Paria Recharge XL Insulated Sleeping Pad Review

Bottom Line

The Recharge XL makes our best camping mattresses list thanks to its whopping 4 inches of thickness, making it a comfortable and cushy choice for folks who want an ultra affordable place to lay down. This one is excellent for backpacking, but we found ourselves reaching for it just as often in the front country. It’s a versatile, simple, and relatively low-weight model that can do it all – without breaking the bank.

Senior Gear Analyst Ian Krammer has spent more than 15 nights testing the Recharge XL. He’s put it through the wringer on backpacking and car camping trips across Colorado in late spring, summer, and early fall. He finds its thick, structured design and lengthwise baffles provide a simple and comfortable surface. It packs super small, and at only $100, it’s a great value and comes backed by a lifetime warranty.

However, this mattress doesn’t live up to its R-value in terms of warmth. While the 4.7 rating suggests it should keep us warm to about 10 – 20°F, we found it cold below 35°F. The valve location on the top-left corner is awkward, and it can be tricky to fill up manually. Paria also doesn’t include a pump sack, which makes inflation time-consuming and a bit tedious. Despite these drawbacks, the Paria is still a great budget option for car campers and backpackers who want a solid warm-weather camping pad.

Comfort

What makes the Paria Recharge XL comfortable is its 4 inches of thickness. This one is just as thick as many pads on our camping mattresses list, which means it effectively prevents bottoming out in most positions when fully inflated. Gear Analyst Ian Krammer is a tosser-turner on the best of nights, and he regularly sleeps on his side. He finds this pad is excellent at preventing his hips and shoulders from touching the ground.

We also appreciate the thin layer of foam insulation on top. This design adds a bit of extra softness while preventing pressure points from forming. This plush design, combined with the lengthwise baffles, kept us comfortable all night long in most conditions.

That said, the Recharge XL falls a bit short when it comes to overall support. It isn’t nearly as soft, thick, or cushioned as many of our top camping mattresses. It is 4 inches thick, but that thickness is almost entirely air – instead of foam and thick internal baffling – which means it can feel a bit more bouncy and less cushy than many of our top picks. As a result, we like this mattress best for a few nights in a row when basecamping. Although, it’s a real luxury when backpacking – as long as you don’t mind carrying a few more ounces.

It doesn’t offer the same fine-tuned adjustments as other mattresses, either. Like traditional sleeping pads, the Recharge XL only has a single opening for inflation and deflation, so it’s not the most nuanced design for letting out only a bit of air at a time. That means you’ll need to take extra care to dial it in. 

Also, the deep, horizontal baffles and 40D nylon surface won’t be a fit for everyone. It’s simply not as comfortable compared to the smooth texture and thick polyester of the competition. But, considering it’s many times lighter than the rest, we don’t mind the trade-off too much. This pad uses lighter materials that work just as well for car camping as they do on the trail, and we find it hits the sweet spot for comfort for both uses.

Ease of Use

The Recharge is a bit quirky to fill up and deflate – which is why it earns a slightly lower score than others when it comes to ease of use. This model isn’t self-inflating, so it needs to be filled up manually with breath, which can take longer and be significantly more work. With a couple of short breaks, it took our testers around 3 minutes to fully inflate. The valve is positioned awkwardly at the corner, which can make inflation a bit tricky as well, although this was a minor issue. 

Also, Paria doesn’t include a pump sack with the Recharge XL, although they do sell one separately. That said, we tried it – and the design isn’t our favorite. Our testing found the attachment point awkwardly long and cumbersome to roll up. In the end, we found the best method for inflation was by huffing and puffing. 

Deflation is considerably easier, though this comes with a caveat too. Since it only has one nozzle with one cap, a bit of material inside the valve stops air from escaping immediately. In order to dump air, we had to stick a finger inside to hold it open and release air quickly. That said, we find the material rolls up easily once the air is out, making for a 30-second breakdown. A bonus feature is its oversized stuff sack, which means there’s no hassle fitting the mattress back inside.

