Size Matters
Like backpacking, bikepacking rewards a minimalist approach to your gear. Packing light starts with stripping things down to the essentials and keeping the must-haves as light and packable as possible. A good place to start is with your sleeping kit, specifically your sleeping pad. A good pad can make the difference between a restless night and waking up feeling ready to ride. And a good packable pad can free up valuable packing space.
While most sleeping pads aren’t especially heavy, they can take up an outsized amount of space. For years, I relied on the closed-cell foam Ridgerest for backpacking and mountaineering. It’s lightweight, virtually indestructible, and you can throw it down anywhere without worrying about punctures. But when it comes to bikepacking, the old Ridgrest doesn’t exactly fit neatly into a traditional bikepacking bag setup.
That led me to the THERM-A-REST NeoAir XLite NXT inflatable sleeping pad.
The NeoAir XLite has long been the benchmark for lightweight sleeping pads, and the newer XLite NXT builds on that reputation with a handful of subtle refinements, all while remaining impressively light, comfortable and most importantly packable.
The NeoAir XLite sets the benchmark for lightweight sleeping pads
Highly Regarded
The NeoAir XLite NXT consistently lands at the top of the ultralight sleeping pad category and for good reason. THERM-A-REST effectively set the standard for lightweight pads with the original NeoAir XLite and then refined the standard with the XLite NXT. It’s half an inch thicker when inflated, boasts a higher warmth rating, is more durable, and, perhaps most importantly, is quieter (83% quieter according to the specs). Quieter, you ask? It’s related to the material’s crinkliness. Basically, the new material is noticeably softer and quieter as you move around at night, something you and your tent partner will appreciate.
What sets the NeoAir apart isn’t one standout feature. It’s all of the little details that add up: the intuitive one-way valve, small packed size, solid durability, comfortable thickness, and quiet fabric. The NeoAir is the proven inflatable sleeping pad design against which other pads are measured.
Small Enough to Fit any Bag Setup
What pushed me to start using a lightweight inflatable sleeping pad was the need for a pad that packed small enough to fit in a bikepacking setup. The NeoAir XLite NXT packs down to the size of a 1-liter water bottle, making it easy to stow in a range of bikepacking bags, including small fork-mounted packs, seat packs and handlebar bags.
THERM-A-REST lists the regular size at 13oz / 379g. Packed with the inflation sack and stuff sack, our scale came in at 15.5oz / 439g. Even so, that’s still impressively light and competitive with other ultralight pads in the category.
Combine the NeoAir with a lightweight sleeping bag or sleeping quilt, and your sleep system can weigh as little as 2-3 pounds.
A Worthy Upgrade
The NeoAir XLite NXT strikes an impressive balance between comfort, low weight, and packability. For bikepacking, backpacking, or general camping, it’s a worthy sleep-system upgrade that genuinely frees up space without sacrificing comfort.
Get the THERM-A-REST NeoAir XLite NXT direct from Cascade Designs – $199 (on sale for $150 until 5/25/2026)
Read our bikepacking tent recommendations
Offpistemag.com is created by skiers and riders, for those dedicated to backcountry adventure on ski and bike. We offer an authentic, user-based perspective on backcountry ski, adventure cycling gear and related mountain culture.
Off-Piste Mag is an AI-free zone. All content is created by experienced skiers and riders. If you find a mistake on offpistemag.com, rest assured it was made by a human being.
Support us! Offpistemag may earn a small commission from affiliate links when you shop through our links and banners.
