REI Helix Insulated Air Sleeping Pad Evaluate

Backside Line

Should you’re in search of a sleeping pad with nice insulation, however with out the hefty price ticket, the REI Co-op Helix Insulated Air Sleeping Pad delivers. With an R-value of 4.9, it’s one of many warmest choices on our backpacking sleeping pad information, making it an amazing alternative for cold-weather adventures. CleverHiker gear analyst Heather Eldridge used this pad on a week-long, 80-mile backpacking journey by Oregon’s rugged Wallowa Mountains in chilly fall circumstances, the place she discovered the pad to be cozy, heat, and quick to pack up. 

It’s a cushty sleeping pad for again and stomach sleepers, and the easy valve system, quiet cloth, and accessible worth level are nice for inexperienced persons and shorter backpacking journeys. Plus, REI affords the Helix in vast and lengthy choices at no additional price – a uncommon and welcomed change – making it a superb worth for campers of any form or measurement. 

Nevertheless, this pad isn’t with out its drawbacks. The quilted design could not go well with everybody, because the welded sample could really feel a bit bumpy for some customers. Additionally, aspect sleepers and tosser turners could backside out when shifting round at evening. The Helix can be one of many heaviest and bulkiest backpacking sleeping pads we examined, making it much less superb for long-distance journeys and onerous mountaineering miles. 

We additionally discovered the Helix’s sturdiness fell a bit quick in our testing, with a few air leaks creating faster than different pads. So, like all air pad, you’ll need to deal with it with care in rugged environments. If you need a handy, heat, and inexpensive pad for the backcountry, the REI Helix hits a pleasant steadiness.

Consolation

The REI Helix Insulated Air sleeping pad checks each field for again and abdomen sleepers. At three inches thick, it affords loads of cushioning to maintain you off the chilly, bumpy floor, and the quilted design cradles the physique properly and distributes weight evenly. Its valve permits you to alter the firmness to your liking, and the 30D nylon cloth is quiet, so that you received’t cope with the annoying rustling sounds of different pads whenever you roll over in the course of the evening. 

This pad is a good choice in relation to staying heat on chilly shoulder season hikes. Paired with a heat sleeping bag, you’ll keep cozy right down to round 20°F with the Helix, because of its excessive R-value of 4.9. The Helix is vast on the shoulders, so it’s an amazing match for various physique varieties and sleeping kinds. We additionally like that REI affords vast and lengthy variations at no additional price, which isn’t the norm. This consolation stage usually comes at a premium worth, however the Helix could be very inexpensive for adventuring in chilly circumstances.

Nevertheless, consolation isn’t common. Facet sleepers and people who transfer lots in the course of the evening could backside out on this sleeping pad because of the steep dips within the quilted sample. The pad is vast on the shoulders, however it tapers on the ft like a standard mummy design, which could not work for individuals who prefer to unfold out. Its dimpled design absorbs uneven and rocky floor properly, however its pillowy cells could really feel too pronounced for delicate campers. 

These are pretty small hang-ups – this pad is reliably cozy for most individuals in most circumstances.

Weight & Packability

For shorter treks, cold-weather adventures, and lower-elevation hikes the place weight isn’t a precedence, the REI Helix is a strong alternative. This pad is sort of a bit heavier than comparable sleeping pad fashions, tipping the scales at 21 ounces. However these additional ounces are price it when in a single day temps drop, and staying heat is essential to a very good journey. 

This Helix packs up simply because of the mix of devoted inflation and deflation valves and versatile nylon cloth that folds and rolls simply. We like that the stuff sack is roomy, so that you received’t be wrestling to get the pad again inside. Its packed measurement is 5 x 10 inches, so it’s bigger than most backpacking sleeping pads, however it’s not too unhealthy. 

This pad isn’t amongst our prime decisions for long-distance backpacking or mountaineering onerous miles. Weight is a important consideration for backcountry journeys, and that’s one of many key weaknesses of the Helix. It was one of many heaviest backpacking sleeping pads we examined, and the distinction is noticeable in comparison with a top-of-the-line sleeping pad.  

There are some pads on this worth vary that weigh considerably much less, however not many that may match the heat of the Helix. So, in case your most important targets revolve round heat, consolation, and saving cash, the Helix may nonetheless be a very good match in your backpacking fashion. If, like us, retaining your pack weight down tends to be important, chances are you’ll need to contemplate different choices.

Heat

The REI Helix Insulated Air affords a strong 4.9 R-value to remain heat in temperatures as little as 20°F, making it an amazing bang in your buck for cold fall and spring circumstances. Its 3-inch thickness places loads of area between you and the chilly floor, and two-layer reflective insulation helps entice warmth all through the evening. Paired with a good sleeping bag or quilt, it’s a wise alternative for shoulder season and gentle winter journeys. 

We did discover a couple of shortcomings with this pad throughout our testing. For aspect sleepers, the quilted design and deep welds could cause uneven heat distribution and bottoming out. That may result in chilly spots on the shoulders, hips, and knees. The pad additionally tends to backside out if under-inflated, which may cut back its insulating potential for chilly sleepers. 

Additionally, our testers discover that this pad falls quick in additional excessive temperatures under 20°F. So, chances are you’ll need to add a closed-foam cell pad for additional insulation on snowy journeys or contemplate a extra premium pad designed for excessive winter use.

