80 The Great OutdoorsAugust 2019
Exped
Synmat XP 9 M
£140 822gwarmth, comfortheavy, expensiveType: insulated airbed
Materials: 75D polyester/ TPU polyether fi lm
laminate shell, 200 g/m^2 Texpedloft microfi bre fi ll
Dimensions: 183x52cm
Thickness: 9cm
Rating: R-value 6/-25°C
exped.com
Exped was one of the fi rst companies to
put insulation in airbeds and they now
have a large range with both down and
Snugpak
Air Mat with Built-in Footpump
£59 580gcomfort, costnot that light for a non-insulated
airbedType: airbed
Materials: 230T/75D polyester pongee
Dimensions: 183x62cm
Thickness: 8cm
Rating: n/a
snugpak.com
This air mat is comfortable and low in price
but the weight is on the high side for one
without insulation. It comes with a built-
Robens
PrimaVapour 60
£100 540gcomfort, multiple air cellsnot that light for warmthType: insulated airbed
Materials: 20D TPU-coated ripstop polyester
shell, 60g/m^2 PrimaLoft Infi nity fi ll
Dimensions: 190x55cm
Thickness: 6cm
Rating: R-value 2.2/+2°C
robens.de
Although insulated, this airbed isn’t as
thick or as warm as other insulated mats.
It should be fi ne for use in above-freezing
synthetic insulation. The Synmat XP 9 has
the latter and comes with a pumpbag. This is
ultralight and doesn’t double as a drybag. The
advantage of this is that it’s easy to open the
bag wide to fi ll it with air, making infl ating the
mat quite quick. It’s the best pumpbag tested.
Like other Exped mats the Synmat has
separate valves for infl ation and defl ation.
The Synmat XP has vertical tubes, rather
than the horizontal ones that I fi nd morecomfortable as I feel less likely to roll off.
It’s rectangular rather than tapered too, so
your feet are less likely to wander off the end
when you move during the night. The mat is
one of the thickest tested and it’s rated for
severe winter use.
The shell fabric feels tough so it should
prove durable. However this does mean the
weight is quite high. The price is high too.in pump at one end. Snugpak calls this a
footpump but it can be worked just as easily
with your hand in a tent. It doesn’t force
much air into the mat each time you pump it
so it does take a little while and a bit of effort
to infl ate it.
The mat has horizontal tubes and is very
comfortable with none of the rolling effect of
vertical tubes. The rectangular shape makes
keeping your feet on the mat easy.The shell fabric feels tough and the mat
should last well. For use in above-freezing
temperatures it should be fi ne. There are
similar mats that weigh less, however.temperatures but not on snow or frozen
ground. It doesn’t come with a pump and
has to be blown up by mouth. I didn’t fi nd
this any slower or more diffi cult than using
a pump, but it does mean moist air is going
into the bag, making mildew more likely.
The PrimaVapour has multiple air cellsrather than tubes and is comfortable to
sleep on, though pressure from an elbow
or hip can depress the fi ll enough to touch
the ground.
The weight and price are reasonable.
There are warmer airbeds around this
weight but they do cost considerably more.than the horizontal ones that I fi nd moreprove durable. However this does mean the
weight is quite high. The price is high too.in pump at one end. Snugpak calls this a
footpump but it can be worked just as easily
with your hand in a tent. It doesn’t force
much air into the mat each time you pump it
so it does take a little while and a bit of effort
to infl ate it.
The mat has horizontal tubes and is very The shell fabric feels tough and the matGear comparative review