Which is more comfortable: NeoAir Xlite or ProLite Plus?

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Choosing between a NeoAir Xlite and a ProLite Plus on comfort alone, which gets the nod?

[jake.]

..and prefer the prolite plus. After trying many of the inflatable pads on the market I decided to try the good ol' self inflating thermarest. I found that being a larger, sprawling, stomach sleeper these worked best for ME due to the foam core providing a bit more internal pad support than an inflatable. The thinner Thermarest also made the drop off more pleasant when sleeping with an arm or leg half on/off the pad to. The xlites are very nice though, with a high R value, low weight and a lot of thickness, plenty of people sleep well on them.

-jake

[Jim Colten]

I can't speak for the current versions of either but I used the original ProLite for a few years before switching to the original NeoAir. I ain't going back.

[Andrew F]

I agree that the Prolite Plus is incrementally more comfortable than the NeoAir. But only by a little bit. I sleep well on both.

[d k]

Xlite for me; I'm a side sleeper (and a cold sleeper), and the Xlite is way more comfortable for me. I am probably going to go beyond to the Xtherm next time, as the nights that dropped below freezing were just a little chilly underneath for me even with the women's Xlite, which has a pretty good R-rating. It won't be that much extra weight (my Xlite was heavier than spec) and has heavier duty fabric on the underside so I won't worry quite as much about punctures.

[Rick Adams]

It's a wash. If you went with the anniverary pad at 2" and lighter weight than prolite it is better than prolite or neo. of course neo is far lighter.

[Franco Darioli]

Same as Jim.
I prefer the original Neo Air to the ProLite Plus.
From the above conflicting comments one could learn that it simply has to do with personal preference.
As for the narrow neo comments, the same used to be posted about the original.
My Neo Air is 49cm standing by itself but about 50cm when I lay on top of it.
The ProLite remains 50cm regardless.
I think that the narrow Neo Air perception has to do with the fact that it is thicker.
Here are the two :

At White Blaze someone became very abusive when I questioned his description of the Neo Air as "incredibly narrow" .
I think that the photo above well illustrates my point.
(pretty sure that that particular guy had not in fact seen one but just repeating comments read in the forums…)

[Stuart R]

..and prefer the prolite plus

+1

The Xlite only got tried on the floor at home before it got taken back to the store. It is so narrow there was always some part of me hanging off of it (I sleep on my side).

My short prolite plus is tried, trusted, and comfy.

I recently got an Exped synmat UL7. It feels luxurious on the floor but hasn't been tried for real yet.

[. Kirby]

Prolite Plus FTW. I toss and turn even when sleeping at home and I find the prolite plus really comfortable. Now, I haven't used the Xlite, but I have used other inflatable pads. It seems counter intutive, but I think the foam provides some rigidity thats makes it feel softer.

[jake.]

-"It's a wash. If you went with the anniverary pad at 2" and lighter weight than prolite it is better than prolite or neo. of course neo is far lighter."

Rick, the 40th Anniversary edition is 24oz with a warmth of 4R vs the prolite plus at 22oz & 3.8R. I'm really surprised the anniversary pad is only .2R warmer with the extra .5" of padding it has. Perhaps the extra thickness is mostly just air and doesn't actually have much more foam than the plus?

-jake

[Joseph Evans]

I have both, and I've used both, and although its not an apples to apples (you obviously know this already), on comfort alone I prefer the prolite plus.

[Rick Adams]

I own a 40th 16oz small. 25 oz women's and 32oz large. The prolite plus large weighs 32 also. Hence my comparison. I think the foam is thicker and dia(sp)cuts larger. I finally gave up on neos because the air pressure is inconsistent. Between user carelessness and air temp I found it difficult to get it right 2 nights in a row. The 40th is a pain to pack but really good for sleeping. Cheap too.

[Joe Lynch]

I'm a very active sleeper and prefer the xlite. I can sleep on either however.

[Mike W]

I find the comfort of both pads very close but give the edge to the Neo. That said, the lighter weight and smaller packed volume of the Neo makes it a no-brainer for me.

I think the reason the Prolite "feels" wider (at least to me) is that you don't roll off as easily as you do on the thicker air pads. You can use every inch of the Prolite without worrying about slipping off the edge. You also don't get an obvious arm-drop (back sleeper) on the ProLite because it's closer to the ground.

[Greg F]

I perfer the Xlite, One thing to consider is that for the same weight as the regular prolite you can get the X-large Neo Air Xlite. So you end up with a wider and longer pad for the same weight. I am also a slide sleeper so having 2.5 inches instead of 1.5 to rest my hip into is nicer.

The only real draw back I find is blowing it up at the end of the day.

[Peter S]

In the regular size, I sleep better on a prolite. In size large, I prefer a NeoAir. The prolite plus is heavy, lots of other options to choose from for the same weight. NeoAir Xtherm?

I really don't like the "roll-off" on the regular sized NeoAirs.

[M B]

Ive got both, in both regular and short lengths.

My opinion is the xlite is more comfortable lying still, especially on back in regular length, but a bit more fiddly.

Nothing against it, but there is something to be said for a more stable pad if you move around. I slept 40 nights on my xlites this year and am quite happy with both of them.

The xlite short, is really too narrow at bottom,makes it too fiddly. The prolite plus short is better. But I will still take the xlite because it weighs 8oz less in short.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Me too! Love my ProLite regular.

Had an original Neo Air for ONE night at 9,000 ft. then ret'd it to REI.
1. too narrow
2. too noisy
3. too much inflation time (espicially at 9,000 ft.!)
4. too much loft loss overnight (70 F. at bedtime and 35 F. in morning = low mattress)

BTW… My original Thermarest Lite (rectangular) mattress delaminated at the head end after 18 years. I called Cascade Designs and they said "Send it in." I did and they sent me a brand new ProLite. How's THAT for a garantee?

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