Reader Reviews

Rating: 3 / 5

Of course this is really quite similar to many other reviews of POE gear here...but this product is notable for:

- Full-length, mummy-footprint comfort.
- Compatible with bags such as the Western Mountaineering Pod15 and Pod30.
- 1.25lbs. weight.
- Good support and years of service without a single leak.
- Easy to inflate with any pair of lungs.
- Slippery to stay on top of!
- Not insulated. Comfortable...but not necessarily warm.
- Easily *un*comfortable if over-inflated.

The weight and reliability of this piece of kit have kept me from even trying a Therm-A-Rest for summer sleeping. However, a recent purchase of a Gossamer Gear Nightlight and ThinLight has cut this weight in half and might provide equal comfort...but only field experience and time will tell.

But notable for its bomber construction, ease of use, and general comfort across years of circumstance and conditions, from Hawai'i to the Sierras.

Rating: 5 / 5

The POE Max Compact is a great mattress. It provides 2.5 inches of cushion and blows up pretty quick. It is durable and though not lightweight, is worth the extra ounces for a good night's sleep.

I purchased one for myself and my wife and we have been using them for about 2 years.

They have served us well from HI to MI to NC.

Rating: 4 / 5

I found this pad to be extremely comfortable (better than the bed I slept on through college), but it doesn't take much to get a chill through it. I bought a Gossamer Gear Thinlight pad for insulation, and found that only works with the thinlight on top, not under the air pad.
Perfect for travel where you might find yourself sleeping on the floor, not as good for cold ground.
My sister is currently using it on a South Pacific Island, so I'll let you know how it fairs in the tropics.

Rating: 3 / 5

I'll be posting a similar review under the POE Max Thermo regarding the quality of the pad. First, the pad is as comfortable as advertised, so I won't go into details about this. My comments are concerning quality.

The Max Compact I own has developed a pinhole leak near the inflation nozzle, which I have to assume has developed from rolling and folding the pad repeatedly. I haven't tried repairing the pinhole as it just happened, so maybe I will edit this post at a later date with the results of the fix job. My POE Max Thermo developed holes that I haven't been able to repair. It's probably time to test POE's customer service department.