2023 Therm-a-Rest Sleeping Pad Overview

As campers, backpackers, hikers, climbers, and skiers, we know how essential a good night's sleep is to any outdoor adventure. While a cozy tent and sleeping bag can go a long way in ensuring a restful night's sleep, a sleeping pad is just as crucial. Therm-a-Rest provides a wide range of innovative and high-quality sleeping pads so whether you're a backcountry adventurer, car camper, or festival-goer, there’s a sleeping pad ideal for your needs.

Below we’ll cover a few necessary pieces of information, and then dive into some of the best and most popular pads Therm-a-Rest makes.

What is R-Value?

Before we can go through pads and their design intentions, there needs to be a thorough understanding of what R-Value is, and why its so important.

Put simply, R-Value is a standardized measure of thermal resistance. This thermal resistance insulates you from the ground you’re sleeping on by preventing the transfer of heat. Since the proccess to define R-Value for sleeping pads was standardized in 2019 by Therm-a-Rest and other manufacturers, a pad with a 3.0 R-Value should have the same level of insulation no matter the brand it comes from.

This extra insulation from your sleeping pad is extremely important because when you’re in your sleeping bag, it no longer is insulating on the bottom the same as it is on the top. Sleeping bags work the same way as a puffy coat, and that nice, lofty insulation is what retains warmth and when you lay in a sleeping bag, that insulation is compressed so it does not provide the same level of warmth anymore. Since your sleeping pad provides a significant amount of your warmth through the night, higher R-Values are recommended for colder adventures.

PAD CONSTRUCTION

Therm-a-Rest pads come in 3 basic constructions: solid foam, self-inflating, and the industry-leading NeoAir construction that’s used in the new XLite and XTherm NXT pads.

Solid foam pads are exactly what they say on the tin. They’re pads made from solid foam with indentation to help with heat retention. These pads typically have low R-Values (1-2) so they can be used alone in warmer weather, or are good to layer with other pads for extra warmth and protection. The largest benefit of foam pads is their extreme durability. Since they can’t be popped, it’s quite common to use a foam pad for 10+ years.

Self-Inflating pads are very common these days, but were invented in 1972 by Therm-a-Rest’s co-founder John Burroughs (as the original Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad). Being self-inflating and existing for over 50 years, these pads are incredibly versatile, and span everything from ultra-thick for car camping, like the MondoKing, to fast-and-light options like the ProLite Apex.

The proprietary NeoAir construction is the newest innovation, and is the lightest type of pad available on the market. By removing the foam and using ThermaCapture material, Therm-a-Rest is able to reduce weight and packing size when compared to a self-inflating pad, while retaining the warmth. The downside, of course, is that these pads have to be inflated but they all come with inflation sacks to tackle that.

Pad Comparison

NeoAir Pads

XLite NXT	XLite NXT MAX
Sizes Available: Regular Small, Regular, Regular Wide, Large	Sizes Available: Regular Wide, Large
Weight (size Regular): 13 oz (354 g)	Weight (size Regular Wide): 1 lb 2 oz (510 g)
Thickness: 3 inches	Thickness: 3 inches
R-Value: 4.5	R-Value: 4.5

Headlining the 2023 sleeping pad lineup is the revamped XLite, the XLite NXT. Therm-a-Rest heard the feedback from the original pad, and the NXT version is 83% quieter than the original, eliminating the “potato chip bag" noise that kept some people up all night. While reducing noise, the engineers at Therm-a-Rest were also able to increase the R-Value of the pad (from 4.3) AND make it a half-inch thicker, all without increasing the overall weight in most sizes. New for 2023 is also the MAX rectangular size, with all the same features, but more room to toss and turn.

XTherm NXT	XTherm NXT MAX
Sizes Available: Regular, Regular Wide, Large	Sizes Available: Regular Wide, Large
Weight (size Regular): 16 oz (440 g)	Weight (size Regular Wide): 1 lb 7 oz (650 g)
Thickness: 3 inches	Thickness: 3 inches
R-Value: 7.3	R-Value: 7.3

Joining the “so revamped it needs a new name” party is the XTherm NXT. Following a similar updated construction update to the XLite NXT, the XTherm NXT is now also 3-inches thick and warmer than its predecessor, without adding any weight. This means the XTherm NXT will continue to be the gold standard for mountaineering objectives, traverses, and any other extended trip in the mountains.

UberLite
Sizes Available: Small, Regular, Regular Wide, Large
Weight (size Regular): 8.8 oz (250 g)
Thickness: 2.5 inches
R-Value: 2.3

For those who need the absolute lightest and most compact sleeping pad, there’s the NeoAir UberLite. It’s so gram-shaving focused, that it’s the only Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad that comes in a 47-inch long size Small for the true weight-weenies out there (Therm-a-Rest Short pads are 66-inches long). Everything about the UberLite is designed to shave weight, from the nylon shell fabric that’s 40% lighter than the XLite NXT’s, to reducing the amount of insulating material.

