Therm-a-Rest has been making sleeping pads since 1972. And with the introduction of the NeoAir XLite you can tell they have years of experience under their belts. The NeoAir XLite is super lightweight and one of the most comfortable air mattresses that I have slept on. You might switch out your old mattress for the NeoAir!
The first thing that I noticed about the NeoAir XLite was how light it was. It is not the lightest pad I have ever felt but it is definitely lighter than any self-inflating air pad you will come across. The regular size weighs a mere 12 ounces and the long only weighs a pound. I was truly surprised by how light this pad was. I didn’t cut into this pad to see what was on the inside but it sounds like it is made out of something straight from space. I am sure it is the reflective layers that help “recycle body heat” but whatever it is, this pad is light. Another nice feature about this pad is the R-Value. If you plan to use this pad on cool spring or fall camps, this pad’s R-Value is 3.2. This will give you a little more warmth on those cool nights.
The long version is the size that I received and it was great. I am only 5′ 9″ so I normally use a regular size pad but the long performed nicely. Being a mere 4 ounces heavier than the regular it was worth the extra weight. The long is 23″ wide and 77″ in length, which give you an extra 3 inches in width. Three inches doesn’t seem like that much but it is in a pad. Having a little extra room to move around on, helped me stay on the sleeping pad all night.
Filling up the NeoAir XLite took me exactly 37 blows. One thing I have noticed about this pad, is that it doesn’t seem to require as much air for a comfortable night sleep. The first night that I slept on it, I made some adjustment throughout the night by releasing a little air at a time. When I woke up in the morning, I was surprised at how low or empty the pad seemed when not laying on it. It appeared that I should add air but when I would lay on it, it was comfortable.
The fabric seems durable enough but I was a little more cautious where I would place this pad. Durability can be a hard thing to test unless you just drag it around in camp, or grab a knife and stab it. But after many uses inside a tent, I didn’t experience any leaks. Maybe I should have tried a little harder to make it leak but I really didn’t want to sleep on the hard, cold ground. The NeoAir does come with a patch kit just in case you do spring a leak, you don’t have to have a bad night’s sleep.
I was a little surprised by how noisy this pad was when moving on it, but while sleeping, it didn’t keep me up. The biggest drawback of this sleeping pad would be the price. This pad retails for $179.95 which can be a bit steep for a sleeping pad. But as I mentioned earlier in the review this is the most comfortable pad for the weight that I have slept on.
Pros:
- Super comfy
- Lightweight
- A higher R-Value than similar pads
Cons:
- Not self-inflating
- Price
If you would like to learn more check them out on their website. Features below straight off of their site.
• Lightweight: Advanced fabrics and a tapered design make this the lightest mattress in the NeoAir™ collection – almost 15% lighter than the original.
• Warm: Improved reflective layer recycles body heat and creates dual air pockets that conserve warmth.
• Comfortable: Patent-pending Triangular Core Matrix™ construction provides unrivaled stability and support.
• Ultra-Packable: Low-bulk materials make the XLite mattress the most compact NeoAir mattress ever – as packable as a water bottle.
• Color: Radiant Yellow
• R-Value: 3.2
• Weight: 1 lb / 460 g
• Width: 25 in / 63 cm
• Length: 77 in / 196 cm
• Thickness: 2.5 in / 6.3 cm
• Packed dimension: 11 x 4.5 / 28 x 11
• Top fabric type: 30d High Tenacity Nylon
• Bottom fabric type: 30d High Tenacity Nylon
• Core: Nylon
• Country of Origin: Made in Seattle, USA
• MSRP: $179.95
• http://cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/mattresses/fast-and-light/neoair-xlite/product
Product provided for free by the manufacturer for review purposes.