Klymit Pad Reviews:
I’m going to be up front about these Klymit pad reviews. I am an ounce-counter, and I am a Neo Air fan. After years spent side-sleeping in the wilderness on Therm-a-Rest Prolite pads, lying down on a Neo Air when it came through the REI studio the was a game-changer. Plus the fact the regular weighed in at fourteen ounces and packed down to the size of a quart Nalgene added to an arsenal of über-light overnight gear (bag and stove-pot-combo primarily). This pad meant I had even fewer reasons to never not spend the night in the wilderness.
So when I tried these two Klymit pads they were in for a challenge: beat the Neo Air. Oh – and impress me. One did. One did not. Here then are my thoughts …
Klymit Inertia XL
This one had me skeptical. Granted – once inflated – it was roughly the same thickness as the Prolite pads on which I had come to rely but did not look promising. I cherished sleeping on the seemingly über-posh Neo Air with its two-and-a-half inch thickness and all. But I had to give the Inertia XL a shot, and a run for its money.
What I noticed immediately was how quickly it inflated. It took so little time I had to deflate it and dig up the stop watch to time just how little it took to inflate. Twenty seconds. Insane! And there was Kylmit’s valve; I instantly appreciated how easy it was to blow up and then seal (as opposed to the now-outdated-same-as-they-have-been-using-since-the-1970s valve on Therm-a-Rest’s Neo Air. Both have to be threaded down to tighten, all while trying not to let any of the compressed air escape which is just downright awkward).
But it was nice in the fact it was wide (I measured it 24″ across at the shoulders) and that it packed down about the same size and only weighed a few ounces more than my Neo Air (a 72″ long 2011 model).
When I went to lie down on the Inertia XL I also appreciated the nice little pillow at the head. The pad did an adequate job of keeping me off the ground – until I rolled onto my side. And that is where this one fell flat and lost my vote, especially given the price tag (retail about $130).
I should note that I did not have the extra pump Klymit says can be used to top the pad off with higher pressure than can be achieved by blowing. I figured if I was spending this kind of money on an ultra-light pad I would not be hauling up an extra pump into the backcountry, and so felt the test was fair.
Pros
- took a mere 20 seconds to fill up!
- valve is awesome! – much nicer than the threaded kind used by Therm-a-Rest
- nice pillow – would allow me to leave my (necessary-to-me) inflatable pillow at home and save a few ounces
- comfortable if sleeping on my back
Cons
- if you’re a side sleeper you could save the weight and sleep on some pine needles (but to be fair – the Inertia XL is on par in thickness with a Therm-a-Rest Pro Lite pad)
- not meant for nor would work on snow (where the Neo Air does quite well – but not necessarily a con since the Inertia XL is not designed for snow use)
Technical Data:
Manufacturer: Klymit
Date Available: Available now
Manufacturer’s Website: Klymit
MSRP: $129.95
Listed Weight: 16.8 oz, 476 g
Actual Weight: 1 lb 1 oz (sans the 1 oz stuff sack)
Materials: Not available at this time
Dimensions: 77″ x 25″ x 1.5″, 2 m x 0.64 m x 3.81cm
Measured Dimensions: L x 24″ W x 1-1/4″ H, 3-1/2″ W x 9″ L 80″
Packed Size: 4″ x 9″, 101mm x 228 mm
Includes: Dry Air Pump, Stuff Sack, Patch Kit
Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Colors Available: Black
Klymit Static V
Using the same valve as the Inertia XL, (and still being just as impressed with it!) this time I started the timer before I blew it up (novel I know!). It took a not-too-shabby fifty seconds for me to inflate it without the risk of passing out (for the record it took a minute twenty to inflate my Neo Air).
Once inflated I took the liberty of collapsing onto the Static V. I was impressed! In fact, I was really impressed. So much indeed that I immediately grabbed for my Neo Air to compare the two for comfort (and the Inertia XL too, actually).
The Static V was similar in dimension to the Neo Air – two-and-a-half inches thick – but a couple inches wider which was much appreciated and gave me more room to move when rolling over from one side to the other. One of the clear differentiators between it and the Neo Air were the way its chambers were shaped (which apparently Klymit calls its ‘V chamber design’).
Most sleeping pads’ chambers are just parallel to each other running horizontal across the pad, meaning there really isn’t any give on the pad when I lie down and shift to my side. The Static V though, with the way its chambers are shaped, cleverly fills in the gaps as I change positions, providing my lower back with support that the Neo Air does not. With an immediate comparison I felt downright uncomfortable on the Neo Air!
And then I roamed the internets for the price. $60! I thought this might be a joke, so I looked some more. Nope; this thing really retails for $60!
Now granted it isn’t rated with as high an R-value as the Neo Air (Klymit makes an insulated version) but if you never intend to sleep on the snow this pad is hands-down the best, most comfortable and lightweight pad for its price I have ever come across!
Pros
- took 50 seconds to fill up (a half-minute quicker than the Neo Air)
- valve is awesome; much nicer than the threaded kind used by Therm-a-Rest
- very comfortable
- great for side sleeping
- 22-inch width is great
Cons
- not likely great on snow – though I did not officially test this and Klymit may not intend it to be so I do not really count this as a con
Click here to Purchase the Klymit Static V Air Mattress
Technical Data:
Manufacturer: Klymit
Date Available: Available now
Manufacturer’s Website: Klymit
MSRP: $59.95
Listed Weight: 25.0 oz, 709 g
Actual Weight: 1 lb 1 oz (interestingly – the same weight as the Inertia XL)
Materials: Primaloft
Dimensions: 72″ x 23″ x 2.5″,183 cm x 59 cm x 6.5 cm
Packed Size: 5″ x 9″, 12.7 cm x 22.8 cm
Measured Dimensions: 71″ L x 22″ W x 2-1/2″ H, 4″ W x 10″ L
Packed Size: 4″ x 9″, 101mm x 228 mm
Includes: Stuff Sack, Patch Kit
Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Colors Available: Red
R-Value: *4.4
Bottom line: Being a side-sleeper I was not impressed with the Inertia XL’s thickness. If you only sleep on your back the pad is perfectly comfortable. The Static V though, given how it is more-or-less the same weight and packed size as the Inertia XL and a bit more than half the cost, is a clear winner!
I would purchase this pad in a heartbeat and highly recommend it to anyone counting ounces that enjoys a pleasant night’s sleep (on one’s side even) in the backcountry. Reminiscing, I think I paid that much for my first über-ginormous inflatable pad when I first started climbing that likely weighed five times this and could only be strapped to the outside of my pack. Either of these pads give anyone just another reason to spend the night in the wilderness!
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