NEMO Tensor All-Season and Extreme Sleeping Pad Reviews
Comfortable, lightweight, insulated inflatable sleeping pad for backpacking
May 16th, 2025, updated with more testing notes, including about the ultralight Tensor Elite
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Our verdict
The NEMO Tensor is the most comfortable backpacking sleeping pad we've tested with the best warmth-to-weight ratio we've seen.
The NEMO Tensor provided us plenty of insulation for camping on sub-freezing nights at high altitudes. The NEMO Tensor Extreme boasts an R-value of 8.5, making it the warmest, most insulating ultralight pad available. The Tensor All-Season has an R-value of 5.4, besting similar 3-season pads on the market.
Unlike other pads out there, both the NEMO Tensor All-Season Ultralight and NEMO Tensor Extreme sleeping pads are quiet when you roll around at night without the potato chip bag crinkling noise.
The generous 3.5-inch" height provides cushioning from rocks and uneven ground. The width feels generous beyond its stated dimensions. The Tensor’s divot-shaped baffles prevent you from rolling or sliding. And the material has just enough give to remind you of your mattress at home.
We spent a year testing the NEMO Tensor All-Season Ultralight Insulated sleeping pad and the NEMO Tensor Extreme sleeping pad on backpacking trips, bikepacking, camping, and thru-hikes from the Arizona Trail, Colorado Trail, and Appalachian Trail, to a 3,000-mile bikepacking trip of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail.
The NEMO Tensor has become our go-to backpacking sleeping pad for its superior comfort and the insulation it offers at a nearly unbeatable weight. It’s a winner in our Best Sleeping Pads guide and the Ultralight version won our 2024 Gear of the Year Award.
The Tensor is the rare piece of gear that is a crowd-pleaser—an insulated backpacking sleeping pad that excels for gram- counting ultralighters and comfort-seeking backpackers alike.
All-Season
Extreme
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NEMO Tensor Specifications
Options: regular, long wide, mummy, regular wide
R-value: 5.4 (All-Season), 8.5 (Extreme), 2.8 (Trail Ultralight), 2.4 (Elite Mummy)
Height: 3.5"
Weight (minimum in mummy version): 14.1 oz (All-Season), 17.1 oz (Extreme)
Inflation: Inflatable single valve
Lengths: 72” (regular), 76" (long)
Comparison table
| SLEEPING PAD | WEIGHT (ounces) | TYPE | PUMP SACK? | R-VALUE | THICKNESS (inches) | PACKED SIZE (inches) | LENGTHS (inches) | WARRANTY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEMO Tensor All Season Insulated Sleeping Pad | 14.1 | Inflatable | Y | 5.4 | 3.5 | 4 x 10 | 72, 76 | Lifetime |
| NEMO Tensor Extreme Insulated Sleeping Pad | 17 | Inflatable | Y | 8.5 | 3.5 | 8 x 3.5 | 72, 76 | Lifetime |
| NEMO Tensor Trail Ultralight Sleeping Pad | 13 | Inflatable | Y | 2.8 | 3.5 | 4 x 10 | 72, 76 | Lifetime |
| NEMO Tensor Elite Mummy | 8.5 | Inflatable | Y | 2.4 | 3.0 | 3 x 5.5 | 62, 72 | Lifetime |
| Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT | 13.0 | Inflatable | Y | 4.5 | 3.0 | 9 x 4.1 | 66, 72, 77 | Limited lifetime |
What we liked:
The Nemo Tensor Extreme sleeping pad is so comfortable, we used it instead of a camping mattress during camping trips and used it in the summer, even though it is rated for winter.
Quality of comfort
Insulation
Height
Width (and variety of options available)
What we didn't like:
NEMO Vortex Pump Sack can only be used to inflate the pad (not multi-purpose) and is heavy
Light grey color on the face fabric of the All-Season shows dirt and trail grime
3.5 inch height doesn't always work with the sloping walls of some ultralight tarps and tents
Difference between the All-Season and Extreme
We spent the summer thru-hiking with the Nemo Tensor All-Season sleeping pad, including on the Collegiate Loop in Colorado.
