Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT vs NEMO Tensor Elite
In short: The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT is warmer by 4.9 points of R-value; the NEMO Tensor Elite saves 7.0 oz.
| Spec | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT | NEMO Tensor Elite |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$230 | ~$230 |
| R-value | R 7.3 | R 2.4 |
| Season band | Winter | Three-season |
| R-value standard | ASTM F3340 | ASTM F3340 |
| Weight | 15.5 oz | 8.5 oz |
| R per ounce | 0.47 R/oz | 0.28 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 × 4.5 in | 5.5 × 3 in |
| Insulation | Four layers of reflective ThermaCapture film over triangular core matrix baffles | A single suspended layer of aluminised Thermal Mirror film |
| Top fabric | 30D | 10D |
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 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.
NEMO Tensor Elite
- 8.5 ounces with three inches of loft — the best thickness-per-ounce number in the catalogue.
- Packs to 5.5 × 3 inches, roughly a third the volume of an XLite.
- Still uses the quiet suspended-film construction rather than a bonded laminate.
- A Short version at 7.6 ounces for people who sleep on a pack under their feet anyway.
- 10-denier fabric top and bottom is the thinnest here; treat a groundsheet as mandatory, not optional.
- $230 for R-value 2.4 is the worst warmth-per-dollar in the catalogue.
- R 2.4 is a summer rating, so this is a second pad rather than a first one.
- Only sold in mummy cut, so there is no rectangular option at all.
- New in 2025, with no long-term durability record yet on fabric this light.