Therm-a-Rest NeoAir

This looks suspiciously like the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core pads — filled with Primaloft… amazingly you can get them on sale for $34 and I’ve never caught a coldspot on one, even at freezing at 11k in the Sierras…

Are you expecting to get to test this prior to release? Or do we all get to spend the cash to find out if it is worth it? Thanks for another great heads up.

I was at REI yesterday and saw the NeoAir for the first time. Wow. Super light. Super coolness factor. Seemed to be capable of being super comfy and warm. My only concern…how durable is it? Puncture resistant?

I just got the NeoAir & thought I’d use it car camp before backpacking.It’s compact, light and easy to inflate and doesn’t slide around, but it deflated overnight to approximately half it’s loft. I read in the insert afterwards that quick changes in weather will deflate it:-(

Eh. Aside from the thermal blanket part this technology is old news and takes a big bite off of Big Agnes’ creative pie. Where’s the beef? Ok, so it has a good R value for a non-insulated pad, but unfortunately big agnes is already making insulated air mattresses with R values > 4 that pack down to the same size as this pad. So where’s the beef?

I do like the idea of horizontal baffles, but the downside is that it won’t work with crazy-creek style chair kits.

And what’s with the high price? Lame-o

@Drew: Where’s the beef? Maybe the fact that it’s half the weight and a fraction of the packed size as a big agnes? And it’s nothing at all like a big agnes. The big agnes is down filled with just a few very big chambers. The NeoAir is just air. No insulation. Which is what makes it so insanely light. The reason no one had done it before is because if you just took a regular air mattress and removed the insulation… you’d have a pad with an R value of about zero. The NeoAir acheives 2.5 in two ways… the reflective layer and the huge number of chambers inside which reduces air movement. That has never been done. And it’s revolutionary. To have a pad that warm, that thick, that light that packs so small is insanely great.

Indeed, Big Agnes does have models with better R rating, weighing 24 oz but not available in the Netherlands.
My choice had to be the NeoAir, great pad – but why is it that manufacturers never state the proper weight? The regular size weights 436 grams (15.4 oz), not 410 as on the box.

Still a great product, about half the weight of my old thermarest (which got killed by a thorn after 10 years of duty)

I have a comparison review of the Thermarest Guidelite, Exped Downmat7 and NeoAir.
Details at: http://gnarlydognews.blogspot.com/2009/06/sleeping-mats-less-is-more.html

With sadness I must report – the Neo Air is suitable for warm, indoor kids pyjama parties on smooth carpet only. I used mine on a canoe trip on the Bonnechere River in Ontario last weekend (Oct 11-13 2009). Despite being only partially inflated (no tension on the material)and protected/inserted into a thermarest chair, as soon as the temperature dropped to freezing, it tore and became a “saggy baggy”. There was no sharp object puncture – it just tore 1” north and 1” south. I loved the idea but my initial reaction that it is too flimsy and likely to become weak in cold was proven true. The space age surface wouldn’t hold duct tape so a field repair wasn’t possible. I had a cold weekend sleeping on PFDs and will be returning it as soon as possible.

Nice pad. I also use this for colder weather camping when coupled with a Nite Light pad(Gossamer Gear) and 40F bag. I had it down to 27F so far. Together, lighter than a BA for about the same R value. Seems rugged, no problems after 22 nights out. I dislike the time it takes to deflate it, fold it and roll it up. Always seems to take two tries.
I make it 12-3/4oz instead of 13oz for the medium. Close enough.

Neoair is a brand of air purifier. Therm a rest can’t even come up with a unique name? It has to copy from another product?

I saw it at LL Beans, was intrigued, but my first thoughts were that it seemed “noisy” and indeed flimsy. For now I’m sticking with my Big Agnes blow-up raft, though I must say I nearly froze to death on it when the temperature plummeted on the A.T. in early spring in Georgia.

After owning around 12 different self inflating sleeping mats in the past, I liked the idea of a really compact and light one.
It delivers as promised.
For a size comparison test against similar thickness sleeping mats you can check out: http://gnarlydognews.blogspot.com/2009/06/sleeping-mats-less-is-more.html

Woodswoman, I too thought it would be noisy. I set it up on my terrazo floor at home and it seemed that anytime I moved it made a lot of crackling sound. On my trips though I can barely hear any of that noise. Maybe my sleeping bag muffles it? Anyways, great pad but it is rather spendy. I caught it on sale for about 78 bucks and could not be happier.

It is worth the extra bucks you are going to spend on it. The problem with most air beds is that they cannot hold air for long. This one has sound engineering methods that can last longer. Its heating element is also a perfect choice for campers.