One of the lighter insulated backpacking pads on the market, the AXL delivers the backcountry comfort we expect from Big Agnes. Along the sides of the pad, baffles are 3.75", while inner baffles are 3.25"—this dish-like curvature helps to ensure that you stay centered on the pad and don't slide off onto the cold, hard ground. The ultralight weight (11.9 ounces, 20" x 72") and compact packed size (4" x 6.5") make the AXL hardly noticeable in your pack.
While we didn't have any immediate durability issues during testing, testers did voice concern about the ultrathin nylon material. Upon doing some research, we have read a handful of customer reviews on the AXL that cite leaks. Keeping that in mind, we are more inclined to recommend Big Agnes' durable, reliable, and comfortable Q-Core SLX, which has been one of our favorite sleeping pads for years.
An ultralight option that, on paper, is a backpacker's dream sleeping pad. However, seam reliability seems to be a problem.
Price$124.99 | Cash Back Amount$5.62 | Cash Back4.5% | Buy Now | |
Price$159.95 | Cash Back Amount$6.39 | Cash Back4% | Buy Now |