NeoAir first impressions

Never in the history of backpacking can a mere air mattress have been so keenly anticipated! Everyone is twittering about them. Does the reality live up to the expectation? Well, a real judgement can only be made when it is used on a trip. However, here’s my initial take.

I’ve bought the short mattress. The reasons for doing so were twofold. Firstly, it’s lighter. Mine weighs 256g without the stuff sack (13g), pleasingly accurate compared to the manufacturer’s estimated weight of 260g. Secondly, in a small tent like the Laser Competition, I think a short mattress is easier to manage. Certainly, my Downmat 7 short was the right size when I went to Wales and a larger mat would have been a bit overwhelming.

The first thing you notice is how small it packs down, especially compared to a traditional Thermarest. Without trying, the compressed size is 200mm x 75mm. It is quite quick to inflate (11 large breaths). The inflated size is very slightly narrower than the Exped downmat (50cm vs 52cm), but the same length (118cm). The weight of the Exped without pump sack is 586g.

The material feels quite thin and delicate and to the touch it feels slightly sticky. Presumably, this makes it more slip resistant. Other Thermarests are prone to sliding around on the tent floor. I suspect this one won’t. The material is also quite “crackly” like a crisp packet. Whether this is an issue at night is difficult to tell, but I suspect it won’t be. The valve protrudes noticeably. I’m sure the material is tougher than it feels. Nevertheless, I would exercise some care and I will invest in a puncture repair kit, just in case. The sheet of tips that came with it suggests that it is easy to repair.

Lying on it for a few minutes, it feels very comfortable. The horizontal baffles give it more stability than the Downmat. You can feel the warmth from the reflective barrier and small baffles, so I would expect this to feel warmer than the old style Thermarests, particularly the Prolite 3s, which I found quite cold. The extra thickness of the mat gives a much higher level of comfort than the self inflating mats, so much so, I think I would find it difficult to go back to them after experiencing this mat and the Downmat.

Colour is a personal thing, but I rather like it. It’s somewhere between yellow and lime green and not as “in your face” as some photos suggest. The base is a silver colour. The stuff sack is a dark grey. I’m not sure what else I can tell you, other than I’m looking forward to using it. It appears that you are gaining the comfort of a Downmat at less than half the weight, which can’t be bad.

I suspect that the Downmat will still have followers as it is considerably more robust and has better insulation. The NeoAir for summer, Downmat for other seasons. Even so, I reckon if I use the thin foam pad that I normally put under my sleeping mats, it would be warm enough for spring/autumn. It’s rare that a product emerges that is both significantly lighter and improves comfort by so much.

I also bought the Mammut self inflating pillow. It weighs the same as the Ajungilak inflating pillow (146g) but has a more secure valve system. The outer has a lovely silky feel to it and it feels reassuringly firm when inflated. The disadvantage is the pack size is quite large, not far short of the NeoAir and much larger than the Ajungilak pillow. I suspect I will stick with the Ajungilak pillow most of the time because of pack size. If Mammut reduced or removed the foam inside, it would be both lighter and more compact, then they would be on to a winner.

NeoAir short and Mammut pillow