The NEMO Tensor All-Season and NEMO Tensor Extreme have a lot of similarities, which is why we're including them both in the same review. They look similar on the outside, use similar material, and have similar dimensions — and we tested them side-by-side.
The big difference is on the inside — the amount of insulation and how it is layered in there.
The All-Season has an r-value of 5.4 with two layers NEMO’s Thermal Mirror insulation. The Extreme has an r-value of 8.5 with four layers of Thermal Mirror Insulation. The difference comes to about 3 oz in weight, and an additional cost.
NEMO also has a Tensor Trail Ultralight (r-value is 2.4) and the new for 2025 Tensor Elite Mummy (r-value is 2.4).
Which Tensor you get depends on how you sleep, where you are going, and when. The All-Season will work for most folks in warmer 3-season or more conditions. If you're headed out in winter or are a very cold sleeper, you may prefer the Extreme. Our writer Sam Schild managed a southbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail using the Tensor Elite. You can read more about tricks to stay warm while backpacking, but having a higher insulation sleeping pad is an easy solution that doesn’t add bulk to your pack like adding extra clothes.
In this review, we'll address our testing notes on both models and talk about the differences when they are relevant or noticeable in our testing.
Comfort
The Nemo Tensor Extreme (and the Nemo Tensor All-Season, not pictured) have baffles uses their proprietary Spaceframe baffle design, which yields more stable and comfortable support than other sleeping pads.
The first thing I noticed when I slept on any of the models of the NEMO Tensor is the comfort. It won Most Comfortable Sleeping Pad in our Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads guide for a reason.
The superior comfort of this pad comes from its baffle design.
Unlike other sleeping pad manufacturers like Therm-a-Rest (which uses horizontal baffles) or ExPed (which uses vertical baffles), NEMO uses their proprietary SpaceFrame baffle design. The result is small divots that remind me of a mattress at home. Using a low-stretch fabric, these "trusses" yield more stable support than other pads. There's no bottoming out or slipping and sliding. There's just enough stretch in the fabric that it moves with you without moving too much.
It also feels like this design gives you more usable space on the pad. With other pads, the edges feel like they slope down. I am not alone among backpackers when I say that some pads feel narrower than their stated dimensions. In contrast, the NEMO Tensors feel like true to stated dimensions.
Width and Height
The Nemo Tensor Extreme (and the Nemo Tensor All-Season, not pictured) are 3.5 inches tall, which is taller than most sleeping pads. Camping lantern shown here for height comparison.
As mentioned above, the dimensions on the NEMO Tensor are geared towards comfort. I tested the mummy version of the Tensor All-Season and the rectangular shape (regular) of the Tensor Extreme. Both are a generous 3.5" tall, which was awesome especially when the only flat campsite in a 5-mile radius had a rock in the middle, or or when it was impossible to move every last pine cone from under my tent.
As a side sleeper, I also never bottomed out on the NEMO Tensor whereas on other pads, I sometimes find my hip touches the ground.
The mattress-style height comes with a drawback, though. It doesn't always work with the sloping walls of some ultralight shelters. Many tarps and ultralight tents have "not so usable space" near the head and foot end where it's easy to brush against the short inside wall (and get covered in condensation).
As a taller pad, the NEMO Tensors hit that sloping ceiling before shorter pads. For what it is worth, the Tensors worked great with the Gossamer Gear Whisper shelter, Gossamer Gear The Two, and the ZPacks Duplex (when a solo person is diagonal). It did not work as well with two different pyramid-style tarps I used.
Insulation
The latest iteration of the NEMO Tensor All-Season and NEMO Tensor Extreme have the best insulation rating of any NEMO pad and among the best in the industry–especially given the weight of these pads.
