I'm 5' 6.5", 150lbs and tried a Neoair Xlite 66" at the store the other day and it seemed to fit. I was pretty surprised that nothing was hanging over. I'm mainly a side sleeper and do curl a bit, but even on my back, my heels and head were on the pad - yes 20" a bit narrow at elbows. Can anyone think of any downsides to getting this vs. 72" pad. Would a little bit of sleeping bag drape over the foot of the pad reduce a lot of thermal efficiency.....etc?

Edited by lakemcd on 10/12/2012 09:20:28 MDT.

I am 5'9" and 165# and see only upside in using the woman's Xlite over the men's regular version. Has only the length I can use, so it is lighter and takes up less room in my pack. And the woman's version is clearly warmer than my original Neoair. Very happy with it so far.

I'm 5'10" and use a 64" pad as full length by having my pillow off the pad. the pillow has to be a little thicker, but I have enough raingear and socks to make that happen.

Here are the specs that seem relevant:

Men's regular Neoair xlite
$160
20in x 72in
12oz
R rating of 3.2

Women's Neoair xlite
$160
20in x 66in
11oz
R rating of 3.9

So for women's model you give up 6" of length and get benefits of 1 less ounce and slightly better insulation.

For me I don't think the benefits of the women's model outweigh the 6" of length I'd be giving up. I guess it depends on balancing the factors and deciding what you want. A person's height is obviously a major consideration, if you're say 5'4" or less then it's a no-brainer. . . .

Edited by hes on 10/12/2012 15:09:16 MDT.

It depends on how you use your pad.

I use my spare clothes bag for a pillow, which I want ON the ground at the end of my pad, not on it.

I am 69 inches tall, so, a 66 inch Thermarest Prolite Plus Women's model is perfect for me. The pad starts at my collar bones and my feet still have a little room at the end. I can't stand having my heels on the hard ground - just a personal quirk of mine.

There is no weight difference between the Thermorest Prolite Plus 72 inch men's pad and the women's 66 inch pad; both are 24 ounces. There is a significant difference in the R value of the women's model; 4.6 vs. 3.8 for the men's. I'll take the extra insulation value, which, depending on the season, may allow me to leave my merino wool top and/or bottoms at home. I don't view the one ounce difference in the Neoairs as significant.

Edited by wandering_bob on 10/12/2012 16:00:11 MDT.

My wife has an XLite Women's and I have the XLite Men's. My pad--though longer--is actually lighter than hers by half an ounce (11.55 vs. 12.45 oz). I've slept on both, and I'm not sure that it is much warmer. If it fits you, it's fine, but just know that there seems to be no weight advantage to either pad.

If I was going to use a Neo Air, I'd use the 66" length model.

I have a 66" original NeoAir and have loved it.

I'm 6'1"!

I place my Montbell pillow "above" the head end and I fit comfortably. If I was your height, that's the length I would get. I own a Large too, and man is it awesome!

Thanks everyone for your input. I just ordered a Xlite in 66" of of ebay and am looking forward to trying it out.