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For years, presumably a long time, within the nice Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir vs Nemo Tensor debate, the NeoAir XLite reigned supreme on this planet of ultralight backpacking and thru-hiking. Its yellow-curry hue is so iconic that when ultralight sleeping bag producers took product pictures, that’s usually what you’ll see poking out the aspect. And the explanation for this was easy: The NeoAir sequence had one of the best warmth-to-weight ratio, and it wasn’t even shut.
There have been some gripes, nevertheless. Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir pads had been costlier than their counterparts from different producers. The Winglock valve wasn’t intuitive or straightforward to pair with the pump sack. And the insulation within the pad was loud. It was once actually loud, however Therm-a-Relaxation mounted a few of that of their NXT launch.
Now Nemo is storming the barn with the discharge of their up to date Tensor sequence, competing (and arguably beating) the Therm-a-Relaxation within the warmth-to-weight area. Let’s have a look at how they stack up.
Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir vs Nemo Tensor Heat to Weight
Together with Sea to Summit, Exped, Huge Agnes, and REI, Therm-a-Relaxation and Nemo make a few of the best backpacking sleeping pads. I’ll get into nitpicking the small print (consolation, valve, stuff sack, noise, and so on.) under, however I need to begin with the 2 most essential standards: weight and heat.
Weight is a no brainer for backpackers. Lighter means much less weight in your again, which helps you to hike farther extra comfortably. All issues being equal, you need the lightest sleeping pad there’s.
Heat is the place there’s usually confusion. Whereas your sleeping pad just isn’t producing warmth, it’s blocking the chilly of the bottom from seeping in by the underside of your sleeping bag. The bottom is commonly very chilly, and your sleeping bag’s insulation may be very unhealthy at blocking it (since you are mendacity on prime of it and squishing it). Your sleeping pad’s skill to dam the chilly is measured in one thing known as R worth, and is examined by a third-party utilizing a testing process standardized throughout the business. The next R worth will block extra of the chilly, whereas a decrease R worth will block much less.
Learn Subsequent: What is R Value? It’s Why Your Sleeping Bag Doesn’t Keep You Warm
It’s no small feat to create a sleeping pad that’s each light-weight and good at blocking the chilly of the bottom. This engineering is basically what you’re paying for while you buy a backpacking sleeping pad. And for years, Therm-a-Relaxation, with their NeoAir line, was prime canine. However now Nemo’s Tensor line got here out with a serious replace, placing the 2 manufacturers inside spitting distance of one another. Let’s see how they stack up.
Within the under desk, the heat to weight calculation is ounces divided by R worth. I’ve not taken the depth of the sleeping pad into consideration because it doesn’t affect the load to heat ratio as skilled by backpackers. The world of those two sleeping pads is similar. The decrease the worth within the weight to heat index, the higher.
Excessive Chilly Sleeping Pads
These are the backpacking sleeping pads with essentially the most insulation and the best R values. That is what you need in case you are sleeping on snow or frozen floor.
Shoulder Season and Alpine Sleeping Pads
Aspiring thru-hikers: That is the pad you need. Heat sufficient to deal with the alpine, however gentle sufficient that will help you get to that sub 15-pound base weight. In case you run particularly chilly, nevertheless, know that many thru-hikers and backpackers have discovered the extreme-cold pads to be value the additional weight.
As a result of these are the pads that might be most fascinating to thru-hikers and gram counters, I checked the load of the common dimension of each the Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir XLite NXT and the Nemo Tensor All-Season. The official weights from the producers are above, the weights I discovered throughout testing are within the parenthetical under.
Sleeping Pad | Form and Dimension | Value | R Worth (Heat) | Weight | Heat to Weight Index |
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT | Mummy, common | $210 | 4.5 | 13 ounces (12.80 ounces) | 2.89 (2.84) |
Nemo Tensor All-Season | Mummy, common | $200 | 5.4 | 14.1 oz (14.55 ounces) | 2.61(2.69) |
Heat Climate Sleeping Pads
These are the pads that break the sound barrier. They’re so small and so light-weight that they barely exist in any respect. Nonetheless, they don’t seem to be superb at blocking the chilly of the bottom. Select one in all these pads provided that you run highly regarded or plan to backpack in part of the world the place in a single day temps gained’t drop under 60 levels Fahrenheit.
Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir vs Nemo Tensor: Which One Is Proper for You?
As a result of these two sleeping pads are so shut to 1 one other by way of specs, there isn’t any one proper reply. Under are the components it is best to contemplate earlier than making a remaining buy.
Heat vs. Weight
Nemo’s Tensor and Therm-a-Relaxation’s NeoAir sequence are available three totally different R score ranges, so contemplate what you propose on doing and choose the pad from the sequence that meets your wants. In case you are sleeping colder than you anticipated on the Therm-a-Relaxation UberLite, you’ve gotten the mistaken R worth to your wants. Stage as much as one of many pads within the shoulder season and alpine class.
Dimension
Whereas most backpackers and backpack hunters are going to go for the common mummy dimension, each producers supply longer variations of the mother pad and wider variations of their pads within the rectangular dimension. Therm-a-Relaxation additionally gives a brief model of their mummy pad for each the XLite and the UberLite, which I’ve used efficiently prior to now. Since your legs are usually not as huge offenders in squishing the insulation out of your sleeping bag or quilt, you possibly can simply throw your empty backpacking backpack beneath your legs at evening to maintain them from getting chilly.
Consolation
These are each very comfy backpacking sleeping pads. There’s no foam, so don’t count on it to approximate your mattress at dwelling, however you’re not going to really feel the bottom. Even the best way the baffles are designed feels primarily similar.
The Particulars
You continue to with me? Now let’s actually cut up some hairs and consider the entire particulars that include these sleeping pads: valve, pump sack, stuff sack, noise, restore package, and guarantee and sturdiness concerns.
Valve
All three of Therm-a-Rests pads have one thing known as a Winglock valve. There are lots of individuals who don’t love the Winglock valve, and I’m one in all them. Whereas I’ve not had the identical subject with delamination that others have reported (and, to Therm-a-Relaxation’s credit score, seems to be a a lot much less frequent subject now than when the Winglock valve first launched), I discover it surprisingly unintuitive, even with the directions. You untwist the valve to inflate, however you must untwist the valve and open the wings to deflate.
Nemo’s pad has a way more frequent valve, just like what different sleeping pad producers use. Open up the primary layer of the valve to inflate. Open up each layers to deflate. I assumed that this was going to be a no brainer for Nemo. However, once I examined them out aspect by aspect, it was much less awkward to inflate Therm-a-Relaxation’s pad with the Winglock valve than it was with the flat Nemo valve.
Valve | Time to Inflate | Time to Deflate | Ease of Use |
Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir | 1 minute, 10 seconds | 25 seconds | Awkward to configure, straightforward to make use of |
NEMO Tensor | 1 minute, 10 seconds | 15 seconds | Straightforward to configure, awkward to make use of |
My feeling is that neither of those producer’s has the proper valve. Select your poison.
Pump Sacks
Pump sacks are sometimes included with one of the best backpacking sleeping pads. They’re giant light-weight luggage that connect to your sleeping pad’s nozzle. You then blow into the bag (counterintuitively, this works greatest in case you blow into the bag from a couple of inches away) in order that it fills up with air. Rolling down the bag squeezes the air into your sleeping pad. This takes a bit little bit of observe to get good at, but it surely’s miles higher than inflating a sleeping pad by blowing straight into the nozzle.
In testing, I’ve discovered that there’s a wide-range of high quality within the pump sacks of various backpacking sleeping pad producers. Some actually simplify sleeping pad inflation; others really feel much less thought out. Whereas true diehard gram counters could also be unlikely to convey pump sacks alongside (once more, you don’t want one to inflate your sleeping pad), thru-hikers and fastpackers usually do. After sporting your self out on path all day, it’s good to not put on your self out inflating a sleeping pad.
When assessing the sleeping pad pump sacks, I checked out weight, time to inflate, and total ease of use.