For the All-Season, which has an R-value of 5.4, the inside each baffle are two suspended layers of ultra-thin, metallized Thermal Mirror film. You can actually see the film when you look through the valve. It looks like an emergency blanket. The end result is each layer reflects body heat similar to an emergency blanket, radiating back your warmth instead of losing it. The R-value of 5.4 is better than the similar Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite pad, which has an R-value of 4.5.
The Extreme uses a different design: the Apex baffle internal structure. From the user's perspective, the two pads' baffling looks similar. However, inside the Tensor Extreme four layers of insulating Thermal Mirror™ film inside the pad. These additional layers contribute to an R-value of 8.5, making it the warmest, most insulating ultralight pad available.
Weight
The Nemo Tensor Extreme (and the Nemo Tensor All-Season, not pictured) have some of the best warmth to weight ratios and are lightweight to carry in your pack or around camp.
The NEMO Tensor All-Season and NEMO Tensor Extreme have some of the best warmth-to-weight ratios of any sleeping pads on the market.
The All-Season at its lightest in the mummy version is 14.1 oz, just an ounce more than the NeoAir XLite, but with an additional 0.5 inches of height and an additional r-value of 1.4. The previous version of this pad weighed 14.5 oz, so the new version actually weighs 0.4 oz less.
The Extreme at its lightest in the mummy version is 17.1 oz, rivaling the similar NeoAir XTherm. And the Extreme’s r-value is higher than the XTherm (8.5 on the Tensor vs. 7.3 on the XTherm).
The insulation of the other versions of the Tensor, the Trail Ultralight and Elite Mummy, are a little more in line with what you’d find in other inflatable sleeping pads, 2.8 and 2.4 respectively. In the case of the Elite Mummy, an r-value of 2.4 is great for a pad that weighs 8.5 oz. For the Trail Ultralight, the benefit isn’t necessarily the weight or r-value but the comfort of the pad.
As mentioned below, NEMO’s inflation bag adds 2.1 oz. Both pads come with a stuff sack, strap, and repair kit, which add about 3 oz.
Inflation Valve
Close-up on the new inflation valve on the Nemo Tensor All-Season, which now allows for microadjustments.
The new NEMO Tensors have improved their inflation valve. The newest version has an improved no-profile design. The single valve is multifunctional, which means it is a one-way "in" valve and underneath it is an easy-to-release "out" valve. It is also adjustable, meaning you can customize your inflation control. This is useful especially when you're somewhere colder, as temperature can impact the amount of pressure in your pad.
Inflation Bag
Close up on the inflation valve on the Nemo Tensor Extreme, which inflates with the included Nemo Vortex inflation bag (yellow on left)
The Vortex inflation valve fits and locks onto the NEMO Tensor valve with ease. This is better than we can say for some inflation valves out there. You blow into the bag from a distance and it fills the bag in just a few breaths. Then you squeeze the air from the stuff sack into your Tensor. It takes me about 4 not-totally full bag fills to get the Tensor nice and firm.
My issue with the Vortex inflation bag is that it is heavy and essentially single-use gear. The bag is a whopping 2.1 oz. That is ridiculously the same weight as a FlexTail air pump–which will do the pumping for me as I do my other camp chores and will deflate.
On my most recent thru-hike, I used a 0.4 oz Alpenblow pump. The Vortex bag isn't even usable as a stuff sack because the opening is so small. The 20D fabric on the Vortex bag seems like overkill, though I've ripped the 10D fabric on other manufacturers' pump sacks, so can understand why they made that choice.
My recommendation for ultralight backpackers is to ditch the Vortex bag and use an air pump instead. Bonus is that air pumps come with lights and can even vacuum out all the air from your pad in the morning so it'll actually fit in the sleeping pad stuff sack again. If you aren't a gram counter, the Vortex will serve you just fine.
Durability
We used the Nemo Tensor All-Season for thru-hikes all summer in tarps that lack a bathtub floor, like the Gossamer Gear Whisper shown here. We used it as a pad and as the frame on our frameless pack on rough trails including the Idaho Wilderness Trail (which is where this photo was taken).
