06 May, 2015
Well after 4 years of development, Aussie Company, Sea To Summit have released their innovative range of sleeping mats.
You can check out the new range of Sea to Summit Sleeping mats at the link below:
http://www.packlight.com.au/collections/sleeping-mats
Sea to Summit set out to build a sleeping mat that would not only pack down small, but would also be comfortable to sleep on. Their unique design is constructed using a dot-weld pattern that creates a high surface area matrix of interconnected chambers called Air-Sprung-Cells. These air cells function in the same way that a pocket spring mattress does, performing independently of one another, and conforming to your body shape to disperse pressure evenly. When you shift your weight, this isolates the compression of the pad, in much the same way a coil bed mattress works, and allows it to conform to your body far more naturally.
This sort of construction method differs totally to the way self-inflating mattresses are made, which will mean that the mattress is less likely to de-laminate. I'm glad to hear this, as I've thrown a few mats out now that have bubbled up and have had 'blow-outs' on the sides of the mattress.
Sea to Summit have been racking up a raft of industry awards since they launched the range, and here's what the judges had to say:
Backpacker Magazine 2015 Editor's Choice Award for the Sea to Summit Comfort Plus Mat
"We tested this mattress from the lowest valley in the United States to the highest peaks in Nepal, and the feedback always came back the same: This is the most comfortable night’s sleep we’ve had on a pad this packable. Combine that with a unique design that uses two separate air chambers—giving you 1.25 inches of insurance against a leak—and you get our new favorite pad. Pump the bottom half to max capacity to lift you off any roots or rocks, and then fine-tune the top half to your preferred level of firmness. Five hundred and forty-eight individual air cells provide structure and better support than traditional horizontal or vertical chambers—even for restless sleepers. One tester deliberately inflated just one side (she had the insulated version), and despite sleeping on uneven, frozen terrain, she was still warm and comfy at 16,000 feet in Nepal. Sleep cold? The insulated model amps R-value from 1.5 to 5 for $30 and 4.5 ounces more. And all this comfort still compresses to 4 by 7 inches. Bonus: The valves allow fine-tunable inflation and instant deflation."
Outdoor Industry Award for Sea to Summit Comfort Plus Mat:
“This air mattress not only is comfortable but also has a compact pack size, weighs little, crackles hardly at all and has a structure that largely eliminates cold spots and better insulates the upper body. So it ticks all boxes.”
Gear Junkie – Best In Show Award:
“Two inflation chambers and an extra comfortable new kind of design that mimics an at-home cushy spring mattress makes these pads stand out. (…). All around, these are nice, light pads with a few added benefits that make a real difference. We can’t wait to camp out on the pads next year.”
Gear Institute – Best New Gear Award:
“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a real advancement in sleeping mat design, and this is one we can get behind. The surface of each pad in Sea to Summit’s sleeping mat line is covered with big, pillowy cells that independently compress under pressure—meaning the mat remains firmly comfortable no matter which one of your bony points is pointing south. We also love that each mat is made of two independent air chambers, one on top and one on bottom, which makes it nicely adjustable and redundant in case one side pops. The best part? The stuff sack can be used to pump the mats up in just a couple seconds.”
Gear Patrol – Best of Outdoor Retailer Award:
“The major innovation is “Air Sprung Cells”, air chambers created by a dot-weld pattern that allows them to operate independently from each other. That means when you shift your weight the air doesn’t all squish out to one side.”
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