2025 MSR NeoLoft pad – built for comfort?

@JG, I’m 235 so i need the wide at least :)

I’m just going to go to REI tomorrow and try it out along with whatever Exped they have i can try along with the Nemo Tensor All climate.  It’s down to those 3 for me and maybe the REI one which people seem to like.

I’m a 100% side sleeper, so I went with the regular NeoLoft because I don’t usually need the extra width. The NeoLoft is the only inflatable pad I have ever used where the edges collapsed. Aside from that, the pad was great and I was bummed that it didn’t work out for me.

My fav pad for comfort is actually the Big Agnes Rapide SL, but they use their own temp rating and estimate the R-value to be 4.8. I think that’s a little generous based my personal experience with it, which is why we switched to the Exped Ultra line.

Keep in mind that if the NeoLoft truly sleeps cold (per reviews), it may be worth comparing against the Rapide SL since it sounds like they’d be comparable in size, thickness, and warmth. The Rapide in Regular-Wide is 1” narrower and 1/4” thinner, but it’s also 7oz lighter, packs smaller, and is $40 cheaper.

Finding the Ultra 7r allowed me to narrow my pad use down to a single option. For me, personally, the blend of features and comfort best match my preferences over any other pad. We only backpack in cooler/cold weather, so the high R value is a non-issue.

Best of luck on the search for your Goldilocks pad. Remember to update your thread with what you pick and let us know why. I’m curious and I suspect others might be, too.

Thanks so much JG.  I initially wanted to grab the BA Rapide SL which I can snag for a very good price but I read a lot of reports that the R-value is very off and it sleeps much colder.  I may target it for Summer backpacking here in NC still though.

I’m heading out to the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay NP, BC Canada in a week.  That’s Dan Durston’s neck of the woods.  Thanks for your earlier response btw, Dan.  I currently rock an older SMD Skyscape Trekker but I’ve been eyeing those sweet shelters!

I’ve been using a Klymit Static V Insulated for years and just really wanted to upgrade my sleep system for this trip.  Should be a good test.

Awesome. Good luck on the Rockwall Trail. Such a great spot. Hopefully you’ve been able to get spots at Floe Lake and Helmet Falls. Wolverine Pass is a neat spot too. Not an official camp, but can camp outside the park

I’ve spent about two dozen nights on the NeoLoft over the past year. It’s OK for a “version 1” but I think (hope) future versions address some engineering issues with the pad. The inherent design makes this a pretty bouncy pad when even slightly underinflated, and as others have noted, the side rails are not stable. If the inflation is firm, everything is better, but then you have the typical “hard as a rock and doesn’t relieve pressure” issues that come with all inflatables.

The fabric is great, I do wish soft and stretchy fabrics (kudos to Zenbivy Flex for this) would be more prevalent in air mats.

For stability, it’s still pretty hard to beat dot-welded trussed baffles like those that are used in the upper ranges of the Nemo Tensor, Sea to Summit Ether, and Zenbivy Flex lines.

So, no NeoLoft for me (yet) – the marginal gains aren’t worth the weight – and at this point, I think I’d spent the weight on increased durability and reliability in the field rather than just a thicker (and albeit more wobbly) pad.

Thanks Ryan!  I went to REI to try out a bunch of pads last night including the NeoLoft.  Keep in mind I’m 6’0″ 230 so only wide options for me :).  I found the NeoLoft bouncy like everyone else, but when lying still it’s incredibly comfortable and given REIs amazing return policy I decided to leave with one (and $250 poorer, yikes).  I do wonder if the wide pad will mitigate some of the edge issues Ryan and others experienced (assuming he wasn’t on a wide).  I went  with Reg/Wide.  Side note, the 73″ length is great as I have always found myself hanging off a touch on 72s given I have to use a pillow which always moves me down a touch.

The Nemo Tensor AS was probably the next most comfy and given its other attributes I can see why it’s commonly ranked and suggested as the best all-around pad, but I just fell in love with the NeoLoft’s comfort.  I’m off to the Canadian Rockies to try it out next week.  I’m not sure if it will get cold enough to really test its lower limit but I’m okay with that :).

Funny thing, I also got a Zinbivy 25 quilt system (with uninsulated half sheet).  I’m sorta kicking myself for not going for their Flex Air pad as Ryan mentioned.  Seems the pads with the honeycomb welded baffling (or whatever its called) are definitely the most stable.  I tried out the REI Helix but it was tapered and only 24″ wide.  I also wish it was just a tad thicker.  Those attributes seem to describe the ZB Flex Air perfectly (large rectangle).  If I don’t love the Neoloft I’ll take a more serious look or give the Tensor a try.  I’ll report back in a couple of weeks!

ps- Dan, I’ll be at Marble Canyon, then Floe Lake, Tumbling Creek, and Helmet Falls.  I sent you a DM as I didn’t wanna hijack this thread anymore than i already have :)

At 230, you may find the ZB Flex Air bottoming out of not fully inflated with more air than flex. I’m 200 and wish mine was just a tad thicker.

Hi All!

I completed my trip of the Rockwall trail in Kootenay NP, BC Canada.

I’m 6’0″ 220 (mistakenly said 230 above, thankfully i’ve trimmed up a little) and was on a Regular-Wide pad.  I used a Zenbivy 800fp quilt rated at 25F limit and an uninsulated sheet and a S2S Aeros Premium large pillow.  Realistically, that’s a 35F setup with that quilt.  I was in a HMD Skyscape Trekker which is blocks wind well and retains a bit of heat vs the outside (about 5 to 10 degrees F).

The pad was very comfortable, especially when lying still.  I think the only way you’re going to get more comfort would be with a foam pad or the addition of a foam topper.  While somewhat bouncy for sure, I never fell off, nor felt that I would.  The Zenbivy sheet probably helped with that, and I believe is a great combination, but there were a couple of nights where I only had one side buckled up on the sheet “wings” and I never felt as though I’d fall off the “open” side.  I’m not sure what size Ryan used, but I owe it to being a 26″ wide pad.  I think the “regular” size would have been way too narrow for me and I would have been far more likely to fall off.

My biggest worry with this pad is warmth.  My coldest night was 45F and so never got to really test it but I have my doubts as whether it would be warm at freezing temperatures.  At 4.7 r-value, it should be warm down to 20F.  I’m very skeptical.  I’m not sure what’s going on with these ratings lately as I’ve also heard very negative things about the Big Agnes Rapide SL and it’s mylar inslation being defective.  It’s a concerning trend.

That said, comfort is king on this thing.  I’m okay with the bounciness inherent with these pads.  I do believe that a “dot welded”/honeycomb style pad would mitigate that, but most are not thick enough to rival the comfort level.

What about the Exped Megamat Ultra?  Has anyone have any real world experience with it?