A First Impressions Review of NEMO Eclipse Sleeping Pad
We compare NEMO Eclipse vs Tensor and more of its peers
The new-for-2026 NEMO Eclipse offers an exceptional blend of high comfort and low weight, representing the best value proposition on the entire market for lightweight sleeping pads. At just $160, it is $40 less expensive than its peers on average, but seems to perform just as well, if not better than most. It is a bit heavier and bit comfier than its Tensor siblings, and extremely similar to the beloved (and slightly more expensive) Sea to Summit Ether Light XR. Based on our early testing and its excellent specs-to-price ratio, we highly recommend the NEMO Eclipse.
- Price: $160 (reg) | $190 (wide) | ($200 long/wide)
- Weight: 16 oz | 20 oz | 21 oz
- R-Value: 6.2
- Thickness: 4”
- Fabric: Unlisted, estimating 20d/40d nylon
- Peers: NEMO Tensor, Sea to Summit Ether Light XR, Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft, Big Agnes Rapide SL. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite.
- Pros: Great price. Very high R-Value. Very thick. Disperses pressure well. Reasonably light. Cradle effect. Quiet, no crinkly sound. Good valve.
- Cons: Durability untested. Thickness increases have diminishing returns, some minor drawbacks. Not ultralight. No mummy available.
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Compare to more great options in our guide to the best ultralight sleeping pads, double sleeping pads, and winter sleeping pads.
Reviewing the Pros
Incredible Value: NEMO Eclipse performs like a tier-1 lightweight sleeping pad, yet is priced like a tier-2 pad. It is inexpensive relative to its weight, comfort, and R-value. NEMO easily could have priced this at $200 for the size regular.
Very High R-Value: R-6.2 is astoundingly warm for an all-season model, and a boon to quilt campers who rely on insulation from their pad. Before the proliferation of thermal mylar, this level of warmth would have been inaccessible outside of specialty winter pads costing $100 more.
Very Thick: Four inches of thickness are as much you would ever need to block roots, rocks, pine cones, etc. Arguably, it’s a bit overkill, as 3.5 inches are sufficient most of the time. But overkill can be underrated, and the extra half inch of thickness (compared to most others) allows you to deflate the pad for a softer surface, if desired, and without compromising lump-blockage.
Comfy, Disperses Pressure Well: Thanks to the heavily dimpled surface with high peaks and deep valleys, side sleepers will find shoulder and hip pressure is well-dispersed. Eclipse is arguably the best in its weight class at pressure dispersal. It is definitely comfier than NeoAir, a bit comfier than Tensor, similar to Ether Light XR, but not as good as heavier, plusher alternatives like Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft.
Reasonably Light: Despite its incredible thickness and R-value, NEMO Eclipse is lighter than expected, especially given its price point. While not ultralight, 16 oz for a size regular is respectably light, even if not exceptional.
Cradle Effect: A gentle cradle effect is very nice to help keep the sleeper center. Thanks to Eclipse’s lengthwise baffle orientation, the left and right edge baffle will get extra inflation pressure once a body weights the center. Weighting the pad increases the width by 0.5-1.0″ as the baffles want to expand outward. Conversely, perpendicular/horizontal baffles do not create this effect; they don’t cradle or expand.
Relatively quiet, no crinkly: Unlike NeoAirs of old, the NEMO Eclipse is not loud and crinkly to roll around on. We would describe as similar volume to other modern pads; the fabric is still swishy and it’s a obviously louder than foam. But overall, yeah, pretty quiet.
Good valve: A good valve is one you don’t notice. This one is not bulky and allows for inflation adjustments without fuss.
Reviewing the Cons
Durability untested: This is a new-to-market pad without a year of field testing by the masses. In short, we won’t know how it holds up until thousands of people take out and use it for a full season.
No fabric specs provided: NEMO has neglected to provide fabric denier specs, which makes durability even hard to predict. While first generation Tensors were prone to popping, this was fixed in the current line up, and we think they learned their lesson. If we had to guess, we’d say it is similar to Tensor, probably 20d on top, 30-40d on bottom. But that is not confirmed.
Thickness increases have diminishing returns, some minor drawbacks: While thicker pads are generally better than thinner, each half inch of thickness increase has major diminishing returns on comfort. While there is a 20 % difference between a 2.5″ and 3″ pad, the jump up to a 4″ thick pad compared to the industry standard 3.5″ is only a 14% increase.
See above for the advantages of thickness, but here we’ll delve into the disadvantages. For starters, the increased surface area of the sides will increase convective cooling more than thinner pads when exposed to freezing temps; in short, this pad likely sleeps cooler than the R-value implies. Secondly, thicker pads create a larger drop off at the edge. If you are using a regular width model, your arm or hand may not be comfortable to drape off the edge. This is not a problem with a thin foam pads like ZLite, but can be seriously annoying when you are high off the ground. What’s more, you can really sink into this thick of a pad, making it a bit awkward sit upright on. And lastly, it pushes you closer to the ceiling of your tent. This can be an issue in condensation-covered single wall shelters, effectively reducing relative ceiling height.