Topo Luxe	Topo
Sizes Available: Regular, Regular Wide, Large, Extra Large	Sizes Available: Regular, Regular Wide, Large
Weight (size Regular): 1 lb 7 oz (650 g)	Weight (size Regular): 1 lb 5 oz (590 g)
Thickness: 4 inches	Thickness: 3 inches
R-Value: 3.7	R-Value: 2.3

Geared more for comfort than extreme performance like the other NeoAir pads, the Topo and Topo Luxe are “pads for the people”. They pack down small for storage, don’t need to be laid open prior to trips to inflate properly, and are incredibly thick and comfortable. The Luxe clocks in at a luxurious 4 inches with a knit polyester fabric on top for maximum comfort, and is available in a 30-inch wide Extra Large size. The Topo saves a little money and weight in comparison to the Luxe, but is still 3 inches thick and packs down small.

Self-inflating Pads

ProLite Apex
Sizes Available: Regular, Regular Wide, Large
Weight (size Regular): 1 lb 6 oz (620 g)
Thickness: 2 inches
R-Value: 3.8

The lightest self-inflating pad that Therm-a-Rest makes, the ProLite Apex is an exceptional pad for just about everything. The unique StrataCore construction shaves weight from the pad and lets it pack down small, while retaining comfort and 4-season warmth. This makes it a fantastic option for everything from fast-and-light missions to river trips and casual weekends at a state park.

Trail Pro
Sizes Available: Regular, Regular Wide, Large
Weight (size Regular): 1 lb 13 oz (820 g)
Thickness: 3 inches
R-Value: 4.4

The Trail Pro takes all of the features that make the ProLite Apex great and turns comfort up to 11. An inch thicker and featuring a stretch knit top fabric for one of the most comfortable experiences possible in the backcountry, the Trail Pro is perfect for anyone willing to trade a few ounces for a great night of rest.

ProLite Plus
Sizes Available: Small, Regular, Women's Regular, Large
Weight (size Regular): 1 lb 7 oz (650 g)
Thickness: 1.5 inches
R-Value: 3.2 (3.9 in Women's)

One of the longest-standing staples of Therm-a-Rest’s lineup, the ProLite Plus is a fan favorite for a reason. It’s simple, and gives you everything you need and nothing you don’t. The ProLite Plus is incredibly durable thanks to it’s 50D Ripstop polyester shell, is incredibly light (weighing just 1 oz more than a ProLite Apex) and comes in an array of sizes for any need, from the UL Small that’s only 47 inches long, to the Large for the tallest backcountry users.

MondoKing 3D
Sizes Available: Large, XXL
Weight (size Large): 4 lb 6 oz (1990 g)
Thickness: 4.25 inches
R-Value: 7.0

The MondoKing 3D is the most comfortable sleeping pad Therm-a-Rest has ever made. Geared towards budget van life, car camping, and festivals, the MondoKing shares the StrataCore construction and stretch knit fabric that makes the Trail Pro such a comfortable backpacking pad, and combines it with a unique 3D construction that uses vertical sidewalls for a whopping 4.25 inches of thickness. This makes it the ideal car camping pad, as it inflates, deflates, and packs down smaller than a traditional air mattress from a store.

LuxuryMap
Sizes Available: Regular, Large, XLarge
Weight (size Regular): 3 lb 4 oz (1990 g)
Thickness: 3 inches
R-Value: 6.0

The LuxuryMap not only brings 3 inches of comfort to the table, but also uses a unique pressure mapping core to provide even more comfort when sleeping outside. While most self-inflating Therm-a-Rest pads have holes of some sort in the core, the LuxuryMap strategically has them where most people need pressure relief, the head/neck, shoulders, and hips, to provide an even more comfortable sleeping experience. The LuxuryMap also utilizes the TwinLock valves to make sure the 3 inches of comfort inflate and deflate quickly.

Foam Pads

Z Lite SOL
Sizes Available: Small, Regular
Weight (size Regular): 14 oz (410 g)
Thickness: 0.75 inches
R-Value: 2.0

A staple at trailheads around the world, the Z Lite SOL is perfect for UL hikers using it as their only pad or for layering with another pad (like the UberLite) to gain extra warmth overnight. With a reflective coating on one side that faces up when you use it, it also provides greater insulation than the Original Z Lite. It also folds up small, and makes a great camp seat when you’re taking breaks on the trail.