Inflatable have come on leaps and bounds since I started hiking 16 years or so ago. I’m a notorious and can be found using a hot water bottle for 11 out of 12 months of the year, even inside. I was therefore interested to learn that the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm was pitched at those sleeping in cold winter and alpine climates.
Since the introduction of the rating in sleeping mats to provide better information for consumers, it’s now much easier to understand which seasons a sleeping mat is effective in. I tested the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT while in Fairbourne in mid-Wales and was pleasantly surprised by the brilliant warmth to weight ratio. To work out how R-values are calculated, in simple terms it means giving a grade to the effectiveness of insulation products based on what they’re made of.
This is done by dividing the thickness of a material (in meters) by its thermal conductivity. The NeoAir XTherm NXT is the best in class, with an R-value of 7.3.
A mat with a high R-value is a no-brainer for those who are looking for a high-performance mat for sleeping out in the mountains, or just want the reassurance that they’ll get a comfortable night’s sleep without the worry of being woken up due to the temperature shift. Weighing in at just 440g, the regular XTherm NXT mat is one of the most innovative and technologically advanced mats Therm-a-Rest has ever made. Combining a tough 70D nylon on the base of the mat and 30D rip HT nylon on the top, the sleeping mat.