Therm-a-Rest NeoAir
An extra wide and extra long sleeping pad with three inches of cushion.
Brand: Therm-a-Rest
Model: NeoAir (Large)
This category-blurring pad is plus-size in every direction—it’s five inches wider and four inches longer than standard, and has a whopping three inches of cushion. “The Cosmo is so thick it let me camp in places I couldn’t have with a thinner pad,” said our tester after a night atop clumps of desert scrub in Colorado National Monument. But even though it’s as deluxe as many car-camping mattresses, it weighs well under two pounds—pair it with a light and compressible bag, like the Rab, and you have an ultracomfortable, lightweight system.
Horizontal air baffles enhance performance by evenly distributing pressure points and eliminating the bouncy “pool raft” feel that’s common among air-chamber pads. (Like other air-only models, it’s best for temps above 30°F; campers who regularly see the 20s might want more insulation.) Despite the Cosmo’s plumpness, inflating it is quick—about two minutes with the built-in foot pump.
Bonus: For over-the-top comfort when basecamping, slip on the Cosmo Pillowtop ($70, 2 lbs. 3 oz.), which adds an inch of soft, insulating foam. Bummer: Even without the Pillowtop, the Cosmo is a tad bulky (about 13”x5” when rolled), so be prepared to strap it to the outside of smaller packs. And that extra width could infringe on your partner’s pad space in a compact tent. $90; 1 lb. 12 oz.; 25”x76”x3”; nemoequipment.com
Low Bulk
It’s designated a women’s mat, but anyone under 5’8” can carry less with Pacific Outdoor’s Equipment’s Peak Oyl Mtn Women’s Petite. Side-sleeping testers like the self-inflator because zoned cushioning puts more padding under the hips. Eco-bonus: It’s made with 100-percent recycled PET material. $120; 1 lb. 6 oz.; 20”x66”x1.5”; pacoutdoor.com
The pinnacle of ultralight and ultra-small when it comes to warmth and comfort. This design has utilized the most advanced fabrics and proprietary AirTight coatings to create the worlds lightest, most advanced 3-season air mattress.
The patent-pending Reflective Barrier reflects heat back to the users body and reduces convective heat loss to the ground. Additionally, the patent-pending Triangular Core Matrix contributes to the warmth by creating a multitude of air cells that minimize air movement and convective cooling. The matrix also creates an internal truss system that virtually eliminates the instability generally found on large tube-based air mattresses and assures that the user will shift less while resting comfortably on a 2.5 inch-thick mattress.