Elegear Double Sleeping Pad Review

You don’t come across double sleeping pads in the backpacking community often. Due to their size and weight, they just aren’t convenient to haul around for 10-20 miles a day, every day, for the next few weeks or months. However, a double sleeping pad has its place in the camping world.

I recently received a double sleeping pad from Elegear. When I was contacted about trying this product, I had never used a double pad before. But my youngest daughter had been asking me to take her camping, so I quickly saw the potential value in a pad like this and decided to give it an honest try.

Let me preface this review by acknowledging I have never researched double sleeping pads before. I didn’t even know what was available on the market, yet alone how the Elegear would compare to those. But after some quick research on various camping/backpacking websites, I gained a better understanding of how Elegear falls into the mix.

To appreciate this pad, you must take yourself out of a backpacker’s mindset and think more along the lines of family camping trips, car camping, glamping, etc. So, my backpacking lenses have come off and temporarily have been replaced with camping ones.

First, let’s highlight the specs and features:

Specs

Material	40D Nylon
Inflated Size	47.2”W x 78.7”L x 2.4”H
Packaged Size	12.6” x 6.1” x 6.1”
Weight	52.4oz (w/stuff sack)
R-Value	Unlisted

Features

• Honeycomb air baffle system
• Double-layered, one-way valve for easy inflation and deflating
• Dual integrated pillows
• Built-in foot pump
• Water and tear resistant

First a complete list of details and current pricing, check out the Elegear Double Sleeping Pad on Amazon.

Initial Impression

Upon first reveal of the Elegear Double Sleeping Pad, I noticed the size difference between this and a single-person pad. At first, it seemed rather large but put into perspective, it is as big as two single pads together. It came in an adequate stuff sack that is sure to serve its purpose.

Next, being used to smaller, lighter pads, I decided to weigh this double pad on my kitchen scale and compare it to the reported weight in the item’s Amazon description. The comparison was close with the reported 3.3lbs being heavier than the actual weight of 52.4 ounces, or 3.275lbs. Obviously, they simply rounded up to a single decimal place, but anytime a product is lighter than described, a backpacker smiles.

First Inflation

I proceeded to roll the Elegear double pad out and noticed this would likely not fit into my 3-person dome tent. It condenses as it is inflated but it still had a large footprint. Had I paid attention to the dimensions previously, this wouldn’t have taken me by surprise.

I used the built-in foot pump to inflate the pad. As the air baffles came to life, I noticed the design is similar (if not the same) as other pads on Amazon, such as the Wellax I have previously reviewed. I briefly laid on it and I’m glad to say that it passed the initial comfort test. I still needed to give it a full night’s sleep though, which would have to wait till the next night.

The pad was left inflated overnight so I could see if any air would be lost. It was still as inflated as I left it the night before, or if there was any air loss, it was not noticeable. I deflated the pad, which is quite quick, and easily rolled it back up and stored it back in its stuff sack to await a backyard camping trip that night.

Elegear Double Sleeping Pad Performance

In the evening, I set up my 3-person dome tent in the backyard and inflated the Elegear double pad. I was correct when I thought it would not fit inside my tent. The head-end was butted against the front entrance and the foot-end was rolled up at the rear door. This wasn’t a big deal though as this pad is comparable to long version pads and I didn’t need the full length.

After watching a few YouTube videos with my daughter, we called it a night and went to sleep. I can’t say I had a perfect night’s sleep, but this was largely in part to sleeping on a pad with a 4-year-old and nothing to do with the pad’s comfort. She, on the other hand, slept fantastic.

Overall, I thought the pad was comfortable and it stayed inflated through the night. For a camping trip, what more can you ask for?

Takeaways

This was my first experience with a double sleeping pad (and camping with my daughter). Let’s breakdown what I liked about the Elegear pad, and a couple of things I feel can be improved.

The Positives

• Integrated Foot Pump
• Comfortable
• Material

The Elegear Double Pad is made from 40D nylon, which is more durable than what is typically used with lightweight pads (20D, 30D). This does make the pad heavier, but again, from a camping perspective weight isn’t a big deal.

Next, given the size of this sleeping pad, inflating this pad via lung power will not be fun. To counter this inconvenience, Elegear incorporated a built-in foot pump. Simply open the valve and compress the air chamber with your foot. This is an easy method that enables you to quickly inflate the pad, sparing your lungs the workout.

Lastly and as previously mentioned, the Elegear Double Pad is comfortable. This is the number one factor when it comes to any sleeping pad in my opinion. Being 2.4-inches thick is probably the largest factor in how comfortable this pad is. It’s thick enough I can sleep on my side and not feel my hip touch the ground underneath.

For great sleeping pad options (single) for side sleepers, check out my top 6 recommendations.

The Negatives

• Built-in pillows
• Weight
• R-Value

The number one negative with the Elegear Double Sleeping Pad is the built-in pillows. For many people, at first glance having the pillows integrated into your sleeping pad may seem convenient. However, if you like the ability to manipulate your pillow as I do, then these pillows don’t add much value.

One improvement would be to have separate air chambers for the pillows with individual air valves so you can inflate the pillow to a desired firmness separate from the rest of the pad.

The built-in pillows, being unnecessary for my use, also adds additional weight. This pad, while being smaller than other double pads and not providing as much insulation, still weighs more than many I have seen.

The last negative is the unknown R-Value. My instinct tells me this is not a pad to use in temperatures that dip below 40-degrees, but if you know what to expect, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, not knowing what temperature range is appropriate can lead to a bad experience if you guess wrong.

Final Thoughts

For camping purposes, I think the Elegear Double Sleeping Pad is a great option for a couple of reasons. Again, comfort comes first. Second to that is this is a budget-friendly option, costing less than $60. Most other double sleeping pads I’ve seen cost 3 to 5 times more!

This pad also will work great for sleepovers or when traveling or any situation when carrying a bulky and heavy inflatable mattress is just inconvenient. While I would opt to use a smaller and lighter sleeping pad when backpacking solo, I would not hesitate to use the Elegear Double Sleeping Pad on my next family camping trip.

Overall, this sleeping pad gets two thumbs up. Well done, Elegear.

View the Elegear Double Sleeping Pad on Amazon!