How to Choose the Right Sleeping Mat – NEMO Tensor Range Comparison

We’ve entered the golden age of outdoor gear and the team at NEMO has spoiled us rotten by taking their 2024 lineup of sleeping mats up a notch.

The three core mats from NEMO’s Ultralight Tensor range are the Tensor Trail – for warm summer nights beside the track, the Tensor All-Season – a reliable partner for almost any occasion, and the Tensor Extreme – a mat that’ll carry you through the depths of winter into the filthiest of snow conditions. 

Left to right: Tensor Trail mat, Tensor All-Season mat, a ubiquitous Nalgene bottle for size, and the Tensor Extreme mat

All three of the Ultralight Tensor mats share these neat features: 

• The mats are a cushy 9cm thick – hello comfort! 
• Each mat has NEMO’s micro-adjustable Laylow™ valve and uses the Vortex Pump Sack for inflation, saving you from having to huff and puff trying to blow your bed up at the end of a long day.
• Most importantly, all the mats are by far the quietest I’ve slept on thanks to the super nice and durable nylon construction.

Let’s take a closer look.

What’s good about the NEMO Tensor Trail mat?

It’s a classic. A staple of any hiker or car-camper’s kit. 

Quick Facts NEMO Tensor Trail

R-value: 2.8
Weight: 370g
Thickness: 9cm thick
RRP: From $299.95 

Going somewhere the temps will be above double digits? Or maybe you’ve been bitten by the gram-counter bug and are looking at keeping your base weight light as a feather? 

At a glance, the Tensor Trail mat gives you a nice, lightweight, and super compact sleeping option with just enough insulation to help you forget you’re lying on the ground. Plus there’s plenty of thickness for comfort so it’s perfect for those summer adventures when the temps stay a little warmer overnight.

What’s good about the NEMO Tensor All-Season mat?

All-season. All day. Everyday.

Quick Facts NEMO Tensor All-Season

R-value: 5.4
Weight: 400g
Thickness: 9cm
RRP: From $359.95

The Tensor All-Season mat is for those of us that prefer to venture out during shoulder season. It’s also good if you like to spend a bit more time in cooler climates, where the temps hang out a little closer to the single digi’s or get close to and even down to zero degrees overnight.

If you’re looking for a do-it-all solution – this is probably the mat for you. 

It looks tiny when packed, but once inflated it’s chunky

A sleeping mat boasting an R-value of 5.4 and weighing only 400g is impressive and definitely something worthy of writing home about. To put it in perspective, I’m used to using mats with R-values closer to 3, but still weighing approximately the same as the All-Season.

That little extra bit of protection between you and the ground goes a long way. And the extra insulation means you can probably save weight in other areas too!

It’s amazing how small these pack down

What’s good about the NEMO Tensor Extreme mat?

The Tensor Extreme is one of the most anticipated bits of kit to hit the outdoor gear market in 2024. 

Quick Facts NEMO Tensor Extreme

R-value: 8.5
Weight: 472g
Thickness: 9cm Thick
RRP: From $419.95

With an incredibly high R-value of 8.5 and weighing around half a kilo (even the long/wide version is only 750g!) NEMO has made it clear they’re determined to be at the top of the field when it comes to sleeping mat technology. 

The Tensor Extreme mat is definitely for those who spend loads of time in the snowy backcountry building epic dig-outs to chase first tracks. People who spend time where temps consistently sit in the single digits or at/below freezing need this. If you’re a really cold sleeper or will do anything for a bit of extra warmth when you’re out in the bush – this has forever-mat vibes. 

What in the fresh frost is an R-value?

In a nutshell, an R-value is a rating put on a product or material to give an indication of its insulative properties. Essentially, how well it can stop temperature transferring from one side of its surface to the other because heat transfer = heat loss. 

Sleeping mats keep you warm by reflecting the heat your body generates through the night back at you. Basically, the higher the rating (or number in this case) on the product, the better that product is at stopping your body heat transferring into the cold ground while you sleep.

The R-value is the best way to determine the potential warmth, don’t judge by size!

Okay, so how do I choose my ideal sleeping mat?

Now that we’ve got the gist on who these mats are, what they do, and what an R-value is, it’s time to choose your new sidekick. 

My thought process when choosing a mat goes a lil something like this:  

• Where do I go the most? Warmer or colder places? 
• Does weight matter? 
• Am I a hot or cold sleeper? 
• Am I a side/back/front/toss-it-all-around sleeper?
• What else do I have in my sleep system? 

Once you’ve answered those questions we can start to narrow it down a little more. 

Step 1. Look at Your Sleep System

Firstly, you want to take a look at your overall sleep system. This means your sleeping bag, sleeping mat, optional liner, and pillow. Your sleeping mat might be well insulated and have a decent R-value, but this rating won’t keep you warm on its own. 

