Uberlite Durability Survey

[Brad W]

I have heard the thin light multi-use argument too. Using it as sit pad, naps etc. It then picks up thorns and debris that seems counterproductive to why it’s brought-to protect the air pad. It’s a poor sit pad compared to the z-lite pad.

[bradmacmt]

I have heard the thin light multi-use argument too. Using it as sit pad, naps etc. It then picks up thorns and debris that seems counterproductive to why it’s brought-to protect the air pad. It’s a poor sit pad compared to the z-lite pad.

Totally agree. And would 1/8″ evazote isn’t exactly what I’d call durable.

[AK Granola]

It’s not an “argument;” it’s what I do and it works for me. Does it need to be “argued?” I just don’t put it down on top of thorns, doh. Works great.

[Dan]

@AK Granola, don’t forget where you are. BPL is full of people who know better than you what you should do. Regardless of how well it has been working for you, and how long.

[AK Granola]

Thanks for the reminder, Dan! It’s always a breath of fresh air to go back to some of the women’s groups on FB! Still a few useful nuggets over here now and then.

I’ve had the thinlight since at least 2017 if not before. Still all in one piece. Who knows what y’all are doing with your gear to tear it up so bad.

[Brad W]

Figure of speech, not a argument.  Two different view points-you like yours fine, I have used them and don’t think they are all that great. It’s nothing more than that.

[HkNewman]

Thought I was the uberlite king around Timberline last year (east of Portland OR), .. but the pad only lasted 2 nights earlier this year in San Diego county due to “goats head”.  This is a spiky headed weed and gets everywhere.

Hoping they take the new reported Xlite upgrade for ‘23 and can apply it to a new tougher uberlite with less height.

[Todd T]

Thought I was the uberlite king around Timberline last year (east of Portland OR), .. but the pad only lasted 2 nights earlier this year in San Diego county due to “goats head”.  This is a spiky headed weed and gets everywhere.

I wouldn’t come down too hard on the uberlite for losing to a goat head (aka “tack weed”).  Tires have fallen prey to those devilish things.

[Monte Masterson]

After only 6 nights of use I now have a slow leak on my Uberlite…not good! A very expensive pad that’s also very fragile. Does anyone have advice on what to do? Should I immerse the fully inflated pad into a bathtub full of water and look for the leak? I knew I was a fool for buying the ultra-thin and overpriced Uberlite.

[JCH]

“I knew I was a fool for…”, but I did it anyway.  Story of my life.

[Greg Pehrson]

Monte, when I’ve patched a pad at home, I inflate it fully, fill the tub with enough water to submerge it, and have a bottle of soap nearby. I’ll wet the pad fully, then soap up one hand while I hold the pad out of the water with the other, and then run the soapy hand across one baffle at a time–a leak will make a little cluster of bubbles grow. Going one baffle at a time lets me be methodical about covering the whole pad. When you find the leak, dry off that section and use a sharpie to draw a circle around it so you can find it again easily. Keep soaping the other baffles to see if there’s more than one leak. Then, wash off the soap in the tub and dry off the whole pad and you are ready to patch it. For tiny punctures, just a dab of seam grip has worked for me, no patch needed.

[Monte Masterson]

Thanks a lot Greg. I found the leak, it’s right on one of the baffles. And you must have been reading my mind because I was thinking Seam Grip, but I was going to use a patch with it as well. However I can see where just applying the Seam Grip alone would be best. Thanks again.

[dirtbag]

All the more reason…

[Mark Verber]

on the 40th night leak on a seam line (top size) during the BPL GGG meetup.  It’s been babied.  Rather disappointed.

[AK Granola]

What do you all think is a reasonable number of nights an inflatable mattress should last? What do you expect? Everything wears out sooner or later, so I guess it’s a question of expectations versus reality.

Side note: Update on my Uberlite, purchased in 2017, old valve type. I’m not actually sure how many nights it has now, 80? It delaminated this summer when I was on my Montana Glacier trip, lots of rocks in tent areas (required campsites), but I’m not sure how it happened exactly. A large bubble started just under the shoulder area. I managed to use it for the rest of the trip by switching head/foot. That wasn’t too bad but not great either and I was worried it would spread more. When I got home I contacted Cascade designs to see if they could recommend a fix or if it was toast, unfixable. They replaced it free with a new Uberlite, new model valve. Awesome service I did not expect. I will continue to use it indefinitely. I love the low weight, easy inflation, and low noise factor.

[Robert M]

I’ve had to repair mine every few trips however I backpack mostly in the desert where there are many sharp things. It patches well. The most annoying thing is that it deflates as the night air cools and soon wake up 3 -4 times a night having to blow it up. I do use a thin thermarest pad underneath, perhaps its R value is too low to avoid this problem?

[Fingal_O]

There are only a few uberlites left in stock at REI. Is it worth snagging one before they’re gone for good? Anyone still using the uberlite?

[Jerry Adams]

I’ve used my uberlite maybe 20 nights without problem.

One thing weird is it loses a little air over night.  In the morning when I sit up I’ll bottom out.  But it’s fine when I’m laying down.

I’ve tried finding a leak by blowing it up, put a lot of weight on it to increase air pressure, then spray soapy water but I don’t see any bubbles.

I wonder if the valve is designed to leak air if I put a lot of pressure on it so it doesn’t burst

[AK Granola]

Still on my 2nd (replaced) uberlite. Not enough miles on it, sadly, to compare it to the first one I had, nor any other mattress. They’re so freaking expensive these days, I’ll look for something cheaper when this one gives up the ghost. I hope I can put it to the test soon, hopefully a multi-day adventure.

There’s work and money, or play and no money. For now I have to work.

[Mike M]

Mine is several years old and still going strong. If it’s going to be 35-40 or higher, I bring it. It’s roughly half the weight of my Xtherm.

[Jerry Adams]

I prefer my thermarest prolite but it weighs 20.5 ounces.  The uberlite 9.5 ounces. The 11 ounce savings cancels out 1/2 day of consumables

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

I’m on my third one in not that many nights (mostly baffles delaminating) but the weight is amazing. It’s addictive. It’s not really the right thing to buy, but when you have one it’s hard not to reach for when the weight is that good.

[Brad W]

The fact they discontinued them is a good tell.

[Fingal_O]

Thanks for all the great feedback! It sounds like not much has changed since the earlier comments. Some folks have had better luck than others – but overall its performance has been pretty inconsistent.

It’ll be interesting to see if thermarest comes out with a replacement for the uberlite. I heard that Nemo is coming out with the “Tensor Elite” in 2025 – and that the weights should be competitive with the uberlite. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

 

[Jerry Adams]

the neoair xlite nxt is the closest they have to uberlight – weighs 13 ounces (vs the 9.5 ounce uberlite)

I noticed that the prolite original weight was given as 16 ounces (but actually weighed 17 ounces).  Then they upgraded to a version that they said weighed 17 ounces (but it weighed 18 ounces).  Then they upgraded to one they said weighed 19 ounces (but it weighed 20.5).  They had delamination problems so I assume the weight increase was to fix the delamination problem.

Now prolite is discontinued but there’s a prolite plus that they say weighs 23 ounces (but it is 1.5 inches thick vs the 1 inch thick prolite).

It would appear that delamination is a difficult problem to solve.

I have a theory that if you put your hand on the mattress and put all your weight on it, that can cause delamination.  At least when I stopped doing that, I haven’t had a delamination.

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