Therm-a-Rest

NeoAir XLite MAX SV

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite MAX SV

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Overall

#86 in

Sleeping Pads

according to Reddit Icon Reddit

Sentiment score64% positive
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Top Pros

Top Cons

Last updated: May 14, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit IconMolejC
29 days ago

The younger me did and I still find it comfortable enough for a few days.  It's what I used for years after changing from Z lite and flat CCF in the 2000s It's actually my second as the first one was replaced under warranty in 2010. Longest I've used it in recent years was for 6 days. But mainly I just use it for some summer overnighters these days.     Although it isn't near as comfortable as the neoair Xlite SV regular max  I  have mainly used since 2018.  

Reddit IconTurbSLOW
12 months ago

Do you have a max budget? Do you have a good sleeping bag to pair it with? Any of the modern inflatable pads will fit in your bag unless you've brought enough other stuff to cross the continent on foot, lol Here's our experiences, though not a comprehensive review of everything on the market. TLDR probably get you an Exped Ultra 5R. Nemo Tensor: I am a flopper and tended to roll onto the edges, which made them collapse and dumped me onto the ground. Pad is comfortable otherwise. It does make quite the crinkly sound when moving. Exped Ultra 3R: probably a bit cold when temps are approaching the lower end of your range. Large side baffles (like the Big Agnes you linked, I think) keeps you from flinging yourself off the pad. Thick and comfortable. Fantatsic pump sack inflates the thing in like 20 seconds. Was entirely too cold for us where it gets colder than your range. Side note, it was paired with a Big Agnes sleeping bag which was horrible. Terrible bag. Exped Ultra 5R: all the pros of the 3R but warm enough! Great pad, my wife's current go-to. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite MAX: or whatever the yellow rectangle \~5R one is. Lacks the side bolsters of the Exped and is thinner, but is very comfortable and IIRC lighter. Another great pad, my current go-to. Pump sack is beyond useless, too porous and leaks air instead of blowing into pad. I just blow it up by mouth. Generally, I've found we prefer rectangular pads. If you're with someone else and you both have rectangular pads - make sure they fit in your tent! Many tents are tapered and your feet will overlap which is super annoying

Reddit IconPhysical_Relief4484
11 months ago

Would save almost no weight, probably about an ounce, and for most people would be considerably less comfortable. I would prefer a 2.25" inflatable xlite though just because I'm sub 150lbs and a stomach sleeper, but anyone bigger or a side sleeper would likely hate that pad.

Reddit IconAdventurous-feral
9 months ago

Im a side sleeper. I have the XLite. Often feels like the baffles lack structure at the sides so in the mornings I'm fidgeting around feeling like im rolling off the mat. Not used a Tensor although I have heard it offers much better support for side sleepers. Also, the Xlite suffers from mould spots on what seems the outside. For comfort though, from all the mats ive laid on, sea to summit are the most comfortable

Reddit Iconaudiophile_lurker
6 months ago

What weather do you backpack in? Because those seem like total overkill mostly. Unless you are snow camping, I would go for NeoAir XLite.

3 months ago

Thermarest NeoAir XLite is the default answer of sorts, as the go-to sleeping pad for throughhikers. It is pretty comfy, insulating, and good for side sleepers. It is very compact.

Reddit IconBangoStyle
12 months ago

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/camping-and-hiking/best-sleeping-pad https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/camping-and-hiking/best-camping-mattress Outdoor Gearlab is a great resource for things like this, they break it all down. Personally I used the NeoAir Xlite, and while I was a bit jealous of my peer’s comfort with their huge air mattresses, the ease of setting up and packing up without the need for an outlet or a pump, and it packing down to about the size of a pineapple, and weighing under a pound, made it worth it to me. And I slept fine. There’s other options on there that lean toward comfort over weight and size though.

Reddit IconBB-56_Washington
11 months ago

Thermarest Neoair Xtherm or Xlite are my picks.

6 months ago

Exped megamat for car camping, thermarest neoair for backpacking

Reddit IconBelangia65
10 months ago

Have you looked at a Thermarest Xlite? Better warmth to weight than those options.

10 months ago

If you wanna make it even more lighter and packable, there’s a way to [shorten it](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=90Fx6TLNEJQ) down to three-quarter length and use your backpack for the lower body insulation. That’s what I do. Mine weighs 270 g after the modification.

10 months ago

That’s old news. They’ve altered the way they make them so they are nowhere near as noisy anymore. They used to sound like crinkly paper when you turn. No longer.

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