Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Review

Overview

The Therm-a-Rest Z Lite is the pad that never needs a repair kit. It is a 0.75-inch slab of molded closed-cell foam that folds like an accordion, weighs 397 g, and goes from pack to ground in about the time it takes to read this sentence. The trade-off is the one foam pads have always made: bulletproof reliability in exchange for modest cushioning, modest warmth, and a bundle that rides outside the pack.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	397 g
R-value	1.7
Dimensions (open)	72 x 20 in (183 x 51 cm)
Thickness	0.75 in (2 cm)
Packed size	20 x 5 x 5.5 in (51 x 13 x 14 cm)
Fold style	Accordion (Z-fold)
Construction	Molded closed-cell crosslinked polyethylene foam, softer on top and denser on the bottom
Made in	USA

Performance

Durability and reliability. This is the Z Lite’s whole argument. There is no valve to fail, no baffle to delaminate and no seam to leak, and Outdoor Gear Lab’s testers scored the construction of the closely related Z Lite Sol a perfect 10, noting that little short of losing it in a windstorm can go wrong. Reviewers who have carried the Z Lite family on long walks make the same point. CleverHiker used the Sol on a PCT thru-hike and gave its durability a full 5 out of 5, and Trailspace reviewers have described these pads lasting entire 2,000-mile-plus thru-hikes. Foam does compress over time, but at 0.75 inches there is little loft to lose.

Setup and versatility. Unstrap it, shake it open, lie down. Owners also fold it into a sit pad for rest stops, drop it under a tarp as ground protection, or slide it beneath an inflatable. In that last role it adds its 1.7 R-value to the air pad’s rating and acts as a puncture backstop. One long-time owner review on Therm-a-Rest’s own site calls it “bomb proof” and says it takes about a second to lay out and a second to fold.

Warmth. At R 1.7, the Z Lite is a summer and mild three-season pad on its own. Therm-a-Rest’s reflective Z Lite Sol raises that to 2.0 at the same listed 14 oz, and BetterTrail’s testers note the Sol is the warmer of the two, though even the Sol is limited to warm nights when used alone. Cold sleepers shouldn’t count on the original Z Lite as a standalone shoulder-season pad. Paired with a 3.5 to 4.5 R-value air pad, though, foam in this class can bring a sleep system into winter territory.

Comfort. This is where the Z Lite loses ground. Outdoor Gear Lab’s testers found a 0.75-inch foam pad barely more comfortable than bare dirt next to a 3- to 4-inch inflatable, and rated side sleepers as the worst off. Trailspace reviewers say much the same: durable and light, but firm. The dimpled surface smooths out small bumps and traps a little air under the bag, which helps back and stomach sleepers on forgiving ground. It does less for hip bones on rocky tent sites. One owner who tried it alone rated its comfort 4 out of 10 and said stacking a second foam pad lifted that to 7.

Packed size. A 20 x 5 x 5.5 in bundle is compact for foam, but it won’t go inside a pack. Reviewers describe it strapped to the outside, taking up real space on the front or sides of a pack. In rain or brush that’s fine, since closed-cell foam shrugs off both. In a windy scramble or a dense bushwhack, a lashed bundle can snag.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Can’t puncture, leak or fail at a valve, so there’s nothing to repair in the field
• 397 g for a full-length 72-inch pad
• Opens and packs away in seconds
• Doubles as a sit pad, ground cloth or puncture-proof layer under an air pad
• Made in the USA, and lower in price than any inflatable of similar length
• Not damaged by heat, moisture or rough ground

Cons

• At 0.75 inches thick, it gives little cushion, especially for side sleepers
• R 1.7 limits it to warm-weather use as a solo pad
• Carried outside the pack, where it can snag
• Z Lite Sol is warmer at the same listed weight

Who Should Buy This

Thru-hikers and budget-minded backpackers who sleep on their backs or stomachs, camp mostly in summer or mild three-season weather, and would rather carry a pad than babysit one. It also suits anyone who wants a backup layer: under an air pad for winter trips, or as an insurance pad on remote routes where a punctured mattress would end the trip. Side sleepers who need real cushioning, and anyone expecting freezing nights with no second pad, should look at an insulated inflatable. Cold-weather hikers who want to stay with foam should consider the Z Lite Sol.

Verdict

The Z Lite remains a classic of the genre: cheap, light, fast and nearly impossible to break. It asks hikers to accept a firm night’s sleep and a bulky bundle on the pack. For summer thru-hikers and those who want a secondary pad, that’s an easy trade.