Therm-a-Rest - NeoAir XLite (OG Version w Classic Valve)

Personally (I’m in my 40s and a side sleeper) an Xtherm or Xlite is one of my favorite purchases. But everyone has different needs. I’m a fan of not buying new things until you actually need them. Or you are sure that your goals will outgrow your gear. A cheap inflatable is definitely not worth it.

Thermarest neoairs are too loud and crinkly for me. Rab style of mattress doesn't do well for me as a side to belly sleeper. Nemo is my pick because the only air pads I've kept are Nemo. An astro non-insulated pad is my summer pad with an older cosmo insulated pad being my 30 to 55-deg pad.

The therm-a-rest is the most popular and i have the blue one but depending on the conditions you camp in you could pick the lighter one (yellow). That being said this one and the nemo extreme conditions will have higher denier material underneath which makes them less prone to puncture. I don’t know about the other ones on top of my head. Nemo and thermarest both have good warranties and spare parts, so I’d be leaning towards that. It’s polarizing but both are known to make a lot og noise no matter what they claim.

I brought both, both times. Would again.

More comfortable, and much much quieter, but not anywhere near as warm.

The thermarest Neo air mats are lightweight and good quality, if a little pricey. MEC alternatives aren’t bad either. I prefer a foam/air mix pad and have been really happy with the one I have form Sea to Summit. If you want to be on the inexpensive side, look at Woods or Decathalon, but expect more weight.

Im a side sleeper. I have the XLite. Often feels like the baffles lack structure at the sides so in the mornings I'm fidgeting around feeling like im rolling off the mat. Not used a Tensor although I have heard it offers much better support for side sleepers. Also, the Xlite suffers from mould spots on what seems the outside. For comfort though, from all the mats ive laid on, sea to summit are the most comfortable

I ditched my 1/8" pad by the Sierra Nevada because it wasn't valuable for me. I got three punctures in my Xlite in the desert and couldn't risk the 1/8" as a sit pad, given that it'd collect dirt and spiky stuff. I suspect it trapped spiky things in my tent that would've otherwise slipped around, and possibly not punctured my pad. It helped my pad not slide around, but beyond that, it didn't help me with punctures as best I can tell, and it was awkward in or outside my pack. So, good as a basic sitpad, but I'm not confident about its value beyond that.

That pad you linked does have almost identical specs to the 5R. Sometimes looks can be deceiving though. I've used an older Thermarest Xlite for a while as well as a Paria Recharge XL. The horizontal baffles aren't bad, but I've found the vertical baffles to kinda cradle you in the sleeping pad a little more. So I'm less prone to wake up half in the floor in the middle of the night.

I've 200+ nights on my NeoAir. I've patched a couple holes over that time, but it was easy to identify and fix them in the field. Cascade Designs, the parent company of thermarest, will replace your pad if there's a defect in it (I've warrantied an MSR tent with them). Thru hikers use inflatable pads and do just fine. Are you having this problem with multiple brands and models? Are you super heavy? Are you sleeping wearing anything that is metal? Maybe get a gossamer gear 1/8" foam pad and put it underneath your inflatable.