Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting New Sleeping Pad R-Value Standards Have Arrived…

Link:

https://sectionhiker.com/the-new-sleeping-pad-r-value-standard-has-arrived/

The article says:

"You can use the table below to determine whether you’re looking at a product listing with an old R-value or one with a new R-value."

If I'm reading correctly, I think the author of the piece misunderstands, or at least leaves the wrong impression.

The pads have not changed, their R-values have been recalculated.

Hence, on Thermarest's site, all the pads have been "updated." As far as I can tell, nothing about the pads have actually changed except the stated R Values through a new standardized process.

^ Brad I think you are correct, possibly some minor changes to valves and the like, but the overall construction (and warmth) stays the same- just a different number assigned based on new testing protocols

TR did pretty good on the testing- all the pads I own have all had their r-values bumped upward

Sounds like they're trying to keep up with the ISO standards for sleeping bags that were introduced in '17. They're very similar to the older EN standards but with a few changes. A standardized rating system for both pads and sleeping bags is very useful.

At times it is a bit confusing the way he references old vs. new. But it is clarified in the article.

“ Why didn’t manufacturers or retailers just slap a sticker on existing inventory boxes to indicate an R-value change if the underlying product didn’t change? Your guess is as good as mine. Discounting existing products just because you need to change the R-value on the packaging (or the online product listing) is stupid.”


And in reference to Therm-a-rest, “ The only difference between the Classic pads and new pads is the valve and the way that the R-value was measured, not the amount of insulation in the pad. I know that’s confusing. The measurement methodology is all that’s changed, not the pads themselves (with the exception of the valves). I don’t know if that’s true of other brands though.“

Thanks PRM from bringing out those points.

I use a chase lounger cushion and Cabala’s Outfitter bag and laugh at everyone else when I wake up in the morning to make coffee