GEAR REVIEW: Klymit Inertia Ozone Sleeping Pad

By Will Rietveld

Klymit’s Inertia series of sleeping pads are characterized by lots of cutouts to reduce weight and act as “Loft Pockets” for your sleeping bag to expand into, increasing warmth. The pads are also thinner, and several models come with an inflation bulb and second fitting on the pad to inflate the pad firmer. This one does not have that feature; it inflates by mouth only.

The Inertia Ozone is a tapered full-length pad with an attached pillow. There are two valves, one to inflate the pad and one to inflate the pillow. Dimensions are 72 inches long x 21.5 inches wide at the head end x 19 inches wide at the foot end x 1.75 inches thick.

Closeup of the pad's cutouts (Loft Pockets) and attached pillow.

Looking at the Inertia Ozone (or any other pad in this series), one can’t help but be a bit skeptical of its comfort. There’s only one way to find out, and that is to put it to some tests.

Specifications and Features

Manufacturer	Klymit (www.klymit.com)
Model	Inertia Ozone
Included	Pad, repair kit, stuff sack
Materials	30D polyester top, 75D polyester bottom
Weight	Measured weight 12.95 oz (pad only, mfr specification 12.2 oz
MSRP	$79.95

Testing

The comfort of a sleeping pad depends on a person’s sleeping position and the surface she is sleeping on. A belly or back sleeper can find easier comfort on a thinner sleeping pad because her weight is more distributed. However a side sleeper’s weight is concentrated at the hip and shoulder, so pad thickness and firmness matter. The hardness of the underlying surface is important too; a softer surface like vegetation or sand offers some additional cushioning, while a rock-hard surface leaves the cushioning entirely to the pad.

I tested the Inertia Ozone pad on a Colorado River rafting trip through the Grand Canyon for 16 days, and also did some testing at home to further evaluate it in relation to different sleeping positions and surfaces.

At home I slept on the pad overnight in a typical camping fashion on a hard tile floor, on a rug on top of that floor, and in a tent on the grass in my backyard (photo). The first situation is similar to a compacted campsite, the second is similar to softer ground or dry sand, and the third is similar to a vegetated campsite. I am a combination side and belly sleeper (some of both), but I can’t sleep on my back (I stop breathing, which is not good).

 

My first night on the pad was in the woods outside Flagstaff, AZ sleeping in a tent on hard ground. I inflated the pad as firm as I could by mouth and slept on my side. It was a very uncomfortable night.

The pad did better on my rafting trip where I slept on it several nights on dry sand. Sand is a bit softer than rock-hard ground, which helped, and I also learned that the best sleeping position on this pad is belly sleeping, and I presume back sleeping as well, although I didn’t try it. As mentioned above, belly sleeping spreads my weight out, so the pad cushions me better, and I could actually deflate it a little to make it softer.

The attached pillow works well to support my head, and I could deflate it a bit, if needed, to get it exactly the right height, or put something under the pillow to raise it.

The bottomside of the pad is slip-resistant, so I didn’t have any problems with it sliding around in a tent.

My tests at home agreed with my field testing. On the hard surface, belly sleeping is preferable and side sleeping can be uncomfortable. However, side sleeping works out better with some additional cushioning under the pad (dry sand, softer ground, vegetation); it makes a big difference in terms of overall comfort. For this pad, full inflation seems to be the best, especially for side sleeping. 

Although the pad's "Loft Pockets" may provide some benefit from allowing a sleeping bag expand into them, the feature could work in reverse for someone sleeping under a quilt, i.e. the pockets could be cold spots or  drafty. 

Assessment

My opinion, after testing the Inertia Ozone with different sleeping positions and surfaces, is that its sufficiently comfortable to get a good night’s sleep while belly sleeping or perhaps back sleeping. However, if you are predominantly a side sleeper, you would probably be better off choosing a solid, thicker pad (no holes). Numerous lightweight pads are available that are 2.5 inches thick and weigh around 12 ounces, the same weight as the Inertia Ozone, sans pillow. However, the attached pillow is a nice convenience and functions well.

The Klymit Inertia Ozone can be a good choice for a belly sleeper. It's full-length, supportive, compact for packing, and the pillow is part of the pad.

Overall, if you’re a belly or back sleeper, you can get along quite well with the Inertia Ozone.