The NEMO Tensor All-Season uses a 20D nylon on the top of the pad and a 40D nylon on the bottom. The 40D on the bottom is an improvement on previous models of the NEMO Tensor and is one of the more durable options out there. Not all fabrics are the same, but to give a comparison, the NeoAir XLite uses 30D rip HT nylon on the top and bottom.
We haven't had any issues with durability on the Tensor All-Season or Tensor Extreme. Our writer Sam Schild, who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail with the 8.5 oz Tensor Elite Mummy didn’t have any durability issues, either. This is shocking for a pad this light.
I attribute the durability of the Tensors to the SpaceFrame baffle design. It has a low stretch that can take pressure just enough that I think the pad can take disperse some of the blunt force that would otherwise cause a pop.
As with all inflatable sleeping pads, we utilize a set of practices to reduce the chances of creating a hole or tear.
Perhaps it is overkill, but I often use at least two layers between the ground and my pad between a tent floor, ground sheet, or bivy.
I only inflate my pad inside my tents or while holding it suspended in the air. We also try to change into sleep clothes to protect our pad from spiky thorns that found their way into our hiking clothes.
Sustainability and ethics
The author testing the NEMO Tensor Elite sleeping pad on a quick overnight trip in the San Gabriel mountains.
Both the Tensor All-Season and Tensor Extreme use bluesign approved nylon fabrics. Bluesign works with brands to rate their efforts for environmental, health, and the safety of their textile supply chain.
NEMO is also known as a brand for its sustainability. They have a gear trade in and easy repairs. NEMO is a member of the Science Based Targets initiative. They are transparent about their policies and targets and their suppliers. While the Tensor is not part of their Endless Promise collection, they are thinking about the cradle-to-grave life cycle of their gear in some of the most cutting-edge ways we've seen in the outdoor industry so far. You can see that in their sleeping bags line, including the Nemo Disco Endless Promise and Nemo Coda Endless Promise bags.
Warranty
As with all NEMO products, the NEMO Tensor All Season and NEMO Tensor Extreme sleeping pads are backed with the NEMO Lifetime Warranty.
Color
We liked the yellow backside of the Nemo Tensor Extreme, which is good for staying visible in emergency situations. The black front side (not visible in this photo) is great for covering up the color of trail grime, too.
The color of the NEMO Tensor All-Season is one of the only dings we have against this sleeping pad. I use a backpacking quilt instead of a sleeping bag. That means if I'm not wearing sleep clothes, my skin is right against the pad. Light gray is not the color you want right against a hiker's legs. Dirt and other grime shows. This isn't an issue with the NEMO Tensor Extreme, which has a dark color.
That being said, I appreciate that both pads have a red bottom side. Sleeping pads are large gear items that can be used by search and rescue, especially during aerial operations. Other pad companies have bright colors and I think for safety, it's important that at least one side of these pads be bright.
Stuff sacks and pump sacks
This is nothing new for inflatable sleeping pads, but good luck getting your NEMO Tensor back into the stuff sack it came in.
The NEMO Tensors come with a stuff sack. Like most inflatable sleeping pads, we found it a challenge to fit it back into the stuff sack. If that is important to you, we recommend a pad inflator with the ability to deflate.
The Tensor also comes with a pump sack to help with inflation. With just a few pumps from the pump sack, you can inflate the entire pad. This is in contrast to the 30+ breaths it takes to inflate the pad. However, the pump sack weighs nearly 2 oz. Unlike other pump sacks, it can’t be used as a stuff sack for holding your clothes or other gear, either. It’s essentially a single purpose item. That is why we recommend not bringing your pump sack with the Tensor and instead bringing a pad inflator of your choice.
How we tested
The author using the Nemo Tensor All-Season while camping on a bikepacking trip across Joshua Tree National Park.
