That’s why Thermarest is by far the king of ultralight sleeping pads. Flat valves are so much easier to use, but is it worth carrying a slightly heavier pad? It depends on if you’re trying to get into an ultralight/lightweight setup. The lightest ultralight sleeping pads will almost use a twist lock valve to cut 2-3 oz off the overall weight. I personally prefer flat valves, but they’re a little bit heavier than twist lock pads. It 2-3 large puffs of air to fill up your pad with air so there’s no need for a separate mechanical/sack pump. Speed Valves: Thermarest created a speed valve that uses a wide opening (about 12 inches wide) to blow surrounding air into the pad.They have a three layer design that allows you to rapidly inflate and deflate the sleeping pad (I’ll Explain More Below. Flat Valves: Flat valves are a promising update that aims to fix all of the problems with twist lock valves.Twist Lock Valves: This is the classic valve style that uses tiny black cylinders at the end of the mat that you push in, twist, and pull out to inflate/deflate the pad.So lets explain the difference between each type of valve. You might see slight variations on the different valves, but they all use similar designs. There are three different types of sleeping pad valves: twist lock valves, flat valves and speed valves (Thermarest Pads). Air Can Only Flow One Way With A Flat Valve.Consider Buying A Valve Attachment To Use Any Pump.Twist Lock Sleeping Pad Valves (aka Twist and Pull Valves).If there was a clear winner you wouldn’t see different valve types so the choice is up to you. In the rest of this post I’ll go over the different valve styles and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each type of valve. Do you want the time tested design of a twist lock valve, or a low profile flat valve that’s faster to fill up? Speed valves allow you to get around most of the issues with twist lock valves, but are they worth the extra price? The type of valve you choose will be a matter of personal preference. Exped created flat valves to solve both of those problems and multiple manufacturers have integrated the flat valve design into their pads. Twist lock valves work great, but they have a slow flow rate and you can’t use an external pump. Thermarest invented the twist and pull style valve in the early 70s and most companies still use a similar style today. There are advantages and disadvantages to each valve style, but what type of valve is best? The old style twist lock valves are being replaced by flat valves and Theremarest even has a speed valve that works like a roll top bag. Inflatable sleeping pads haven’t changed much over the past couple of decades, but valve styles have changed over the years.
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