Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad Review

[Amy Lauterbach]

We have just returned from 10 nights in the Escalante River area, sleeping on the NeoAir small pads.

Reports from two people:

Amy: WOW! I slept really well on my back, side, and belly. On my belly it's even more comfortable than my own bed. Compared to my old standard – the ProLite short pad, this is significantly more comfortable. I didn't mind the 25 breath inflation process at all. I've always slept with my pillow on top of a short pad, with my knees hanging off onto a pile made of my pack, clothing, and a small foam pad (which doubled as my pack pad & my sit pad); so the need for a thicker pillow was a non-issue for me. We sleep with a double-top-quilt and with no bag to keep our arms from falling off the outside edges, and simply rely on our bags of ditties and shoe insoles and binoculars and such to play the role of arm supports when necessary. The width issue felt no different from the old thermarests. I don't need or want the pad to be wider. For me, this pad is a very big improvement in comfort, and to save weight at the same time is just icing on the cake.

Jim: Back and side sleeper. Somewhat but not vastly more comfortable than ProLite. Sleeps with his head off the pad, and had to build a thicker pillow. Didn't care for the effort to inflate the pad after long hard days, but he can deal with that. Didn't notice any problem with height difference in terms of supporting his calves and feet.

Can't speak to warmth, as we were not in cool conditions.

We both found noise to be a complete non-issue.

No durability problems on this trip, but time will tell.

I'm switching to the NeoAir for sure. Jim is still deciding. Jim's remaining open issue has to do with the pack — we've been using ULA packs for 7 years with the ProLite inflated into a cylinder for structural support. On this trip I carried 4 panels of z-rest for my ULA structural support and found it plenty comfortable to 30 pounds, and pushing the limit of comfort at 35 pounds. Jim carried an old Dana pack this trip (his ULA pack is too frayed to withstand the willow/tamarisk/russian-olive thrashing the Escalante dishes out) and hasn't experimented yet with switching to a foam back panel instead of the ProLite cylinder.

Thrilled by this improvement in my gear!
Amy (and Jim too)

[johannes Eichstaedt]

@Monty…thank you for the info. I am convinced now by group consensus the legs-off-the-abyss is a non-issue.

@misc…It also strikes me as a little odd that the pricetag now is a reason to down-grade the rating. I could see that sometimes we would want to up the rating a bit because of particularly good value (e.g. like the 40 USD BA Clearview)…and I liked the TI pot example…how about the $66 Photon Proton Pro 1AA flashlight? …we (rightfully, IMHO) gave a 'highly recommended' to the $330 Montane Quick-Fire jacket…or remember the inka-pen…?

There is a lot of R&D in the whole honeycomb-IR-reflection-thingy in the neoAir and they are milking their 'first mover advantage' now to make money… but that's why they come up with these new products – and I think we are all glad they do. It'll all level out a bit, when the neoAir goes into 2nd generation.

After all, in a sense they make the techy stuff so we-the-UL-connoisseurs here at BPL can discuss it endlessly.

[Mary D]

I picked up a small NeoAir yesterday and spent most of last night sleeping on it on my living room floor. I spent the last 2 hours on my old POE Insulmat Max Thermo (now the Ether Thermo) for comparison's sake.

I did find out that after I let out enough air to be comfortable, it's a good idea to check to see what the pad looks like! It looked almost flat at 4:00 this morning, but when I lay back down the thickness felt the same as what I adjusted it to the night before. However, it does appear that there's a leak in my POE pad!

I am a side sleeper, female with quite wide hips and shoulders for my height (5' 3"). I get excruciatingly painful hip joints if they are not properly cushioned, and also have back issues if my spine isn't reasonably level when I'm on my side. With my POE pad I blow it up no more than halfway. My downward hip sinks in until it's just barely off the ground, my downward shoulder is maybe an inch off the ground and my spine is pretty level. I need to achieve this with the NeoAir if it is going to work.

