Tested: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Mattress Review

The NeoAir XLite inflatable camping mattress “delivers more warmth and comfort per ounce than any other three-season air mattress”, according to Therm-a-Rest, the manufacturer.

It certainly has developed quite a reputation among folk for whom the lowest possible weight is a prerequisite but who aren’t prepared to suffer a poor night’s sleep as a result; there are lighter inflatable mattresses out there (and some ultra-athletes even go so far as to advocate using half-a-dozen sausage balloons) but the consensus seems to be that, at £140, the NeoAir XLite is the sweet spot.

The XLite mattress is very packable; I rolled mine up into its storage bag, and it was no bigger than a large water bottle. It’s light, too, at just 340g for the regular size. Unfurled and inflated, my regular-size mattress measures 183cm long and 51cm wide, which isn’t as generous as some but is big enough to be comfortable, even for this six-foot-plus man.

And it is surprisingly comfortable. It takes a bit of effort to blow it up by mouth, but once inflated, I appreciated its 6.4cm depth. Of course, you can add or subtract air as necessary, but as I sleep on my side, I inflated it pretty hard and didn’t have a problem with my hip bone poking through to the ground.

It’s made of 30D rip HT nylon, a fabric that feels quite flimsy but proves to be much tougher than it looks. The mattress does come with a repair kit (a bit like a puncture repair kit for a bicycle inner tube), but a bit of common sense should prevent any unwanted punctures.

So far, so good, but I’ve been using the NeoAir XLite in the north of Scotland and Canada for a few weeks and have found that its ability to insulate is fairly poor. And the crinkling noise it makes! This is a result of the foil-like insulation inside. While it might be useful at keeping the bears away in the Yukon, it’s so loud and intrusive that it wakes my neighbouring campers up. Its portability and lightweight are real pluses, but I can see that this will be relegated to the back of the cupboard in favour of something that’s a better insulator. And quieter.

Carlton Boyce
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