Therm-a-Rest - NeoAir XLite NXT Sleeping Pad

+1 for lengthwise baffles and therefore Exped. I tried the Neo Air, I toss and turn a lot...I could only ever sleep comfortably on lengthwise baffles

I’ve only slept on the neoair and the exped from that list. I find the exped a little more comfortable to sleep on, but still always take the neoair because of the lighter weight, which is more comfortable in my pack. I am more of a rotisserie sleeper, but 1/3 of the time I’m on my back. I always opt for the 25” width because, well, I was born with arms and elbows! I cut my neoair down to 50” and use my backpack and sit pad under my feet. I don’t experience any discomfort from that setup and save 3-4 ounces thereby. I’m not sure I could cut my exped because of the baffle orientation. I keep it only to loan to friends.

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

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.

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.

You didn’t list the weights but the Neoair Xlite NXT weighs 12 oz, whereas the Nemo pad weighs 18 oz. That’s an enormous difference in UL terms. If those are the only choices, pick the Xlite. (All this assumes you are attempting to lower your baseweight to the minimum, else why ask on this subreddit?) You could then do what I did and shorten it to 3/4 length and use your backpack under your feet. That configuration is easier to adapt to than you think. That gets it close to 9 oz — half of the Nemo.

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite with an r-value of 4.5 weighs 370g. You don’t need a stuff sack.

I went with inflatable for maximum comfort and r-value. Aside from injuries, mental and physical exhaustion are the main reasons people get off trail. I didn’t want my arguably most important piece of gear to be the reason I got off trail. I spent the extra money, $200 for NeoAir XLite NXT vs $50 for Nemo Switchback, because I wanted to be as well rested as possible. Over the course of 158 days being out there, that was an extra $1 per day to wake up with a clear head and my body feeling ready to go each morning. Never had an issue with air leaks or anything like that with the NeoAir. Still use it and still love it. Buy from a reputable brand.

The Thermarest pad is hard to beat for weight to warmth ratio. However, some people find them noisy and don't like the horizontal baffles. I'd look at quilts vs. sleeping bags. A quilt with a pad attachment kit is way more comfortable (and lighter) than a sleeping bag.

The first thing you need is a skill: accepting disappointment. If you don’t want to go down the rabbit hole, you must accept that taking a stranger’s suggestion may result in you finding a better item later, and some regret that you didn’t purchase the “best” item first. You must then think: “ok, but I saved myself 15-30 hrs research.”  Complete gear list, 10lb $800 total: https://pmags.com/the-budget-backpacking-kit He also has a 15 lb $300 version  https://pmags.com/300-gear-challenge Cheapest is buying used or discount - check r/ulgeartrade, r/geartrade, and steep and cheap.  My recommendations:  Sleeping pad:  - cheapest is learning to sleep on CCF - Nemo switchback, ridge rest, or similar. Unbeatable value and reliability. (Pads advertise r=2ish. You can stack pads to double this, but folks typically find that foam pads are plenty warm for 3 seasons. Pads seem to sleep warmer than the r-value suggests, due to the way r-value for pads is measured - it ignores heat loss through the sides, which is minimal for thin foam and not minimal for thick air pads.) - lightest for the r-value inflatable is the Thermarest X-Lite NXT - more comfy and not too heavy is the Exped Ultra 5. (5=r-value of 4.8ish) You can buy a mummy-shape (in either regular or long-wide mummy) to cut weight or the rectangle (again in normal or long-wide) if you like to sprawl.  Sleeping bag:  I bought mine used, learned to wash it. It was a good learning project. 

I have the same sleeping pad as you. Have you tried adjusting the air using the valve? Lie down on it and, at head level, gently turn the flutter valve until the pad gently hugs your body.

Excellent mattress! I used it with pleasure but then switched to the thermarest which is lighter and I feel great with it.

My thermarest xlite is a pound, 25” wide, and I can take it down to like 25-30F very comfortably. Finding that for anywhere near $100 new would be incredible

Find anything remotely comparable to an xlite on alibaba and it’ll be a hit.

I sleep fantastically on a Therm-a-Rest neo air xlite, but plenty of people prefer vertical baffles like exped pads have.

I have no complaints about the XLite. I do recommend getting a wide pad if you're even a semi-wide person, because your arms falling off the pad all night sucks. Check REI's used gear section for pretty awesome deals. That's where a lot of my pads have come from over the years. I got a wide XLite NXT that seemed brand new for $160 a few weeks ago.

I use a NeoAir Xlite NXT regular for backpacking, although not perfect, it gets the job done. Biggest complaint is when I sleep on my back, my arms will drape off the sides of the pad. I still sleep well with it. I grabbed the NeoLoft Regular Wide at launch for car camping. I use it for non-backpacking related sleeping. Using a Basesus handheld air inflater for it, it's very luxurious. The Basesus has enough juice to fully inflate it 5 nights. It's a complete dream sleeping on the NeoAir. I don't think I'd ever backpack with it. Just had to comment on how darn comfortable it is. I am a 50/50 side back sleeper.

I really liked my xlite nxt. I’m tall so got the long version. At first I was upset that I had to get the wider version which weighed more, but it was very comfortable to sleep on and I’d generally recommend a 25” wide pad. I’ve used it down to about 25 degrees and it was fine. I’m also a side sleeper and enjoy it, but I’ve heard different from others. It might be that I’ve only had experiences with that and a cheap pad from cabelas that had massive gaps that let the gold ground through, so take that for what it’s worth.

I’ve heard lots of complaints about its comfort, but I’ve loved my neoair xlite nxt. I got the large size, so I can comfortably fit on it. The width wise baffles aren’t that bad for me. It’s not that loud at all since it’s the newer version, and it’s stupid light for a 4.5 r-value. I’ve taken it to about ~25ish (F) and been fine.

Nemo, S2S, Thermarest are all good choices. I have the neoair xlite nxt. However it's not the cheapest so depending on your budget I wouldn't necessarily recommend. You can get good deals on r/geartrade, check the used section of your rei as well if you have one nearby.

I just tested my system in 7f (-13 C) weather the other night, I layered a Thermarest Xlite NXT with a Nemo Switchback. Put the Ccf pad on top as that's what I've seen recommended due to potential heat loss through the sides of the Inflatable mat. I had a 10f and 20f quilt doubled up and I slept incredibly warm, bordering on sweating and had to take off layers multiple times throughout the night. Woke up still toasty. So that's an R Value of estimated 6-6.5 combined and I was also using quilts so nothing other then the pads under me. Theoretically this system could go down to -10f (-23 C) but haven't tried that yet. Based how warm I slept in just base layers I could certainly imagine that being true.

I don't have experience with the Xtherm but understand it's considered a solid winter solution. Owning a high R value pad is nice because it won't be "too hot" in the summer, so it covers all the seasons. I just added the Ccf pad because I already had bought the Xlite before I knew I wanted to do some winter camping. I also see people arguing that having a foam pad makes as a failsafe backup. The inflatable pad can fail but the foam one is failproof, it cannot pop. The Xtherm could get a hole and then you'd be in worse situation. Plus you can use it as a sitting pad, and also put it behind your back under your pack for more comfort. So it's a bit more multipurpose. Having it under your air pad can give it extra protection from punctures too, but seems that having it above the air pad will insulate better.