This is a comparison review of Klymit Static V and Static V2.
Tossing and turning through the night in your tent is a miserable experience that doesn’t need to be the case.
In the right situation, a good sleeping pad will not only give you comfort, but warmth when hitting the trails in cold and snowy conditions.
The Klymit Static V and V2 are two great options when looking for a sleeping pad for different seasons.
The best thing is that while other pads on the market have shockingly high price tags, Klymit has found a way to make high-quality pads with an affordable price.
Table of Contents
Quick Summary
Klymit Static V
The Klymit Static V insulated sleeping pad is a lightweight sleeping pad that boasts an R-value of 4.4, keeping you warm while sleeping on the coldest ground.
This pad is a great choice when you can maintain your gear well and don’t want to spend a fortune.
Klymit Static V2
The Static V2 took the original Static V design and made it lighter weight to accommodate those looking to backpack with it.
While it is lighter, this is a much better option for spring, summer, or the fall, as it is not insulated and won’t keep the cold from reaching you.
| Klymit Static V | Klymit Static V2 | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
|
| Weight | 25 oz | 16.6 oz |
| Packed Size | 5 in x 8 in | 3 in x 8 in |
| Inflated Size | 72 in x 23 in x 2 in | 72 in x 23 in x 2 in |
| R-Value | 4.4 | 1.3 |
| Value | Great Value | Excellent Value |
Detailed Review
Weight and Packability
The Klymit Static V weighs in at 25 ounces.
The Static V Lite can be purchased to reduce your weight to 19.6 ounces, but if you don’t mind too much and want that warmth and comfort, the Static V is a moderately light sleeping pad that gives great warmth.
It packs down to be 5 inches by 8 inches, which is still much smaller than traditional foam pads that take up large amounts of space.
The Static V2 was upgraded to be lighter and more compact, but sacrifices the warmth rating to achieve it. They did manage to shave off 8.4 ounces and bring the weight down to a more impressive 16.6 ounces.
This is truly impressive when you are looking at the price of the pad up against others that weigh around the same.
Winner: In the end, the Static V2 is just impressive in its weight. The Static V lands in the upper middle portion of the market, while the V2 hits the low middle. When you are paying such a low price for a pad, this is about as good as you can get when talking about the overall weight. It was made for backpacking, and that’s what it would be perfect to be used for.
Durability
The Klymit Static V has been tested thoroughly and unfortunately falls short in the durability area each time. While it is constructed of 30 Denier Polyester, it still manages to get holes rather easily.
If you are going out in the winter with this pad, bringing a patch kit as well as a foam pad to put underneath it is going to be pretty important.
The last thing you want is to wake up directly on top of the frozen ground from a pinprick hole you didn’t see when you went to sleep.
The upgrades to the V2 included using a different blend of material on the base of the pad in order to increase the durability. It utilizes 75 D polyester that stays intact and puncture free when put directly onto the ground.
On top of the different fabrics, the Static V2 improved the inflation valve to avoid leaks and increase its durability. Both of these improvements were necessary and we’re stoked to see that Klymit has implemented them.
Winner: The Klymit Static V2 is easily the more durable option of these two. It doesn’t show nearly as many signs of wear and tear as the Static V, and it’s a direct result of these upgrades. The Static V2 is going to require less maintenance and be more reliable when going out into the backcountry with an inflatable sleeping pad.
Warmth
The Klymit Static V uses a dual layer of synthetic fibers to insulate the sleeping pad and really boost its R-value. The 4.4 R-value is sure to keep you warm unless you tend to sleep cold, or just exist cold all together.
In that case, you may need to seek out an additional pad to place underneath the Static V, but for most average-temperatured humans, this one is going to keep you warm.
When the Static V2 was designed, they wanted it to be lighter and more compact. That meant making cuts in other areas which included the warmth rating. There is no insulation, which drops the R-value to a sad 1.3.
This is certainly not going to keep anyone warm in the winter and this pad is really only a good idea if you are going to be staying inside all winter, or have a different sleep system for those snowy nights you still want to sleep out.
Winner: The Static V was made for this category. It has the required insulation to help you in cold weather and the design of the pad itself will help keep air trapped in the baffles and warm you up. When looking at deep winter camping, this is going to need to be supplemented, but for the price it is an incredible insulated pad.
Ease of Inflation
The old school inflation valves have their own issues that makes the Static V a little outdated with its inflation technology. Again, this is why they made updates when developing the Static V2.
The screw valve can restrict air going in and force you to work harder to get in the same amount of, or less, air.
These valves have pretty much been forgotten and taken off any sleeping pads being developed today for better quality valves that let you inflate quickly.
The improvements that were made for the V2’s inflation valve perform well. The valve is wide enough to let your breath easily find its way into the pad, not back into your lungs.
It takes around a minute and a half to fully inflate without pushing yourself to extreme light-headedness.
Winner: The Static V2 has all of the necessary updates to make it a more modern-era sleeping pad with a functional and efficient valve to help inflate it properly. The minute and a half inflation time is pretty good and if you push yourself, it will definitely be less. There are definitely other faster systems out there, but between these two, the V2 takes it.
Comfort
The Static V uses siderails and a V shaped design (hence the name) to get rid of the issues that come along with horizontal or vertically baffled sleeping pads.
With this design it doesn’t bounce a lot when you move around, and the sides don’t collapse. It does however feel slightly less “nice” than sleeping on a smoother surface.
The material itself can be squeaky against the floor of a tent and can get to be a little annoying.
The Static V2 performs well when you get down to sleeping on it. While it is a much thinner design, the V-shaped baffles and vertical trough will tuck you in nicely and reduce the amount of ground contact you have.
While moving around and adjusting, there is definitely going to be some contact, but once you are settled in it keeps you nicely lifted.
The Static V2 also keeps its width even when being slimmed down for weight. There’s a much less likely chance of you just rolling off in the middle of the night.
Winner: Both of these pads perform well in the category of comfort. When you are looking for a good, thin pad that still lets you sleep well, either one of these will take care of you. The V-shaped design is implemented in both of the pads and helps to trap air to both keep you warm and reduce the bouncy-castle feel that most inflatable pads have.
Value
Klymit has made the Static V one of the warmest pads in its price range. We don’t know exactly how they did it, just that we love that they did.
It makes the value of this pad pretty high up there. It’s hard to find something that will keep you as warm as the Static V for the same price.
For that reason, we find it to be a good value overall, it just needs a bit of work on the durability and would then be great.
The Static V2 did that work on the durability and is a great value. We wish that this pad still provided a higher level of warmth, but for the price it is a great summer backpacking pad.
Other pads come at lower prices with far less features and more costly ones don’t perform that much better than this.
Winner: While both of these sleeping pads have a great value with a low price, the Static V2 just barely tops the V. It just can’t really be beat by most sleeping pads trying to make it in its category. For the weight, durability, and comfort with such a low price, the value is outstanding. It’s hard to say anything bad about this pad, and Klymit has decided to give it to us for cheap.
Conclusion
Klymit has made two incredible sleeping pads, and offers them up at affordable rates.
The Static V is a great option if you are looking to stay warm, but carry a bit more weight.
While as the Static V2 has made a lot of improvements to the Static V, it’s totally worthy to get it with these upgrades. It is a prime choice for those wanting something lightweight, durable, and comfortable, but affordable.
Depending on what you’re using it for, both of these pads will help you sleep well at night and get up, refreshed, to hit the trail the next day.
