Sleep mats

[in4]

After my fourth Thermarest ProLite Apex  bit the dust. I’m looking for an alternative. I should say that three of the fails were down to delamination; at night with a startling ‘pop’ The other mat had a valve leak. Whilst the retailer has been first class in providing replacement mats FOC it’s time to try another one that will last longer than circa 12 months.

A bit of reading around suggests that the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT comes highly recommended ( not cheap btw)

So, if anyone uses different mats please let me know
TIA

[mickeg]

Where are you located?  I am used to USA brands that might not be sold in UK or EU.  Do you prefer the self inflating pads that have internal foam, or the air mattress pads that are more compact to pack but thicker in use?

I preferred a REI branded one (only sold in USA) air mattress, but I had two of the REI ones fail, no more REI ones for me.  It had internal baffles that quit being baffles, which I am guessing is what happened to yours because I remember hearing the pop.  See photo.  I do not know if I over-inflated mine to cause the fail or not.  But I now intentionally put less air in them so they are less likely to be over-pressurized.  That said, I had less air in the second one when it failed.  Perhaps it had some material that failed due to age, as some plastics appear to do.

I have a Neo Air XLite air mattress that I have used on some trips, I only bought it for trips where I wanted the lightest amount of weight and I got it at a very good discount.  It was very noisy at first.  I think there was an internal thermal barrier that was very noisy when it was flexed, but after several weeks it seemed to get quieter.  So, if you get one and do not like the noise, it gets better fairly quickly.

After having two REI air mattresses fail, I decided to buy a spare of another brand when I saw a really great price on a one on sale.  I have not yet slept on it, this one has no internal insulation so it could be cold on cold ground, price even at full price is not bad, this is my spare:
https://klymit.com/products/static-v-camping-sleeping-pad

I used to use the self inflating pads. I like them too, but they consume much more space when packed, even when I always bought the shorty versions.  So, for bike touring where my pannier volume is a key factor, I use air mattresses.  I think the self inflating pads with some internal foam are much better on cold ground.  And if it leaks, it still gives you a tiny bit more cushion than a deflated air mattress.  And when backpacking, I can strap the self inflating ones on the outside of my pack.  Second photo.

[PH]

the delamination of tubed airbeds became such a problem that manufactures had to come up with a better method of construction.  This resulted in the type of mat with pockets of air, rather than tubes. I have a Sea to Summit like this, a Comfort Plus, it has already outlasted any of the three tube mats that went before.  It looks lumpy and I couldn't imagine it being as comfortable as the others, but it is, there's no difference. Pretty much all the manufacturers have adopted this method of construction, I wouldn't consider anything else. If you do stick with tubes, than a mat like the Neo, with shorter ones running across, is likely to be better than one where they run lengthways.

[RonS]

I’ve got a Sea to Summit EtherLite XT insulated. I think the new models are named differently but they’re pretty much the same with a revised (lower) R-value.
I got mine in 2022 and have used it on 4 bike tours (tour 5 in 10 days!)totalling 16 weeks.
I find it really comfortable, and it’s holding up fine.

I tried the NeoAir in the store and the noise was like sleeping on a bag of crisps. I couldn’t stand that. George mentioned in his post the noise becomes less, but it was too much for me. The Sea to Summit is quiet.

[hendrich]

Exped seems to have fixed the older problem with baffles separating. We have newer expeds for 2 years now, overall 3 months of camping without problem. Many years back we gave up on exped because of baffle separation, but their newer products have apparently fixed this problem. I gave up on Klymit because 3 had delamination near the valve. I can fix a puncture on tour, but not delamination.

The exped have an internal foam pump, but I use a small rechargeable pump (flextailgear) that works very well. For 2 of us this pump greatly simplifies inflation each night. 10 inflations per charge.

[WorldTourer]

A bit of reading around suggests that the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT comes highly recommended ( not cheap btw)

This has become the standard choice in the long-haul bicycle travel community, because it is very light, and it rolls up so small that it can be carried in a feed bag. However, it is comparatively fragile, and punctures are regarded as inevitable every few months.

[mickeg]

On the topic of air filled sleeping pads (both air mattresses and foam filled self inflating pads), while on a trip if I could find the puncture, self adhesive inner tube patches worked well for me.  When I got home, then replace any such patches with some Seam Grip glue.

[in4]

Many, many thanks for the comments everyone. I visited Ellis Brigham in UK and had a great chat with one of the guys working there. He knew his stuff!
He thought that the air-filled mats were a significant improvement over foam-filled ones. He did blind me with science a bit re some insulating fabric that was now being used on the base of mats.
He was not surprised that my previous mats had delaminated so it might be a known issue in the industry. I have redress re my last mat so that’ll cushion the purchase of a new one; they are a bit more expensive.
I haven’t selected one yet but Thermarest, Sea to Summit and Nemo are brands in the frame.
Lastly, I was impressed by how small the mats can be folded down to. Perhaps half the size of my current mat and significantly lighter.
Thanks again.

[PH]

I follow camping enthusiast Paul Messner on Youtube, he did a sort of mini review of mats earlier in the year and I've just got round to watching it. It's in his usual practical, down to earth style, his thoughts and impressions rather than a scientific analysis, if you have some time to kill, you might find it informative:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDDudVNPzKY

[John Saxby]

Hi Ian,

A couple of notes from my experience over the past 10-15 years:

I've had very good luck with Thermarest products.  I currently have three:

(i) a Pro-Plus small:  I used this a lot when I was canoeing, between about 2008 & 2018.  It's been comfortable, durable, and quick to inflate by mouth.  Only downside is slight bulkiness when deflated & rolled up.

(ii) a Neo-Air Extralite:  Have had this since 2015, and used it esp on cycling tours, because it packs down so small and light, and its very comfy.  There are a couple of "buts":
    > it's not as wide as the pro-Plus;
    > it slides around in the tent at night;
    > it takes a while to blow up by breath, even though I put relatively little air into it; and similarly to deflate and roll up snug.  That's better done on a picnic table than inside a tent.

(iii)  a Thermarest foldup (accordion-style) foam seat cushion:  Bought this earlier this year, and I use it a lot:  under my hips when lying down during yoga or other exercises; under the Neo-Air in the tent, for extra padding for my hip joints.  It weighs about an ounce, takes up little space, and is vastly superior to the  small inflatables it replaced.

Cheers,  John