Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Therm-a-Rest ProLite Womens > Jamie J. DeBenedetto > Initial Report

Therm-a-Rest Women's ProLite 4™ (Long)

Initial Report - January 16th, 2006

Reviewer's Information

Background/Experience

I've pretty much been what my husband refers to as a "tree hugger" since birth but my backpacking life started in earnest about eighteen years ago. These days I day hike or backpack about fifteen times a month either with the Canine Hiking Club of AZ or with my family. My backpacking style is lightweight but not ultralight. I sleep in a hammock most of the time and I keep my pack base weight (less food or water) below 15 lbs (7 kg) for three season outings of two to three days. I tend to gravitate toward gear that is multifunctional and enhances my comfort level for minimal weight.

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Product Information

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Product Description

The Therm-a-Rest Women's ProLite 4 is a self inflating air mattress designed for, as the name suggests, women. The one I received is the women's long and came in a red (top) and grey (underside) finish. The ProLite 4 is part of Therm-a-Rest's Fast and Light Series and is advertised as a 4-season pad. The top is made of 100% Polyester, the underside is 100% Nylon, the coating is 100% Polyurethane, and the filling is made of 100% Urethane Foam. Like many other Therm-a-Rest models, the Women's ProLite has a single valve used for inflation and deflation located at the top right hand corner of the pad. The valve opens and closes with a simple twist.

Here are a few comments regarding the benefits of the Women's ProLite 4 taken from the packaging material and the manufacturer's website:

• All the benefits of the (men's) ProLite 4, with added warmth for women.
• 30% warmer in torso and foot sections than (men's) ProLite 4
• Lightest, most compact women's 4-season mattress
• Tapered ergonomic design, specially sized for a woman's body

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Arrival Condition and Informational Material

The Therm-a-Rest Women's ProLite 4 arrived on January 5th, 2006. As far as I can tell at the moment it is in perfect condition. It inflated and deflated without any problems and there do not appear to be any leaks or blemishes on the material. The packaging wrapped around the pad is the same I have seen on the pads in retail stores. The plastic sleeve basically gives the particulars about the product including the benefits of this mattress type, its size, thickness, weight, r-rating, material details, legal jargon of various sorts and the manufacturer's email, phone number and address in Seattle, WA. When I unrolled the Therm-a-Rest I found another informational sheet with inflation and deflation instructions, the warranty, repair information, cleaning and storage recommendations, tips on how to protect the mattress and more manufacturer contact details for several other countries. The details on the packaging sleeve were given in five languages other than English and those given on the other sheet were written in three other languages. I won't endeavor to guess at all the languages as I'm sure I would get a few wrong. I found all this information helpful as I have not owned any Therm-a-Rest products in the past. I feel pretty confident about going into the field with this pad now and if I have a problem I have plenty of options for contacting the manufacturer.

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Expectations and First Impressions

The Woman's ProLite 4 is exactly as I assumed it would be from the pictures and description on the manufacturer's website. After browsing through the information on the package and carefully reading the other informational sheet I was ready to inflate the mattress for the first time. There are directions regarding how the very first inflation should be conducted. I followed these step by step and was pleased with how quickly the previously tightly rolled pad inflated. The directions are very simple to follow and I did not have any problem figuring out what to do.

The procedure needed to deflate the mattress was not quite as simple as the virtually hands off inflation process but I certainly would not call it problematic. One concern did come to mind about the deflation method, however, Therm-a-Rest directs the user to open the air valve, fold the pad a couple of times then sit on it to force more air out. I can see this being a little precarious to accomplish since I'm a hammock user. I'm sure with some creativity I will be able to find a working solution and I will make sure to note how it goes in future reports.

I have never owned a Therm-a-Rest mattress before and part of the reason why is because I live in a very prickly place, the desert Southwest. Although much of my backpacking takes place in non-arid zones I'm it the desert enough to ruin any piece of gear not truly up for the task. We have all manner of things that poke and stick into a hiker here and I am worried the Women's ProLite 4 will require more diligent care than I'm always willing to give. If I can avoid turning the pad into a pin cushion I have high hopes it will work well to insulate and be fairly comfortable when used on the ground. I personally probably need double the thickness for my boney hips but I'm willing to give it a few chances before I retreat back to the comfort of my hammock.

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Expected Field Test Locations and Conditions

I anticipate all testing of the Women's ProLite 4 will take place here in Arizona in various locations and elevations. I don't know what the next four months have in store for me exactly but I have plans to backpack in the Superstition Wilderness outside of Phoenix in January and in the Coronado National Forest near Tucson in February. I'm also planning, if the weather cooperates, to get in some snowshoeing and camping near Flagstaff in March. Overnight low temperatures in these very different places could easily be anywhere from around 60 degrees F (16 C) to as low as 15 degrees F (-9 C). I don't know what the weather will bring but since we have not had rain in going on ninety days I imagine some form of precipitation must be around the corner. Typically, January, February, and March are fairly wet months, especially in the higher elevations of the state, so I am hopeful the Women's ProLite 4 will be tested in something other than totally dry conditions.

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Proposed Test Strategy for the Next Four Months

I primarily use a hammock while backpacking so the Women's ProLite 4 will be used as my main form of insulation inside the hammock and will only be supplemented with other pads, likely closed cell foam sections, if needed. I will also make the ultimate sacrifice and go back to the ground a few nights to see how well the thickness of the pad works for my hips and shoulders and if the width and length work for my body size. Comfort is a big issue to me so this will be scrutinized thoroughly. I will also try using the mattress as a chair around camp, with proper exterior protection around the pad and careful ground placement to avoid potential punctures. Additionally, since I'm currently using a frameless pack, the Six Moon Designs Comet, I will evaluate how well the pad works as the frame sheet. Other thoughts right now are listed below in question format.

How easily and quickly does the pad self-inflate in the field and in various temperatures?
How easily and quickly does it deflate? Is there a lot of work involved and will it be harder without a tent floor to place it on during the deflation process?
How much space will it take up in my pack?
Does it stay rolled up as the directions suggest or do I need a rope or strap to accomplish this?
Does the valve hold tightly or do I need to maintain it periodically?
How fragile is the mattress material?
How easy is it to care for and protect?
Do I need to seriously baby it or can it take a little punishment?
How well does it insulate?
Is the material overly slippery?
Will I be able to stay on the pad while completely in my sleeping bag?

Those are my initial questions/concerns about the air mattress but I'm sure I will come up with more as the testing process moves along. All experiences good or bad with be reported on in the next two reports.

Thank you BGT and Therm-a-Rest for the opportunity to be part of this test series.

Jamie J. DeBenedetto
January 15, 2006

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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Therm-a-Rest ProLite Womens > Jamie J. DeBenedetto > Initial Report