Thermarest Neoloft Sleeping Mat

I’ve long been a minimalist when it comes to sleeping mats. For years now, my go-to mat has been one of those tiny, sub-200g, ¾ length inflatable mats with all the holes cut out of it so that it looks more like a skeleton than a mat. But of late, with the quality of some of the newer inflatable mats out there, going maximalist instead is becoming increasingly tempting. That’s especially so now, having just spent a week sleeping on Thermarest’s NeoLoft mat. Maaaaan, is it ever comfortable!

In fact, at nearly 12cm thick, the NeoLoft is almost a quantum leap in comfort within the backpacking-mat category (car-camping-oriented mats belong to a separate category entirely); this thing is plush. I have slept on far more uncomfortable regular bed mattresses on many occasions. And here’s the thing; it weighs just 842g for the 185x66cm regular wide version (the one I slept on; there’s a 710g 185x56cm regular version and a 910g 198x66cm large version as well). Yes, I know those figures will have weight weenies turning up their noses. And even before said weight weenies have a chance to feel the mat’s heft, just looking at the size of the regular wide NeoLoft in its stuff sack will have them eschewing it; when combined with the pumpsack, the package is about the size of two 1L Nalgene bottles. (Note: The mat sits loosely in the stuff sack; if rolled tightly, the mat on its own is about a third smaller.) But the UL crew is only a portion of the outdoors community, and I can guarantee there are loads of people who would more than willingly trade the NeoLoft’s bulk and weight (which, at as little as 710g, honestly isn’t really that bad) for its sheer luxe comfort.

But it’s not only the mat’s huge 11.7cm thickness that gives it this comfort. Vertical sidewalls increase the mat’s horizontal platform, meaning it’s far less likely you’ll feel like you’re going to roll off it. The mat’s fabric has multi-directional elasticity, and is apparently the first ever air pad to incorporate a stretch knit. I could genuinely feel the difference this made; it conformed to my body superbly, and I had not a single hotspot during the week I spent on the mat. The fabric has a nice texture as well, with a plush finish that’s lovely to touch. And then there is the NeoLoft’s 4.7 R-value, which takes it into true all-season-mat territory. No, it’s not quite the 7 you might find in winter-specific mats designed for snow camping, but I was using it in winter on nights dipping well below zero, and never felt the cold.

A mat this big needs to get a lot of air in … and out. Addressing the former, the pump sack included with the mat is huge, the biggest mat-specific pump sack I’ve ever seen. Despite its size though, you can still, depending on your skills, expect to need 5-8 sackfuls of air to fill the NeoLoft. Many people might want to consider a minipump; Thermarest has a 70g one which will do the job effortlessly. And then there’s getting all that air out. The mat has a large-diameter dedicated dump valve, making the mat easy to deflate.

In sum, no, this is not a mat for everyone, notably the UL crowd. But for so many others, particularly those who prioritise comfort, the NeoLoft is a game changer.

If you liked this piece, you should subscribe to the print mag. Only a fraction of the great stories we run in the mag make it to our website; if you want to read them, head to subscribe.wild.com.au.