Therm-a-Rest knows sleeping pads, and their expertise is reflected in the fact that you see their products keeping butts off rock and ice the world over. The NeoAir pushes the envelope for inflatable air mattresses, bringing the warmth without adding the weight.
The NeoAir is available in four sizes; the regular measures a standard 20x72in and tips the scale at a mere 14oz. At 2.5in thick it provides just enough ass-to-ground clearance, even for side sleepers who take a divot with their bony hips. The NeoAir packs down teeny, to smaller than a quart bottle. The R value is claimed at 2.5, due to a reflective internal space-blanket coating and advanced truss design. What we can tell you is that it certainly sleeps warm, and the lateral baffles make it a stable delight for tossers and turners like some of us.We'll admit we were a little nervous about the thin material taking abuse, but our unit is leak-free and we've heard no reports of problems from numerous friends using the NeoAir.
A couple of dozen breaths are required to fully inflate (gasp), but the design is so solid you might end up letting a few breaths out, and after you get it dialed in the NeoAir is truly a pleasure to sleep on and worth the minimal extra effort. It's a bit crinkly at night, but nothing that will keep you up, and a bit slippery but not as bad as some pads. Our only real quibble is that for the price it would have been reasonable to include a stuff sack and repair kit. Still, if you haven't tried a NeoAir and you're still looking for a good night's sleep, you'll want to give it a try.