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

[David K.]

Yea – that is a bummer.  What pad did you end up going with instead?

[Bob Moulder]

Even harder to find is anything in the torso/wide dimensions that is rectangular. Not a fan of the mummy shape as a toss-n-turn sleeper.

Fortunately the Neoair Trekker is made in a 25″x47″ size, which I have used quite a bit and really, really like. However, I was wishing for an Xlite the same size to shave a couple more ounces and reduce the bulk a little, but of course only the older original, Xlites were rectangular.

I got really lucky and found an original-style Xlite in long/wide (77″x25″) on Gear Swap and was able to cut and re-seal, so I now have my ideal air mat. Final weight is 10.4 oz. I am a very happy camper!

Photo of the current torso-length Xlite on top of my new/old fave, the cut-down, old-school Xlite

[Ken Thompson]

Is that my old NeoAir ?

[Bob Moulder]

That’s it, Ken, about 30 inches shorter! :^)

[Crow]

It is really easy to shorten an XTherm or XLite to any length desired…

[Bob Moulder]

It is really easy to shorten an XTherm to any length desired…

+1, darn nice to have in the bag of tricks.

That first slice into a perfectly good air mat did induce a bit of anxiety. Very reassuring to lie on the finished product and not hear a PFFFFTT! :^)

[James holden]

but then what would we do without cascade designs excellent warranty … never mind MECs

;)

[Bob Moulder]

On the path to perfection a warranty is but a tiny bump.

 

[Yoyo]

Two questions:

1. How does the original Xlite compare to the new iterations in terms of durability, comfort, and R value?
2. How long is your cut down Xlite?  10.4 oz is not bad, but is that torso length?

[JCH]

I’ve heard of many people still happily using the original Neoair. After ~2 years of use, my original rectangular NeoAir started loosing air and for the life of me I could not find a leak. I assumed it was a problem with the valve and used it for another year simply putting up with the leak. Near the end I’d have to give it a breath or two in the middle of the night.

Then I found an article online (which I cannot locate at this moment) that looked at the way the baffles were created and explained that the adhesive on the inside surface which bonded the baffles was also the thing that made the fabric airtight. According to the article, after a certain number of inflate/deflate cycles the adhesive would pull away just a little causing very small, very hard to find leaks along the baffle seams.

I submerged my pad in the bathtub and started rolling it at one end to put it under as much pressure as I could.  Sure enough, there were probably 30-50 TINY leaks…every one of them along a baffle seam.

Sent it back to Cascade and they replaced it with a new Xlite which is constructed differently I am told. Zero issues since.

[spelt with a t]

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.

Keep harassing–I mean, emailing them politely about it. If there is a market, they will eventually pay attention. The dimensions of other Neoairs show they already have the patterns for it.

I look at the large torso Trekker every time I find it on sale, but I already have a ridegrest for that R-value. The only thing I want to spend money on is a short/wide XTherm.

[James holden]

i just passed my original 2008/9 neo air to my favorite climbing partner … shes used it in the andes and the amazon

it deflates slightly over the course of a day, but not enough to need to reinflate it during the night …

hard to tell if theres those microleaks or its just your warm breath cooling down

either way its not a real issue

almost 8 years old now and still ticking away … it hasnt been abused but it hasnt exactly been babied either

;)

[Bob Moulder]

2. How long is your cut down Xlite?  10.4 oz is not bad, but is that torso length?

David,

It is exactly the same length/width as the Trekker, which is advertised to be 47″x25″, and which is in fact very close to those numbers when inflated and measured, which I just did. Uninflated it is 51″x26″… I didn’t realize it lost quite that much length when inflated. The Trekker weighs 13.05 oz BTW.

[Bob Moulder]

Sure enough, there were probably 30-50 TINY leaks…every one of them along a baffle seam.

Yikes. I wasn’t planning to harass email CD about making the Xlite in my favorite format, but maybe I’ll want to do that in a few years. :^o

[Crow]

Well, good to hear it’s not only Big Agnes Q-Core that had that problem…  Anybody got a suggestion for a good fix for these weld leaks?  I don’t have proof of purchase for my BA pads so warranty is no good.

