Therm-a-Rest - NeoAir XLite (OG Version w Classic Valve)

The therm-a-rest is the most popular and i have the blue one but depending on the conditions you camp in you could pick the lighter one (yellow). That being said this one and the nemo extreme conditions will have higher denier material underneath which makes them less prone to puncture. I don’t know about the other ones on top of my head. Nemo and thermarest both have good warranties and spare parts, so I’d be leaning towards that. It’s polarizing but both are known to make a lot og noise no matter what they claim.

I brought both, both times. Would again.

More comfortable, and much much quieter, but not anywhere near as warm.

That pad you linked does have almost identical specs to the 5R. Sometimes looks can be deceiving though. I've used an older Thermarest Xlite for a while as well as a Paria Recharge XL. The horizontal baffles aren't bad, but I've found the vertical baffles to kinda cradle you in the sleeping pad a little more. So I'm less prone to wake up half in the floor in the middle of the night.

Im a side sleeper. I have the XLite. Often feels like the baffles lack structure at the sides so in the mornings I'm fidgeting around feeling like im rolling off the mat. Not used a Tensor although I have heard it offers much better support for side sleepers. Also, the Xlite suffers from mould spots on what seems the outside. For comfort though, from all the mats ive laid on, sea to summit are the most comfortable

The thermarest Neo air mats are lightweight and good quality, if a little pricey. MEC alternatives aren’t bad either. I prefer a foam/air mix pad and have been really happy with the one I have form Sea to Summit. If you want to be on the inexpensive side, look at Woods or Decathalon, but expect more weight.

For one year trip I would use something cheaper, more sturdy than ultralight. Thermarest often listed is great but £50 decathlon air mat is more sustainable, you'll have less stress. To increase R factor, you can add some CCF pad.

That’s old news. They’ve altered the way they make them so they are nowhere near as noisy anymore. They used to sound like crinkly paper when you turn. No longer.

Plenty of brands use 20D, the few times they've ventured lower has massively impacted durability; see the thermarest uberlite and the current Nemo tensor elite, which Nemo even admitted developed pin holes during testing. You will be fine with 20D with or without CCF underneath. I use an X-lite which is 30D I believe but previous mats I've used were 20D all fine and I'm don't exactly baby my gear lol.

Then it’s a CCF pad for you. I’ve had no issues with reliability. I’ve owned an Uberlite and two Neoairs (NXT and non). But if something can break, it will eventually. I’d recommend babying it, in every way (site selection and clearing, handling, etc.).

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite with an r-value of 4.5 weighs 370g. You don’t need a stuff sack.

The three pads that tend to compete in this category (ultralight with 3 season insulation) are the Nemo Tensor All Season, Therm-a-Rest Neoair Xlite, and this S2S. Therm-a-Rest is the lightest but most people (esp side sleepers) find it less comfortable due to the horizontal baffling. S2S is the heaviest of the three but also arguably the most comfortable. Nemo is in the middle for both weight and comfort.

i have a therma neo air therm--good. but what makes it great is the 1cm closed cell foam pad that i bring along with it--keeps me xtra warm at night, but more importantly is a great lounging pad in the winter kitchen and kneeling pad at the tent door etc

It's very simple if it blows up with air and inflates - at SOME point it's gonna get a hole in it. That's life! The whole air mattress thing started with Therm-a-rest's and they were pretty tough back then, now with everybody sporting hard-on's for "ultralight" gear its gonna get worse. Same goes for actual air mattress, you can sleep on them but if you're not in Texas or Arizona yer still gonna freeze your butt off. Here's why ....... People these days buy inflatable pads for the comfort, but you really need them for the insulative qualities they actually provide. Don't believe me go sleep on the actual ground one night. When you crawl in to your sleeping bag you actually crush the down or syntho fill in the bag so there is no insulation there under you and the cold even in summer can seep right in. You need a pad under you to keep you off the ground ..... the best ones for that are still the cheap blue ensolite foamy's you buy at the cheaper stores but yes, for comfort they suck. There is a yellow thicker brand called Zotefoams Evazote and they got up to an inch thick but I haven't seem them for years but they were good quality and tough and CAN'T deflate ! So ultimately if you want comfort you need to go buy a big chunk of open cell white foam four inches thick and 7 feet long like you see in hobby stores - mega comfy and the size of a house! But now you can't pack it anyway so you're back to the blow up pads - and that's it. You can go to stores and look at stuff like Futons and crap but they don't pack well ! Heck even Ikea makes a folding mattress but again good luck carrying it around, right? Pick one but they WILL get a hole in them at some point however you can try to limit that with a cot. I've used them for years and its nice. I'm gonna suggest a Cabella's Lounger Cot but they are $350 bloody bucks and the same goes a real camping pad, something like a Exped Megamat itself is $400 bucks by itself. The two cots I wanna get are gonna cost me $405 bucks so add in two decent pads like Expeds and they're $500 .... great huh? It's nuts at a thousand bucks! I actually might just go get some memory foam cut at an RV store and use that. They can't deflate and its about the same bloody price as these inflatable ones, granted it won't be near as packable and portable but both my Thermarest leak, both my Big Agnes pad leak, even the TWO Coleman air beds leak, you can't win. My tent is 210 sq feet and 10 feet tall so I don't need backpack-ability either ........

