Gear Review: Therm-A-Rest Prolite Sleeping Pad
Posted on June 20, 2013 by
In almost every case of finding the right camping gear, it is a matter of balancing weight versus comfort. This is especially true when trying to select a sleeping pad. More comfort usually means more weight and bulk. Therm-A-Rest has a few categories for their sleeping pads: Fast & Light, Trek & Travel, and Camp & Comfort. As you would think, weight goes up as you move through the respective categories, as does the comfort level. The Therm-A-Rest Prolite mattress calls itself the "lightest, most compact self-inflating mattress." I selected the Prolite with the idea that it would be a good ultralight backcountry camping pad, and one that hopefully wouldn't be too uncomfortable to use for a few days on regular or car camping trips. To test it out, I took a brand new Prolite to Moab, Utah on a 6 day trip.
The regular men's size measures 20x72in when laid out, and is 1in thick. The thickness is pretty consistent - no bulging on the edges to keep you from rolling off. The pad has a tapered, mummy style shape to reduce some weight. Across the top surface is a pattern of diamond shaped air pockets, corresponding to the star-punched Urethane Foam underneath. It compresses down into a 11 x 4.1 / 28 x 10in stuff sack (included). The top surface is poly, the bottom is nylon. The R value is a modest 2.2, and it's rated as a 3 season pad. The pad weighs in at 16 ounces. There is also a women's version, in different sizing than the men's version. Therm-A-Rest products are made in Seattle, so you'll be comforted (no pun intended) in the knowledge that you are supporting a domestic company, if that is important to you.
I have to admit that I've developed a lower back issue over the past couple years. I don't normally have any problems with my back while sleeping, but did have a little pain while trying to sleep on my back on the Prolite. Unable to sleep on my back for very long on the Prolite, I had to do a fair amount of turning from side to side throughout the night. After six days, I was pretty much done with that process. If you don't have any back problems, you may not have any issues at all. Despite only 1in. thickness, the pad itself is soft and deceivingly comfortable. Though I did slide off the pad slightly a few times over six days, the poly top surface was not as slippery as other pads. There was none of the typical crinkling sounds or other noises you get while moving around on thicker, nylon pads.
Inflation was a breeze (again, no pun intended). The pad remembers it's shape; leaving the valve open will allow it to self-inflate if you leave the pad out for a few minutes. It only took a few breaths to get the pad fully inflated. It didn't lose much air at all overnight. Deflating and compressing the pad is pretty painless, too. It took a few times folding and rolling it up to figure out how to best get all of the air out. The pad does not come with a repair kit, but the quality of the seam bindings and the durability of the materials makes the possibility of a puncture seem slim.
As for warmth, the first night was a bit chilly (lower 40's), but the pad did a great job keeping me warm from below.
The Prolite retails for around $100 for a men's Regular. The Therm-A-Rest Prolite Plus (about $10 more) adds another 1/2" of thickness for a total R value of 3.8, making it a 4 season version. But that adds 6 ounces of weight and 2 inches to the packed size. For $60 more, the Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite is 2.5" thick, has a 3.2 R value, and is only 12 ounces. And for $90 more, the Therm-A-Rest XTherm, a 4 season pad, has a toasty 5.7 R value, is 2.5" thick, weighs 15 ounces, and packs down even smaller than the Prolite (9 x 4.0 / 23 x 10in).
Would I buy the Prolite pad again? Possibly, if cost were the most significant consideration. It's a well made pad and more comfortable than it looks. You can't go wrong with this on long, backcountry hikes or mountaineering excursions. If you have the budget, I would recommend upgrading to the NeoAir XLite. You can also consider the Big Agnes Q-Core series, which gives more thickness/higher R value but packs down just as small as the Prolite; the Big Agnes pads are not self-inflating, though.
