Foam sit-pad selection
Best backpacking sit pads
Therm-a-Rest supplies the lower listed product-weight figure and a documented accordion fold. NEMO lists a larger, thicker foam pad, but its figure is packed weight including accessories rather than product weight.
What counts as a sit pad here
This guide covers portable foam sit pads that stay at ground level. Raised stools, framed chairs, and ground seats with a back panel are different types of seating. The current manufacturer specifications support two sit-pad candidates.
Start with the difference the labels actually support
- Lower listed product weight and an accordion bundle: Therm-a-Rest lists 2 oz / 0.06 kg as product weight, a 12 × 2.5 × 2.75-inch packed size, and an accordion-style pad with a bungee closure.
- Larger stated open dimensions and thickness: NEMO lists a 13 × 17 × 1-inch pad and a 12.5 × 4 × 2.5-inch packed size.
- Weight basis: NEMO calls 7.6 oz / 215 g packed weight and says that label includes accessories. It is not interchangeable with Therm-a-Rest’s listed product weight.
Compare the current sit-pad shortlist
Use the dimensions and weight labels to compare the pads; use the Amazon buttons only when you are ready to leave Trail Seat Guide.
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Therm-a-Rest Z Seat
Z Seat, Blue/Silver, SKU 10786
The lower listed product weight plus a named accordion fold and bungee closure.
- Weight
- 2 oz / 0.06 kg
- Weight type
- Listed product weight
- Open size
- 13 × 16 in; 0.75 in thick
- Packed size
- 12 × 2.5 × 2.75 in / 30 × 6 × 7 cm
- Materials
- Cross-linked polyethylene; molded closed-cell foam
Read the Therm-a-Rest Z Seat review
Sources and model notes
Missing or unclear: Weight limit is not listed.
- Weight
- Tech Specs, Weight (Standard/Metric)
- Weight type
- Tech Specs, Weight
- Open size
- Tech Specs, Seat Dimensions and Thickness
- Packed size
- Tech Specs, Packed dimension
- Materials
- Tech Specs, Materials/Fill/Foam type
NEMO Chipper
Chipper, Wabi Sabi, UPC 811666032881
A slightly longer and thicker open pad made from reclaimed and remolded PE foam scraps.
- Weight
- 7.6 oz / 215 g packed weight
- Weight type
- Packed weight includes accessories
- Open size
- 13 × 17 × 1 in / 32 × 42 × 2 cm
- Packed size
- 12.5 × 4 × 2.5 in / 32 × 10.5 × 5.7 cm
- Materials
- Reclaimed and remolded PE foam scraps from NEMO pad production
Sources and model notes
Missing or unclear: Weight limit; Separate seat-height field.
- Weight
- Product Specs & Comparison, Packed Weight
- Weight type
- Product Specs & Comparison, Packed Weight tooltip
- Open size
- Product Specs & Comparison, Dimensions
- Packed size
- Product Specs & Comparison, Packed Size
- Materials
- Product description, reclaimed-material construction
Fold and packed shape
Therm-a-Rest describes the Z Seat as an accordion-style pad with a bungee closure. Its published packed dimensions are 12 × 2.5 × 2.75 inches. NEMO lists the Chipper at 12.5 × 4 × 2.5 inches packed but does not describe how it folds, rolls, closes, or opens.
Neither manufacturer says where to carry the pad or how long it takes to open.
Open area and thickness answer a different question
Both pads list a 13-inch width. Therm-a-Rest lists the Z Seat at 16 inches long and 0.75 inch thick; NEMO lists the Chipper at 17 inches long and 1 inch thick. The extra inch of listed length and quarter inch of listed thickness identify dimensional differences, not a measured result for warmth, pressure, wear, or comfort.
Use the open measurements to compare seating area. Use the packed measurements to compare the space each folded pad takes up. Mixing the Chipper’s open thickness with the Z Seat’s folded depth would compare different states of the products.
Closure and deployment evidence
Therm-a-Rest identifies an accordion design and bungee closure. NEMO publishes packed dimensions for the Chipper but does not name a fold or closure system, so this guide does not assign one.
If you want a manufacturer-described closure, the Z Seat is the only current candidate with one. Choose the Chipper when its larger open dimensions and reclaimed-foam construction matter more.
Therm-a-Rest Z Seat
Choose the Z Seat when its stated 2-ounce product weight, accordion fold, and bungee closure fit your needs. Therm-a-Rest lists a 13 × 16-inch open size, 0.75-inch thickness, and cross-linked polyethylene molded closed-cell foam.
Its specification table labels 0.75 inches as seat height, but that is a foam-thickness measurement rather than the raised seat-height field found on a framed chair. The current product page does not list a weight limit.
For the exact-model detail, see the Therm-a-Rest Z Seat review.
NEMO Chipper
Choose the Chipper when its 13 × 17 × 1-inch open dimensions, 1-inch thickness, and reclaimed-foam construction fit your needs. NEMO describes the foam as reclaimed and remolded PE scraps from its pad production.
NEMO lists 7.6 oz / 215 g packed weight including accessories and a 12.5 × 4 × 2.5-inch packed size. It does not publish a separate seat height, weight limit, or written setup instructions.
What the dimensions do not establish
The stated figures support comparison of weight labels, open area, packed dimensions, thickness, material, and the Z Seat’s documented closure. They do not establish a universal comfort, warmth, wear, durability, or personal-suitability ranking. Neither page lists a manufacturer-rated capacity, so no capacity figure is borrowed from a chair, stool, or similar foam product.
How to choose between these two sit pads
- Start with the seat type: both products are ground-level foam pads without a frame or backrest.
- Keep Therm-a-Rest’s 2-ounce product weight separate from NEMO’s 7.6-ounce packed weight including accessories.
- Compare the full packed strings, then compare the full open strings; do not combine axes from different product states.
- Choose the Z Seat if you want a manufacturer-described accordion fold and bungee closure.
- Choose the Chipper if its 13 × 17 × 1-inch open dimensions and reclaimed PE foam matter more.
- Leave capacity blank for both products.
Next decision
If you are still choosing among a chair, stool, and foam pad, begin with the seat-type guide. If you need a published weight limit, the weight-limit reference explains why neither pad has one listed.