Warmth

If you’re looking for an affordable option that provides decent warmth for trips above 35°F, the Paria Recharge XL has you covered. The 4-inch thickness provides a cushion against the cold ground, and its foam insulation adds a layer of warmth and comfort. Ian reaches for the Recharge XL most often when conditions are lingering between 35°F and 75°F. His testing finds that it stays impressively firm and offers solid warmth in this range.

However, our testing finds the Recharge XL doesn’t live up to its R-value below 35°F. While it’s 4.7 R-Value should have kept us warm down to about 15°F, testing shows otherwise. Ian slept on a frozen lake on this pad at 10,000’ in the Rockies with a n overnight low of 20°F (documented in many of the photos on this review). Even with a warm sleeping bag, he found it required an added foam sleeping pad underneath, and plenty of warm layers. That said, Ian used the Recharge to sleep in Colorado’s Sand Dunes National Park on a mild 35°F night in February and it was warm enough on its own. 

That said, we’d save this one for warmer temperatures.

Packed Size

The Paria Recharge XL earns the highest possible score for its packed size – it measures just 8 by 5 inches when packed up. That’s competitive with most backpacking pads and is many times smaller than the largest camping mattresses we’ve tested. Weighing only 1 pound, 10 ounces, it’s incredibly easy to carry, making it a solid choice for car camping or backpacking trips where space is at a premium. 

The reason it packs so small? There’s not much to it. A thin layer of foam and collapsible nylon condenses far smaller than the thick foam and intense baffled construction of most car camping mattresses. Plus, the oversized stuff sack means you won’t be struggling to jam the mattress back in after use. In theory, this means that this pad isn’t as durable as the thicker, burlier mattresses on our list. (Paria includes repair patches with this pad in case it suffers a leak or a puncture.) However, even after many uses and times unpacking and repacking this one, we’ve yet to run into any issues.

The biggest toss-up is this pad isn’t quite as comfortable or warm as many car camping sleeping pads – although that’s exactly what we like about it. It successfully bridges the gap between a thicker, cushier camping mattress and a thin, portable sleeping pad. It’s a versatile choice – whether we’re trudging through the backcountry or enjoying the luxuries of front country living.

Should You Buy the Paria recharge Insulated Sleeping Pad?

The Paria Recharge XL is a comfortable, compact and affordable sleeping pad for car camping and backpacking. With a layer of foam, plenty of air, and 4-inch thickness, this model is a cozy place to lay down in the frontcountry. Since this one also packs up so small and weighs very little, it’s also a good choice after long days of hiking in the backcountry for campers who need a reliable, cushy pad that balances portability and comfort. We recommend the Recharge XL for folks seeking a versatile, budget-friendly pad for 3-season outings – it’s a crossover pad that can do it all. At only $100, it’s less than a third of the price of some of the premium mattresses out there.

On the flip side, the Recharge XL may not be the best fit for people who prioritize maximum warmth or ease of use. Despite its R-value of 4.7, we find it doesn’t quite live up to its insulation capabilities below 35°F. It doesn’t include a pump and can be a bit tedious to fill. And, it’s considerably thinner than most mattresses on this list, so in theory it isn’t as durable. However, it does come with a lifetime warranty. If affordability, versatility, and practicality are your top priorities in a sleeping pad, the Recharge XL is a killer choice for warm-weather campers.

What Other Camping Mattresses Should You Consider?

Have you seen our guide to the best camping mattresses? It’s the best place to see how this model compares to the competition:

Therm-A-Rest NeoAir Topo Luxe XL Review: Therm-A-Rest’s NeoAir Topo Luxe XL is basically an upscale version of the Paria Recharge. It’s also 4 inches thick and manual-inflation, making it another decent pick for backpacking and car camping. 

REI Campwell XL Review: The REI Campwell XL shares the Recharge XL’s budget-friendly price, although it’s thinner, heavier, and takes up more room when packed. It’s also warmer, so this mattress is best if you’re a cold sleeper.

Therm-A-Rest LuxuryMap XL Review: The LuxuryMap XL is also affordable, and like the Paria, it’s not quite as warm as others on our list. However, this one is self-inflating, significantly heavier, more expensive, and not as thick.