REASONS TO BUY
Built-in foot inflator
Inexpensive
Integrated pillow
REASONS TO AVOID
Limited insulation qualities
Low loft may not work for side sleepers
Questionable durability
WANNTS Ultralight Review
An inexpensive pad with a clever built-in inflator makes a good choice for tight budgets
The built-in pillow and inflator set the WANNTS Ultralight Sleeping Pad apart
Credit: Justin Simoni
By Justin Simoni ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ November 11, 2025
Our Verdict
If funds are tight – really tight – but the mountains won't stop calling, the WANNTS Ultralight could be your ticket out of normal everyday life and into destinations unknown on some overnight trips. It's both extra wide and extra long, replete with a built-in inflator and pillow, which even the most expensive pads we've tested lack. The WANNTS wouldn't be the pad we'd rely on for a multi-week thru-hike, as it may not be warm enough or comfortable enough outside of perfect summer conditions. But if the other options are simply too costly for the more casual trips you have planned, give this pad a look.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Featuring a built-in pillow and a major footprint, this sleeping pad could be a good choice for new backpackers. We enjoyed splaying out on the 23 x 75 inches of quilted baffles provided by this pad area that left our smaller ultralight options in the dust. The unique built-in pad inflator was quite useful. We can't say that the insulative qualities of this pad are really great (it's one of the colder pads in our entire lineup), so we only recommend this pad for warm summer nights. This pad delivers enough quality and durability to start you out on your lifetime love affair with the outdoors.
The button tufted-like look of the WANNTS Ultralight is hard to miss!
Credit: Justin Simoni
Comfort
There's a lot going for the WANNTS Ultralight when it comes to comfort, although it does stumble on a few details. We measured this pad with a width of 23" (2 inches short of the manufacturer's claimed 25") and a length of 75" — quite generous, if you're used to more constrained, lightweight mummy pads, and this generous total area was the first thing we noticed. If your tent is small, double-check that the length will fit in your tent!
If you're taller than 6', you may really enjoy such a long pad at such a great deal. Stomach sleepers who stretch and plantar flex their feet, but still want to have toes on the pad, may also especially appreciate the WANNTS.
Pad thickness varies from about 2.5" at its deepest to around 5" for the built-in pillow.
Curiously, this pad has a pillow built in with a 5" height, which we found worked pretty well in lieu of a separate blow-up pillow. It covers the entire width of the pad, making our backpacking pillow feel a little small in comparison.
The built-in pillow is a highlight of the WANNTS Ultralight, which we found to be comfortable no matter if we tested it on our back, side, or stomach.
The all-over quilted pattern of air baffles may be a “love it or hate it” affair. The depressed portions of this pad are pinchably thin, which allows excellent airflow on both sides. That's not what you want if keeping warm is the goal. Side sleeping comfort may be impacted the most, as the depth of the cushion is deceptive over the entire area, if you look at the pad from the side. Your hip bone may just hit the ground.
A wider sleeping pad like the WANNTS Ultralight is really preferable for active sleepers, and the built-in pillow means one less thing wandering in the night. We found sleeping on our back being the most comfortable, with side sleeping being a little less attractive given the baffled design.
Credit: Justin Simoni
Weight
The WANNTS Ultralight sleeping pad comes in at 26.9 ounces (763 grams), and the included stuff sack weighs all of .6 ounces (16 grams) by itself, for a total of 27.5 ounces (779 grams) for the entire package. This makes the “Ultralight” part of the name somewhat misleading, as this is one of the heavier sleeping pads in our lineup and is more than twice as heavy as some of the lightest pads we tested.
Given the spacious dimensions and the built-in pad inflator, we're not surprised by its heft, and we still think the weight and packed size are realistic to bring along on a backpacking trip. We also think it's good for car camping, where weight and mass aren't a factor.
The pad and stuff sack together weigh 27.5 ounces.
