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Exped have revamped their sleeping mat ranges and are now using recycled fabrics and are producing the mats to a carbon neutral standard, furthermore they have simplified their naming convention so that the mats now feature the R-Value in the name. This is only a good thing if you understand R-Values and we think the names could have been better.

The R3 is a regular sized mat 7cm thick, so quite comfortable and weighing in at 551, which includes the stuffsack and an included Medium Schnozzel Pumpsack to blow it up with. It has two valves, an ‘in’ valve and an ‘out’ valve making inflation and deflation easy and quick. Overall though it’s at the heavy end of the backpacking mat spectrum so warmth, comfort and convenience need to compensate for a heavier pack weight.

With regard to warmth the R rating of 3 places this mat firmly in the 3 season category, so it’s a general purpose mat. Comfort-wise its quite thick, the fabric doesn’t rustle as some lighter weight mats do, and it’s a full rectangular model so you have space to turn and not have your legs drop off the side of the mat onto the cold tent floor.

We think the Schnozzel Pumpsack is the best inflation bag on the market and just 4-5 bags of air pumps the mat up fully, virtually no effort then. Since the Pumpsack weighs 54grams the true weight of the mat for comparison is more like 497 grams, and the pumpsack can be used as a pack liner – it’s very effective at this too.

The 20d fabric is not especially durable but is used extensively by most mat manufacturers so will stay the course, mats rarely fail due to abrasion, most are punctured and the puncture resistance of a 20d fabric is not very different to a 30d one.

In summary the Exped Synmat R3 is an excellent sleeping mat, light enough for backpacking it is easy to use and comfortable to sleep on, it’s a full rectangular mat providing plenty of footprint for you to toss and turn on. There are lighter options available if weight is your paramount consideration.

Mark Richardson
Mark was the founder of Ultralight Outdoor Gear back in 2006 and has completed long distance backpacking routes in some of the remotest parts of the world. His favourite hikes have been Torres del Paine (full circuit), the John Muir trail and the Markha Valley trail (Ladakh, India). Although semi-retired Mark has not lost any enthusiasm for minimalist backpacking and is tackling Scotland’s Munros choosing multi-day backpacking routes over the more usual guide book excursions. Read more from Mark Richardson