We spent nearly six months testing the NEMO Tensor All-Season Ultralight Insulated sleeping pad and the NEMO Tensor Extreme sleeping bag on backpacking trips and thru-hikes in California, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and Montana. This includes thru-hikes of the Colorado Collegiate Loop and Utah's Uinta Highline as well as the northern part of the Idaho Wilderness Trail. We spent significant time backpacking above 10,000 feet with this pad in early summer into fall. To test durability, we also camped with these pads for 4 weeks straight in the Sierra.
We've had multiple testers take previous versions of the NEMO Tensor on everything from alpine climbing trips in the Trinity Alps to off-trail backpacking trips in the Sierra to a thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail. Every single person has been surprised at how much more comfortable it is than other inflatable sleeping pads
Should I buy the NEMO Tensor?
The NEMO Tensor sleeping pad is a worthy addition to an ultralight backpacking or lightweight backpacking set-up.
Yes! If you need a new backpacking sleeping pad, this is the one I'd recommend. Tensors have a great warmth-to-weight ratio, a lot of comfort, and good durability.
If you haven't been able to get a good night of sleep on your inflatable backpacking pad from another brand, it is definitely worth making a switch to the Tensor.
If you're a first time sleeping pad purchaser and know right off the bat you don't want a foam pad, get this one. If you're ok with a foam pad, we'd recommend trying that first as it is much more affordable.
Get it if: you are a backpacker of any sort (traditional, lightweight, or ultralight). Get it if you haven’t felt comfortable sleeping on other inflatable backpacking pads.
Skip it if: you’re comfortable on foam pads or are on an extremely tight budget
Where to buy
The NEMO Tensor are popular gear items, so you have options when it comes to retailers. Here are some of the pros of the retailers.
REI
Pros: 100% satisfaction policy for 1 year; 10% dividend for members.
Amazon
Pros: Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime membership
NEMO
You can sometimes find more options when purchasing directly from the retailer. Sometimes, purchasing directly from the retailer can make it easier if you need to make a warranty return, such as if there is a defect.
Other versions of the tensor
NEMO Tensor Ultralight Trail
R-Value: 2.8
Thickness: 3.5”
Weight: 13 oz (mummy), 13.9 oz (regular rectangular), 17 oz (regular wide), 18 oz (long wide)
Inflation: 25-40 breaths or comes with Pumpsack
Lengths: mummy (72”), rectangular (72”), rectangular wide (25 x 72”), long wide (25 x 76”),
Treeline Review writer Mike Unger used the Tensor Trail Ultralight on a 3,000-mile bikepacking trip on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail. He liked it so much he awarded it his top award of the year in Our Favorite Gear of 2024: The Greatest Gear of the Year guide.
The difference between the Tensor Ultralight and the Tensor All-Season or Extreme? It only has 1 layer of the floating Thermal Mirror metalized film compared to the Extreme's four layers and the All Season's two layers.
The Ultralight doesn't save you much weight compared to the All-Season (only 1.1 oz), which is why we think most people are better off getting the All-Season or Extreme.
Still, if you stick to summer-only adventures in warmer, humid climates this could be a good option.
NEMO Tensor Ultralight Trail
Nemo Tensor Elite Mummy
R-Value: 2.4
Thickness: 3”
Weight: 8.5 oz (6-foot length), 7.6 oz (62 inches)
Inflation: 25-40 breaths or comes with Pumpsack
Lengths: 66”, 72”
The Nemo Tensor Elite Mummy is the new as of 2025 addition to the Tensor line-up. It’s the Best Ultralight Sleeping Pad in our best sleeping pads guide. It is a whopping 8.5 oz for a full-length pad with an r-value of 2.4. The short version is less than 8 oz!
Treeline Review writer Sam Schild thru-hiked the entire ~2,200 mile Appalachian Trail with the Tensor Elite Mummy and had no durability issues. He wrote it was one of his favorite pieces of gear from his AT thru-hike.