Initial reactions:

Noise is a non-issue; the NeoAir sounds a little more crinkly than my POE pad but the decibel level is about the same when I move around. My sleeping bag under me effectively muffles the noise, even though I had the zipper part-way open all night.

The effective width of the NeoAir when inflated is 19". Interestingly, the effective width of my inflated POE pad is more like 18", because the outer part of each side tube of course slopes steeply outward. Because I'm used to being cradled by the vertical tubes of the POE, I did have a little of the feeling of being threatened with rolling off the NeoAir, but I very quickly adjusted. It soon became a non-issue.

The lack of a stuff sack is also a non-issue because my Six Moon Designs Comet pack has an inside pad pocket. That's where I have carried my POE pad.

The stickiness of the NeoAir's top does make turning over a bit more difficult. I'm used to taking the sleeping bag with me when I turn over, and this isn't as easy with the NeoAir.

The NeoAir, because of its smaller tubes, doesn't feel or appear as thick when inflated as does my POE pad. I had some difficulty finding a comfort level between inflated too hard and my hip bone resting on the floor. However, it isn't as bad as what I experienced with the Big Agnes Clearview last summer–I couldn't make the Clearview work for me at all. I could have slept the rest of the night on the NeoAir–I moved only so I could compare the two pads.

The POE pad definitely felt more comfortable when I first moved to it. However, my hip bone was on the floor when my alarm went off two hours later. I'll have to pump it up full and do some bathtub testing.

The jury is still out on whether the NeoAir is comfortable enough for me. I will spend a few more nights on the floor (early next week) and a few nights in the backyard.

[Mitchell Keil]

I just got my Regular NeoAir and took if for a spin for 4 mights on the AT in Mass. Slept one night in a very uncomfortable site with sticks and lumps and rock underneath the tent floor. Slept like the dead and was warm on the pad in low 40's temps. 2nd night was in a lean-to. No tent, a sharp breeze blowing into the shelter and temps about 35. Again the NeoAir performed extremely well. Similiar experinces for the last two nights.

What I have noticed about the pad is that proper inflation to achieve comfort is critical. About 50% inflation does it for me. When I roll over on the pad, there is a change in the percieved temp under me. It seems cooler for about 2-3 minutes as the pad adjusts to the change, then seems to actually warm up under me. This is about the same sensation I have observed with my DownMat 7 Shorty. I have broad sholders and still found that I did not have any real problems with the width of the pad. Whatever width it truly is made little difference to how I slept on it. I am a whirling dirvish at night and did not seem to have any trouble sleeping or finding myself centered on the pad, but then I have been using inflatable BAs, Downmats and the Clearview for about 5 years. I guess one learns to adjust to the design over time. I suppose the same could be said for sleeping under a quilt instead of in a bag. Your body learns the tricks of getting what it needs: a good night's sleep.

[F. Thomas Matica]

My Neoair seems to lose some pressure overnight. I have been testing it (sleeping on it) in the house on a blanket, on the floor. It does not go flat by any means.
It seems to do this even when just blown up and left to sit all day without any weight on it. I "soap bubble" tested it and haven't found a leak…..yet.
I'm wondering if just a change in temperature could be the cause: i.e., warm breath cooling and dropping the pressure?
Any thoughts on this????
PS: I love it! Very comfortable for me.

[Jim MacDiarmid]

Absolutely temperature certainly does affect pad inflation. When camping last year with my gf, we used a generic inflatable mattress. Since the pump was broken, we half inflated it at home, and stowed it in the back seat that way. Driving 3 hrs, with the sun coming thru the windows, it expanded with the heat till it blocked the view out of the rear window. At night, with 45 degree temps, it lost pressure to the point we had to re-inflate it. Science in action.

Regarding the NeoAir; I just used it camping on snow. I use a 1/8" Gossamer Gear CCf pad under it. Bizzarely (to me), it didn't seem to deflate at all during the night, despite the snow and cold air temps(mid 30s). Maybe I just generate a lot of heat while sleeping?

[Roger Caffin]

Hi James

Reasonable. The GG pad provided the insulation so the NeoAir did not cool down much.