Available from:
The regular men's size measures 20x72in when laid out, and is 1in thick. The thickness is pretty consistent - no bulging on the edges to keep you from rolling off. The pad has a tapered, mummy style shape to reduce some weight. Across the top surface is a pattern of diamond shaped air pockets, corresponding to the star-punched Urethane Foam underneath. It compresses down into a 11 x 4.1 / 28 x 10in stuff sack (included). The top surface is poly, the bottom is nylon. The R value is a modest 2.2, and it's rated as a 3 season pad. The pad weighs in at 16 ounces. There is also a women's version, in different sizing than the men's version. Therm-A-Rest products are made in Seattle, so you'll be comforted (no pun intended) in the knowledge that you are supporting a domestic company, if that is important to you.
IN THE FIELD
I have to admit that I've developed a lower back issue over the past couple years. I don't normally have any problems with my back while sleeping, but did have a little pain while trying to sleep on my back on the Prolite. Unable to sleep on my back for very long on the Prolite, I had to do a fair amount of turning from side to side throughout the night. After six days, I was pretty much done with that process. If you don't have any back problems, you may not have any issues at all. Despite only 1in. thickness, the pad itself is soft and deceivingly comfortable. Though I did slide off the pad slightly a few times over six days, the poly top surface was not as slippery as other pads. There was none of the typical crinkling sounds or other noises you get while moving around on thicker, nylon pads.
Inflation was a breeze (again, no pun intended). The pad remembers it's shape; leaving the valve open will allow it to self-inflate if you leave the pad out for a few minutes. It only took a few breaths to get the pad fully inflated. It didn't lose much air at all overnight. Deflating and compressing the pad is pretty painless, too. It took a few times folding and rolling it up to figure out how to best get all of the air out. The pad does not come with a repair kit, but the quality of the seam bindings and the durability of the materials makes the possibility of a puncture seem slim.
As for warmth, the first night was a bit chilly (lower 40's), but the pad did a great job keeping me warm from below.
The Prolite retails for around $100 for a men's Regular. The Therm-A-Rest Prolite Plus (about $10 more) adds another 1/2" of thickness for a total R value of 3.8, making it a 4 season version. But that adds 6 ounces of weight and 2 inches to the packed size. For $60 more, the Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite is 2.5" thick, has a 3.2 R value, and is only 12 ounces. And for $90 more, the Therm-A-Rest XTherm, a 4 season pad, has a toasty 5.7 R value, is 2.5" thick, weighs 15 ounces, and packs down even smaller than the Prolite (9 x 4.0 / 23 x 10in).
Would I buy the Prolite pad again? Possibly, if cost were the most significant consideration. It's a well made pad and more comfortable than it looks. You can't go wrong with this on long, backcountry hikes or mountaineering excursions. If you have the budget, I would recommend upgrading to the NeoAir XLite. You can also consider the Big Agnes Q-Core series, which gives more thickness/higher R value but packs down just as small as the Prolite; the Big Agnes pads are not self-inflating, though.
SPECS:
| XS | S | Regular | L | |
| Color | Daybreak Orange | Daybreak Orange | Daybreak Orange | Daybreak Orange |
| R-Value | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Weight | 8 oz / 230 g | 11 oz / 310 g | 1 lb / 460 g | 1 lbs 6 oz / 630 g |
| Width | 20 in / 51 cm | 20 in / 51 cm | 20 in / 51 cm | 25 in / 63 cm |
| Length | 36 in / 91 cm | 47 in / 119 cm | 72 in / 183 cm | 77 in / 196 cm |
| Thickness | 1 in / 2.5 cm | 1 in / 2.5 cm | 1 in / 2.5 cm | 1 in / 2.5 cm |
| Packed dimension | 11 x 3.3 / 28 x 8 | 11 x 3.3 / 28 x 8 | 11 x 4.1 / 28 x 10 | 13 x 4.5 / 33 x 11 |
| Top fabric type | 50d Poly | 50d Poly | 50d Poly | 50d Poly |
| Bottom fabric type | 70d Nylon | 70d Nylon | 70d Nylon | 70d Nylon |
| Foam type | Star Punched | Star Punched | Star Punched | Star Punched |
| Fill material | Urethane Foam | Urethane Foam | Urethane Foam | Urethane Foam |
| Country of Origin | Made in Seattle, USA | Made in Seattle, USA | Made in Seattle, USA | Made in Seattle, USA |
Available from:
