Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT vs Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT
In short: The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT costs $20 less; the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT is warmer by 2.8 points of R-value; the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT saves 2.5 oz.
| Spec | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$210 | ~$230 |
| R-value | R 4.5 | R 7.3 |
| Season band | Cold three-season | Winter |
| R-value standard | ASTM F3340 | ASTM F3340 |
| Weight | 13 oz | 15.5 oz |
| R per ounce | 0.35 R/oz | 0.47 R/oz |
| Thickness | 3 in | 3 in |
| Pad type | air | air |
| Inflation | pump sack | pump sack |
| Dimensions | 72 × 20 in | 72 × 20 in |
| Packed size | 9 × 4.1 in | 9 × 4.5 in |
| Insulation | Two layers of reflective ThermaCapture film over triangular core matrix baffles | Four layers of reflective ThermaCapture film over triangular core matrix baffles |
| Top fabric | 30D | 30D |
Shaded cells mark the row where one has a measurable advantage. Weight, thickness, girth and shape are left unshaded on purpose: heavier is sometimes tougher, wider is sometimes warmer, and calling a winner on those would be an opinion dressed as a measurement.
What each one does well, and costs you
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT
- 4.5 R-value at 13 ounces is the best warmth-per-ounce of any non-winter pad here — 0.35 R per ounce, against 0.27 for the Nemo Tensor All-Season.
- Three inches of loft keeps a side sleeper's hip off the ground, which the older 2.5-inch generation of ultralight pads never quite did.
- The WingLock valve deflates in about two seconds and accepts the included pump sack, so you never have to breathe damp air into the baffles.
- Packs to roughly the size of a one-litre bottle, which is what makes it work in a 40-litre pack.
- Sold in Short, Regular, Wide and Large, so you can trade 1.5 ounces for six inches of length rather than buying the wrong pad.
- Still made in Seattle, and Therm-a-Rest's warranty service on punctured pads is the most-cited reason people buy a second one.
- 30-denier fabric top and bottom is thin for the price; on granite or pine duff it wants a groundsheet or a thin foam pad underneath.
- The NXT is quieter than the old XLite but not silent — the reflective film still crinkles when you roll over.
- At 20 inches wide the Regular is narrow; broad-shouldered sleepers end up with an arm on the ground and need the Wide.
- $210 for the Regular is roughly double what a comparable-R self-inflating pad costs, and the durability goes the other way.
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT
- 7.3 R-value clears the winter threshold with room to spare, and at 15.5 ounces it does it for less weight than most three-season pads.
- The 70-denier bottom fabric is more than twice the XLite's, which is what lets it live on snow, ice crust and scree.
- Same 3-inch loft and same WingLock valve as the XLite, so nothing about the sleeping experience gets worse in exchange for the warmth.
- Only 2.5 ounces heavier than the XLite — the cheapest warmth upgrade per ounce anywhere in this catalogue.
- Packs to 9 × 4.5 inches, small enough that winter kit doesn't need a bigger pack to hold it.
- The extra film layers make it noticeably crinklier than the XLite, and that is the complaint that comes up most.
- $230 is a serious price for a pad you may only need three or four months of the year.
- Still 20 inches wide in the Regular, so the winter sleeping bag's loft hangs off the sides and gets compressed against the ground.
- Carrying 7.3 R-value on a summer trip is dead weight; it is a specialist pad pretending to be a do-everything one.