Cheers

[Jolly Green Giant]

I'm a CCF guy, but got caught up in the hype about the NeoAir. After trying them out recently in REI, I can't imagine being remotely comfortable on anything other than the Large because the loft of the NeoAir causes my legs and lower body to hang off which puts a lot of pressure on my lower back even with my pack and such under it and even after adjusting the inflation. Just curious if anyone else was having the same problem or if they found a way to mitigate it (I don't think adding a CCF pad for my legs would make too much of a difference and I'm really not interested in carrying even more weight).

[joe newton]

I've just returned from a four day trip over the Hardanger mountain plateau in western Norway. I took short NeoAir for the first time. I put my pack under my legs and ran the NeoAir at around 50% inflation. I slept like a baby. No noise issues, no 'legs dangling in the void', no feeling of rolling off (6' and 190lb) and it worked sleeping on my side, back or belly. I ordered mine from England as it was half the price of buying it in Norway where I live. I couldn't be happier with it. The durability issue would by now be raising it's ugly head if there was one I believe, there are enough of us lying on them now. I leave mine in it's stuff sack (which it came with…) until it's time for bed when I blow it up and it's goodnight ladies and gentlemen.

[Mary D]

After almost a month's delay in testing due to illness, I finished my home testing (total of 5 nights on the floor and one in the tent in the back yard) and decided to keep my short NeoAir (preliminary testing results on previous "page"). It's not quite as comfy as my POE Insulmat Max Thermo (predecessor of the Ether Thermo) but it's comfy enough to give me a good night's sleep. I finally was able to find the "sweet spot" between too much inflation and not enough. Although normally I seldom sleep on my back, I found that the pressure of my ample(!) hips forces a bulge into the small of my back, which is just what I need for comfortable back sleeping. Normally I cannot sleep on my back without an extra pillow under my waist. This gives an extra option for me. My sleeping bag (when fastened) keeps my elbows from falling down alongside the pad when on my back, so this is not an issue for me. It certainly would be an issue for wide-shouldered quilt users, but the same is true for any 20" wide, 2.5" thick air pad, not just the NeoAir.

Field testing starts in a week.

Based on my results, I would neither recommend nor not recommend the NeoAir. Sleeping styles are so individual that everyone has to find their comfort zone. The varied results in this thread really illustrate this! I'd suggest several nights of trial on the floor before deciding whether to keep it or take it back. I'd also suggest looking for 20% off deals, too.

For those (not me!) who are comfortable on closed-cell foam pads and their ilk, there's probably no reason to spend all that money, IMHO. However, the NeoAir may become an option for you as you grow older and your bones/joints get progressively unhappier with hard surfaces.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

I'm planning to buy a NeoAir in the near future and currently debating between the short and regular versions. The 5oz savings is quite appealing but I don't want to lose the comfort factor that makes the NeoAir appealing.

Users of the short NeoAir pads commonly say they put their pack under their feet. How is this done? It seems like an empty frameless pack would provide virtually no thickness. Maybe it would be 1/4" – 1/2", which is fairly insignificant compared to the 2.5" height of the pad.

Do you guys leave a bit of gear in your pack and try to evenly spread it out? Or how is this done?

[Stephen Kundell]

I was given a neoair as a present for my JMT hike August 2009. I was very disappointed after 2 days when it developed a tear across a baffel exactly where the usual fold is when storing. Looks like material defect. I tried repair kits picked up at Toulomne, but the tear was too large, and ended up sleeping on bare ground until Reds Meadow. Clearly this was a fabric flaw, as my tarp tent and ground sheet had no tears. I returned it to REI quite disappointed because it felt so good the first day.

[Mary D]

Since my initial review of the NeoAir, based on living room floor testing, was rather complimentary, I want to revise my opinion above after using it in the field.