In a sleep system your gear works together to keep you comfy

Step 2. Check Your Sleeping Bag

I highly recommend checking the warmth rating of your sleeping bag to see what temps it’s recommended for. You want to find the bag’s COMFORT rating, not the limit rating (as sometimes advertised).

Choosing the right sleeping bag and mat combo for the trip or location you’re going to can be the difference between an awesome, fun, well-rested trip vs a crummy, tiring, and potentially unsafe trip… 

An easy guide to work out the best combo for where you’re going is to use this formula: 

• Warm environments: sleeping mat = LOW number, sleeping bag = HIGH number
• Cold environments: sleeping mat = HIGH number, sleeping bag = LOW number

For example: If I’m going to a cold environment like the snow or an alpine area (not necessarily just in winter) I’d grab the Tensor Extreme with an R-value of 8.5 (high number) and make sure my bag has a comfort rating of say, -4 degrees (low number). 

Step 3. Consider the Shape of Your Sleeping Mat

Pretty much all sleeping mats come in two distinct shapes: mummy or rectangle. The mummy shape is tapered towards the feet which saves on space and helps shave a couple grams off the overall weight. 

The rectangle, well it’s kinda exactly what it sounds like. 

The shape that’s right for you will depend on how you sleep.

• Back sleepers who move as much as a log, should opt for the mummy shape.
• Toss-it-all-around sleepers will find the rectangular shape more comfortable. 
• If you’re a person that likes to have all the space they can get, or have extra width in the shoulders or hips, the Tensor rectangular mats have a wide version, and the extra couple of cm’s are not to be underestimated.
• If you’re above 180cm tall you’ll be pleased to know that NEMO stocks longer versions of their sleeping mats too. 

Trying mats out in store is another good way to make the right choice

Step 4. How hot do you sleep?

Another thing to keep in mind when selecting a sleeping mat is that women tend to sleep colder than men. This is so well-known that sleeping bags are rated differently for each gender to ensure no one freezes out there!

Sleeping mats are only occasionally recommended for males or females, so consider opting for a slightly higher R-value for that extra bit of comfort. Blokes, if you’re cold sleepers this applies to you too! 

Step 5. Where do you plan on taking your mat?

At the end of the day, all three of these mats pack up to mostly the same size (which is crazy btw!) with the biggest difference between them being their R-value ratings, and weights for the different sizes. Think about where you go the most, and where you plan to adventure in future.

‘I go everywhere, man’.

If you’re starting out and looking for your first sleeping mat, or you’re only hiking and don’t have room to store loads of gear, maybe the Tensor All-Season will be the go. With its R-value of 5.4 it’s pretty well bang on for almost everywhere in Australia all year round. Not to mention it’s nowhere near heavy on the scales, and it’s uber packable. As the name suggests it’s the mat that can cover all bases. 

‘I’m on a budget’ and ‘I travel ultralight’.

If you live in or want to venture to places where the temps stay above the double digits, the Tensor Trail might be the better option. Being the lightest of the three it saves you precious grammage for things like extra food and water – or a battery powered fan (someone’s done it!). It’s also the cheapest of the three for the budget conscious adventurer. 

It’s not good at camouflage so you’ll never accidentally leave it behind

‘I’m so sick of carrying so much weight’ or ‘I just want to be warm’.

If you do heaps of activities, froth everything outdoors, already have a few sleeping mats in your cupboard, and are sick of taking an extra fold up closed cell foam mat with you to those colder places and wanna streamline your sleep system (yep, my hand is up) – take the Tensor Extreme. 

The R-value of 8.5 is class leading and having all that insulation in an insanely small package when tucked away in your pack is a game changer for those bulkier winter loadouts. 

It even looks hardcore

‘I’m a car camper’

‘If you’re car camping, the Tensor All-Season would be my first choice, with the Tensor Extreme not far behind. Bring the doona, a REAL pillow and sheet, and boy are you in for a cosy night! Marshmallows over the fire, hot choccy, maybe a dash of whiskey… alright, alright I’ll pack the car now!

What NEMO Tensor Mat did I choose?

These new mats from NEMO really are game changers. Their packability is off the charts – especially the Tensor Extreme. How does a mat with an R-value of 8.5 pack up this small?! Mind. Blown.

The fact that these mats are so quiet is a big win for me (and those sleeping nearby). With their floating foil insulation design, the Tensor range is far less crinkly than other mats I’ve used which makes getting a solid night’s sleep just that much easier! 

If I had to pick just one to throw in my pack, it’d have to be the Tensor All-Season. Its R-value of 5.4 is perfect for almost all seasons in Australia and when it comes to weight and packability, it excels.