Exped Ultra 6.5R vs Exped Ultra 8R
In short: The Exped Ultra 6.5R costs $30 less; the Exped Ultra 8R is warmer by 1.9 points of R-value; the Exped Ultra 6.5R saves 4.5 oz.
| Spec | Exped Ultra 6.5R | Exped Ultra 8R |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$200 | ~$230 |
| R-value | R 6.9 | R 8.8 |
| Season band | Winter | Winter |
| R-value standard | ASTM F3340 | ASTM F3340 |
| Weight | 15.5 oz | 1 lb 4 oz |
| R per ounce | 0.45 R/oz | 0.44 R/oz |
| Thickness | 3.5 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 × 4.9 in |
| Insulation | Texpedloft synthetic batting welded to the top and bottom of the air chambers | Goose down welded into 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 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.
Exped Ultra 8R
- R 8.8 is the highest figure in this catalogue, and it comes with 3.5 inches of loft rather than a thin winter mat.
- Down insulation inside the chambers is warmer per ounce than film or batting — twenty ounces for R 8.8.
- Silent, and warm the moment you lie on it.
- Same price in all three sizes.
- Down inside a pad means breath inflation is genuinely damaging over time; the pump bag is mandatory, not a convenience.
- $230 and R 8.8 is far more pad than any three-season trip needs.
- 20-denier fabric wrapping $230 of down on ground that is by definition frozen and sharp.
- Packed at 9.1 × 4.9 inches it is the bulkiest of the Ultra line.