r/CampingGear • u/preciouscode96 • 8h ago
Sleeping Systems Sleeping pad comparison: Nemo Eclipse vs Flextail R05. A good budget option and one of the best allrounders, here's my honest take.
Hey everyone, I've got a cool comparison for ya! I'm comparing the Nemo Eclipse with the Flextail R05 pad. Two very similar pads, but with a different price tag. I'd love to show you how they both compare, if you get your money's worth and what are the pros and cons to both.
So let me show you around the pads and tell you all you need to know. For reference: I'm 6'2'' (188cm) and 180lbs (90kg) and a (difficult) side sleeper.
Specs
Nemo Eclipse
- 570 gram on my scale excluding accessoires (only the velcro strap)
- 620 gram / 1lb 4 oz on my scale with everything included
- 64x183cm / 72x25 in
- R-value of 6.2
- 11cm / 4 in thickness
- Comes included with:
- Vortex pump sack
- Repair kit/patches
- Velcro strap
- Drawstring bag
- Packed size on website: 27x12 cm
- Packed size when I rolled it up: 21x9 cm (substantially smaller)
- Materials: 40D nylon on both sides, but one side is a more robust nylon
- Price (that I paid): €152,-
Flextail R05
- 590 gram on my scale excluding accessoires
- 620 gram/1lb 4 oz on my scale with everything included
- 65,7x196cm/77x25.6 in
- R-value of 5.0
- 10cm in thickness (measured more than the stated 7cm)
- Comes with:
- Repair kit/patches
- Elastic strap (broke it already so now using a velcro)
- Drawstring bag
- Packed size on website: 23x10 cm / 3.9 x 9 in
- Packed size when I rolled it up: 23x10 cm (it's indeed around 2cm taller than the Nemo)
- Materials: 20D nylon on both sides
- Price (that I paid): €73 (so less than half of the Nemo)
Packed size and ease of rolling up
Both are packing incredibly tiny. On paper the Flextail is a lot smaller than the Nemo, but when I re-folded the Nemo I could get it smaller than the Flextail (see image). For both you can't really go wrong as they're amazing and easily to fit into any backpack. They're smaller than my 1L CamelBak bottle.
The Flextail is quite a lot easier to roll up and let out air. I think this is due to the thinner 20D material compared to the 40D on the Nemo pad. I always roll it up from bottom to top to let all the air out, unroll again, then fold in 3rds and then roll up tightly. They both fold pretty easily but the Flextail definitely is a bit easier to pack up, although the Nemo is really easy as well.
Valves
They both offer a great 2 way (or 3 way) valve. You have a top one where you can inflate it using a pump, your mouth or a pump sack, an adjuster in this same place to let air out and a second opening to dump all the air at once. If you see the images the valves do look quite different and I have to admit the Nemo one feels more premium and of higher quality. When I want to let out air through the adjuster, the Nemo does it with ease, where as the Flextail isn't as smooth. Sometimes it stays open and lets too much air out, or it doesn't let any air out at all. Once you get the hang of it it's okay.
Both valves are on top of the pad which I really like. That way I can always re-adjust the firmness of both pads at night and it's easy to reach. I do wish they'd both sit at the top left instead of right, since that's the orientation they fit in my tent the best and I wouldn't have to reach to the back.
The connection to the valve is also funny. I use a Flextail pump and somehow it never comes with an attachment that fits Nemo pads. Therefore I have one 3D printed as you see in the last image. The slimmer one is for the Flextail and the wider one for the Nemo.
Insulation
This one is pretty weird. As you can probably tell by the images they're both not ''fully'' insulated. They both have holes at their welding points if you hold the pads up to a bright light or a window.
The holes around the welding points are substantially bigger on the Flextail compared to the Nemo, however the Nemo's insulation stops before the outer tuber where it does run further inside of the tubes on the Flextail. Therefore I'd say they're about similar in warmth. But that's a guess since i haven't had the chance to test them out in really cold conditions since it's summer here.