I got cold with the thing when the temp got down below 40*F. I then made the mistake of taking it on an early October trip in the Cascades in which the temp. went down to 18*F the first night and 20*F the second night, with only a 1/8" CCF pad for supplement. I spent the whole night shivering (interestingly, only on my "down" side–my "top" side was plenty warm. I'd never take it out below freezing again without adding a 3/8" to 1/2" CCF pad–which takes care of the weight difference between it and my POE Insulmat Max Thermo (more recently called the Ether Thermo). The POE pad has taken me down to 20*F without supplement and is far more comfortable. Since I take at least one trip to the Rockies every summer, where 20* night temps are not unusual, I've ditched the NeoAir and have gone back to my POE pad. The 8 ounce savings (which would be zero when adding a 1/2" CCF pad) was not worth it!

The NeoAir was slightly warmer, but not warm enough, when I blew it up full and put the CCF pad on top. However, blown up full it was extremely uncomfortable and kept bucking me off every time I turned over. Needless to say, I spent two nights with very little sleep and almost went off the road a couple of times when driving back from the trailhead (I stopped at the nearest motel instead of trying to drive home). Bye-bye, NeoAir!

[Dirk Rabdau]

…I put 120+ bag nights on the pad and found it to be extremely comfortable and stable – even as a side sleeper. I accidentally punched a hole in it with a pen that was in my pocket and patched it up using the repair kit and haven't experienced any issues. And I've used it in extreme cold – not as warm as other pads, but I knew that going in. I've had it down to 9 degrees in the North Cascades and it was cool – but not crazy cold. But to be fair, I was acclimated to the cold by then – and wore extra clothing to bed. Obviously, the experiences are mixed with the NeoAir.

Criticisms are fair, but from my perspective, this is by far the most comfortable pad for its weight that I've tried – and I've owned a lot of pads.

Dirk

[Jolly Green Giant]

I had two different sized NeoAir's and hated them both for various reasons. After the experience dashed my hopes, I couldn't help but wonder why the Torsolite doesn't come in different sizes as it is really the only remotely comparable inflatable with a solid r-value. Right now it is just too small, but I would definitely take a harder look at it if it were bigger.

Hey BPL…any chance on increasing the size of the Torsolite?

[John Whynot]

Have you tried one of the Prolites?

I tried the Torsolite, but it was just too small for me. I'm a side-sleeper, and Prolite small works well for me. I can always supplement it with a Thinlite if I need more insulation…

[Dirk Rabdau]

That gear is a very subjective endeavor. What works for one person is the bane of another's existence. Probably the same reason there are an endless array of mattress types and firmnesses on the market.

[BlackHatGuy]

" this is by far the most comfortable pad for its weight that I've tried"

+1 from me, though I have no where near the number of nights on mine. I did just take it out this weekend in PA, temps got down to 18.3 degrees (F). I had the neoair under my bivy, and a Ridgerest under the neoair, in a shelter with a raised wooden floor. I was toasty in my bivy and Raku!

[Conrad Stoll]

Hello,

I'm new to the boards, but I spent a lot of time here researching my recent purchase of the NeoAir pad, and so I wanted to post some of my initial impressions of it.

My opinion of the NeoAir has always been that it is an impressive bit of gear and technology. The packing size and weight are simply incredible. My only concerns were the durability, width, and possible noise. On a side note, I am moving from a 1in thick thermarest professional series ultralite (the long thin maroon ones from early 2000's), and so I wasn't sure how I would like a 2.5in thick inflatable mattress.

With regard to the durability, I can only say that in all the research I have done, it seems that the only issues are minor, such as someone receiving a defective pad. It doesn't appear to have any kind of a negative track record with durability.

I was very worried about the width when I tried it out in the store, so much so that when I went in to buy it I very nearly changed my mind. What I came to realize is that it seemed narrow because my current dated thermarest is a wide one, at least 25" wide. It's the same width as the BA IAC and actually looks wider than the Prolite 4 regular. I had a hunch that in my sleeping bag, and sleeping on my side, that it would not be an issue. I was correct. I can't even tell that it's narrow when I lie down on it in my sleeping bag. The sleeping bag keeps my elbows in place, and I have no problems with it. I am also 6'4" with broad shoulders, and I feel like the Regular size is fine for me. My feet stick off the end maybe an inch, but I tend to curl up a little when I sleep, so it's not really an issue.