Pump Sack | Weight | Variety of Breaths to Inflate | Ease of Use |
Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir | 1.9 ounces | 7.5 | Straightforward |
NEMO Tensor | 2.2 ounces | 3.5 | Pretty straightforward |
That is one other one that’s popping out within the wash. Nemo’s pump sack is clearly the higher pump sack — you want half the breaths to inflate your pad. However, it tends to pop off if it isn’t angled appropriately on the final spherical. Additionally, Therm-a-Relaxation’s is a smidge lighter.
Stuff Sack
Neither the pump sack nor the stuff sack had been included within the measured weights of the sleeping pads above. And whereas it feels tidy to place all the things into its personal separate sack whereas backpacking, it’s actually not needed. You may simply smoosh your sleeping pad down with one of many best backpacking quilts. However I additionally know loads of folks do carry them (together with me), anyway. Right here’s how they stack up.
Stuff Sack | Weight | Ease of Use |
Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir (stuff sack) | 0.55 ounce | Troublesome |
NEMO Tensor (stuff sack) | 0.35 ounce | Considerably troublesome |
NEMO Tensor (velcro) | 0.15 ounce | Straightforward |
Each stuff sacks had been form of annoying to make use of, however the Therm-a-Relaxation one weighed extra. The Tensor sack additionally has a bit pocket in it for the restore package, which some folks would possibly discover helpful. (I usually maintain my sleeping pad restore package in my first-aid package.)
Along with a stuff sack, NEMO additionally offers a velcro strap with their sleeping pad. I actually like this strap. It’s lots simpler to make use of than a stuff sack, and it weighs much less. The one time I’d think about using the stuff sack as an alternative is while you’ve acquired some sharp edges (like a backpacking range) proper subsequent to the place you’re packing your sleeping pad in your backpack.
Restore Equipment
In case you’re headed out for a number of nights into the backcountry, it’s good to convey alongside a sleeping pad restore package. Waking up in the midst of the evening as a result of your pad deflated is annoying and uncomfortable, however with a restore package at the least it can solely occur as soon as.
Sleeping Pad Restore Equipment | Weight | Usefulness |
Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir | 0.4 ounces (0.2 ounces w/o directions) | Very |
Nemo Tensor | 0.15 ounces | Very |
OK, so I equipped a weight right here, however I’m unsure it’s completely related. A full 0.2 ounce of the Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir restore package’s weight is the directions, as a result of they’re very complete and in three totally different languages on heavy card inventory. Actually, take a photograph along with your telephone and chuck them.
The Therm-a-Relaxation restore package contains alcohol wipes (for cleansing the floor of the pad), in addition to sticky dots and sticky patches. The Nemo package contains sticky patches, cloth patches, and a bigger swath of cloth for making bigger repairs (you would wish a separate adhesive for this). Therm-a-Relaxation’s package is extra complete for subject repairs, whereas Nemo’s would permit you to make bigger repairs within the frontcountry with out the trouble of sending it again for them to restore. In order that they’re each nice in their very own methods.
Guarantee
I like an awesome guarantee. Who doesn’t? So nice information right here: Each Therm-a-Relaxation and Nemo have best-in-class warranties. I as soon as despatched in a sleeping pad to Therm-a-Relaxation the place the baffles had blown out, creating an odd lump in the midst of the pad. I’d had the identical sleeping pad for years and had slept on it tons of of instances. I didn’t have a receipt, and even keep in mind when or the place I had bought it. They despatched me a brand-new pad, no questions requested.
Whereas I shouldn’t have first-hand expertise with Nemo’s guarantee on sleeping pads, I checked in with their customer support division to study extra. They confirmed that they’d additionally contemplate a blown sleeping baffle, regardless of what number of instances you had used the pad, to be lined below the guarantee.
A fast observe on outside gear producers with these sorts of warranties: Do not abuse them. When folks abuse nice warranties, they go away. That’s what occurred to the previous REI lifetime guarantee again in 2013. One time, I blew a gap in my NeoAir as a result of I used to be drained and didn’t discover the sharp rock beneath it. I didn’t ship the pad again to Therm-a-Relaxation; I mounted it myself. In case you don’t have the instruments or restore package or confidence for this, the customer support crew will assist you to get it completed proper.
