Australian Hiker

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Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Sleeping Mat Review

By nature I am a side sleeper but given I have had a number of shoulder injuries over the years, I regularly shift positions during the night from my back to one side and then the other, and then I start all over again. In fact my wife accuses me of flipping like a pancake as opposed to just rolling over. This annoys her no end as she is a light sleeper so the more I toss and turn, the more I disturb her.

I’ve tried previous generations of this sleeping mat but when it came to testing out the Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Sleeping Mat, I had high expectations but wasn’t sure what to expect.

My testing process was over a two week period on a recent long distant hike so this provided a good opportunity to test this mat out. First up this mat is great for side sleeping, and in fact I’ll go as far as saying this is one of the most comfortable mats I have used. It’s worth noting that you can choose to inflate this mat to the extreme which provides a very solid, but firm base. In my case I went this full a few times but ended up taking it back just a bit to provide some extra sponginess. I’d suggest testing the level of stiffness by lying on your side and moving around. If your hip bone hits the ground, then you haven’t inflated it enough.

It also provides excellent cushioning for back sleepers that only comes from a mat that is 10 cm deep – yes 10! The mat incorporates Air Sprung Cell™ comfort coupled with what Sea to Summit refers to as a ‘dot weld pattern’ that disperses pressure across the mat for a more comfortable night’s sleep and doesn’t end up with squashed edging so the entire mat its useable.

This mat comes in three sizes; small, medium and large as well as two rectangular sizes which are aimed at car camping uses. In my case I tested out the large size which weighed in at 665 grams including the combined pump sack-storage bag. This size is spacious but if you aren’t very tall, I’d suggest going for the regular size which will suit most hikers and also save you 14o grams in weight. If however you are very tall (the large mat is 198 cm long x 64 cm wide) then the large size is a great option and would also work well for car campers.

Despite the size and depth of this mat, when packed it isn’t that much bigger than a one litre water bottle. In terms of the cushioning, the weight for the large size is a bit higher than I would like so again another reason to go for the regular size if it fits you.

The heat retention of this mat is good having an R-value of 4.1 – this insulation level will suit most hikers in all but the coldest conditions.

One complaint that some air filled sleeping mats have is that they are noisy but in this case the Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Sleeping Mat is about as quiet as it gets.

There are a few unique features with the Sea to Summit sleeping mats. First up the storage sack is also a pump sack which allows you to pump up the mat in no time and without passing out in the process! While most people will love this feature I’m a bit old school and still prefer to blow up the mat but know that I’m probably in the minority here.

The last feature that Sea to Summit has been using for a few years is the ‘Pillow Lock System’ which is a series of small velcro stickers that stick onto the mat in the designated position and stick to the bottom of Sea to Summit pillows meaning your pillow will stay in place throughout the night.

The two-way valve system is one of the best on the market. You have a fully closed and a fully open setting and then there’s the half way in between. This midway setting means that you can manually blow up the mat and not have to rapidly close the valve to avoid losing any air. In addition, when you fully open the value the air dumps out very quickly.

And the verdict? The Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Sleeping Mat is one of the most comfortable sleeping mats on then market but unless you are very tall, I suggest opting for the regular size mat.

We Like

• Super cushioning you can only get from a mat that is 10 cm thick
• Great resistance to cold which will keep you super warm in all but the coldest conditions
• Great for side sleepers as your hips won’t dig into the ground giving you a better night’s sleep
• The Pump Sack-Storage Sack is included for super easy inflation – this is a great innovation!
• Accommodates the Sea to Summit Pillow Lock™ to attach an Aeros™ pillow (sold separately) to the mat

We Don't Like

• On the heavy side at 665 grams for the large mat in its Storage-Pump Sack bag
• If I’m being picky it could be smaller in it’s packed form but even then the large size is not that big

Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Sleeping Mat

Best Uses

• Anyone seeking a super cushioned sleeping experience from their sleeping mat

Buy One

You can purchase the Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Sleeping Mat online from Snowys or Wild Earth

Disclosure: We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Investment

AUD $329.99 RRP. A great investment but keep an eye out for the regular sales that occur and you may get a great deal!

Other Versions

Sea to Summit produces a large range of sleeping mats and pads to suit all your needs

Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Sleeping Mat thickness

Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Sleeping Mat in its storage bag which is also an integrated pump sack

Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Sleeping Mat pump sack in use

Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Sleeping Mat valve system and pillow lock

Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Sleeping Mat attaching  the Aeros Pillow to the velcro pillow lock

Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Sleeping Mat set up in my tent. The mat is just visible under a large sized sleeping bag

Disclaimer

This review was done with product provided by Sea to Summit for testing

Last updated

24 May 2026

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