Is a higher Amazon rating a reliable signal for sleeping pads?

It's a useful but imperfect signal. Sleeping pads from no-name brands often show 4.3-4.5 star averages on thousands of reviews, but verified-purchase threads in r/CampingGear and r/Ultralight repeatedly flag durability falloff after 1-3 seasons that doesn't show up in short-term Amazon reviews. Cross-checking against community discussion is worth the effort.