Not ultralight: Therm-a-rest NeoAir, NEMO Tensor, and Big Agnes Zoom UL set the ultralight bar at 13-14oz for an all-season pad. NEMO Eclipse comes in at 16 oz, and while definitely lightweight, does not clear the ultralight threshold for ounce-counters.
No mummy available: Rectangular shaped sleeping pads force users to carry extra corner material (unlike a mummy shape). The corners of a rectangular pad are the least used, least necessary sections and add deadweight.
Who Should Choose It and Should you Upgrade?
Do choose NEMO Eclipse Sleeping Pad if…
- You want a pad that balances low weight and high comfort
- You want the best bang for your buck
- You sleep on your side
Do not choose NEMO Eclipse Sleeping Pad if…
- You want a true ultralight pad (in which case choose Tensor, NeoAir, or Zoom UL)
- You want the very comfiest pad possible (in which case choose NeoLoft)
Should you upgrade?
- If you already own a tier 1 pad that you enjoy sleeping on, you don’t need to upgrade. The performance gap is not that big, and part of the appeal of this pad is that it performs well for a lower-than-expected price. Money savings are lost if you upgrade from a pad that already works.
- The only tier 1 pad worth upgrading from, and only if you find it to be uncomfortable, is Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT, which is the lightest weight, but also least comfy tier-1 inflatable. The comfort gap between NeoAir and Eclipse is the largest in its peer group, so may justify an upgrade if you’re sleeping poorly.
- If you have a thin/heavy/old/uncomfortable/tier 2 sleeping pad, this would be a great upgrade
NEMO Eclipse Vs its Peers
NEMO Tensor vs Eclipse
NEMO Tensor is two ounces lighter weight and the better ultralight choice. Eclipse is less expensive and bit heavier, but it’s thicker, comfier, higher R-value, and has the cradle effect. Ultralight backpackers pushing mileage should choose Tensor, everyone else should choose Eclipse.
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT vs vs NEMO Eclipse
NeoAir XLite NXT is three ounces lighter and likely more durable; thus the better ultralight choice. Eclipse is less expensive, thicker, much comfier, higher R-Value, less expensive, and has the cradle effect. Ultralight backpackers pushing mileage should choose NeoAir, everyone else should choose Eclipse.
Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft vs NEMO Eclipse
Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft is thicker, softer, and comfier, but significantly heavier. Eclipse is much less expensive , much lighter, yet still much thicker and comfier than average. We recommend Eclipse over NeoLoft for nearly all backpackers because that much makes a big difference.
Sea to Summit Ether Light XR vs NEMO Eclipse
Sea to Summit Ether Light XR and NEMO Eclipse are very similar in spec. They weigh about the same, and both are comfier than average and have a cradling effect. It is hard to tell which is comfier when laying on them side by side. Ether Light is more proven and has (we think) a thicker and more durable fabric. NEMO Eclipse is overall thicker – 4″ at every baffle peak, where as Ether light is 3.9″ at the edges and closer to 3.5″ in the center. The deciding factor is likely that Eclipse is warmer (R 6.2 vs R4.1) $40 less expensive for a similar product, so we think most backpackers should choose it for that reason. If durability is extra important to you, or you can get it on sale, we recommend Ether Light.
Big Agnes Rapide SL vs NEMO Eclipse
Big Agnes Rapide SL and NEMO Eclipse are also very similar. Both cost the same, weigh in at about one pound, have length-wise baffles with a cradling effect, and a higher than average R-Value. Rapide has a more explicit cradle, with 4.25″ thick baffles at the perimeter and 3.5″ at the center. Conversely, Eclipse’s is 4″ throughout, and relies on a body pressuring the center to raise up the outer baffles slightly. If you really need a big cradle, Rapide is the better choice. However, we think Eclipse does a better job with pressure dispersal, has a higher R-value, a better valve, and contemporary design (Rapide is >5 years old). We recommend NEMO Eclipse over Big Agnes Rapide SL.
NEMO Eclipse Review Conclusion
NEMO Eclipse is an exceptional sleeping pad across the board, with the best price-to-performance ratio we’ve ever seen. It is better than other pads at its price point, and cheaper than its performance equals. Eclipse is the option that all other pads will be compared against for the foreseeable future. The only users who should look elsewhere are ultralight backpackers looking to save a few ounces and push high mileage, and who don’t mind a slightly less comfy, thinner pad. All in, Eclipse gets two major thumbs up from us. Happy trails!