Ease of Setup

The REI Helix Insulated Air is environment friendly to arrange, making it a good selection for chilly circumstances whenever you’ll need to arrange gear rapidly. A separate, devoted inflation valve snaps tightly onto the pump sack nozzle for a streamlined inflation that takes minimal effort. The included pump sack is sturdy, massive, and simply captures air – it takes solely 5 to 7 fills to inflate the pad. 

The 30D ripstop nylon compresses and creases with no difficulty, so that you received’t be battling the fabric when placing the pad away within the morning or pulling it out within the night. Whereas many pads are rectangular, this pad affords angles on the shoulders however tapers on the backside, so it’s straightforward to arrange in any tent fashion. The dump valve deflates the Helix in seconds for a quick breakdown, and whereas it’s not essentially the most nuanced design, you may nonetheless let air out in bursts to dial within the good firmness. 

Whereas there’s lots to like about this mannequin, it isn’t with out faults. Typically, the valve seams on sleeping pads are essentially the most weak space and the most probably to fail. Whereas we like the 2 separate nozzles for comfort, double-valve designs enhance alternatives for seam failures. It’s additionally bulkier than different backpacking pads, that means it could actually take longer to stow away throughout teardown and could also be more durable to suit right into a packed backpack.

Sturdiness

The REI Helix Insulated Air is constructed with a 30-denier nylon cloth that gives an okay steadiness between weight and sturdiness. Whereas the 30D nylon is comparatively light-weight, it holds up properly for shorter journeys on smooth to average terrain. The grid sample and seams are welded for additional power, which helps the pad resist sluggish leaks over time. Its quilted design distributes stress evenly throughout the pad to scale back put on in concentrated areas. 

The included discipline restore package has adhesive patches for fixing minor backcountry points. For informal backpackers who aren’t onerous on their gear, the Helix affords strong sturdiness for its worth level and will final a number of seasons with correct care.

Nonetheless, this pad isn’t as rugged as others in its class. In certainly one of our discipline exams, the pad developed a leak alongside a aspect seam after just some nights of use, requiring an in-field restore. 

The 2 valves separated throughout the pad imply a double probability of failure across the seam as a substitute of 1 unit that can typically last more. Your sleep fashion may also have an effect on the sturdiness of this pad. Facet or stressed sleepers could discover themselves bottoming out, which may put extra stress on the seams and result in faster put on. 

Whereas the Helix’s sturdiness isn’t a dealbreaker, you’ll have to pay extra consideration to the place you inflate and deflate it. Keep away from brambles, sharp rocks, and equipment that would puncture its floor. Even with these caveats, we’ve used this pad for a number of seasons with out main points; you’ll simply need to deal with it rigorously.

Must you Purchase the REI Helix Insulated Air?

The REI Helix Insulated Air is an effective alternative for budget-conscious backpackers in search of excessive insulation of their sleeping pad. Its higher-than-average R-value offers strong heat in temperatures as little as 20°F. It’s good for chilly sleepers, chilly shoulder-season treks, or gentle winter adventures.

If you need dependable consolation, particularly for many who sleep on their abdomen or backs, the Helix’s 3-inch thickness and quiet cloth will match the invoice. With bigger sizes supplied at no additional price, this pad works for a variety of customers at inexpensive costs. The straightforward valves make for quick inflation and deflation, and the tapered design means this pad matches properly in any tent. In relation to excessive insulation at an excellent worth, the Helix is among the many greatest.

Nevertheless, we discovered some key downsides in testing this pad. The largest amongst them is weight. The Helix Air is a reasonably heavy pad for backpacking adventures, and we typically prefer to hold our pack weight to a minimal, so this was a important draw back for us. Moreover, our aspect sleeping pad testers reported that this wasn’t their favourite design as a result of they tended to backside out when shifting round, particularly when the pad’s firmness was inflated decrease. 

We additionally discovered that the Helix’s cloth is much less sturdy than a few of its opponents, requiring extra cautious dealing with to keep away from punctures. The pump sack’s single-purpose design can be not superb. 

Should you’re a budget-conscious adventurer occurring shorter journeys the place weight isn’t a prime concern, the Helix is a really smart and cozy alternative.

What Different Sleeping Pads Ought to You Contemplate?

Try our record of the Greatest Backpacking Sleeping Pads for all our prime suggestions. 

NEMO Tensor All-Season Evaluate: Should you’re keen to pay a bit extra for a considerable bump up in high quality, we advocate testing the NEMO Tensor All-Season. The Tensor is hotter, weighs much less, earned larger consolation scores in our testing, and continues to be very sturdy and simple to make use of. It’s certainly one of our prime suggestions for backpacking sleeping pads.

Huge Agnes Rapide SL Insulated Evaluate: Just like the Helix, the Rapide SL has a excessive R-value, so it’s an amazing choice for cold-weather journeys. The Rapide can be cheaper, lighter, packs smaller, and is thicker for extra consolation and sturdiness. The Rapide is certainly one of our prime funds decisions for air sleeping pads which might be comfy and constructed to final.

Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Evaluate: The Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated shares the identical worth level because the REI Helix and is simply as straightforward to inflate and pack. Nevertheless, the Ultralight Insulated is notably lighter, packs down smaller, and affords higher sturdiness. That mentioned, its insulation worth is way decrease, and it shares the identical bottoming-out chance when tossing and turning at evening.