The Best Sleeping Pad Awards announced by OutdoorGearLab.com

CHEYENNE, WY—OutdoorGearLab.com revealed today the results of the 2011 Editors’ Choice Awards for the sleeping pad category, listing this year’s best and best value for sleeping pads. The OutdoorGearLab Review Editors chose the following winners after extensive field testing and road trips in the High Sierra, Southeast Utah and The Cascades. Whether these pads came out of a pack or out of a car, we exposed them to everything from the jagged High Sierra to soft sand beaches, and every campground in between. As reviewers who enjoy a variety of overnight activities in a host of inclement conditions, we were searching for the lightest, smallest, warmest, and most comfortable full length sleeping pad on the market. Each sleeping pad underwent extensive side by side tests to evaluate key performance metrics such as warmth, comfort, durability, weight and pack size. View the complete
Sleeping Pad Reviews

The winners are:
Therm-A-Rest Pro-Lite Plus – winner of the Editor's Choice Award for 2011 for sleeping pad. According to Gear Editor Max Neale, "Like Philippe Petit, the Therm-a-Rest ProLite Plus turns a difficult balancing act into an artful performance. Scoring high in all categories: size, comfort, weight, warmth, and durability, this sleeping pad will keep you comfortable anywhere, anytime. Guaranteed.

Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite winner of the Best Buy award for 2011. This award is given to a product that balances an extremely high score in our tests and a very reasonable price. According to Max Neale, "The Therm-a-Rest Z Lite is the go-to sleeping pad for anyone with a high priority on price, durability, and weight. It works in just about any camping situation, whether on a big wall, in Yosemite, or backpacking. There is no setup time or need to worry about packing it up. This is also the most compact closed-cell foam pad. "

Therm-A-Rest Pro-Lite winner of the Top Pick award for Best Sleeping Pad. This award is given to a product that excels at a specific application. According to Max Neale, "The Therm-a-Rest ProLite is the finest minimalist sleeping pad on the market. It weighs a scant one pound, packs down to a size no one can complain about, and employs a durable time-tested design."