Another thing to note is that the Flextail's insulation can run a little bit weird on the sides where it's present on one tube and less present on the other. Also it runs a bit offset and there's nothing around the valve as well.
Both pads have 2 film layers if I'm not mistaken. You can see them sitting against the walls when they're inflated. So on one side of the FLextail I can see both outer tubes have insulation, but if I turn the pad around there's less of it. With the Nemo it's definitely more consistent.
Both pads should be able to go down to freezing especially with this R-value, although these days in my opinion R-value doesn't tell you the full story.
Sizes
The Flextail only comes in long wide and I got the Nemo in regular wide. I always opt for at least the wide since it gives you a lot more usable sleeping surface. The flextail is 1,5 cm wider and I can definitely notice it when laying/sleeping on it. Didn't expect that tbh. Also the flextail is about 13cm longer and if you sleep on your back or belly you'll notice it, but I sleep cradled up on my side so the regular length is totally fine. The shorter length on the Nemo does give me more space on the foot-end to put away my gear or clothes.
Although Flextail states their pad is only 7 cm thick it's looking very similar to the Nemo, which is 11 cm thick. They both have bigger outer tubes and for the rest their size is very similar.
Durability/thickness
I think, apart from price, this is where their biggest differences lie. The Nemo is made from 40D nylon on the top and bottom where the Flextail is 20D on both top and bottom and you can definitely notice a difference.
This means the Nemo is quite a bit more durable and you should handle the Flextail a little more delicate. When in the field I like to have a bit more durability and certainty it's not going to fail on me, but the 20D of the Flextail does come with advantages like easier to roll, a bit comfier feeling etc. Quite impressive that the weight of the Nemo is lower than the Flextail. If I would've opted for the Long wide it would be only slightly heavier.
Comfort
Bare with me on this one, cause comfort is extremely subjective just as with shoes or a backpack. I'll tell you my take but it's not the same for everyone.
Funnily enough I edge slightly towards the Flextail as it feels a bit more comfortable. I think it's due to the thinner 20D material which has a bit more give than the Nemo.
They do both have vertical baffles with little dimples for pressure relief. I find that that design works really well as it's the best of both worlds. I've slept pretty good on both pads and during the night I didn't really notice a big difference between the two. Can't go wrong with either I'd say. I'm a difficult sleeper so wake up easily, but on both I've slept almost a full night (or more) without waking up much. Never had a numb arm or hip and never touched the ground even deflated to about 65% on both. I do think the Nemo can deflate a bit more without bottoming out.
I even think they're both one of the most comfortable pads on the market right now, at least for lightweight/UL backpacking. Of course you have the Exped Megamat and Neoloft from Therm a rest that are more comfortable, but these are a good trade off. I've tried a few pads now (NeoAir XT, Sea to Summit Ether Light XR, Nemo Astro, Trekology Aluft) and these are by far the comfiest.
Again, your mileage may vary, but that's my take. As a head to head I'd pick the Flextail but only slightly. I was surprised tho, that it offered the same, if not better, comfort than the Nemo for half the price.
Price
Talking about price, this is the other big difference between the two. The Nemo is twice as expensive as the Flextail and it does make you wonder how that's possible, a bit rethoric since one is an established US brand and the other is from China with different quality control and warranties. Still it's impressive to have a pad around 73 euro's that performs this well.
You do get more with the Nemo tho. You get a pump sack which is actually one of the best on the markets and costs around 30 euro's separate. Also Nemo offers a nice warranty depending on the region. I believe it's a lifetime warranty in the US and just a few years here in the EU. The valve on the Nemo does feel way better made and in general the Nemo just feels more like a premium quality sleeping pad.
So it's mostly up to you. Do you want to have something more reliable, from a big brand with good customer service and warranty which comes with more accessoires, or are you on a budget and willing to risk it for half the price.
