Therm-a-Rest

NeoAir XLite Series

Overall

#13 in

Sleeping Pads

according to Reddit Icon Reddit

Sentiment score66% positive
129
17
49

Top Pros

Top Cons

Last updated: Jul 2, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit IconAcademicSellout
5 months ago

I've slept on snow at those temperatures on both the women's X-lite and X-therm. I was quite cold on the X-lite, and I sleep very warm.

Reddit IconAceTracer
3 months ago

It'll be a sad day when my XLite Womens bites the dust, but for now I'm holding onto it for dear life.

Reddit IconAdAny6270
12 months ago

I can't imagine how a pad could be much more comfortable that a NeoAir Xlite NXT wide. Maybe add a thin light pad on top to add enough soft foam to make a sort of pillow top? I'm not sure what you are gaining with a near two pound pad.

6 months ago

Just cut one down. I did that with a thermarest.

Reddit Iconaudiophile_lurker
7 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.

5 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.

about 2 months ago

Thermarest NeoAir XLite, Enlightened Equipment Enigma Quilt, and a pillow (Nemo Fillow Elite in my case).

5 months ago

220 lb side/stomach sleeper here ... Therarest XLite works perfectly well.

Reddit Iconbatwingsuit
about 2 months ago

My go to *is* my UL backpacking pad (Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT)…doesn't sound like what you're after, but I have done a multi-week trip with it. I'm a side sleeper and find that having a second inflatable pillow to use between my knees is the real game changer.

Reddit IconBelangia65
8 months ago

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.

7 months ago

They can be cut down to torso length, but from personal experience, let me warn you about that. Torso length doesn’t work great for thick pads like an XLite unless you can find some support for under the knees. Your legs will hyper-extend due to gravity, which is uncomfortable and not physiologically healthy. Adequate head elevation is difficult if not impossible with a torso cut inflatable . I cut mine to 3/4 length such that the knees and head can rest on the pad. That works much better. My cut-down Xlite weighs 9.6 oz. Torso-length CCF pads are actually more comfortable than a torso-length inflatable for the reasons given. They also solve the problem of arms falling off narrow pad and are also lighter and much more durable.

about 2 months ago

A NeoAir Xlite is fine at 20F. Cut to 3/4 length, it comes to 9.6 oz and packs pretty small.

11 months ago

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

11 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.

11 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.

10 months ago

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

10 months ago

For a while, being broad-shouldered, I thought I needed a wide pad but eventually learned how to sleep with a 20” wide pad. But before that, I cut the bottom 21” off my regular wide Thermarest and found that easy to adapt to. It reduced the weight of a 16 oz mattress to only 12 oz, as well as reducing bulk. Cutting a thermarest mattress is surprisingly easy. The key is to cut such that your knees are supported by the pad. The feet can rest on your backpack, spare clothes, and/or sit pad. More comfortable than you would think.

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