My Therma-rest Prolite keeps getting heavier

I am curious if it’s also more comfortable than the Xlite because of the foam. Might be worth a side by side comparison.

foam

The self inflator pads have foam (the original design being open air foam sandwiched inside nylon welded shut except for the nozzle), but there’s a picture of an Xlite insulation baffle .. looking hollow with the metallic coating.

The Xlite will be thicker, but more of the inner will be air holes -> a picture towards the start of this review ..

https://sectionhiker.com/therm-a-rest-neoair-xlite-sleeping-pad-w-winglock-valve-review/

Both types need air, but inflated, an air mattress contains more of it.

It doesn’t seem like the foam would add comfort.  You are held up by air pressure.  The foam is just to self inflate and to provide insulation.

But what seems is sometimes contradicted by testing :)

My wife very much prefers sleeping on a self inflator. The basic idea is to get to a point where the foam is actually providing some of the cushioning (as opposed to sleeping entirely on air, the way you would with a NeoAir, or a traditional air mattress). Each model varies, though, and people have their personal preference (in terms of how much air to put in them). But I can see how someone prefers it. The comfort of the self-inflator is what made ThermaRest popular, even for car camping (where folks can use a machine to inflate the mattress).

So I look for sleeping mats that are not “bouncy,” which is one way of describing it.  The first self-inflators I saw were Thermarest.  They required less huffing and puffing, but were still pretty bouncy, like any air mattress.  Then I found Nemos, which were less bouncy, as if the foam had some gel-like quality, and felt more like a conventional home mattress if care was taken with getting the right amount of inflation.  The first one was ~11 oz, but the shell was two thin.  So got a slightly heavier and more durable model.

But Nemo doesn’t sell them anymore, probably because the newer models from Thermarest, which were not self-inflating, became very popular.  Perhaps because they were lighter, or because many have no issues like I do with air mattresses.  I just feel more comfy with a thinner mat that is closer to the ground, self-inflating, and the air pressure can be adjusted for my weight.

The Nemos do best for me; but there are other self-inflaters on the market.  I have never been comfortable with any of the Thermarest products, possibly for some of the reasons mentioned by Jerry in the OP.  So think this is another issue where trekkers have to experiment and settle on what they find works best for them.

I feel like my REI Prolite clone (bought in 2008) was more comfortable than my NeoAir XLite that I got about 4 years later.  The NeoAir has been subsequently replaced with the Nemo Tensor Insulated due to better comfort.  My REI pad subsequently developed a bunch of pinholes and I could never get it to stop leaking, otherwise it would still be my car camping pad.

Air matresses are quite a bit thicker and more luxurious. But the Prolite – at only an inch thick – is surprisingly comfortable. I use a Tensor Insulated most of the time, but the Prolite is great for durability, reliability and simple, fast making/tearing down camp. My dog always uses a Prolite and I don’t feel put out at all setting up and packing up a second pad – it’s done in seconds.

Sea to Summit recently introduced an UL SI (self-inflator) pad that looks like a clone of the Prolite. It’s 2-3 ounces heavier (pushing it out of serious consideration for me), but STS claim it’s super comfy due to some new tech.

If Thermarest made a Prolite that was the same weight and R-value as my Tensor Insulated, I would probably switch, sacrificing comfort for the speed and simplicity. The older I get the less I like to fiddle with stuff in camp.

But Nemo doesn’t sell them anymore, probably because the newer models from Thermarest, which were not self-inflating, became very popular. Perhaps because they were lighter, or because many have no issues like I do with air mattresses.

@Sam Farrington, Nemo still makes a self-inflating/air mat hybrid called Flyer.

Could this be because the Prolite was once their top offering for an inflating weight weenie pad and now that belongs to the NeoAir family?   Most self inflating pad users are buying for some other reason than weight.

**I realize when the Prolite was king most of us were sleeping on CC Foam.

another thing about that weight is that thermarest claims a weight, but in the last 2 prolites, it’s weighed 1 or 2 ounces more than spec

Being an irresponsible spender of money, I got an uberlite

spec = 8.8 ounces for regular size

I weighed it at 10.2 ounces

thermarest seems to have a policy of always specing the weight at an ounce or two below actual

Thank you, William.

“It doesn’t seem like the foam would add comfort.”

Jerry, the open cell memory foam topper at home adds plenty of comfort.  Would not do without it, and it is a lot cheaper than a full memory foam mattress.  But memory foam is heavy, so not good for backpacking light.  Although I understand that Memory foam holds in heat, which could be good or bad depending on the weather.

The previous model of the Nemo I mentioned is fine, and when not quite fully inflated is much more comfy than the Thermarests that are taking up space in the basement.  Maybe the newer Nemo models mentioned by William and Jeff are worth looking at.  With the right foam, they can come close to the weight of the air mattresses, probably because all the tubes incorporated in the air mattresses add weight.  And as I found, no matter what kind of mattress you use, the outer fabric must be heavy enough to resist abrasion and leaks.  That’s why I also use the shorties, and wear sox filled with Thinsulate Lite Loft to keep the feet warm when it’s cold.  Ordered some down filled sox from Enlightened Equip. but they are too flimsy to hold in the heat.