dulciusexasperis

Backpacking mattresses are designed for a specific purpose. A primary factor is how easily one can be punctured if laid on top of some kind of sharp object like a rock, sharp stick, etc. You do not have that factor to consider in this case.

Thermarest is known for it's tough outer fabric shell and resistance to puncture. But it is also known for the fact that you do not 'blow it up', you just let the foam inside expand when you open the valve and allow air to enter and 're-inflate' the foam. This is why you are reading that it is harder to 'deflate' than 'inflate'. In fact, you do not let air out of it, you roll and 'force' the air out of the foam from the bottom up. Then you close the valve which stops air from getting back in. Some people do add a couple of breathes of additional air to give it more firmness after it 'self-inflates' but even if punctured and that is not possible, the foam will still have expanded and provide a comfortable pad. I hope that makes it clear to the non-backpackers. A Thermarest actually works in an opposite way to an air mattress.

Typical air mattresses of any kind including the SeatoSummit example above, are useless if punctured obviously as they must be inflated to be of any use. It is not unreasonable to argue that for the intended use on a plane, this should not be a problem although if you did somehow puncture it, it would be useless. So there is a small risk to consider there.

The biggest factor in my opinion would be how much your choice weighs and how bulky it is when packed away.

fumje

Possibly. Most pads are not thick — they 'elevate' by perhaps less than an inch — but an inch could be the difference between clearance and contact.

flyerbjorn

I'll probably get a Therm-a-rest with a foam core, as dulciusexasperis explained. Probably the Evolite (2" thick) or Evolite Plus (2.5" thick). The ~$150 cost isn't a really concern to me, since I fly longhaul almost every week.

fumje

When you lay on it, it elevates by less than the nominal thickness. @:-)

trooper

The best answer for comfort Ive experienced is NZ's memory foam mattress in J.... but its huge even when rolled up!!!!

GoSh4rks

frankmu

I bought my kids the Therm-a-rest NeoAir XLite SpeedValve https://www.thermarest.com/mattresse...r-xlite-max-sv It uses a large opening and the Bernoulli effect to inflate. The really nice thing is the large opening makes deflation a piece of cake. It packs up to about the size of a beer can (ok, Sapporo beer size). It can be crinkly for some, however. I've been tempted to borrow them for some time.

flyerbjorn

So I bought a Therm-a-rest mattress pad from REI and I've used it 4 times so far in UA Polaris. I got the same model as the one mentioned in the blog post linked by anc-ord772, EvoLite. It's 2 inches thick and less thermally insulated than other models. I didn't get the EvoLite Pro: even though it's thicker (2.5"), it's got a higher R value (ground insulation) and I was concerned about it being too warm. REI has the Evolite on sale in case anyone wants one. I like it so much I bought one for my wife too. The Regular size is ideal for a Polaris seat.

The self-inflation is so-so, so I usually inflate it with a few breaths. Packing it up is straight forward: Lie of it with an open valve, fold it 3-4 times and sit on it, then fold it two ways sideways and roll it up. I'd say it takes about 1 min to inflate and 2 min to deflate.

The biggest problem is heat and regulating your temperature. These things are made to sleep outdoors and insulate you from the ground. SFO-CDG and FRA-SFO are exposed to the sun, so I was too hot. SFO-SYD-SFO worked better. The key is to regulate the air flow from above before lying down.

All up, I'm very happy with this and sleeping much better. I'll bring this every time from now on.



In seat 9A on a 777 with the new Polaris 1-2-1 configuration.



In seat 2A on a 787-9 with the 2-2-2 Polaris configuration.



Packed up and ready to go.

Johnson21710

As a avid and long-time backpacker, I've used a number of air mattresses and self inflating pads over the years. Self-inflating pad are generally 1" to 1.5" thick and generally require a few breathes of air after they've finished self-inflating. I think they'd be comfortable used with the mattress provided. The main thing is the noise level in minimal. Since they have foam inside them, they are more bulky that an air mattress. Your standard air mattress is 2.5" to 4" thick and needs to be fully inflated. They make a number of pumps, both manual and battery powered to assist in filling them. Because they are thicker, they can keep your hips off the ground which is an issue if you're a side sleeper (like I am). Since they usually contain a minimum amount of filler (some have down or reflective shields on the inside to up their R value), they are much more compact. The downside, especially with the ones with reflective filler, is that they tend to be noisy. Kind of like sleeping on foil but not quite as loud. Generally when camping with friends who have these pads, you hear them moving around at night due to the Crinkle effect. I think some would be very distracting to other passengers.

Flyerholic

Completely Agree. Ain NZ has this sorted. Maybe UA could have a look at what NZ do and try that

Ready2SailAway

So glad I found this discussion -I had suggested the idea of an inflatable backpacking air mattress on a different thread, but folks there were skeptical.

I'll be flying AA LAX-HKG RT in J next week and realized that even with AA's new Casper bedding enhancements, it's still an airline seat cushion you're lying upon.

So I ordered that Therm-a-rest EvoLite regular size 20"x72" from Amazon Prime -received yesterday and my first impression was just how compact & lightweight the thing is!

Will practice unrolling, letting it inflate, then deflating & rolling it up and packing into its stuff sack before I leave for my trip next week.

I'll report on my experience after return...

flyerbjorn

I have traveled 20-30 longhaul flights with the inflatable mattress pad and I now wouldn't travel without it. It's a great way to enhance your sleep on planes.

You need to watch out for overheating. Even though this is a thin mattress, it insulates between your body and the seat, so your body heat "bounces back" at you. I found a fitted sheet works really well for this. I got this one: https://seatosummit.com/product/coolmax-fitted-sheet/.

And in planes that have manually adjustable air conditioning, leave it open.

trooper

My first thought on viewing this thread! One certainly would get strange looks trying to bring an NZ style pad onboard! (Huge is the right word...lol)

flyerbjorn

I have a global role with my company and fly many different airlines. Unfortunately not NZ, as I'd rather fly SYD-SFO direct on UA.

Most FAs I speak to have never seen anyone bring their own mattress pad on board, but find it a very clever idea.

uastarflyer