NEOAIR XLITE MAX SV – Searching for a Wide and Light Sleeping Pad/Mat…

[David K.]

Searching for a Wide and Light Sleeping Pad/Mat.  At least 25″ wide as I’m on the larger side (6’2″, 190lbs).  At the top of my list is the new NEOAIR XLITE MAX SV in the Long size.  Anyone have any experience with this mat yet?

[Caledonia Heather]

I bought one of the regular sized neoair sv’s and used it for a couple nights of camping in Joshua tree national park. It was very comfortable, and once you get the hang of it inflation is quite a bit easier than the original neoairs. My major issue was that getting a proper seal on the neck of the inflation collar was rather tricky. Of the two nights we were out, I got a good seal after waking up a couple times to re-roll the first night. The second night I never got a good seal and had to reinflate about 4 times. It might just be something you have to get the proper technique for, but I decided it was not worth the hassle and took it back to Rei as soon as that trip was over.

[David K.]

Hmm – that’s not what I want to hear.  :(   Seems pretty straight forward, just like a typical dry bag with a roll top closure.  If it works for water, I’d think it would work for air too.  Did you roll it over 7 times like Thermarest says too?

Anyone else having this issue or have any insight why the seal might be leaking?

[Caledonia Heather]

Oh I definitely rolled it seven times. I feel like maybe you have to have a smooth, hard surface, and there needs to be tension like someone holding the pad and pulling it a little while you carefully and precisely roll it. Air is pretty stubborn about escaping when you put a 160 pound pressure on it. Like I said, there’s probably a correct technique, but I wanted something less fiddly. I was quite sad, because I did like the square shape and the inflation method.

[David K.]

Interesting.  Thanks for the feedback.  What did you end up going with instead?

[Caledonia Heather]

I am going to give the exped synmat hyperlite a try in the medium/wide size. Only 14.6 ounces and comparable r rating to the xlite. I think the large wide is only an ounce more. I inflated it and lay down for a few minutes at rei last night. I bought it to take home for a trial run. I’ll report back on the experience tomorrow.

[David K.]

Great – can’t wait to hear the report.  Thanks!  :)

[Caledonia Heather]

Well I spent the night on the patio with the hyperlight and my 20 degree EE quilt. It was about 35 at the lowest. I slept quite warm and comfortably on the hard, cold tile surface. I’m glad I went with the wide. The outermost baffle is uninsulated, so as I am a side sleeper, I had little contact with the colder outside baffles. if you are a back sleeper, they could still be problematic. I just ordered a synmat ultralight 7, which is rectangular to try as a comparison, as I think a rectangular pad would be better for pairing with another pad to sleep under a two-person quilt for when I take trips with my boyfriend. I think all of the baffles are insulated in the ultralight, so though I am getting the regular width pad, the effective width should be similar.

[David K.]

thanks or the info – keep us posted on the synmat ultralight 7.  :)

[JCH]

First, I’ve not used, nor seen in person, the Xlite SV, but am a huge fan of Cascade brands and products in general. Cascade gear is almost always very well sorted and is always well supported and warranted.

I do own the Xlite in several sizes and it is my mattress of choice. Inflating it by mouth is not fun, especially after a high mileage day, but using a Schnozzel or instaflator is a well known and tested solution.

Addressing the SV specifically, I have several reservations:

1. I do not care for the way the buckle appears to bunch up the head of the mattress
2. It seems like there exists a much greater chance of a slow leak throughout the night, perhaps attributable to user error, but a greater chance nonetheless.
3. Finally, for the UL community at a minimum, and given the alternative inflation methods available, it just seems like a solution to a non-existent problem.

I eagerly look forward to performance reports from those intrepid individuals who do decide to give this new design a go.

[David K.]

I played with Xlite SV at REI and it was pretty amazing.  I fully inflated the pad in 5 breaths.  And the other nice thing was how easy it deflated.  The SV valve is such a large opening that it literally just deflates on it’s own in like 2 seconds.  No need to squeeze the air out at all really.  The other thing that appeals to me is the rectangular shape which I prefer vs mummy.

