Review – Mattress/Pad – Thermarest Newo Air XLite Womens (review Feb 15, updated Dec 17)

Mattress – Thermarest Neo Air XLite Womens

Mattress in bag (ZPacks stuffsack)                                Mattress in use

Rating: 10/10

Good: Comfortable, light, roomy

Bad: Nil

Weight: 348 g

Mattress packed up

Mattress in use

Comments: I loved this mattress. I have only used a self inflating Thermarest and close cell foam pad in the past and this mattress was pure luxury compared to these. I initially inflated the mattress too much but once I learnt how much air to put in I found this mattress very comfortable. It was great not having to be too concerned with rocks or branches underneath that I missed as it was thick enough that I did not feel these.

The bag was very easy to pack away. As I was waking up I undid the valve and my bodyweight pushed the air out and it was easy to then fold lengthwise and roll up to the same small size everytime.  As I was trying to keep condensation out of the bag to extend its life I used the plastic bag method to inflate it which I found easy, especially when I was tired.

The size was perfect for me. I stuck on two loops to the top which I used to attach my pillow.

UPDATE 2017. This mattress is still in excellent condition with no sign of mold thanks to my plastic bag inflation system.I would be confident doing another thru hike with it. Since Te Araroa I have used this mattress for Mt Kenya, Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt Stanley (the hardest hike I have done in a long time), Mt Nyiragongo in DR Congo, Bhutan, Oman,  Turnmenistan, Azerbijan, Georgia, the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia, Dusky track and Rees-Dart Track  in NZ and Iceland.

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