Therm-a-Rest - NeoLoft™ Sleeping Pad

Thermarest neoloft wide, it’s a bit on the heavier side but is the most comfortable pad I’ve ever used. I carry light weight gear for most items so I can splurge a bit on the really important items.  26” wide 4.7 R value 

No the sleeping bag won’t help much. To get a significant bump in comfort you’ll have to jump into some heavier pads that are still compressible enough to bring backpacking. Pads like the Thermarest Neoloft or Exped Megamat Ultra. I have a Tensor All Season and find it comfortable, however my Exped Synmat 3D (older version of the Megamat Ultra) is definitely more comfortable. My brother has the Rapide SL which is similar to the Tensor in comfort.

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 recently bought a Neoloft and I agree it is the most comfortable pad I’ve ever used( and I’ve tried a bunch of them). Have you tried flipping your Neoloft over and sleeping on what is the bottom? I’ve found it seems warmer that way and am trying to find any other Neoloft users who would try this and see if they notice any difference.

I had a Tensor and it was uncomfortable for me as well. I’ve found Exped inflatable pads comfortable. My favorite right now though is the Neoloft.

Hi! I bought the Neoloft because I have had issues with pads that are thinner where my hips always hit the ground. I really like the Neoloft, but I will say that if you sit on it (especially in the middle) it can definitely feel like a big balloon and the front and back will make an effort to hit you in the face. The squishy material on the top does work quite well, and the depth of the pad means that my hips never touch the ground when I am on the pad. I have used and been very comfortable on the Neoloft down to -3°C (26.6°F) and did not feel cold or any cold spots, even under my hips. I made my own pillow, so no recommendations there. I would definitely suggest going to try out other pads at REI, and just embrace the weird and lie down on it for awhile.

Have you considered a camping cot? There are a lot of ultralight options now which are about the same price as a good sleeping pad for side sleepers. The only difference being is the weight, you’re looking at around 1.5kg for a cot bed which would be double the weight of a sleeping pad. For me, the extra weight is worth it for the comfort. For context I’ve tried Therm-a-Rest, Big Agnes and Nemo mats. If I’m going for comfort, the cot bed wins every time.

I’ll second the XR. It’s pretty comfy for stomach/side sleeping. But also, I tried out the NeoLoft at REI this weekend and holy crap is it a comfy cradle of air.

Throw a thermarest on top of a Walmart foam pad lol save yourself some money on the process. Otherwise I would just stick to Thermarest.

Our family recently went camping with cub scouts last month, it was my wife's first time camping. She had a horrible night's sleep on the thermarest inflatable pad I had, so bad it was more comfortable to sleep on the ground without it. I've been eying a megamat for a while now, and this was enough for me get ready to finally pull the trigger. Now I'm trying to figure out which one to get. We have another camping trips planned with cub scouts in May, but the REI deals seems like the best time to buy. Do I get the long x-wide for my wife for \~$155? or the duo since we'll always be camping with the kids for \~$251? then will the kids fight for the good pad, and I'll need to get a second duo (also I kinda want one for myself) but now that's over $500 in sleeping pads, which seems egregious. If anyone with a family who's navigated this could chime in it would be appreciated. Thanks!