The only downside I can see is the weight penalty which is about 4oz compared to the standard X-lite.  But of course all of this is irrelevant if the thing leaks.

[JCH]

I hope I’m wrong, and that it rocks, and that they then figure out how to eliminate any weight penalty and then use it on their lightest pads :)

[Caledonia Heather]

The leaking is definitely a problem as far as I am concerned. Perhaps with practice and tinkering with the rolling method you could virtually eliminate the leaking, and do it in one try. I was just not willing to deal with the potential learning curve, especially since this pad comes with a weight penalty when compared to the xlite. One of the main reasons I tried it was because of the rectangular shape. I really wish they would make an xlite in that shape.

[James holden]

i looked around recently for wide (not long) pads …

and came to the conclusion that the neo air xlite large is the lightest reliable (with CD excellent warranty and purchasing at MEC) option at 460g ….

even though it claims a 25″ width, its really 24″ … and feels close to 23″ because of the horizontal baffles and tapered shape

but if that works for you its likely the lightest reliable wide full length pad with a great warranty

try it out or buy it from REI so you can return it if you arent happy

its a freaking shame that CD doesnt make wide regular length pads … im 5’6 and i had to pick up a 6’5 pad

;)

 

[spelt with a t]

Me too, eric, me too…

[Crow]

The XTherm MAX Large is 2oz heavier than the XLite MAX SV Large, and is more versatile as it insulates better, while feeling essentially the same as the XLite.  So why not just go with that if you want a large rectangular air mattress?

[Crow]

“its a freaking shame that CD doesnt make wide regular length pads … im 5’6 and i had to pick up a 6’5 pad”

On the bright side, shortening an XLite or XTherm is an easy job if you have the courage, a pair of scissors, and an iron.

[Rob P]

I have the Exped Synmat Winterlite in MW…25.6 x 72.  It definitely feels wider then my LW Xlite…easier to keep my elbows on the mat.

[David K.]

Any issues with using the XTherm in the summer?  Could it be too warm?

[David K.]

Anyone have any feedback on the Nemo Tensor?  It looks good spec wise.

http://www.nemoequipment.com/product/?p=Tensor%2025L

[Stuart .]

Any issues with using the XTherm in the summer?  Could it be too warm?

I switched from using a SynMat UL7 in summer and a DownMat UL7 in winter to using an XTherm large year round. Never a worry.

[Crow]

@dkny2la – I don’t think you have to worry about a pad being “too warm”, plenty of folks use winter mats year-round without complaint.  They don’t generate heat.  Your home mattress has a much higher R-value. :)

Nemo is a brand that doesn’t get enough attention.  I think they shoot themselves in the foot by not publishing R-values, though.  I agree with them that it’s not a standard between manufacturers which makes it an unfair point of comparison, but that’s the one everyone likes to look at regardless.  If nothing else, it allows you to quickly compare products from a single brand with relative accuracy.  I was considering buying a Tuo for some time, which they’ve stopped producing for some reason.  The Tensor looks like a good design, but it’s not warm enough for winter use.  Neither are any of their current mats.

They make a double version of the Cosmo, which may be of interest to some.

[David K.]

They have an Insulated Tensor, only 2oz heavier:
http://www.nemoequipment.com/product/?p=Tensor%20Insulated%2025L

And for another 4.5oz you can get it with a built in pump.  Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.
http://www.nemoequipment.com/product/?p=Vector%20Insulated%2025L

 

[Crow]

I am not at all a fan of built-in pumps.  A large pumpsack like the Exped Schnozzle works much faster for inflating a mat and is much lighter.  Just my personal opinion…

The Insulated Tensor is not what I would call winter-worthy.  It’s minimum temperature rating is 15-25 degrees, so maybe R3.5.  I consider “winter-worthy” to mean R5.0 or greater.

[Randy T]

Its a freaking shame that CD doesnt make wide regular length pads

I emailed CD just two weeks ago about this very issue, as I was looking for a wide but regular length xtherm. They replied they have no plans to do so. Took my business elsewhere.

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