Verdict: a well-made, relatively affordable, and comfortable sleeping mat to make base camp and camping adventures a little less rough!

The Exped SynMat Lite 5 Sleeping Mat is a light and comfortable inflatable sleeping pad designed for bikepacking, backpacking, and camping, and is made with a 75D polyester fabric that is durable and resistant to punctures, (although I still use it with a thin lightweight roll mat if using in particularly spiky forest floors!).

The pad weighs in at 655g, is large enough for a 6-foot-plus adult (its dimensions are 183cm x 52cm), and ends up around 5cm thick when fully inflated.

The pad also features a large, easy-to-use flat valve that allows you to adjust the firmness of the pad to your liking. The valve is designed to be durable and leak-proof, ensuring that the pad stays inflated throughout the night (although mine does deflate a little due to the cooler air where I use it).

It comes with a stuff sack and repair kit, which makes it easy to store and maintain, and most notably, a lot more affordable than other inflatable mats on the market. Although it’s now discontinued, I’d buy from the brand again.