As has been quoted, the NeoAir is rated at 2.5 R-Value. The way it works WITHOUT using insulation is by a patented 'Triangle Core Matrix' and radiative heat. All of the materials inside the pad are aluminum coated. It's also split into two parts with a very thin durable plastic aluminum coated material seperating the two layers. The idea is that to top half will radiate heat to the person while the bottom half will send the cold back to the ground.

The other part of this, the 'Triangle Core Matrix' uses many baffles to trap the air thus not allowing for convective heat loss. The natural response to this is then how do you blow it up? The material that makes up this matrix is similar to dryer sheets, allowing the air to be forced through the material, but trapping it once it's there. By doing this you don't get the traditional circulation that accounts for heat loss.

The pad is super easy to roll up and is able to easily fit into a micro-sized stuff sack (sold seperately, but it's a nice stuff sack made from Codura sil-nylon and well made). The pad's material has a silicon treatment that keeps it from sliding around, although it does attract sand (which incidentally is easily wiped off). The valve is identical to all valves on Thermarest and the user can blow up the pad without concern of wetting down the insulation since there is none.

It's also fairly durable, at least as puncture resistant as any other pad Cascade Designs makes and the welding creates an exceptionally strong bond. One of the concerns of this pad is that if it is punctured, all the insulative qualities are lost. The solution to this was a new type of repair kit offered for 2009, called the Fast and Light Repair Kit. With it you can perform a permanent repair in a matter of minutes, unlike the Hot Bond Repair kit which takes a full 24 hours to cure. The only pad this new repair kit won't work on is the LuxuryCamp pad. This kit includes a series of gummy patches along with a clear 3M patch to go over it. All that's required is a little cleaning over the hole, applying this gummy material over it, pressing it around the hole, and then placing the clear patch over it. In a few minutes you will have a permanent repair! Therefore if you do experience a hole in the pad in the middle of the night, you can easily repair it and get back to sleep in about 10 minutes. The Hot Bond Repair kit doesn't work on the NeoAir pad.

As I said in a previous post, this pad's main attribute is it's comfort which is far better than the traditional large bellowed air-only pads whether insulated or not. There was always a compromise with those pads. The benefits were light weight and packability, but for sheer comfort, they weren't the best choice. The NeoAir has solved this comfort dilemma by using horizontal baffles vs. vertical ones and having a lot of them. The price is high, but the techology is amazing and works! I've never regretted buying something that does what I need it to do and meets my expectations based on the price paid. The NeoAir does that and more in my opinion. It is my current favorite piece of gear.