Your opinion on a pad

I a having trouble sleeping and would like try somthing else, other than my 1.5 in therm-a-rest.

I'm a side sleeper and not sure about air pads for ballance and comfort.

I'm thinking about a BA aircore, a neoair would be nice but I'm not sure its worth twice the money

I'm also a side sleeper. I've tried both the NeoAir and the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core, and I've settled on the BA pad (a rectangular 66" pad.) Both were equally comfortable, but the NeoAir felt fragile - it never failed me, but it never inspired confidence, either. They both seem equally warm, too, and equally easy to use; neither is as simple to use as the Thermarest you now have, since neither is self-inflating. The BA pad is definitely cheaper, and a good value for the money.

For what it's worth, my hiking buddy has my NeoAir, and absolutely loves it.

How's that for helping you make up your mind?

I to sleep on my side and tend to roll around. I have both of these pads and really cannot tell the difference except for weight--and the BA pad is till not bad. So far the NeoAir has held up the couple of weeks I used it. I used a BA pad in 2006 when I hiked the PCT and it never failed me even in some nasty conditions.

I mostly sleep on my side and after some seasons on the BA/POE insulated mattresses (full and 3/4 length) I tried the NeoAir last season and have switched permanently. I suspect the biggest comfort difference is the NeoAir cross-wise air chambers, but whatever the reason it's just more comfortable.

I also had to learn to put less air into it.

The other payoff is less pack space. The darn thing is tiny.

Cheers,

a lot of mixed reviews on the Neo floating around... but I have been comfortable on it in the hammock and on the ground, in temps ranging 20-40F. I went to hammocks for the comfort and am only occasionally on the ground.

No experience with the BA pads and no desire to - the Neo is lighter and more compact.

I'm a side sleeper too and I was uncomfortable with different 1.5" pads, but at 180 pounds no part of me was touching the ground. It was lack of a pillow to bring my head and neck up straight with my spine.

I got one of the small inflatable foam sit-upon pads, maybe 20"? Inflate it slightly and fold it over to double it. Made a small pillowcase with the open end on the length instead of the width and a drawcord. Put the pad in the case, stuff in my down jacket too, slip it over the end of my sleeping pad and cinch down the drawstring.

Now I sleep comfortably with a 1-inch pad, and the "pillow" doesn't slide away in the middle of the night.

Yep, wish that helped me. But the only way I get more than 3-4 hours of sleep is to use a hammock. Pillow or no pillow, the regular old thermarest resulted in about an hour a night in five-ten minute increments.

At least the Neo Air gives me a few hours of sleep, if not continuous ones. And my hip doesn't sink through to the ground like all the other Thermarest pads.

I've got the POE Thermo and for ground sleeping find it pretty comfortable. I'd still rather be in a hammock but when I can't it sure beats a Thermarest. Take a look at Kooka Bay, a new cottage industry maker who is getting great reviews over on Backpackinglight. His pads ar super light and you can get them made to size and filled with down for warmth.

well it's heplful thanks

Ive debated ordering a short wide one from Bender for my wife. She hates having her arms hang to the side when sleeping on her POE pad.

If you're going to be out any nights below 40* F, you need an insulated air pad--either the Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether 6 or the Big Agnes insulated air pad.

I found the NeoAir far less comfortable and also got cold below 40*. Below freezing the NeoAir requires a thick CCF pad for extra insulation, which does away with any weight savings over the POE or BA insulated air pads.

Note that any air pad should be blown up only part way. A fully inflated pad is about the same as sleeping on a brick. My best results are with my POE insulated air pad blown up about halfway--keeps my hips off the ground but keeps my spine level when I'm on my side (I do have "ample" hips!).

Whatever you get, spend several nights on the floor with it to make sure it works for you before taking it out in the field.

I have my eye on one of those Kooka Bay down mats for the future.

A lot of reviews say this - makes no sense to me, as I have had it into the 20s without a foam pad without issues. And since I use it in the hammock part of the time, ground type/temp has little to do with it. YMMV, clearly.

I have had the same experience as Lori down into the 20's with no issues with my NeoAir. My Therm-a-Rest ProLite 3S was not as warm as the NeoAir for me (though it was still fine for the temps. I generally was in).

I have a Big Agnes Aircore Pad. Imo, It is a great pad for anything above 50 degrees, anything below that, and it starts to suck heat away from your body, especially if using the BA style bags with no bottom insulation. It is really durable, lightweight and packs small. If I were to buy another pad soon, I would get the upgraded insulated version. Using my gear primarily in MN, the pad is limited to only about two months out of the year, so the insulated pad makes more sense to me if you're up north.