Nemo Tensor All-Season Review

To properly assess each sleeping pad in our lineup, we narrowed the testing down to five key metrics: comfort, weight, warmth, packed size, and construction quality. We found that the Nemo Tensor All-Season excelled in nearly all of the categories, sporting excellent comfort, above-average warmth, and solid construction. In short, it's a well-rounded pad that we'd recommend to just about any three season camper.

Comfort

Due to its excellent baffle design and rectangular shape, the Nemo Tensor All-Season Ultralight Insulated scored very highly in the category of Comfort, earning an 8 out of 10 points. Our testers found that the brand's perforated “Spaceframe” baffle design helped to cradle them firmly at the center of the pad, even when tossing and turning during a chilly evening, and the pad's rectangular shape made it uber-cozy in a wide range of sleeping positions.

Nemo used bluesign-approved nylon for this pad, and we found it comfortable enough to sleep directly on the face fabric itself. This means that the Tensor All-Season would be a great choice for backpackers who sleep hot or like to save space and weight by using a down quilt when camping, rather than a big sleeping bag.

Though the Tensor All-Season comes in a mummy shape, the “regular” model of the pad is what our team tested, and it's an awesomely comfy rectangle shape that's 72 inches long and 20 inches wide. When stomach sleeping with her arms splayed out my her head, our lead tester found this to be an ample width for all-night comfort. Looking for something taller or wider? The Tensor All-Season also comes in “Regular Wide” and “Long Wide” sizes.

Weight

When we took our nifty kitchen scale out and measured the actual weight of the Nemo Tensor All-Season, we clocked it at 17.8 ounces, which is slightly under the manufacturer's specifications for the pad, pump sack, cinch strap, stuff sack, and repair kit. We liked that a user could, in theory, use the aforementioned cinch strap to roll up the pad without a bag and repair kit, saving about an ounce and a half.

With a measured weight of 17.8 ounces, the Tensor All-Season was solidly in the middle of the pack—not the lightest or the heaviest. However, its warmth-to-rate ratio was above average, meaning that this is a good pick for shoulder season adventures or backpackers who want a single sleeping pad that'll cover them for most of the year, instead of purchasing both a summer and a winter pad.

Warmth

With a stated ASTM R-value of 5.4, the Nemo Tensor All-Season Ultralight Insulated is a great pick for frigid autumn alpine adventures and early spring jaunts in the woods, even though it isn't quite as warm as our Top Pick for warmth. It's still a well-insulated pad that'll suit most standard-issue backpacking trips.

On a rough-and-tumble backpacking excursion through Wyoming's Wind River Range, one of our testers noted how toasty they stayed using the Tensor All-Season on a particularly windy evening with a thin 35-degree sleeping bag for added warmth. Nemo used quiet, non-crinkly aluminized film for the pad's insulation, so you'll stay warm without causing a ruckus and waking your tent mate.

Packed Size

When we took out our measuring tape and checked the stuff sack, we noted that the Nemo Tensor All-Season packs down to an incredibly narrow cylinder of 10 x 4.0 inches. This was easily among the smallest packed-down sizes of all the sleeping pads we tested, which was particularly noteworthy because of the pad's superior insulation to many three-season mats.

At first glance, it was hard for our tester to locate the repair kit within such a slim stuff sack, but it's simply a thinner patch kit than many other brands included. All in all, we wished the stuff sack was a bit roomier, so that it wasn't a hassle to roll the sleeping pad up every morning before breaking camp. And, to be fair, we wished that for nearly every pad on our list.

Construction Quality

Sporting a comfy 20-denier nylon on top and a hefty 40-denier nylon fabric on the bottom, the Nemo Tensor All-Season isn't likely to puncture or split seams easily. The baffle design also seems to disperse a user's weight more evenly than some other balloon-like pads, so we felt safe tossing and turning during testing, without fear of busting open the pad.

We love that the pad's color is listed as “spicy orange,” but all jokes aside, this pad's bright face fabric was soft enough to lay directly on when reading or escaping mosquitoes inside the tent. This model, like other Nemo pads we tested, had a sturdy inflation and deflation valve that laid flat and didn't disrupt us when sleeping. This lay-flat design also made it just a smidge easier to roll up the pad when it was time to clear out.

Lastly, we know how much it sucks to have your trusty sleeping pad pop in the middle of a backcountry expedition. As such, our testers truly appreciated when an inflatable pad came equipped with a fix-it kit for easy in the field repairs. The Nemo Tensor All-Season comes with a thin, lightweight set of patches that easily slide into a small pocket within its stuff sack.

Should You Buy the Nemo Tensor All-Season?

We feel that the Nemo Tensor All-Season is an excellent and well-rounded pad that's incredibly comfortable, decently warm, and sturdy enough to support most people's backpacking needs. While it's not the most ultralight or warmest pad on our sleeping pad guide, it checks all the proverbial boxes in the areas where it matters most, and it's cozy, to boot.

What Other Women's Sleeping Pads Should You Consider?

If weight isn't a concern for you and you just want the comfiest, coziest night's rest, the Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft Pad is an impressively plush pad. Lastly, If you simply want something uber-light and durable, foam mats, like the Nemo Switchback are great for long-haul trips.