Nemo Tensor Ultralight Sleeping Pad

Product Information

Four layers of floating Thermal Mirror™ metallized film provide quiet insulation with an unprecedented warmth-to-weight ratio. In short: The NEMO Tensor Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Pad proved to be both comfortable and warm, but the most obvious advantage was quietness. NEMO’s unique Spaceframe baffles allow suspension of two layers of an aluminized film within the air space of the pad, separating them from body movement. It provides silent nights and excellent support. NEMO Tensor Sleeping Pad Construction I was told never to settle on three things in life: my mate, my career, and my mattress. Granted my parents told me the first two and a mattress salesman told me the third, but I still find guidance in those words today. I feel like I’ve got the first two dialed in, but the “perfect” sleeping pad eludes me to this day. The NEMO Tensor is a sleeping pad that hits nearly every mark well in an overcrowded field. In both insulated and non-insulated versions it has a respectable weight for an air pad, has 3 inches of cushion that’s dispersed very evenly through the quilted baffles, and is nice and quiet when you roll over.

The Tensor EC borrows some core elements from existing NEMO pads, like one-way lay-low valves, and suspended Thermal Mirror metalized film. However, it employs a new baffle tech called Apex. Four layers of its thermal film are placed over trapezoidal trusses (flexible, vertical supports within the pad), as opposed to the common rectangular design. This is a 20-inch width pad with a tapered mummy shape. You can see it’s not heavily tapered. If you want a larger Tensor, consider the 25-inch width model.

Seb Cancino

It is a 1 person sleeping pad (doubles Sleeping Pads and double sleeping bags do exist) and comes in 3 different size versions – we tried the medium one.

Very thin material, almost see-through. About the thinnest you can go with a sleeping pad. More on Denier count in our Guide. And now to the crinkle factor. Even after all of the sleeping pads I’ve owned and tried, I never had one with metallic heat reflector technology. The Tensor reminded me why: the crinkle! The Tensor isn’t the original or main offender with the crinkle (that honor goes to the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite), but where does the madness end? I wasn’t woken up by the noise of the heat reflecting panels, but I did find it irritating every time I turned over. Once settled in for the night, I noticed that the air-textured surface isn’t as slippery as the thin nylon used on my other ultralight pads. The barely perceptible soft texture also makes less sound when sliding the sleeping bag across it, further enhancing the Tensor’s quiet nature. A superb blend of weight comfort and warmth, hits the sweet spot for this type of mat. The Insulated version of the Popular Tensor mat, this version offers a very good weight to R value rating so is perfect for colder conditions where every gram still counts. Nemo says: Make the most of your home away from home by choosing the best camping tent for your adventure. We found the top car camping and family camping tents for every budget and use. Read more… How Does It Work?The thermometer on my watch read 25 degrees Fahrenheit for most of the night. My sleeping bag was rated to 20 degrees, but the Tensor is only rated for 30-40 degrees. (NEMO doesn’t use R-Values, but general temperature ranges). My legs were cold, and my frustration grew as I realized I had misjudged the weather.

You’ll find the NEMO Tensor 20R in hot competition with many pads, including self-inflating pads and air pads, but we found it’s unique and dialed-in features top notch, while also being competitively priced. I owe apologies to tentmates awoken by the irritating noise emanating from my pad as I tossed and turned. Some pads are that noisy! Part of the popular Tensor series the insulated version offers a solid 4.2 R rating that will keep you warm most of the year round. The Tensor insulated is one of the lightest mats for its R rating so is a good option if you are looking to travel in colder conditions but are still wanting to save as much weight as possible. The new film reduces how much body heat mixes with the air inside the pad, and how much the air inside the pad absorbs cold from the ground. The new construction upped the R-value of the insulated pad from 3.5 to 4.2 while keeping it at 15 ounces. The uninsulated pad went from an R-value of 1.6 to an R-value of 2.5 but held strong at 13.8 ounces.I’ve spent roughly a month’s worth of nights getting familiar with this pad, so I’ve had a good chunk of time to get familiar with it. I’m mostly going to talk about the two factors that make this pad unique: its insulation and its large cut. Insulation Warm– The insulation in the pad is serious. It has the ability to basically add warmth to the temperature rating of most sleeping bags/quilts.

Through thermal modeling, NEMO engineers figured out how to interlace a piece of plastic TPU film throughout the pad to choke off the convective currents. (Previously, NEMO used aluminized film.) First up, this is an ULTRALIGHT sleeping pad which means it uses cutting edge technology and is purposely engineered to be as light as possible. When you are out hiking and camping, every ounce or KG you have to carry counts and so ultralight gear is a bloody godsend. The NEMO dual valve system. The bottom valve only lets air in unless you put a little pressure on it, which allows the user to dial in the air pressure. NEMO Tensor Ultralight Insulated Pad Cons A small hole at the top of the pad allowed me to clip it to a sling in case the pad slipped from under me and flew away in the breeze. This also serves as an easy way to hang the pad up to dry if it gets wet. That was a simple added bonus that I haven’t seen on other pads.

Our Verdict

Improved zero-profile, multifunctional, microadjustable Laylow™ valve offers customized inflation control, even at -20° F and below. The Nemo Tensor is made from 100% bluesign®-certified, recycled 20-denier polyester fabric. The fabric has a fairly tough feel and it won’t puncture easily if you take care of it.