In 2009 Therm-a-Rest revolutionized the sleeping pad industry with the NeoAir which uses a reflective barrier and triangular core matrix. This combination keeps the pad weight down in the ultra light range yet maintains the thickness, warmth and comfort formerly found only in luxury pads.  Therm-a-Rest has expanded their NeoAir line over the last few years and the XLite is one of the newest models.  The XLite has a tapered design to save 15% in weight over the original NeoAir.  The XLite is available in small (8oz), medium (12oz) and large (16oz) so one can go as minimal or luxurious as desired while still maintaining an ultralight weight.  The XLite also has a women’s model (model shown) which has an additional reflective barrier for those who sleep cold.  This additional barrier ups the regular XLite 3.2 R-value to 3.9 for the women’s model.  Will the XLite be the best pad we’ve ever seen? We’ll have to sleep on it to find out.

We will be testing this item over the next couple of months. Please stay tuned to the Gear Reviews section for this review. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook for instant notifications when reviews are available.