The World’s Best Sleeping Pad Costs $150–And It’s Worth It

by steve casimiro on May 8, 2009 · 5 comments

5 responses

Here’s the conundrum: Is the Therm-A-Rest NeoAir the best sleeping pad in the world or simply the best for me? We journalists don’t like hyperbole. We headline writers do. Well, let’s put it this way: The NeoAir is revolutionary—something I never thought I’d say about a sleeping pad—and in eight months of using it, I have never slept more comfortably on the ground. Not even close.

First, the revolution. The NeoAir looks so much like an inflatable raft, it should have a beer cozy and “Surf Boca Raton” screen print, but that pool-toy chassis hides five years of development, an extremely complex construction, and one of the cleverest ideas in outdoor products I’ve seen in a couple of years. In short, the middle of the pad contains a full length of silver urethane—basically, strong aluminum foil—that reflects your body heat back to you, keeping you warmer and more comfortable. It also helps bounce cold back to the ground. Sounds like marketing BS, but it isn’t—if you put your hand against the inflated pad, within just a few seconds you can feel your palm getting warmer from the energy radiating back to it. And it’s dramatic—there’s nothing subtle about the effect.

That’s the first development. The pad also is constructed with a series of triangular chambers that trap air and prevent it from circulating. Not quite so sexy as the magical microwaving foil, but it contributes to warmth and the overall comfort—there’s a lot less collapsing of the mattress as you shift your weight.

Very cool. But the high points go on. The NeoAir gives you 2.5 inches of squishy protection from the ground—compared to regular inflatable pads, that’s like the difference between dark chocolate and milk. It’s also the lightest full-length sleeping pad available. The claimed weight is 14 ounces; mine scaled at 13.75. Oh, and the 20×72-inch pad compacts smaller than any other—3.5 inches by 11 or thereabouts. Finally, horizontal baffles stiffen it slightly across the width but allow a gentle flex lengthwise, the perfect design for molding to your body without creating a dip in the middle.

Negatives? Only one. There’s a lot of huffing and puffing to get it inflated. On average, it took 2 minutes 30 seconds and about 30 lungfuls to “make the bed”.

I’ve logged about 20 nights so far and with the NeoAir I wiggled less, stayed warmer (but never hot), slept deeper, and woke better refreshed. 150 bucks seems like a lot for a sleeping pad, but given how much it’s improved my sleep, I’d actually pay more. And in 25 years of gear testing, that’s a first.

Price ranges from $120 to $170; street price on full-length “regular” is $120.

Want to know more about Therm-A-Rest? Click here for exclusive Adventure Life profile.

Click to enlarge.

Cross-section w/baffles.

Rolls up tight.

Compare to size of comfort pad.

Tagged as: camping

{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

Hendrik M May 8, 2009 at 11:16: Well, I need to disagree. The NeoAir is revolutionary, that is true. But the best sleeping pad? No.

Its noisy. You better be fast asleep and sleep alone, because it is an extremely noisy pad with its modern fabrics.
Its pricey. 120$ is a lot of money, and in the current economy people will think twice about dishing that much out. You also pay a lot for the name.
Its narrow. Except the L version, which seems to be sold out/ not manufactured till September, the mats are supposed to be 20″ wide. Because of their round curve design at the sides, they’re actually only about 17″ to 18″ wide. So except if you’re very narrowly build, you usually will have your arms dangling from the pad – which can be uncomfortable at 2,5″ high. Side-sleepers aren’t much better off, as the mat can collapse easily at the sides.

There’s a lot more negative points, but this “review” just seems like marketing BS. For other readers, if you want a thorough review check the one on BPL.com or on some blogs.
scasimiro May 8, 2009 at 13:17: Saw your tweet and I’m so glad you commented. It’s nice to have a contrary view.

Let’s look at the points.

1. You pay a lot for the name. Really? True to some extent–off-brand pads are a lot less–but you also pay for innovation. And held against TAR’s other lightweight pads, which run around $80-90 (street), real-world price of $120 isn’t much of premium, especially when you consider the weight savings. Anyway, I agree it’s pricey–that’s kind of what the headline is about. Where we disagree is that I think it’s worth it.

2. It’s narrow. 20 inches is a standard for width for backpacking pads–REI, Pac Outdoor, Big Agnes, and other Therm-A-Rest all have 20-inch models. The curved sides do reduce effective width to a small degree, but certainly not three inches. And when sleeping, I never found “arm flop” to be an issue. Your mileage may vary–and clearly did.

3. “It’s noisy.” Disagree completely. No, take that back. I agree–but it’s no noisier than any other pad. If you want a silent pad, get a roll of foam. The NeoAir is no better or worse than any other inflatable. And coming back to real world use, if you’re inside your bag, the nylon shell of the sleeping bag against your ear is probably louder.

Well, that’s my take. If anyone else has experience with this pad, good or bad, please share it here.
Kate TC May 10, 2009 at 05:35: Not to help spend another $150, but have you checked out the OR DownMats? I’ve been using one of these for about four years now, and it is soooo nice. It’s 3 inches thick, but filled with down, so has an r-rating around 7. You want more warmth than a thin layer of alumninum can give you? Check out the Downmats. Seriously.
Iris Noack May 12, 2009 at 07:55: I would agree with Henrik. Try the Outdoor Research downmat for 20 nights and then write up a comparison between the two. The stuff sack from the downmat can also be used as a pillow which I think is an extra bonus.
MattK @ GearGuide August 1, 2010 at 10:53: I checked this out at a local retailer recently was definitely impressed. But I share the concern about the noisiness of this pad. It makes the sounds of aluminum cans being crushed every time you move — okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration — but this thing is definitely louder than any other pad I’ve seen. It sure seems to provide a bunch more padding though too, so I guess, like everything else, it’s a study in compromise.