I would not recommend a ccf pad though I take a small piece to sit/kneel on at camp. Found the Thermarest Neo-air uncomfortable and a pain to inflate; bought a Klymit Static V2 at less than half the cost and they’re definitely on to something with their design. It’s a few more ounces than the neoair. I’m a side and stomach sleeper and slept like a baby on my last 5-night trip. It seems thin at first so I was skeptical but its wide/channeled design does a miraculous job of cradling your body and distributing the weight. Honestly, best pad I’ve used backpacking in 25 years.

Keep in mind, too, that a CCF pad can be a huge hassle to attach to your pack. Some people care more than others about stuff flopping around, dealing with attaching it every morning, etc, but you might want to figure out which type you are. I keep saying I'm going to try my CCF for summer backpacking, but always give up and throw my XLite into my pack. Even after I spent two nights with it deflated due to punctures (yes, more than one :( on one trip, I patched it when I got home and still used it for my next trip. It's just too easy. But it's still good to have a CCF to use on really cold nights in a campground, as a second pad underneath an inflatable. Or of course if you do winter backpacking or the like.

That pad you linked does have almost identical specs to the 5R. Sometimes looks can be deceiving though. I've used an older Thermarest Xlite for a while as well as a Paria Recharge XL. The horizontal baffles aren't bad, but I've found the vertical baffles to kinda cradle you in the sleeping pad a little more. So I'm less prone to wake up half in the floor in the middle of the night.

Tried pretty much everything, settled on the xlite, for me personally offers the best combination of attributes. For any pad I would only consider a long and wide now.

Thermarest Neoair Xtherm or Xlite are my picks.

Enlightened Equipment Enigma 20F, Tremarest NeoAir XLite (go for XTherm if you want warmer, but XLite is enough). Wouldn't use a 30F bag if temps can get low enough. I basically use this kit in PNW in those temps you listed. I just wear a puffy and fleece leggings on sub-freezing days if I need a bit more warmth, and it's nice to anyway since climbing out of the bag does not feel cold if you are not naked.

Exped megamat for car camping, thermarest neoair for backpacking

What weather do you backpack in? Because those seem like total overkill mostly. Unless you are snow camping, I would go for NeoAir XLite.

I’ve used the xterme since it came out with zero problem. At the beginning of last summer I bought the xlite and it immediately leaked. Used it for about 10 nights and took it back to REI. Never again.

Have you looked at a Thermarest Xlite? Better warmth to weight than those options.

Have you considered a camping cot? There are a lot of ultralight options now which are about the same price as a good sleeping pad for side sleepers. The only difference being is the weight, you’re looking at around 1.5kg for a cot bed which would be double the weight of a sleeping pad. For me, the extra weight is worth it for the comfort. For context I’ve tried Therm-a-Rest, Big Agnes and Nemo mats. If I’m going for comfort, the cot bed wins every time.

I have the old neoair xlite, not my favorite but I hear the new one is a lot better. However, since you said you’re pretty new and the quarter pound difference in weight isn’t a concern, I’d go for the one people say is more comfortable, the tensor. I can’t imagine you’ll regret it, though on this sub you’re always going to get the recommendation to go with the lightest option

I ditched my 1/8" pad by the Sierra Nevada because it wasn't valuable for me. I got three punctures in my Xlite in the desert and couldn't risk the 1/8" as a sit pad, given that it'd collect dirt and spiky stuff. I suspect it trapped spiky things in my tent that would've otherwise slipped around, and possibly not punctured my pad. It helped my pad not slide around, but beyond that, it didn't help me with punctures as best I can tell, and it was awkward in or outside my pack. So, good as a basic sitpad, but I'm not confident about its value beyond that.

