Chris Townsend highly recommends this Rab Hypersphere Ultra 7.5 Down sleeping mat after testing. Find out why.
The Rab Hypersphere Ultra 7.5 Down sleeping mat is a luxurious mat designed for extreme cold. The R-value means it should be warm down to -32°C.
Chris Townsend Highly Recommends
If you’re not going to camp in temperatures well below freezing the Hypersphere is overkill. The penalty is extra weight and bulk but in return you get a very sumptuous mat.- warmth
- down fill
- comfort
- large outer chambers
- recycled nylon
- three sizes
- stuffsack too small
| Quick specs |
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| Price: $250 / £190 (available from Rab) Weight: 630g (Regular) Type: insulated airbed Materials: 20D recycled polyester, 190g 800fp hydrophobic down Dimensions: 51 x 185cm (regular) Thickness: 8cm Rating: R value 7.3 Sizes: Regular, Regular wide, Long wide rab.equipment |
I haven’t managed to try it at such low temperatures (the lowest ever recorded in Scotland is -27°C) but I did sleep warm on snow at -9°C. For this level of warmth the Hypersphere Ultra is quite light. The reason for this is the down fill, which also makes for a soft, comfortable mat, especially if you don’t inflate it fully.
The Hypersphere has longitudinal chambers. The outer chambers are oversized to help keep you on the mat. I found this works well. The soft-shell fabric is comfortable. The mat comes with a pump sack and this should be used rather than blowing it up by mouth. Although the down is hydrophobic you still don’t want to introduce moisture into it. I think it would take a great deal of effort to inflate it by mouth anyway.
The valve can be pulled out of the mat for deflation. This makes the latter easy and is a much better and quicker system than a valve that has to be held open. I have no criticisms of the mat itself but the stuffsack is far too small. Maybe there’s a knack I haven’t got but I can’t get the mat to fit inside in a warm room at home let alone in freezing conditions in a small tent. I carried the mat in the pump sack.
If you’re not going to camp in temperatures well below freezing the Hypersphere is overkill, unless you are someone who really feels the cold, or that wants one of the most comfortable mats around. The penalty is extra weight and bulk but in return you get a very sumptuous mat.
Testing conditions
Chris tested the mats on high and low wild camps in the Scottish Highlands during all 4 seasons. He is around 5’8”, sleeps on his side or front and slept on snow, frozen ground, and wet ground. This review was published in the December 2025 issue of The Great Outdoors.
