I purchased the NeoAir Regular at the end of May 2009, almost immediately upon its release to market. A considerable amount of hype had been preceding the mattress' release in print and online. Discussion ranged from its purported unrivaled comfort and compact size when packed, to its noisiness and tendency to lose air during use, and of course its slightly stunning $150 price tag. Of course some other inflatable mats carry a comparable price tag, such as the Exped DownMat line, but they also offer huge R ratings that make them feasible for year round use without supplemental closed cell foam mattresses. The NeoAir offers a 2.5 R rating, making it suitable for mild weather only. Hence why the price seems a little steep.
Advertised Specs (taken from the Therm-a-Rest website):
Weight: 14 oz / 410 g
Width: 20" / 51 cm
Length: 72" / 183 cm
Thickness: 2.5" / 6.3 cm
Stuff sack weight: .5 oz / 14 g
Repair kit weight: Not listed
My Measurements:
Weight (just the mattress): 13.6 oz / 385 g
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Total weight (mat, stuff sack, repair kit): 14.8 oz / 420 g
Length: 70" / 178 cm
Width: 19" / 48 cm
Thickness: 2.75" / 7 cm
All of the measurements varied somewhat from the manufacturer's specs. The optional stuff sack weighed in at 0.5 oz, and the 'Fast and Light' repair kit also measured 0.5 oz. Pleasantly surprising was the actual weight of the mattress coming in below the advertised 14 ounces. Sure, 0.4 of an ounce isn't very much, but it's not often that the real weight of an ultralight product is lower than advertised. This almost fully offset the weight of the repair kit.
The dimensions were a little different from the official specs, but I think they must have measured the length and width while deflated. The inflated specs place the length at 70", the width at 19", and thickness at somewhere around 2.75". My assessment of the thickness was closer to 3", but I had difficulty deciding where to get my measurement from. The configuration of the horizontal chambers created a series of high and low points, and I opted to take my measurement not from the absolute peak of each chamber.
Real Life Use:
My own experience with the NeoAir has been positive. I have slept on it for four nights, one in early summer, two in late summer, and one in autumn. I did not experience any of the loss of pressure/inflation which has been described by some. Cascade Designs even mentions it in the instruction leaflet for the mattress. Apparently changes in temperature or barometric pressure can cause a noticeable loss of inflation while the mattress is in use. I did not encounter any deflation of note. I was very comfortable, the most comfortable I've been on a backpacking mattress of any sort. The NeoAir was much thicker than my Prolite 4, and gave a comfortable night's sleep particularly while sleeping on my side. At times when I slept on my back I did notice that my arms hung off the sides of the mat, and ended up resting on the ground. Perhaps the large size would have been the better option to give my arms somewhere to rest while sleeping on my back. The only real negative I could describe is the 'bottoming-out' effect when sitting up to change clothing, or when shifting while sleeping.
My experience on the mat in autumn also highlighted its limited R value. During a crisp night where the temperature dropped to about -5 celsius, I found my -9 celsius rated Marmot Helium did not keep me comfortable. The same bag consistently delivers a comfortable night's sleep in -10 or colder when paired with my Prolite 4. The NeoAir is really only recommended for mild weather, so I can hardly hold this against it. It is something to be aware of, and is a good reminder of the importance of truly understanding what your equipment is capable of.
Overall, the NeoAir is a very impressive little package. It's very compact, weighs in as advertised, and offers an unrivaled amount of comfort for its size and weight. Personally, I feel the hefty price tag is fair value for this combination of benefits.
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