Rab Ionosphere 5 Review: Black ships attack the mattress world. Rab's first air mattress was the most "buy" masterpiece of the season.

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When it comes to sleeping pads (mattresses) for hiking and mountain climbing, they tend to be neglected compared to sleeping bags. However, my experience of developing mattress for over 20 years has taught me that the quality and badness of a mattress has a major impact on the comfortable sleeping experience just as good as a sleeping bag. This is especially true for mountain climbing in Japan, where there are no comfortable tent sites with perfect conditions.

This season has given us a new wind into the world of sleeping pads. Rab one of the few brands that have always publicly declared their love since the start of the site, has finally entered the sleeping pads this season. This brand, which started out as a globally renowned high-quality down sleeping bag development, has finally grown into a one-stop brand offering bedding sets for sleeping bags and mattress.

Originally Rab was a leader in the European high-end mountain tools market with its high-quality products that remained a refreshing and uncompromising attitude, and many enthusiasts have gained strong trust. As an avid fan of the brand, I am sure this new challenge is not something that can be a half-hearted readiness.

With this first entry, we have multiple lineups available depending on the purpose and season, and we are fortunate to be able to offer Ionosphere 5 I've already been able to try it out in a tent for a few nights this spring, so I'll start writing a review about its abilities and what's so impressive (and still remains).

Key Features of Rab Ionosphere 5

The Rab Ionosphere 5 is an all-season, air-injected sleeping pad for serious mountain activities where you want to prioritize high insulation and lightness. The combination of TILT technology, which uses heat reflection, has a high insulation structure and synthetic fiber padding, achieves a high R value of 4.8 (heat retention performance). Although the mummy shape has been cut to the limit, the thickness (8cm) is sufficiently thick, raised baffles on both sides, and anti-slip prints scattered throughout provide a comfortable sleeping experience that wraps around without feeling uneven or unstable on the ground. The thin two-way valve allows for short and easy injecting air using the included pump sack. While achieving top-class performance and ease of use in all aspects, the wallet-friendly pricing is also attractive.

Favorite points

• High insulation to cover the snowy season
• It is thick enough and has a high outer baffle that prevents it from falling off the mat
• The sound is quiet
• The outer material is grip print that prevents sleeping bags and pillows from slipping
• Convenient 2-way valve system and dedicated pump sack
• Surprisingly low price for overall performance

Interesting points

• It's a little heavier than other flagship products
• The grooves between the vertical baffles are slightly deeper (ideally flatter surfaces)
• It's a bit difficult to get into

Main Specifications and ratings

Item name	Rab Ionosphere 5
size	183 x 51cm
Storage size	23 x 11cm
Thickness	8.0cm
Surface material	20D Recycled Polyester (TPU Coating / DWR Durable Water Repellent + Grip Printed Finish)
Insulation material	Stratus™ R 100% recycled polyester insulation 160gsm with TILT
Official weight (main unit only)	550g
R value	4.8
Seasons available (reference)	Four Seasons
accessories	Storage bag　 Pump sack Repair Kit
evaluation
Comfort	★★★★☆
Thermal insulation	★★★★★
weight	★★★☆☆
Storageability	★★★★☆
Easy to use	★★★★☆
Durability	★★★★☆
Cost Performance	★★★★★

Detailed review

Insulation: Unique insulation structure with excellent warmth to weight ratio

First of all, the most important thing about the insulation (warmth) is for mattress. The insulation performance of this mat (how hard to lose heat) is 4.8 for the objective global standard ASTM R-Value.

Roughly speaking, this has high specs that can be used throughout the year in mountains in Honshu, including during the snowy season. Generally, if you try to achieve such high insulation performance, you will inevitably have to pack a lot of stuffing such as padding inside, which will increase the weight, but Ionosphere 5 this unit is successfully kept to a lighter weight of 550g. The secret to this excellent "warmth-to-weight ratio" lies in the proprietary thermal insulation system installed inside.

As shown in the photo above, the inside of the mattress is filled with a heat-reflective film using the TILT (Thermo Ionic Lining Technology) Stratsus™ R Insulation Of these, heat-reflecting films reflect the heat generated by your body inside the pad, reducing the loss of radiant heat to the limit, while Stratus™ R insulation prevents the temperature from dropping by suppressing the convection of cold air from the ground inside. The basic mechanism of Ionosphere 5 is to minimize the weight and maximize heat retention through these two cooperative plays

When I actually spent the night with this mattress, I found out that the sign was not lying (although the R value that has been popular recently is a very reliable indicator, so I wasn't too worried). I haven't slept in the winter mountains yet, but even when I ride them directly on low mountain hikes in the spring, I never feel the cold ground. In the summer, it's perfect for alpine mountains such as the Alps, but in other low mountains, it's perfect for sweating, so even when sleeping directly in other low mountains, it's likely to provide a high level of insulation.

Comfort: Thickness is great for those who prefer to sleep on their side, and a stable and comfortable sleeping experience with attention to detail.

As it is positioned as a mat for full-scale climbing, it is naturally a mummy-shaped shape with a focus on lighter weight, with curves around the face and shoulders, and is slightly narrower towards the feet (photo below).