Noise isn't an issue at all to me. I can kind of detect what might bother other people, but I don't even notice it.

So, those are my impressions. I also have a few bits of advice to people about using these kinds of pads. Two of the problems I have seen people describe is that

a) They are difficult to roll up.
b) It's hard to raise a pillow up to the 2.5" level of the pad.

I have two techniques for solving these issues.

1) The way I have developed of rolling up sleeping pads is this. After opening the valve while laying on it, to force out some of the air, I Lay the pad in front of myself with the valve opposite me. I fold the pad in half (or in this case in thirds) and then move my left foot on top of the pad about 1/3 of the way in front of me. This keeps the folding of the pad intact, and also keeps it taught so that it is easy to roll. I start rolling tightly at the end and when I reach my foot I simply move it up the pad towards the valve. Repeat the process until it is rolled up. My first attempt at this, after testing the pad in my house, I was able to achieve a rolled up pad that was smaller than the packed version I bought at REI. Some people described having to roll the pad multiple times to achieve this. Maybe this will solve that problem for those people.

2) What I started doing some time ago was putting my trail runners at the end of my pad near my head, to prop up my pad to create a pillow. With the NeoAir, I decided to try something similar. I put the shoes at the end of the pad, but not underneath it, and then I just put my normal fleece jacket on top of them. Works great. This method may be worth trying for those of you without stinky feet :)

Anyway, thanks to everyone else that posted in this thread. I credit you for helping me buy a piece of gear that i am so far quite pleased with. Maybe after I try it out a few times in the field I will post some more observations.

Thanks.

[Ken Larson]

Has anyone written a detailed Review Comparision of the NeoAir to other light weight sleeping pads to include the Backpacking Light TorsoLite Inflatable Sleeping Pad?

[Buck Nelson]

I wrote a review on this site for the Torsolite. For me it was too small (length and width) and even more importantly, mine failed completely along a seam. Any product has a few lemons, of course. The first NeoAir I got was one of the early leaky ones, too.

I believe the R-value for the NeoAir is 2.5. and the Torsolite is about 3.5. I think the Torsolite would normally be quite a bit tougher than the NeoAir.

I plan to use the NeoAir on the last half of the PCT this summer when I'll have a shelter with a floor (and a Ridgerest Deluxe during the first half.) For me the NeoAir is dramatically more comfortable to sleep on than the Torsolite. Much bigger, much thicker. The difference in R-value hasn't been noticeable to me so far. I used a NeoAir in freezing temps with a 30 degree bag (and warm clothes) and slept warmly.

To sum up, the NeoAir trade-offs work for me, the Torsolite trade-offs don't.

[Nico .]

I recently purchased a size Medium NeoAir (in fact it should arrive in the mail today) after having a chance to lie down on one in the local gear shop. The length seemed perfect for me and the comfort was far better than expected, so my mind was quickly made up… I needed one!

So, anyway, here's my two questions:

First one has to do with durability. I understand that for the most part folks have been surprised by how well the pads have held up. What I'm curious about is if anyone has any experience using a NeoAir around their dog. As a general rule, I try to keep the dog off the sleeping pads but inevitably he manages to step on them a few times over the length of a trip. I've never had a pad get punctured by the dog (BA insulated aircore or Thermarest Prolite 3 or 4, can't remember) but I can't help but feel concerned given the general consensus that these pads are a bit more fragile than other options.

Second question (please excuse my naivety), can you use a NeoAir as the backpad in a pack like the ULA Ohm or Gorilla or as the frame in a frameless pack? And assuming you "could," would you want to? This isn't a problem for me at the moment since I don't have a pack that needs a pad to be inserted for padding/rigidity but if I move that way eventually, I'd like to know whether I need to plan to carry some additional pad (like a sit light pad) for use in the pack.

Thanks.

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