Exped Ultra 3R vs Exped Ultra 6.5R
In short: The Exped Ultra 3R costs $30 less; the Exped Ultra 6.5R is warmer by 3.7 points of R-value; the Exped Ultra 6.5R saves 0.5 oz; the Exped Ultra 6.5R is 3.5 inches thick against 3.
| Spec | Exped Ultra 3R | Exped Ultra 6.5R |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$170 | ~$200 |
| R-value | R 3.2 | R 6.9 |
| Season band | Three-season | Winter |
| R-value standard | ASTM F3340 | ASTM F3340 |
| Weight | 1 lb | 15.5 oz |
| R per ounce | 0.20 R/oz | 0.45 R/oz |
| Thickness | 3 in | 3.5 in |
| Pad type | air | air |
| Inflation | pump sack | pump sack |
| Dimensions | 72 × 20.5 in | 72 × 20.5 in |
| Packed size | 9.1 × 4.3 in | 9.1 × 4.3 in |
| Insulation | Texpedloft synthetic batting welded to the top and bottom of the air chambers | Texpedloft synthetic batting welded to the top and bottom of the air chambers |
| Top fabric | 20D | 20D |
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.
Exped Ultra 6.5R
- 0.45 R per ounce is the best warmth-per-weight figure in this catalogue — better than the XTherm's 0.47 only in the sense that it does it for less money and more loft.
- Actually lighter than Exped's own 3R at more than twice the R-value, which is the single strangest line on this site.
- 3.5 inches of loft and silent batting insulation.
- Same $200 in M, MW and LW, so the wide version is free.
- Winter-capable without being a winter-only pad.
- The name says 6.5R and the tested figure is 6.9, which is confusing in the other direction from most marketing.
- 20-denier fabric on a pad that will spend nights on frozen ground and scree.
- $200, and the 3R below it is only $30 cheaper for half the warmth — the cheaper pad is the worse buy.
- Batting insulation adds packed bulk compared with film at the same R-value.