Therm-a-Rest Trail King SV

Therm-a-Rest’s Trail King SV combines the brand’s unique SpeedValve with internal AirFrame padding. The speed valve is a large open passageway into which you blow air from six inches away to fill the pad, and with self-inflating foam, this sleeping pad inflates quickly while reversing the speed valve allows for speedy deflation.

Pros: The V-shaped chambers inflate and provide comfort while the internal AirFrame padding offers support, especially along the spine as the padding runs the center length of the pad. An R-Value of 1.8 means this pad can handle summer and shoulder-season camping.

Cons: The SpeedValve can be tricky to get the hang of at first, but works well after, though testers didn’t note inflation being significantly quicker than other models. At nearly two pounds, it’s not the lightest sleeping pad we reviewed, nor is it as compact as some others.

Bottom Line: The Trail King SV is a comfortable, middle-of-the-road sleeping pad in weight, compactability and performance with a reasonable price tag.

Best for: Through hiking and three-season camping and backpacking

Key Attribute: Innovation