Warmth
Unfortunately, the WANNTS Ultralight isn't advertised with an R-value rating, leading us only to guess what the true value would be. We didn't test the pad in truly frigid temps, but we suspect it would not fare well. The baffled quilted pattern of the air chambers only hold the maximum lofted height of the pad over approximately 3/4 of the pad's area. These separate chambers taper down to a pinchable width where no actual air padding is between you and the cold air that's free to circulate around you.
This, of course, happens not only between the ground and the pad, but also between the pad and your body. We approximate an R-value similar to that of a simple closed-cell foam pad. Unsurprisingly, this pad doesn't employ any additional technologies within the interior to enhance the loss of heat through thermal radiation, like an embedded sheet of aluminized mylar. What the WANNTS does have going for it is its overall size: the approximate 12 square feet of area meant that our 5'11" tester was never found off the pad, despite his tossing and turning. Still, we only suggest this sleeping pad for summer duties in mild weather. If temps are never going to be below 50°F, the WANNTS will be more than adequate, although we'd think twice before taking it into the backcountry of our favorite mountain range in Colorado.
There is no actual cushioning provided by the sleeping pad between the air-filled baffles, which really hurts the overall warmth of this sleeping pad.
Credit: Justin Simoni
Packed Size
Rolled and packed up tightly, the WANNTS can take up around 2.5 liters of space (13 to 14 inches in circumference, 11 inches in length), but the included stuff sack is a little oversized at (12 inches long and 18.85 inches in circumference), providing around 5.5 liters of volume, which means its easy to pack the pad away, but it may expand a bit in your pack if not compressed down.
For backpacking, you may want to invest in a simple velcro strap to keep the rolled pad tightly together, bettering the job of the included sack. Surprisingly, the built-in inflator doesn't impact the total volume much at all.
Packed up and ready to go, the WANNTS Ultralight can realistically take as little as 2.75 Liters of space in your pack. The including stuff sack provides a loose fit around the pad, belying it's true volume.
Credit: Justin Simoni
Quality of Construction
Given the price, our expectations were somewhat tempered when it came to the level of quality of the WANNTS Ultralight, but color us surprised. Given all that could go wrong with a sleeping pad, we haven't yet experienced any issues like pesky pinhole leaks, which invariably plague a pad of this style.
All seams on the WANNTS appear to be heat-welded without signs of failure from use. The dual one-way/two-way valve at the head of the pad looks quality, and provides a good seal from escaping air.
The inflator and dual valve all seem to be of decent build quality.
The diaphragm inflator at the foot end also works as designed. It's also optional, as the opposite end features a one-way valve if you would like to inflate the old-fashioned way. There also also 16 snaps found along the perimeter of the pad that allow you to connect your WANNTS pad to another one, which is a neat feature (although one that surely adds a bit of weight).
Using the built-in pad inflator on the WANNTS Ultralight is a unique experience!
Credit: Justin Simoni
Should You Buy the WANNTS Ultralight?
If you're interested in the WANNTS Ultralight, it's all about the low price - and for its price, it delivers on its value, so long as you are not hoping that this sleeping pad will excel in colder conditions. This would be a great pad to bring along on casual backpacking trips or while car camping. Side sleepers may want to avoid this sleeping pad given the problems with the pressure of your hip, allowing it to potentially hit the ground.
Deflating and rolling the WANNTS Ultralight up for storage in its included sack is as easy as it comes.
Credit: Justin Simoni
What Other Sleeping Pads Should You Consider?
The Sleepingo Large is a somewhat similar design, but lacks the built-in pillow and inflator. It also has a similar quilted pattern and is a little thinner as well. If you're cost-conscious, look into closed-cell foam pads. By and large, they won't have anywhere near the loft of the WANNTS, but the real-world R-value can be matched or bettered. The Nemo Switchback is a perennial favorite for budget-minded backpackers, coming in at half the weight and delivering an R-value of 2. Side sleepers may still not be serviced well, and if that's you, the cost of a more expensive inflatable could be worth it. The Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated is a huge step up in quality, warmth, and price.
Length was measured at approximately 75" (our tester pictured here is 71")
Credit: Justin Simoni
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare WANNTS Ultralight versus top competing products:
—Justin Simoni
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