For a much shorter duration, four people on the Treeline Review team sat on this pad at one time and didn’t pop it either (not recommended to do it at home!). The material is only a 10D Cordura Nylon Ripstop so this is a pad you want to take extreme care with. If you are hard on your gear, this is not the pad for you.
We love the Tensor Elite Mummy for all the reasons we love the other pads in the Tensor line: the comfort. It doesn’t have the most insulation and despite our excellent experiences during testing, we still have reservations about the durability for most people.
NEMO Tensor Elite Mumm
Treeline Review writer Sam Schild used the NEMO Tensor Elite on an entire thru-hike of the ~2,200 mile long Appalachian Trail. Photo courtesy Sam Schild.
Other sleeping pads to consider
R-Value: 4.5 (rated for 4-seasons)
Thickness: 3”
Weight: 12.5 oz (6-foot length)
Inflation: 25-40 breaths or comes with Pumpsack
Lengths: 66”, 72”, 72”-wide, 77”
The NeoAir Xlite is the most similar to the NEMO Tensor All Season pad. However, it has a lower R-value and is not as thick.
The NeoAir also weighs less than the Tensor. However, the most recent version, the NeoAir XLite NXT, is only 1.1 oz lighter than the NEMO Tensor. The NeoAir XLite has horizontal baffles and uses a different WingLock Valve system with an inflation pumpsack.
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT
R-Value: 7.3 (rated to below -40F)
Thickness: 3”
Weight: 15.5 oz (6-foot length)
Inflation: 25-40 breaths or comes with Pumpsack
Lengths: 66”, 72”
The NeoAir XTherm is the most similar to the NEMO Tensor Extreme pad. However, it has a lower r-value and is not as thick.
The NeoAir weighs less than the Tensor Extreme. However, the most recent version, the NeoAir XLite NXT, is only 1.6 oz lighter than the NEMO Tensor All-Season and uses a more durable 70D fabric on the bottom.
The NeoAir XTherm has horizontal baffles and uses a different WingLock Valve system with an inflation pumpsack.
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT
R-Value: 3.1
Thickness: 2”
Weight: 16.9 oz (6-foot length)
Inflation: 3 breaths or comes with Pumpsack
Lengths: 50”, 66”, 72”, 78”
The Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Air has a dispersed baffle system that reminds us in some ways of that found on the NEMO Tensor. Both are dispersed instead of horizontal or vertical. However, the Sea to Summit is only 2 inches tall compared to the Tensor's 3.5 inches. We've bottomed out on it, especially while side sleeping. Additionally, it is heavier than the Tensor. It also has a lower R-value.
Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Air
Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft
R-Value: 4.7 (rated for 4-seasons)
Thickness: 4.6”
Weight: 24 oz (6-foot length)
Inflation: Comes with Pumpsack
Lengths: 73”, 78”
The Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft sleeping pad is a step up in comfort even from the NEMO Tensor. With a thickness of 4.6 inches, you would not know you are sleeping on the ground in this pad. There is no slipping, caving at the sidewalls/edges with this pad.
However, it is 25 oz for the regular length. That is more than 10 oz heavier than the Tensor All-Season. It also has a lower r-value of 4.7 vs. the 5.4 oz on the Tensor.
For more information, see our in-depth review of the Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft sleeping pad.
Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft
About the author / Why you should trust us
The author cowboy camping in the eastern Sierra using the Nemo Tensor Extreme.
Liz Thomas is an award-winning Los Angeles-based writer and Editor-in-Chief of Treeline Review. A former Fastest Known Time (FKT) record holder on the Appalachian Trail, Liz came to Treeline Review from New York Times/Wirecutter, the New York Times’ product review site, where she was a staff writer on the outdoor team.
Liz has talked gear on Good Morning America (TV), in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Buzzfeed, Men’s Journal, Women’s Health, Gizmodo, and Outside Magazine.
You can read more about Liz at her wikipedia page here or on her website. See all her Treeline Review articles on her author page.
