REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Indestructable
REASONS TO AVOID
Uncomfortable
Exped Hypersleep Winter Review
The Hypersleep is for unplanned alpine bivys or to supplement an inflatable pad
Credit: Exped
Our Verdict
Exped discontinued the Hypersleep Winter in 2018
The Exped Hypersleep Winter is a minimalist's winter bivy pad. Virtually indestructible with an R-Value of 2, this foam pad is great to have around when you want to hunker down for a light snooze, but night after night on this pad will make for a grumpy camper. Unlike the Therm-a-Rest Ridge Rest Sol or the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol, The Hypersleep is cut to a mummy shape, leaving less space for keeping you and your belongings off the snow. The Hypersleep's strengths lay in its versatility, not comfort. This durable foam can be used to line your haul bag, splint your broken leg, cushion a picnic table bench, as a makeshift yoga mat, chopped up into insoles for your shoes, or as a flotation aid.
Our Analysis and Test Results
In terms of packed size, this pad isn't small, but it can hang tough on the outside of your pack.
Credit: Matt Bento
Performance Comparison
Our testers were skeptical that they'd get any sleep on the Hypersleep, and certainly not hypersleep. Exped should have saved the name for a more comfortable pad like the Exped DownMat 9. This pad isn't the warmest of the foam pads, that accolade goes to the Therm-a-Rest Ridge Rest Sol, but it is one of the lightest options in this review.
This pad is all about versatility, making a great backcountry yoga mat or a place for the impromptu but all important shoulder rehab exercises.
Credit: Matt Bento
Comfort
We found this pad to be fairly uncomfortable compared to other foam pads, and it doesn't hold a candle to inflatable pads. A lot of this has to do with the mummy shape. There just isn't a smidge of extra room on this pad, even for our 5'9" 140lb tester. The Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite SOL and the Ridge Rest SOL have more surface area due to their rectangular shapes. Unless you're sleeping flat on your back, part of you will end up on the ground. Pick a relatively flat area and remove all the rocks and sticks around you when choosing a site for a foam pad. This pad doesn't dampen bumps like a thick inflatable pad can.
The foldable, larger Therm-a-Rest Z light is a more versatile pad with a similar R-value to the Hypersleep.
Credit: Matt Bento
Weight and Packed Sized
At 12 oz, the Hypersleep Winter falls well into the ultralight category. Foam pads offer a variety of packing options, and the Hypersleep is no exception. Many big wall climbers use a pad like the Hypersleep to line the inside of their haul bags to give the bag a supportive shape. Some ultralight pack designs rely on a folded up foam pad to act as a frame. It's also super convenient to roll it up and just strap to the side of your pack. This tough pad can get dragged over rocks or through branches, suffering little damage.
Warmth
With a claimed R-value of 2, this pad is warm considering how thin and light it is, though both the foam pad offerings from Therm-a-Rest have a higher R-value. Since the Hypersleep is black, it heats up in more in sunlight, drying quicker than most pads. What we really liked about this feature was how warm the Hypersleep feels as a seat on a cold, sunny day, leading our testers wondering why all sleeping pads don't come in black.
Again, the Z-Lite takes the cake when it comes to foam pads, being longer and wider than the Hypersleep while taking up less space.
Credit: Matt Bento
Ease of Inflation
Throw this pad on the ground, flatten it out, and lay down. It's just that easy. More importantly, the Hypersleep can't pop or deflate, so you don't have to worry about your pad suddenly becoming worthless in the middle of your trip because of a sharp rock or stick. No valves of pump systems mean there's nothing to break or weigh this pad down.
Durability
On the tag that arrives with your Hypersleep, it says “Acclaimed for its extreme durability, and is not rendered useless by rocks, thorns, or your crampons”. We can confirm that the Hypersleep is still perfectly usable, even if you dance all over it with your crampons. A perfect ten for the Hypersleep in the durability metric.
Credit: Matt Bento
Best Applications
The Hypersleep is essentially a human-shaped piece of foam, and while it's not a great sleeping pad, it's a light and useful tool to have in the backcountry. If you're an extremely weight conscious hiker who can sleep anywhere, the Hypersleep versatility makes it a good pad to have on hand.
Look at all the Hypersleep can do! Unfortunately, it was too cold to see how this pad performed as a floatation aid, but this is the only pad that didn't come with explicit instructions NOT to use it as a raft.
Credit: Matt Bento
Value
At 79 smackaroos, we can't say this pad is a bargain, especially considering its simplicity and lack of features. If you have the sleeping skills and fortitude to tough it out night after night on a foam pad, have a look a the best buy award-winning Therm-a-Rest Z-lite Sol. The Z-Lite has a $45 list price and you can often find it on sale.
Conclusion
The Exped Hypersleep Winter has a great warmth to weight ratio, weighing just 12 oz with an R-Value of 2, but the steep price will steer most folks towards a less expensive pad. If you happen upon one of these on sale, it could make a nice backup pad in your pad arsenal.
—
Matt Bento
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