Five years after its launch the NeoAir is now available in several different versions. The lightest weight and most similar to the original is the XLite sleeping mat. However, as it’s tapered it weighs even less. While there is no fill in the XLite it does have an internal structure to stop air moving around plus a reflective layer intended to reflect heat back to the body. I’ve found it warm enough in above freezing temperatures – about the same as most self-inflating mats in fact. However if you put pressure on one point, with your elbow say, it collapses and you can feel the cold ground there. The XLite isn’t self-inflating so you have to blow it up, which takes a minute or so. The thickness of the XLite makes it very comfortable. No other mat anywhere near this weight approaches it for comfort. Last year I took an XLite on the TGO Challenge and had problems when the inner walls failed. Therm-A-Rest said it was from an early production batch that was faulty and sent me another. So far this one is fine. My only minor complaints are that it crackles a little when you move and it doesn’t grip that well on slippery groundsheets.
As well as the Regular size tested the XLite comes in Small (119cms) and Long (196cm) sizes at 230 and 460 grams (the Long is also wider at 63cm) plus a warmer women’s version that is 168cms long and 310 grams.
