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Forward Moving Self Inflating Sleeping Pad Review
So, we have been on the search for a sleeping pad for our camper. The camper mattresses on the bunks are very thin with no padding at all. My wife and I ended up getting some memory foam for my older son but didn’t want to spend that money on my younger son yet. I decided on getting one of those self inflatable pads to use.
We picked the Forward Moving self inflating sleeping pad over the others for one reason, it is shaped to also fit in a sleeping bag. We figured that he will get more use out of it being able to take it on Cub Scout camping trips as well.
So today, we will take a quick look at our purchase. But a quick note, sorry that I did not use any photo’s of it in use. I do not post photo’s on my children online (just the one of my daughter turned around.
The Company and Purchase
This self inflatable sleeping pad was purchased from Amazon (linked above) for under $35. The pad came in 2 days which is super fast (thanks Prime!). We had it in time for Labor Day weekend 🙂
The company that makes this pad is Forward Moving which I believe is a small start-up company. I could not find much about them online but did find their store. Being such a small company was the one thing that made me a little cautious about going with this one. But between the price which is cheaper than the other self inflating sleeping pads and the good reviews, we decided to take a chance. We also like to support small business!
The Sleeping Pad
The sleeping pad comes in a nice bag that it easy to store. Once out of the bag, you unfold and open the cap. This allows air to be sucked in and expands the foam. Once inflated, I give it a couple blows to the pad to make it a little extra firm. When inflated, just close the cap and it will hold the air in when you lay on it. We then placed it into my son’s sleeping bag and it’s ready to go.
This pad is a good fit for a regular (adult) size sleeping bag. It will be too large for a child’s sleeping bag.
To pack back up, you loosen the cap, fold back up. Don’t forget to close the cap once folded up so it doesn’t re-inflate!
Unlike tents (lol), I was able to have this sleeping pad folded up and fit back into the bag it came with in about 4 minutes. It will take that time to fold slowly to get all the air out. But the important thing here is it actually fits back in the bag it came with which is a plus.
Out of bag and rolled up
So, is it Comfortable?
So a sleeping pad isn’t worth much if it doesn’t work as advertised, right? Before answering this questions, I want to put a couple things into perspective to show you why I came up with the answer I did. You may be expecting something other than I, so want to make sure we are on the same page.
- I purchased this for my 9 year old son
- He is under 80 pounds
When using a sleeping pad while camping, do not expect a blowup mattress. A sleeping bag is to give a little cushion between you and the ground so things are not pocking you. No one like finding a rock sticking in your back once the tent is up!
So with that being said, the Moving Forward self inflating sleeping pad was great for my son, giving him some cushion between him and the bed. He was happy with it the next morning for sure and it will be a good for him until we break down and buy memory foam for his bunk.
Notice it is shaped like a sleeping bag
In the above photo, I placed a small to medium rock under the pad just to see how it would work while tent camping. The photo is of my 4 year old, but I laid on it as well (you don’t want to see my fat butt) and I didn’t feel the rock much unless I put all the weight on it. It defiantly made it bearable laying on the ground.
The one thing that you may want to keep in mind is it’s shape. The pad is shaped to fit into a sleeping bag, so it is skinnier at the bottom. Though you do not have to place it in, the pad works better if put inside.
The Bottom Line
Pros
- Price
- Quality
- Easy to use and fold back up
- Size (fits in sleeping bag)
- Easy to take with you, add to backpack
- Thickness
Cons
- Not a large brand
- Can’t find in stores
If you are looking for a sleeping bag and plan on using it with a sleeping bag, this is a good purchase. It works as advertised and seems to be good quality. If you will not regularly be using it with a sleeping bag, you may want to get a sleeping pad that isn’t shaped like a sleeping bag to give you a little more room.