They’re there that will help you get essentially the most out of your pad. One other time, I packed my sleeping pad away moist and it ended up lined in mildew. That one was on me, and I simply bought a brand new pad. However blown baffles, defective valves, or busted seam welding? Ship that pet in and get your self set proper. Actually, simply the existence of those warranties implies that the overwhelming majority of individuals won’t ever want to make use of them.
Materials
One technical observe to take a look at is that Therm-a-Relaxation and Nemo made totally different selections within the thickness (measured in denier, or D) of the materials on their pads, which might have an effect on sturdiness. I’m not together with this in my total rating, nevertheless, as there’s extra to sturdiness than simply cloth thickness, together with the standard of the welds alongside the seams.
Sleeping Pad | Prime Cloth | Backside Cloth |
Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir XTherm NXT | 30D ripstop nylon | 70D nylon |
Nemo Tensor Excessive Circumstances | 20D nylon | 40D nylon |
Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir XLite NXT | 30D ripstop nylon | 30D ripstop nylon |
Nemo Tensor All-Season | 20D nylon | 40D nylon |
Therm–a-Relaxation NeoAir UberLite | 15D nylon | 15D nylon |
Nemo Tensor Path | 20D nylon | 40D nylon |
That hardly-there 15D on Therm-a-Relaxation’s Uberlite is much more fragile than the opposite pads right here, and folks have extra points with this pad than virtually every other. To my thoughts, on that particular pad, that’s an actual trade-off with the load financial savings that backpackers ought to take heed to earlier than making a purchase order.
I like that Nemo put a thicker materials on the underside of their pads than the highest, as most sturdiness points happen the place they’re in touch with the bottom. The pads are additionally shade coded so that you gained’t have any points determining which aspect is which.
Whereas the 70D nylon appears excessive for the XTherm, this can be a pad for excessive situations. Given {that a} deflated pad might be a security subject, my feeling is that this can be a good selection.
Noise
This one’s straightforward. The previous Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir sequence was a bit ridiculously loud when new. New NeoAirs are a lot quieter out of the field, and can get quieter with time. Throughout testing, I discovered that new Nemo Tensor All-Seasons and new Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAirs XLites are producing primarily the identical quantity of noise. Neither are going to maintain you up at evening, so don’t fear about it.
Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir vs Nemo Tensor Closing Ideas
Look, to not get tacky about this, however within the faceoff of Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir vs Nemo Tensor, the true winner is gram-counting backpackers. Earlier than we solely had one selection of sleeping pad. Now now we have two. Therm-a-Relaxation nonetheless makes absolutely the lightest sleeping pads throughout the board, however Nemo holds the honour of greatest warmth-to-weight within the excessive chilly and alpine classes.
However we’re right here to actually drill down on all the things, so, primarily based on the above, I’ve scored every sleeping pad sequence in every class, weighting extra essential classes larger than much less important classes.
Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir
Class | Rating | Weight | Closing Rating |
General Weight | 10 | 10x | 100 |
Weight to Heat | 9 | 10x | 90 |
Consolation | 8 | 5x | 40 |
Valve | 6 | 1x | 6 |
Pump Sack | 6 | 2x | 12 |
Stuff Sack | 5 | 1x | 5 |
Restore Equipment | 10 | 1x | 10 |
Noise | 7 | 3x | 21 |
Guarantee | 10 | 5x | 50 |
Nemo Tensor
Class | Rating | Weight | Closing Rating |
General Weight | 8 | 10x | 80 |
Weight to Heat | 10 | 10x | 100 |
Consolation | 8 | 5x | 40 |
Valve | 5 | 1x | 5 |
Pump Sack | 7 | 2x | 14 |
Stuff Sack | 10 | 1x | 10 |
Restore Equipment | 10 | 1x | 10 |
Noise | 7 | 3x | 21 |
Guarantee | 10 | 5x | 50 |
Closing Scores
- Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir: 334
- Nemo Tensor: 330