I'd not come across that with the Rapide only the Zoom but quick Google search does suggest the issue or at least potential for that issue is there with the Rapide as well. Yeah for me the marketing approach from Nortent does more harm than good and actually makes me less likely to buy something from them. When I was buying a mat it was a toss up between the X-lite, Exped Ultra and the Rapide SL, ultimately went with the X-lite as it is lighter (despite 30D v 20D of the ultra) and has a good warranty, though definitely less comfortable!

I'm doubtful the exped is more durable than the neoair. Exped uses a 20D fabric vs a 30D for the neoair. Denier isn't everything but we can suppose both brands use good quality fabric. The neoair is one of the highest rated inflatable pad on the pct survey, it wouldn't be the case if they were constantly popping. I don't think you should ever use it on bare ground though.

Throw a thermarest on top of a Walmart foam pad lol save yourself some money on the process. Otherwise I would just stick to Thermarest.

I have the XLite and it’s holding up really well, good insulation, and I’m even comfy on my side. I think the noise issue that people mention is overblown. My only issue is that it’s really slippery. I feel like I roll over sometimes and it slips out from under me like I’m squeezing a balloon, though I’m willing to admit that might be a skill issue on my part.

Bring both. I did and was glad to do so watching so many other folks with issues/holes.

You should go to REI if you can and try out different pads. I had a very hard time sleeping on the neoair, the horizontal baffles killed my shoulders (Im a side sleeper). I recently got an exped 5r mummy which is still under a lb depending on size. I love it. Its so comfortable, it feels sturdy, doesnt slide around. I sleep better than I ever got on the trail I love it. I think its a nice balance between very light & obscenely heavy (like the neoloft).

I've 200+ nights on my NeoAir. I've patched a couple holes over that time, but it was easy to identify and fix them in the field. Cascade Designs, the parent company of thermarest, will replace your pad if there's a defect in it (I've warrantied an MSR tent with them). Thru hikers use inflatable pads and do just fine. Are you having this problem with multiple brands and models? Are you super heavy? Are you sleeping wearing anything that is metal? Maybe get a gossamer gear 1/8" foam pad and put it underneath your inflatable.

Of those I have experience of the S2S ultralight, Vango Aotrom platinum and the Rapide SL. The differences between the S2S and the Vango are minimal, S2S better feeling materials and more comfortable, but colder, noisier and more expensive. The Rapide SL is much more comfortable and warmer than both. My partner uses the Rapide SL and loves it, I personally use a Thermarest Xlite and whilst not as comfortable as the Rapide is considerably lighter and noticeably warmer. If you have a store anywhere near you can try out a few I highly suggest that.

If I ever buy another inflatable pad, it'll be a [Nemo Tensor Trail](https://www.nemoequipment.eu/collections/sleeping-pads/products/tensor-trail-insulated-ultralight-sleeping-pad). Of all the inflatable options, it's simply the best blend of comfort/weight (assuming you avoid cold temps like I do) The horizontal baffles on the XLite are nowhere near as comfortable

Our family recently went camping with cub scouts last month, it was my wife's first time camping. She had a horrible night's sleep on the thermarest inflatable pad I had, so bad it was more comfortable to sleep on the ground without it. I've been eying a megamat for a while now, and this was enough for me get ready to finally pull the trigger. Now I'm trying to figure out which one to get. We have another camping trips planned with cub scouts in May, but the REI deals seems like the best time to buy. Do I get the long x-wide for my wife for \~$155? or the duo since we'll always be camping with the kids for \~$251? then will the kids fight for the good pad, and I'll need to get a second duo (also I kinda want one for myself) but now that's over $500 in sleeping pads, which seems egregious. If anyone with a family who's navigated this could chime in it would be appreciated. Thanks!

The neoair beats every other pads on all metrics except comfort. So if it's comfy enough for you that's the best pad.

Thermarest Neo-air x-lite for 3 seasons use or the x-therm if you are looking at colder weather. Yes they are expensive but they have a lifetime warranty and great customer service

For solo? Assuming you don’t need a free standing tent, take a look at Mier Lanshan 1P on Amazon. It uses a trekking pole. I have like a 16 year old NeoAir pad which rolls up slightly smaller than a Nalgene. It’s kinda pricey but they still make them.

If you wanna make it even more lighter and packable, there’s a way to [shorten it](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=90Fx6TLNEJQ) down to three-quarter length and use your backpack for the lower body insulation. That’s what I do. Mine weighs 270 g after the modification.

Rapide for comfort, Tensor All-Season for overall value and light comfort, xlite for UL and durability. IMO