Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT Sleeping Pad Review

The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT is an improved model of the NeoAir XLite inflatable sleeping pad which is now thicker, quieter, and hotter than ever. The NeoAir was the primary actually viable inflatable light-weight sleeping pad to hit the market some 10 years in the past however fell behind opponents like NEMO and Sea-to-Summit which ultimately developed thicker and extra comfy light-weight sleeping pads to compete with it.

RELATED: 10 Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads

Specs at a Glance

• Color: Yellow
• R-Value: 4.5 (ASTM F3340-18)
• Size Tested: Regular (72″ x 20″) = additionally out there in Regular Short (60″ x 22″) Regular Wide (72″ x 25″) and Long (77″ x 25″)
• Shape Tested: Mummy
• Mfg Weight: 12.5 oz
• Tested Weight 13.4 oz
• Optional inflation sack: 2.0 oz
• Optional stuff sack: 0.5 oz
• Width: 20 in / 51 cm
• Length: 72 in / 183 cm
• Thickness: 3.0 in / 6.3 cm
• Packed dimension: 9″ x 4.1″ / 23cm x 10cm
• Top and Bottom material: 30d High Tenacity Nylon

XLite NXT Sleeping Pad Updates

This new NeoAir XLite NXT replace goes a protracted technique to making the NeoAir XLite NXT a critical contender once more amongst light-weight inflatable sleeping pads.

Thicker

The up to date pad is thicker, rising from 2.5″ as much as 3″ when inflated, making it far more comfy for facet sleepers as a result of there’s extra cushion beneath the hip bone and fewer of an inclination to backside out. The added thickness additionally provides you extra “room” to regulate the consolation degree of the pad. For instance, I discover that letting some air out of the XLite NXT makes for a softer floor that’s extra comfy to sleep on.

I believe the primary purpose Therm-a-Rest elevated the pad’s thickness was for aggressive causes. The finest inflatable sleeping pads out there as we speak are at the very least 3″ thick, with some as thick as 4″, just like the Sea-to-Summit Etherlight XT Sleeping Pad which has been my go-to three-season inflatable pad for the previous few years. The added thickness actually does make a distinction within the high quality of sleep you get from the pad.

Quieter

The up to date XLite NXT can also be noticeably quieter in use  The earlier model of the pad would make a loud crinkly sound while you thrashed round at evening, one thing that tentmates and sheltermates discovered annoying to pay attention or within the morning while you deflated the pad and rolled it up. The up to date pad makes 83% much less noise in response to Therm-a-Rest as a consequence of modifications within the pad’s inner building.

Does the XLite NXT nonetheless make noise? Yes. But it truly is noticeably quieter than the earlier mannequin. Personally, this modification isn’t that essential to me. I sleep alone in a tent and my sleeping pad has by no means saved me awake at evening. If I’ve to sleep close to different folks, I carry silicone earplugs (and suggest they do too!)

Warmer

The XLite’s NXT’s R-value has additionally been improved, going from 4.2 to 4.5. While the distinction is modest, it does get nearer to creating the XLite NXT extra appropriate for cold-weather journeys when mixed with a secondary foam pad. We suggest utilizing a number of pads with a minimal mixed R-value of 5 for snow tenting.

Valve and Pumpsack

The XLite NXT makes use of Therm-a-Rest’s WingLock valve, first launched in 2020, which helps you to quickly deflate the pad, inflate it by mouth, or with the included pump sack. The pump sack, which is mainly a big stuff sack with a valve at one finish, also can double as a protecting stuff sack for the sleeping pad. This isn’t a brand new characteristic, however a pleasant comfort all the identical.

NeoAir XLite NXT Max

The NeoAir XLite NXT reviewed above is just out there in a tapered mummy form. If you like a rectangular-shaped sleeping pad, there’s one known as the NeoAir XLite NXT Max, which has the identical R-value (4.5) as the mum model. The XLite NXT Max is out there in two sizes, an everyday (72″ x 25″) and a protracted (77″ x 25″). Both are additionally 3″ thick.

Recommendation

The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT Sleeping Pad continues to be a dependable, sturdy, light-weight, and high-R-value sleeping pad good for 3+ climate use regardless that the enhancements to the brand new NXT mannequin are a bit underwhelming. If you’re a chilly sleeper otherwise you need a sturdy pad for three-season use, the NeoAir XLite NXT Sleeping Pad nonetheless gives lots of worth. It’s simply not as aggressive because it was once by way of weight, consolation, packability, and ease of use as when it first got here out and revolutionized the inflatable sleeping pad market.

Disclosure: Therm-a-Rest donated a sleeping pad for this overview.

SectionHiker is reader-supported. We independently analysis, check, and fee the perfect merchandise. We solely make cash if you are going to buy a product by our affiliate hyperlinks. Help us proceed to check and write unsponsored and impartial gear evaluations, newbie FAQs, and free climbing guides.