One of my NeoAir air mattresses developed a slow leak. I need to add air to it about three times a night, when it deflates enough for me to wake up, usually when one of my hips is resting on hard ground. I’m a side sleeper. The leak wasn’t easy to find. This seems to be a common complaint: the leak is difficult to locate.

NeoAir Mattresses are Popular

The NeoAir is arguably the most popular backpacking air mattress. I have three of them. A torso-sized for fast and light trips, a full-sized length for ultimate comfort, and a “XTherm” model for extra sleeping insulation in colder weather. I bought my first NeoAir probably 10 years ago or so. To protect my mattresses from punctures, especially  in deserts, I first try to clear the area from anything that could cause a hole, and then always place a 1/8″ foam pad under the mattress.

All of mine have been trouble free and reliable. Today the retail prices for the different models of the NeoAir range anywhere from $145 – $225.

Each new NeoAir comes with a repair kit and spare kits can be purchased also. Therm-a-Rest sells two kinds of kits. A small field repair kit for “instant” repairs, and a home “permanent” repair kit, which takes much longer to cure. They also sell a inflation valve repair kit.

Finding a Leak

Repairing an air mattress is simple. Finding the leak often isn’t. Unless there is a large hole or tear in the material, the mattress is going to need to be submerged in a large water container while looking for air bubbles. Herein is the problem — often there aren’t any bubbles — even though the mattress always leaks. So here are the steps:

• Inflate the mattress until it is very firm.
• Place the mattress into the water container. A bathtub works best. A full size NeoAir, which is 72 inches long or the large size at 77 inches in length are not going to fit in a standard bath tub. You will have to submerge sections at a time.
• Just submerging the mattress is going to be a fight. The air in the mattress will be fighting you to float to the top.
• For difficult to find leaks, submerging alone may not be adequate.

At first I couldn’t find the leak. I had to push the mattress all the way to the bottom of the bathtub, applying ample pressure to hold it firmly against the bottom of the bathtub, which increased the internal pressure. When I did this, bubbles appeared.

What Can be Patched

I don’t know how big a hole or tear can be repaired, but the patch probably needs to extend at least 1/2 inch from any damaged point. It should be obvious that a leak at the seam on the edge of the mattress cannot be patched.

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT Ultralight Camping and Backpacking Sleeping Pad, Lemon Curry, Regular

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$209.95 (as of October 18, 2024 13:56 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

The standard for ultralight backpacking. The XLite NXT mattress delivers unrivaled comfort and warmth for minimal weight Foam-free NeoAir design weigh… read more

Therm-a-Rest Camping Mattress Permanent Repair Kit, 4-Hour Cure Time, Includes Adhesive and Instructions

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$15.95 (as of October 17, 2024 16:43 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Permanently repair all current Therm-A-Rest mattresses 4-hour cure time Kit includes: (4) Colored Adhesive Patches, (1) Clear Adhesive Patch (2) Alcoh… read more

Therm-a-Rest Instant Field Camping Mattress Repair Kit

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$10.95 $8.21 (as of October 17, 2024 22:14 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Works on all current Therm-A-Rest mattresses Kit includes: (3) Alcohol Prep Pads, (6) Glue Dots and (3) Cover Patches and Instructions Designed for em… read more

My NeoAir was leaking along a seam, as you can see in the picture at the very top of this post. So, I need to send it to Therm-a-Rest. It should (hopefully) be covered under warranty. A warranty replacement mattress may not be the same exact model when purchased, as Therm-a-Rest has changed the line over the years. They also reserve the right to replace a mattress with a cosmetically blemished product. If mine is covered under warranty, I will be happy with these potential replacement restrictions.

Therm-a-Rest Repair & Warranty Services

Mattresses have a limited lifetime warranty. All of us know how that usually goes with most products. However, Therm-a-Rest has a reputation of going beyond the limitations of the warranty to satisfy its customers.

If you can’t or don’t want to repair your mattress yourself, Therm-a-Rest provide a flat fee of $20 to repair up to 10 holes. The company feels that if there are more than 10 holes, the mattress is no longer repairable or is beyond its life expectancy. The $20 includes return shipping, which seems to be a more than reasonable and fair charge to the customer. Shipping a product to them is the customer’s responsibility. They do recommend you ship with a carrier that provides delivery confirmation.

Before sending you mattress to Therm-a-Rest, you need to go to their website and complete a “Return Authorization” form. You will be given a RA number that should be included on shipping package. This way, Therm-a-Rest has your contact information stored electronically. I also included a paper copy of the confirmation email inside the shipping box.

Therm-a-Rest’s repair serviced closed down way back in March due to the coronavirus pandemic and just re-opened on June 15th, so there is going to be a longer wait time than normal. Here’s the blurb from my confirmation email:

In my case, the instructions stated that if there will be be a charge for repair, they will contact me after receipt of the product to review payment options and actual cost.

And now I wait to hear back from Therm-a-Rest.

Update

Therm-A-Rest replaced my mattress at not cost. It was covered under warranty. Given that I shipped it during the COVID Pandemic shortly after they head re-opened, the service was outstanding. I wrote about in Cascade Designs (Therm-A-Rest NeoAir) for the Win!

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT Ultralight Camping and Backpacking Sleeping Pad, Lemon Curry, Regular

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$209.95 (as of October 18, 2024 13:56 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

The standard for ultralight backpacking. The XLite NXT mattress delivers unrivaled comfort and warmth for minimal weight Foam-free NeoAir design weigh… read more

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT Ultralight Camping and Backpacking Sleeping Pad, Neptune, Regular

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$239.95 (as of October 18, 2024 13:59 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

3-inch-thick ultralight air mattress trusted by alpinists and mountaineers looking for extra warmth and durability in the backcountry Reflective Therm… read more

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT MAX Ultralight Camping and Backpacking Sleeping Pad, Solar Flare, Large

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$249.95 (as of October 18, 2024 13:58 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

The standard for ultralight backpacking. The XLite NXT MAX mattress delivers unrivaled comfort and warmth for minimal weight Foam-free NeoAir design w… read more

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