[Bob Moulder]

Maybe some thin strips of uncoated nylon with Seam Grip?

[JCH]

Bob, like I said, there seem to be plenty of people for whom the original NeoAirs have survived quite nicely.  I bought mine very early on…I seem to be something of an early adopter :) …so I think it likely that the failures I experiened are relegated to those early production runs.

[Bob Moulder]

lol, well not a huge worry in any event. :^)

I just don’t know the ‘vintage’ of the one I got from Ken. Right out of the package it appeared to be brand new, before I chopped it.

I hope to test drive an XTherm max next winter. If it works without supplemental CCF down to 0°F I could live with that.

[HeathP]

I have the neo air trekker in the large torso size that is mentioned above, on my scale with the stuff sack and repair kit it is 14.5 ounces. It is easy enough to shed 4 ounces elsewhere that I am not worried about the weight. I have slept on it a few nights and I like it. The X lite is too narrow for me and pads with vertical baffles I just can’t sleep on.

[Crow]

I got my Exped Downmat UL 7 LW today, and any doubts I had are annihilated – this pad is AWESOME! Ordering a second one right now. Light, compact, 100% *silent*, comfortable (blown up rather firm) and WARM. Lay on it for a minute or two, then get up and feel the mat retaining heat and feeling like touching another body.

It also works a lot better in my Feathered Friends Condor groundsheet, which was clearly designed for such a pad rather than thin CCF pads. Deflated, the down holds enough loft for it to function as an emergency waterproof blanket.

Much nicer than the heavier integrated pump version – this is exactly what I have been searching for.

[D M]

Casey you can sent the non working BA pad back, they usually have a serial number on them. Mine went bad after four years use, I had no receipt and they replaced it no problem.

[Adam Klags]

John, that’s interesting. I am really happy to hear that they replaced yours, because after 7 seasons of regular use, this appears to be happening to me now, too.

How long did it take them to replace your pad? I’m slightly concerned that I’ve missed the boat with the season approaching…

And I wonder if they gave you an option on the replacement? For example, if you had wanted an x therm instead, do you think that would have been an option??

[JCH]

Adam, Cascade’s customer service is one of the best in the business. Excluding shipping times, it took them less than 3 days to issue the replacement. They did not ask if I wanted something else…they replaced it like for like, or as close as was possible given the current model line. It is a lifetime guarantee…there is no boat to miss :)  I expect your experience will be the same as mine.

Edit: Was able to track down that article I referenced earlier (from Tramplite). I found exactly the same pattern of leaks in my original NeoAir.

Edit 2: And just for grins, Tramplite’s subsequent review of the XLite.

[David K.]

Well I went ahead and pulled the trigger and got the new NEOAIR XLITE MAX SV in the Long size (took advantage of the REI 20% off coupon).  Got it home blew it up and in a matter of an hour, discovered it had a very slow leak.  Could not detect from where.  Blew it up again and confirmed that somehow, somewhere, it was slowly loosing air.  Tried this about 5-6 times with the same result.  Was super disappointed and made me think that there’s a design flaw as a couple of people now have reported the same issue with this new SV speed valve.

But I thought maybe I was just unlucky and got a bad one.  So I returned it to REI and got another one.  This time the new pad stayed inflated!  I inflated and deflated it several times and left it over night and it did not lose air.  Perhaps there was a bad batch or an issue with quality control?  I can’t explain it, but for now, I’m stoked!  True test will be when I get it on trail I guess.  Fingers crossed!

[Walt]

^^^  I have one on the way, also from the dividend sale. When I was at REI looking at the  NEOAIR XLITE MAX SV a rep from Cascade Designs was there and we discussed it at some length. He convinced me that most reports of leakage were due to insufficient closure of the Speed Valve, it needs seven narrow rolls to fully seal. So I’ll report back with my experience after an upcoming week long bike tour. Any problems and it goes back to REI.

[Author]

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