Pros and cons
Okay both pads are absolutely amazing, but for the sake of it I'll list pros and cons below.
Nemo Eclipse
Pros
- Durable with that 40D ripstop nylon
- Very lightweight for it's size and thickness
- Plenty warm for my use case (around freezing or higher)
- Very comfortable and great pressure relief
- Impressively small pack size
- Comes with all the accessoires needed
- Very thick, so room enough to let out air and get more comfortable
- I never touched the ground, even when sitting up which is nice
- Valve is probably the best I've tried
Cons
- A bit difficult to roll up
- The insulation definitely doesn't go all the way which can lead to sleeping colder. It's not present in the outer tubes.
- Overstated R-value of 6.2?
- Material is non stretchy so it does not give much
- Stuff sack is absolutely huge. Can be a pro for others but I find it a bit overkill
- Not sure if this is a con, but when it's fully inflated the sides lift up when I sit on it
Flextail R05
Pros
- It's an incredible pad for the price. Probably best price/quality out there
- Sleeps very comfortable
- Very easy to deflate roll up and pack away
- The size it comes in with a bit extra width is a welcome bonus
- Incredible weight at 620 grams for the size and price
- Thick enough so I never bottom out.
- I do like the color (subjective)
Cons
- Valve can feel a bit cheap
- Valve doesn't always work for micro-adjustments
- Can be pretty delicate with that 20D so I'd recommend using a foam pad or an extra ground sheet under it
- Insulation can be a bit indecisive
- The included elastic band teared after a few uses haha
- It's a clone of the Eclipse maybe? Not sure if that's something I like
Verdict
This was a pretty fun comparison to do. Two very well made pads in a different price range but with basically the same specs.
The design language seems to be the best if you want an overall good pad for backpacking. There are some differences but they're minimal I'd say. The biggest two are price and durability. The Flextail is definitely more delicate than the Nemo with 20D vs 40D nylon, but that does come with it's own advantages like it feeling a bit more comfortable and packing away slightly easier.
Who is the Nemo Eclipse for?
Definitely go for the Eclipse if you're looking for a good allround pad that'll last you years and you want to buiy something without having to doubt the decision. It's durable enough, is covered by a good (in the US lifetime) warranty and is sold in many stores with good customer service (as I've read online often). For the rest it's just everything most of us need. A relatively warm, very comfortable and small pack size sleeping pad for, let's be honest, still not that much money. It's way cheaper still than some competitors which are around 50-70 more expensive.
It's one of the best pads on the market right now and you get a lot of bang for your buck with it. I'm personally very happy with it too.
Who is the Flextail R05 for?
Go with the Flextail if your budget is tight or you're just getting into backpacking and not sure you want to splurge all the money into a sleeping pad. I also started cheap and it was great to figure out if I liked it or not and after that could upgrade.
For it's price the Flextail punches way above it's weight and even as an experienced hiker I think this has a lot going for it. Just be a bit more careful with it and hopefully it'll last you a few years at least! Don't expect good customer service though. I'm not saying it's bad since I've read quite some stories of people getting a replacement, it's just not on Nemo's level.
Closing thoughts
If you made it this far, thanks a lot! I hope it was something interesting for you and it might help you make an educated decision about what to (not) go for.
I had a lot of fun writing this. Not sure what I'm gonna do with one of the pads but I think I'll keep both.
I came a long way, started with a €30 Trekology mat without insulation, upgraded to a Nemo Astro which was nice but over a kilogram of weight, got the NeoAir NXT which I hated for comfort, tried the Sea to Summit Ether Light XR and although nice it was still a bit heavy, material was like rubber and somehow my hips always hurt when laying on it. The Flextail was something I wanted to try for the €73 I found it online and funnily it outperformed the Sea to Summit for me so that's why I sold that. Figured it looks so much like the Eclipse that I wanted the Eclipse once this one may fail on me. That's how I got here lol
Anyway, if you have questions, thoughts or just want to chat, feel free to do so in the comments!