ASTM F3340 |
| Weight | 1 lb | 14.1 oz |
| R per ounce | 0.20 R/oz | 0.30 R/oz |
| Thickness | 3 in | 3.25 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 | not published |
| Insulation | Texpedloft synthetic batting welded to the top and bottom of the air chambers | Two layers of heat-reflective film inside O-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 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.