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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Therm-a-Rest NeoAir All Season pad > Owner Review by Duane Lawrence

Cascade Designs Therm-a-Rest NeoAir All Season
Owner Review by Duane Lawrence
March 10, 2015

Tester Information

Name: Duane Lawrence
Email: delawrence_98 AT yahoo DOT ca
Age: 42
Location: Sparwood, British Columbia, Canada
Gender: Male
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.79 m)
Weight: 160 lb (72.6 kg)

I have been an avid outdoor enthusiast for the past 25 years.  I enjoy a variety of outdoor activities including mountaineering, day hikes, multi-day backpacking trips, river and ocean kayaking, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, mountain biking and rock climbing. I have climbed and hiked throughout British Columbia, the United States and when opportunity presents itself in Europe and India. I carry a wide variety of gear depending on the type and length of trip.  I am a Search and Rescue team member in the Southern Rockies and am part of the swift water, rope rescue technical teams and ground search team.

Product Information

Web Pagehttp://www.cascadedesigns.com
MSRP$159.95
ManufactureCascade Designs
Listed Weight1 lbs 3 oz (540 g)
Measured Weight1 lbs 3.04 oz (542 g)
Volume3465 cu. in. (57 l)
Top Fabric75 Denier Polyester Diamond Ripstop
Bottom Fabric70 Denier Nylon
Core FabricNylon
SizesMedium, Regular, Large
Tested SizeRegular 72 in (183 cm) Length by 20 in (51 cm) Width
R-Value4.9
Inflated Thickness2.5 in (6.3 cm)
Manufactured In
USA
Additional ItemsRepair Kit, Pump/Storage Sack

Product Overview

Therm-a-Rest has been around for a long time now and this is my second mattress from this company.  The NeoAir All Season is a light weight air filled backpacking mattress. It is made of a 75d Polyester Diamond ripstop nylon top layer, with a Polyester Diamond Ripstop Nylon core and bottom.  The diamond-shaped core is designed to help keep the mattress's shape and maintain its evenness when inflated. Cascade Designs uses, what they refer to as a "reflective ThermaCapture" technology that is designed to trap radiant heat in a triangular core matrix that minimizes convective heat loss.  The use of nylon and polyester allows the user to inflate the mattress without having to worry about moisture buildup in the interior of the mattress which could reduce the insulative value of the mattress. The mattress also comes with a repair kit and storage sack that is designed with an attachment point that when attached to the mattress can inflate the mattress without having to blow into it.  The NeoAir has a lifetime warranty that covers manufacture defects.  In order to clean the mattress it is recommended to hand wash with a soft bristle brush using household detergent that can remove grease and oil.
 
                             

Test Conditions


I have been using the NeoAir All Season for about three years now and have accumulated around forty nights on the mattress.  I have used it in pretty much every type of weather condition, that is rain, snow and sun, thankfully I was always inside a tent or hut. Temperatures ranged from -25 C (-13 F) in the mountains of the southern Canadian Rockies and northern Montana to +35 C (95 F) in deserts of eastern Utah, USA. Trips have ranged from a single night to up to a week sleeping on the NeoAir.



Observations


I have enjoyed this mattress.  It took some getting used to especially getting over the noisy aspect of it although much of the crinkly sound that was so prevalent when I first started using the mattress has now gone.  It is still somewhat noisy when it is not fully inflated but I must admit I do not even notice it any more.  As for comfort, figuring out how much to inflate it to get the most comfort from the mattress as possible was challenging.  At the end of the day I finally realized that I needed to keep it fully inflated, slightly less than rock hard, to get the best night sleep I could get.  Performance-wise it has provided good insulative value even when temperatures were hovering around -30 C (-22 F) during my winter excursions.  In the summer it kept me warm without me overheating.  

When I first purchased the mattress I was concerned about its overall durability, specifically surrounding whether or not it would be easily punctured.  Over the course of the past three years my concerns have been assuage.  It survived desert grounds with cactus needles, forests with ample sharp pine needles and being sat and slept on directly on the ground countless times with no issues.  I still need to be careful where I place it but no more so than any other air mattress. I was also happy that it fit relatively well into my Therm-a-Rest Trekker Chair.

One of the best features of this mattress is its weight and packability.  The mattress weighs in at 1 lbs 3 oz (542 g) and can be rolled into a small tube, roughly 8 in (20.3 cm) by 4.25 in (11 cm).  The mattress came with a storage/inflation bag that could be used to inflate the mattress without having to directly blowing into it.  I found that the storage/inflation bag worked well but did not keep that mattress compressed for storage.  I have decided to use a compression strap which keeps the mattress rolled up nice and tight instead of the storage/inflation bag.  The rolled mattress is small enough to fit anywhere inside my backpack and its light weight is great especially during multi-day hikes or backcountry ski trips. I did note that the NeoAir now comes with a mini pump.  When I purchased my mattress it only came with the inflation bag.  I am unfortunately unable to make any observations regarding the mini pump but it does appear to be a nice add on in my opinion.  

Thankfully I have yet to puncture the mattress so am unable to comment on whether or not the manufacture's notation that repairs are fast and easy and can be made in under two minutes are true.  I am hoping that I never have to find out if this is the case or not.

Summary

Overall I have been very pleased with the performance and comfort of the NeoAir All Season sleeping pad.  It's light weight and small size when deflated is great for packing and carrying.  The insulative value is high enough to keep me warm during the coldest nights and thickness makes sure I do not notice the unevenness of the ground while sleeping.  My first concern with the very loud crinkling sound that emanated from the pad when I first got it softened over the course of its use and now I do not even notice it.  For durability I have exposed the mattress to all sorts of pointy debris and have yet to puncture the mattress.  I still have to make sure not to place it on sharp objects but I no longer am concerned that it will puncture just by looking at it.  In all I am expecting to get many years of comfortable nights on the NeoAir and am very pleased with all aspects of this mattress.

Pros
  • Good thickness and insulative ability helped keep me warm
  • Light
  • Packs small
Cons
  • Noisy when not fully inflated 
  • Didn't like the storage/inflation bag


Read more reviews of Cascade Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Duane Lawrence

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Therm-a-Rest NeoAir All Season pad > Owner Review by Duane Lawrence



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