Over the last several months I’ve had the opportunity to try out the Laidback Pad and pillow. I’ve used it mainly camping and as a spare bed while staying at family for an overnight bed. Laidback Pads sent me the pad and pillow to test and share with you my thoughts about it. It is very popular in the van life world.
My first test of the comfort and warmth of this pad was on a late spring campout with my son. We had decided to go to Pine Mountain and do an overnighter. We knew the night would be cold (below freezing) so prepared for that. However, we did not expect a fresh snowfall of around 6 inches.
We decided to stay anyway as it was so beautiful and we had adequate equipment for a one-night stay. My son was staying in his truck camper shell and I was staying in the tent. Since there was snow on the ground I put my army surplus wool blanket on the floor, a Thermarest camping pad on top of it, and then the Laidback Pad. Not a true test of the comfort of the Laidback pad but I wanted to insulate myself between the snow-covered ground.
The Laidback Pad is designed for comfort by layering several densities of foam in one pad – specifically, memory foam. It is very comfortable and prooved to keep me warm with the snow and temperature dropping down to around 22 degrees Fahrenheit that night.
My sleeping bag however proved to be on its last leg. A 60+-year-old down bag that belonged to my grandfather had lost too much down and it was time to retire it. Fortunately, I had brought along a fleece blanket and long underwear and I was able to keep warm enough through the night.
The Laidback pillow is great. Smaller for easy use with a sleeping bag and to transport but really comfortable with plenty of support.
My next test of the Laidback pad was an overnighter at my daughter’s family’s house and it proved very comfortable on a hardwood floor.
A few weeks ago my son and I went on another camping trip. This time without the snow and me with a new down sleeping bag. This time I didn’t use the Thermarest but just the pad on top of the wool blanket. We still had a cool night of around 32 degrees Fahrenheit but I was able to stay warm no problem and the pad was comfortable and had sufficient insulation to keep me warm on the ground.
This pad is comfortable and the only complaint some may have is its 24-inch width. Narrower than some pads but the positive is that it stows in a small area and is lightweight.
You can put together two or more pads, so you can make a larger bed. It would be great for van life as an easy bed to put up and take down like the picture below. Or perfect for a small house on wheels as a permanent mattress.
I am very impressed with the Laidback Pad and pillow and would recommend it to anyone looking for a small comfortable alternative mattress that can easily be taken anywhere. I’m looking forward to many more camping trips and sleeping in comfort because I have this pad.
The picture below is of a van lifer (not me) using two pads or the size of a double bed in a small van.
