REI Helix Insulated Air Sleeping Pad Evaluation

Backside Line

In case 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 a fantastic 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 situations, the place she discovered the pad to be cozy, heat, and quick to pack up. 

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

Nonetheless, this pad isn’t with out its drawbacks. The quilted design might not go well with everybody, because the welded sample might really feel a bit bumpy for some customers. Additionally, facet sleepers and tosser turners might backside out when shifting round at night time. The Helix can be one of many heaviest and bulkiest backpacking sleeping pads we examined, making it much less excellent for long-distance journeys and arduous mountain climbing miles. 

We additionally discovered the Helix’s sturdiness fell a bit quick in our testing, with a few air leaks growing faster than different pads. So, like every air pad, you’ll need to deal with it with care in rugged environments. In order for you a handy, heat, and reasonably priced pad for the backcountry, the REI Helix hits a pleasant stability.

Consolation

The REI Helix Insulated Air sleeping pad checks each field for again and abdomen sleepers. At three inches thick, it gives 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 lets you alter the firmness to your liking, and the 30D nylon cloth is quiet, so that you gained’t take care of the annoying rustling sounds of different pads if you roll over throughout the night time. 

This pad is a good possibility in relation to staying heat on chilly shoulder season hikes. Paired with a heat sleeping bag, you’ll keep cozy all the way 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 a fantastic match for various physique varieties and sleeping kinds. We additionally like that REI gives vast and lengthy variations at no further value, which isn’t the norm. This consolation degree typically comes at a premium worth, however the Helix could be very reasonably priced for adventuring in chilly situations.

Nonetheless, consolation isn’t common. Aspect sleepers and people who transfer so much throughout the night time might backside out on this sleeping pad as a result of steep dips within the quilted sample. The pad is vast on the shoulders, but it surely tapers on the ft like a conventional 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 might really feel too pronounced for delicate campers. 

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

Weight & Packability

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

This Helix packs up simply because of the mixture 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 gained’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, but it surely’s not too dangerous. 

This pad just isn’t amongst our prime decisions for long-distance backpacking or mountain climbing arduous miles. Weight is a vital 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 essential goals revolve round heat, consolation, and saving cash, the Helix might nonetheless be a great match to your backpacking type. If, like us, maintaining your pack weight down tends to be vital, you might need to think about different choices.

Heat

The REI Helix Insulated Air gives a stable 4.9 R-value to remain heat in temperatures as little as 20°F, making it a fantastic bang to your buck for cold fall and spring situations. Its 3-inch thickness places loads of house between you and the chilly floor, and two-layer reflective insulation helps lure warmth all through the night time. 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 facet sleepers, the quilted design and deep welds may 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 might scale back its insulating skill for chilly sleepers. 

Additionally, our testers discover that this pad falls quick in additional excessive temperatures beneath 20°F. So, you might need to add a closed-foam cell pad for further insulation on snowy journeys or think about 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 situations if 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, giant, and simply captures air – it takes solely 5 to 7 fills to inflate the pad. 

The 30D ripstop nylon compresses and creases with no concern, so that you gained’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 gives angles on the shoulders however tapers on the backside, so it’s straightforward to arrange in any tent type. The dump valve deflates the Helix in seconds for a quick breakdown, and whereas it’s not essentially the most nuanced design, you’ll be able to nonetheless let air out in bursts to dial within the good firmness. 

Whereas there’s so much to like about this mannequin, it isn’t with out faults. Usually, the valve seams on sleeping pads are essentially the most susceptible space and the more than likely 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 may possibly 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 stability between weight and sturdiness. Whereas the 30D nylon is comparatively light-weight, it holds up properly for shorter journeys on mushy to reasonable terrain. The grid sample and seams are welded for further 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 arduous on their gear, the Helix gives stable sturdiness for its worth level and may final a number of seasons with correct care.

Nonetheless, this pad isn’t as rugged as others in its class. In considered one of our discipline exams, the pad developed a leak alongside a facet 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 usually last more. Your sleep type may additionally have an effect on the sturdiness of this pad. Aspect or stressed sleepers might discover themselves bottoming out, which might put extra stress on the seams and result in faster put on. 

Whereas the Helix’s sturdiness just isn’t a dealbreaker, you’ll must pay extra consideration to the place you inflate and deflate it. Keep away from brambles, sharp rocks, and equipment that might 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 stable heat in temperatures as little as 20°F. It’s good for chilly sleepers, chilly shoulder-season treks, or gentle winter adventures.

In order for you 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 further value, this pad works for a variety of customers at reasonably priced costs. The straightforward valves make for quick inflation and deflation, and the tapered design means this pad suits properly in any tent. In terms of excessive insulation at an excellent worth, the Helix is among the many greatest.

Nonetheless, we discovered some key downsides in testing this pad. The largest amongst them is weight. The Helix Air is a fairly heavy pad for backpacking adventures, and we usually prefer to hold our pack weight to a minimal, so this was a vital draw back for us. Moreover, our facet 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 excellent. 

In case 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 Take into account?

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

NEMO Tensor All-Season Evaluation: In case 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 greater consolation scores in our testing, and remains to be very sturdy and straightforward to make use of. It’s considered one of our prime suggestions for backpacking sleeping pads.

Massive Agnes Rapide SL Insulated Evaluation: Just like the Helix, the Rapide SL has a excessive R-value, so it’s a fantastic possibility for cold-weather journeys. The Rapide can be inexpensive, lighter, packs smaller, and is thicker for extra consolation and sturdiness. The Rapide is considered one of our prime funds decisions for air sleeping pads which can be snug and constructed to final.

Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Evaluation: The Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated shares the identical worth level because the REI Helix and is simply as straightforward to inflate and pack. Nonetheless, the Ultralight Insulated is notably lighter, packs down smaller, and gives higher sturdiness. That stated, its insulation worth is far decrease, and it shares the identical bottoming-out chance when tossing and turning at night time.