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.
Backpacking guide in AZ that hates carrying tents and recently started having back problems. I'm also a vet but non combat so that's not as relevant to my experience for this purpose. Mostly just some extra empathy. Carried my 3 piece bag system for years while guiding until it fell apart.
I was a thin foam sleeper through my service trainings and through me years of guiding trips in the Canyon. I hated air pads..... until recently. Nemo or kelty. I can't remember. My key is still using using a thin foam under it to insulate and protect againat the stray thorn under a tent or tarp. Some sleeping bags now have built in pad straps but I still use some 550 to tie the 2 pads together.
Also. A pillow of sorts goes a long way.
R value of 2.6 is not bad, it's still an "insulated" pad though, I'm hoping to get something with this level of quality, packability, and comfort without the added insulation.
Nemo is a great brand though, I have a few items and I love them (I wish they would get back to me about my warranty though 🙄)
I cut a Nemo astrolite pad in half and gave my girl her own WM megalite quilt to sleep on.
She’s ten years old, and I just can’t make her sleep on a thin foam pad in her golden years.
Dump the nemo Astro out of the running:
Its R value is listed at only 2.6 and it's 1lb 11 oz. The others are warmer and lighter. Plus it's a 20" wide pad. I don't know why, after all these years, we don't have a 23" option - more comfy than a 20", which tbh sucks but lighter than a 25". But I digress. We don't. It's either 20" or. 25". 25" is a way nicer nights sleep and Some of the pricier pads you've chosen here come in at this size for a very similar weight and significantly more warmth. And since all of these options are in your price range, according to you, then I'd say dump the nemo Astro. By comparison, the other Nemo pad, the extreme conditions, is an 8.5 r value and the Long and Wide size Is only 1 lb 10 oz. That's WAY warmer and more comfortable. It may suffer from a little less durability.
Rab is a REALLY solid brand. I would categorically buy anything they made, and I have a lot of Rab gear. So if you are ok with a 20" pad, then this might really hit a sweet spot for you if price is an issue. I would forever and always buy a 5.5 R rating pad over a 2.6.
The Thermarest has a very, very good 7+ R rating while also being very light for a long wide mat at 1lb 8 oz. Kinda seems like the winner to me. Again, the question is durability and how you will use it. If you expect to be at altitude or in cold weather or shoulder season, you'll want at least a 5 R value.
Fyi Exped pads are really super too. I rock an older down filled Exped mat that's been good to me for a very long time now. R rating of 7+ - Have taken that into 20 degree temps on Mt Rainier for winter camping etc.
Top Sleeping Pads on Reddit
1
Exped
MegaMat Series
92% positive of 454 users
Car camping comfort champ, but some side sleepers find it thin.
9ermtb2014