The air-filled small baffle is vertical (vertical). In general, vertical baffles (although often depends on individual preferences) tend to have less support than horizontal (horizontal) baffles and box baffles (there are more of a range of impact on loads) and are said to be lacking in comfort. However, despite the vertical baffle, this model has many ideas that compensate for its weaknesses and do not interfere with a comfortable sleep.

For example, it is made thicker even among air mats with the same thickness as "8cm". Therefore, as far as I have actually used it, my body does not touch the ground when I lie down and put my elbows on my side, or when I lie down on my side, and the ample cushioning provided me with a fluffy sleeping experience.

The baffles on both sides are also raised to about 9cm to prevent slipping to the sides even slightly (photo below). Not only does it have a thick base, but it also provides a comfortable sleeping experience that will make you feel wrapped in.

Furthermore, the regular pattern on the entire surface is a grip print that prevents slipping, preventing the sleeping bag and pillow from slipping (photo below). It would be best if you were always the first person to get to the temps and have a comfortable bed, but the world isn't going well. In some locations, tent sites are not uncommon, and the tent fabric is slippery, so if there is no anti-slip, it will be extremely difficult to position. So these specifications are surprisingly important. It can have a major impact on how long you sleep, such as not being able to fall asleep easily.

What was also impressed me was that this model does not have the "rust and the film rubbing against each other when it moves" that is common in mattresses that use metal films, and it is also extremely quiet in terms of sound.

Storage and usability: Careful construction that takes into consideration ease of use and durability shines through

This is almost becoming commonplace nowadays, but in addition to the storage bag, this model comes with a dedicated pump sack, making it much easier and faster to inflate the mat than injecting it with the mouth.

Ionosphere 's air inlet uses a 2-way valve system with double "injection and discharge" caps (photo below). The protrusions are relatively small, so it is flat against the mat surface, so it doesn't get in the way when sleeping or storing. It is not easily broken and is safe.

During setting, open the top cap of this valve and insert the pump sack opening. The pump sack has a large capacity, and I was able to inject it to the maximum in just two sessions. Basically, the injection was very smooth, but perhaps because the mouth is made small, the airflow is slightly cramped.

By the way, take a look at the playful pump sack design (photo below).

When you store the main unit and pump sack together, the larger the Nalgene bottle, it becomes quite small (photo below).

Cost Performance: Overall performance including price

As I have written so far, the Ionosphere 5 has excellent performance in every aspect, but it is by no means the lightest, compact, warmest, or most comfortable compared to other models on the market.

So what is the true appeal of this mattress? I think it is the overall overall strength, including price. To communicate in an easy-to-understand manner, I have created a performance comparison table for competitors that I don't usually do.

The table below compares three typical sleeping pad models with similar R values ​​(mummy air mats with R values ​​around 4.5 to 5.0) that you will likely be comparing when purchasing this model. The gold background is the model with the highest performance compared to the model, with the second highest performance model with a light blue background.

Looking at this, the Ionosphere 5 certainly looks a bit inferior in terms of weight, it has a higher R value than the Thermalest, and its mat size, storage capacity, and durability are almost equal, and in some areas it is superior in its fine comfort, such as quietness and non-slip. Neemo's Tenser Alpine series is also quite difficult to throw away, but when you wonder which one you should actually buy now, you probably won't be able to ignore this price difference (of course, it's not that it's cheap for everyone).

Comparison of major models of mummy air mats suitable for all seasons

Item name	Rab Ionosphere 5	(Reference 1) Therm-a-Rest Neo Air X Light NXT	(Reference 2) EXPED ULTRA 5R M MUMMY	(Reference 3)Nemo Tenser Alpine Regular Mummy
size	183 x 51cm	183 x 51cm	183 x 52cm	183 x 51cm
Storage size	23 x 11cm	23 x 10cm	23 x 12.5cm	20 x 8cm
Thickness	8.0cm	7.6cm	7.0cm	8.0cm
Surface material (durable)	20D TPU coated polyester	30D Ripstop Nylon	20D RipStop Polyester	20D PU coated polyester
Body weight	550g	354g	445g	475g
R value	4.8	4.5	4.8	4.8
Normal price including tax	￥18,700	￥39,600	￥29,700	￥28,600
Quietness	◯		◯	◯
Anti-slip processing	◯
Valve system	2WAY valve	2WAY valve	1WAY valve x 2	2WAY valve
accessories	Storage bag Pump sack Repair Kit	Storage bag Pump sack Repair Kit	Storage bag Pump sack Repair Kit	Storage bag Pump sack Repair Kit

Summary: Recommended for people like this

As I mentioned in the main text, this mattress may not be a model with outstanding performance or sharp functionality.

However, it has high insulation that can accommodate snowy seasons, but can maintain a weight of around 500g even when you put a stuff sack in it, and it is certainly of high quality (without weaknesses) including a thickness of 8.0cm, making it comfortable to sleep in and easy to use.

In addition to this high level of balance, and more than anything else, we have to conclude that there is no model that "doesn't make a mistake" than the Rab Ionosphere 5

This is an option that would be unfortunate for the recent rise in high-end mattresses for mountaineering, especially for those who want a versatile mattress that is as light as possible, and as cheap as possible to cover the winter. You can expect to be satisfied as an air mat for your first mountain climbing. Whether you've never experienced Rab, or if you've never experienced Rab, try to experience the new and reliable quality.