Customer Reviews

Therm-a-Rest Lite Seat

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I recently moved to Arizona and have been doing some moderately rigorous 8-10 mile day hikes in the Superstition Mountains. A friend of mine let me try his Therm-A-Rest Lite Seat during a lunch break on one of our hikes. I fell in love with it and immediately went out and bought one for both my wife and myself.

It is truly a little piece of heaven during an otherwise rugged day. It weighs less than 4 ounces and folds up to be a little smaller than the size of a soda can; so you hardly notice it your pack. When inflated it's a little bigger than a legal size sheet of paper, and about 1.5 inches thick. I would not have thought a 1.5 inch thick cushion could have been so comfortable (even on somewhat rocky terrain)! So far, I've used mine on dozens of trips and can't imagine ever hiking without it again. If I stop and sit for even five minutes, I take it out and use it since it inflates and deflates so easily and quickly. I especially like it when I sit down for longer periods and I can prop my pack against a rock and put this cushion under my butt... It's almost like sitting in a reclining chair!

Finally, it seems like a fairly durable and versatile piece of equipment. I clear any big or sharp rocks out of the way to be safe before using it (it is only 1.5 inches thick after all), but the fabric is pretty tough, so it should last a while and not get damaged by normal rocks or sticks. Plus, it's great for seats at ball games, boats, picnic tables, etc.

In sum, I highly recommend giving this seat a try (and I see no reason to try a bigger or thicker seat since this one is so good and takes up so little space). I agree it seemed a little expensive at first, but once I gave it a try I found it was absolutely worth it.

After our last uncomfortable flight I decided no longer would we be subject to the poor comfort quality of the "Flotation Devices" the airlines call seat cushions. This seat pad was an excellent solution for my lack of natural built-in padding. I'd recommend filling it up, sitting on it, then slowly letting the air out until you feel most comfortable. I noticed it was most comfortable with barely any air in it.

I bought 3 different self inflatable seat cussions at amazon.com. found this one is the best. Easy to use, right size, and more comforable. I have to get rid of the other 2 and reordered 2 more of this one. Love it.

Bleacher seat at sporting events. Airline seat. Camping seat cushion. Camping insulation, for instance under feet. Hammock camping pillow. Airline pillow (can be underinflated and folded in half). PLay frisbee at campsite (it flies!) Gear pad at camp. Pot holder (if pot not too hot). Foot cusion under stocking heels on floor or airplane. Water toy/float (not for lifesaving). Backrest on wooden chair (e.g. library). Computer elevator for laptop. Blow up rigid for a lapdesk/writing lap desk. Float your drinks in the pool next to your lounger. Butt rest at any long meeting. Small doggie pad. Dog pooping pad (washable). Bicycle seat pad (underinflate and drape over seat). Pad for keys, iPod and cell phone on your desktop. Picnic ground pad/table pad. Crock pot holder. Insulation for tent, groundpad or tarp campers. Lumbar support in car.

The light weight, and variable inflation changes in character of this pad make it invaluable. You will come up with 100s of uses, and yet the darn thing rolls to 6 inches long, and 2 inches wide, fitting well in a deep pocket or backpack. It weights less than 5 ounces, and is virtually indestructable. I went to an all day rock festival and used this for everything from leaning on a pole to low-inflated as a insulating wrap for my beer. It is a pillow to look at the clouds.

It comes with a written Limited Lifetime Warranty from Thermarest and it states that they will replace it, plus return postage, free of charge for any structural defect. If you tear it, and that's not easy to do unless you have claws, then there is a repair kit (I have never used). I literally own four identical ones of these pads, all from Amazon and Altrec. I can pad bony prominences in my sleeping bag with them, and use a couple of them when lying on the floor watching the televison with my wife.

A+

I bought this as a car seat pad for sciatica pain. It's functional, does the job and easy to move around (it fits in my purse) in the event I need to take it with to the theatre. It's been a good fit for me.

This seat cushion was probably the most important item I took with me on a recent trip. It is lightweight and takes up very little space. Thanks to this seat cushion, I was able to comfortably sit on concrete stadium stands for many hours.

The Therm-a-Rest Lite Seat is the answer to seat discomfort on planes and buses,for me.Where the seatback joins the seat cushion,constant downward and forward passenger pressure eventually crushes and flattens the seat cushioning.The base of the back becomes numb right in the coccyx(tailbone) area.
I looked for a solution under foam cushions in Amazon.None had a review listed dealing with this issue oddly enough.Actually,many cushions,if not all, were thought to be inadequate in many lesser tasks of seating discomfort.Travel,in my estimation,is the most demanding trial for a seat support.
The answer was in the inflatable listings.Of all those listed,the Therm-a-Rest Lite Seat #1797331 is the one cited.It is about 11"x14" and it fits in your pocket with all air evacuated.It was recommended by two other long distance travellers in the Amazon reviews.

Here's a tip,read the brochure accompanying the item regarding inflation and subsequent adjustment once it's under you.
Also,for max comfort and relief of numbing seats,try this.Move the cushion under you until it is just forward of the base of the tailbone.
With this item even the Greyhound bus is a joy to ride let alone a Quantas jet to Australia.
Therm-A-Rest makes a larger seat cushion, but it is too big for the seat location.Incidentally,I am 190lbs.for your reference.
Last point,don't forget it when you leave the seat just because discomfort is no longer an issue.

For two weeks this was the best thing since sliced bread. It helps my back from hurting when sitting on hard surfaces. However after about two weeks of normal use it sprung a leak. I can't yet find where it is leaking, perhaps along the seem, but it is disappointing. Although they have made a good quality product I am not sure there is anyway for an inflatable cushion to hold up. I might try the foam filled one, which will not be as light as this one, or as small when rolled up, but perhaps it will not deflate.

I got this to keep my butt from hurting when I sat on the hardwood benches in the court house where I am for about 6-7 hours a week. I was okay for about one hour but uncomfortable after that. will not return but will look for a "larger" stadium type pillow.

I love this mat when inflated, it's so comfortable and nice to rest the bum after a good stretch of hiking ... but the self-inflation feature doesn't seem to work too well. Perhaps I have it rolled too tight? Doesn't matter though - three big puffs and it's inflated so I don't mind ... although the self-inflation does get in the way when trying to deflate it!