The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT is an improved model of the NeoAir XTherm inflatable sleeping pad, which has lengthy been the inflatable sleeping pad of alternative for cold-weather tenting and chilly sleepers due to its excessive R-value and low weight. The new NeoAir XTherm NXT is much more comfy, hotter, and quieter than ever, providing a full 3″ of thickness (up from 2.5″), an elevated R-value of seven.3 (up from 6.9), and a quieter sleep expertise than its predecessor.
Specs at a Glance
- Color: Gray-green (Neptune)
- R-Value: 7.3 (ASTM F3340-18)
- Size examined: Regular (additionally accessible in Regular Wide (72″ x 25″) and Long (77″ x 25″)
- Shape: Mummy
- Weight: 16.0 oz (it actually does weigh this)
- Optional inflation sack: 2.0 oz
- Optional stuff sack: 0.5 oz
- Width:Â 20 in / 51 cm
- Length:Â 72 in / 183 cm
- Thickness: 3.0 in / 6.3 cm
- Packed dimension:Â 9 x 4.0 / 23 x 10
- Top cloth kind:Â 30d High Tenacity Nylon
- Bottom cloth kind:Â 70d Nylon Soft Grip
The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT Sleeping Pad is an insulated air mattress designed for cold-weather tenting and backpacking. Weighing simply 16 oz, the XTherm NXT can be light-weight, rolls up small, and is made with thick and sturdy supplies, together with a 30d prime cloth and a 70d backside cloth. Weighing solely 16 oz, the brand new NeoAir XTherm NXT has an astonishingly excessive R-value of seven.3 which is considerably greater than the minimal R-Value of 5 that I like to recommend for winter tenting and backpacking on snow. Many individuals underestimate the significance of their sleeping pad of their sleep system and should you discover you’re nonetheless chilly with sufficient insulation topside, your pad might be the wrongdoer.
The NeoAir Insulation System
The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT is designed to lure your physique warmth and replicate it again at you while you sleep at night time. Unlike sleeping pads containing down or artificial insulation, the XTherm NXT achieves this utilizing a honeycombed building of air baffles which are coated with a reflective metallic coating. The result’s a really skinny and light-weight air mattress that rolls as much as the dimensions of a Nalgene bottle, making it very simple to pack. The similar honeycombed baffles are utilized in the entire NeoAir pads that Therm-a-Rest makes, though it provides NeoAir pads a crinkly potato-chip-like sound that many individuals discover disturbing at night time. More on this, under.
Valve and Pumpsack
The XTherm NXT makes use of a WingLock valve, first launched in 2020, which helps you to quickly deflate the pad, inflate it by mouth or with the included pump sack. The pump sack is price utilizing in winter to keep away from blowing moisture into the pad by mouth that may freeze within the valve or insulation chambers in a single day. The pump sack, which is principally a big stuff sack with a valve at one finish, may also double as a protecting stuff sack for the sleeping pad.
What’s New within the XTherm NXT?
The NeoAir XTherm NXT is thicker, hotter, and quieter than its predecessor, the NeoAir XTherm inflatable sleeping pad.
Thickness
Thicker inflatable sleeping pads have change into more and more widespread lately as a result of they’re rather more comfy to sleep on. While growing the XTherm NXT to three″ thick from 2.5″ gives a slight enchancment in consolation, I believe the principle purpose Therm-a-Rest elevated the pad’s thickness was for aggressive causes. The finest inflatable sleeping pads accessible at this time are no less than 3″ thick, with some as thick as 4″ just like the Sea-to-Summit Etherlight XT Sleeping Pad. However, should you already personal an outdated 2.5″ XTherm sleeping pad, it’s fairly tough to note any important enchancment in consolation and I wouldn’t improve primarily based on this purpose alone.
Despite being 3″ thick, the XTherm NXT isn’t as comfy as pads which have vertical baffles or ones which are formed extra like mattress springs and conform to your physique. The XTherm NXT isn’t horrible, nevertheless it’s not essentially the most comfy pad. However, you may make the XTherm NXT extra comfy by letting some air out of it, though this can cut back its insulation worth considerably.
R-Value
While the R-value of the XTherm NXT elevated from 6.9 to 7.3, once more, that’s not a adequate purpose in my view to improve to the XTherm NXT should you already personal an older XTherm. Anything over an R-value of 6 is already going to be overkill when it comes to insulation efficiency in winter within the decrease 48. To be trustworthy, I think the R-value enhance within the XTherm NXT is tied to the rise in pad top, relatively than being a deliberate enchancment. The enhance in air quantity in all probability makes the pad hotter.
Quieter
Therm-a-Rest claims that the XTherm NXT is roughly 80% quieter than the outdated XTherm. Having slept on the NXT, I concur. It is noticeably quieter while you’re mendacity on prime of a completely inflated NXT. But the pad remains to be extremely loud, like smashing potato chips, while you’re within the strategy of inflating it or rolling it as much as pack it away. If you attempt doing these in an Appalachian Trail lean-to early within the morning or while you arrive after darkish, you’ll in all probability get shot. Until the noise of inflation, deflation, and packing is lowered, I can’t see a powerful rationale for upgrading from an outdated XTherm on the idea of sound discount, though your tent accomplice may beg to vary.
Many individuals don’t care that a lot in regards to the noisiness of the NeoAir sleeping pads, myself included as a result of I normally camp far sufficient from different those that they’re unaffected by my sleeping pad sounds. I’m additionally normally so drained that the noise of the pad gained’t wake me.
NeoAir XTherm NXT Max
The NeoAir XTherm NXT reviewed above is barely accessible in a tapered mummy form. If you like a rectangular-shaped sleeping pad, there’s one referred to as the NeoAir XTherm NXT Max, which has the identical R-value (7.3) as the mother model. The XTherm NXT Max is offered in two sizes, a daily (72″ x 25″) and a protracted (77″ x 25″). Both are additionally 3″ thick.
Recommendation
The Therm-a-Rest XTherm NXT Sleeping Pad remains to be a dependable, sturdy, light-weight, and high-R-value sleeping pad good for chilly climate use despite the fact that the enhancements to the brand new mannequin are a bit underwhelming. If you’re a chilly sleeper otherwise you desire a extra sturdy pad for higher-risk winter use, the XTherm NXT Sleeping Pad nonetheless gives plenty of worth. It’s simply not as aggressive because it was once when it comes to weight, consolation, packability, and ease of use. If you might be in search of a great deal on a winter sleeping pad, this can be a good time to select up an older mannequin XTherm at a big low cost.
Disclosure: Therm-a-Rest donated a sleeping pad for this evaluate.
Compare 5 Prices
Last up to date: 2023-02-08 02:43:04
SectionHiker is reader-supported. We independently analysis, take a look at, and fee the very best merchandise. We solely generate profits if you are going to buy a product by way of our affiliate hyperlinks. Help us proceed to check and write unsponsored and unbiased gear evaluations, newbie FAQs, and free mountaineering guides.