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How do I repair my Therm-a-Rest mattress and/or obtain warranty service?
Click here to download the Universal Therm-a-Rest Mattress Repair Instructions, including how to locate leaks and make repairs in the field or at home on any mattress model.
If you have further questions about repair or warranty, or would like to send your mattress to us for repair. In the U.S., please contact our Customer Service department at 1-800-531-9531. For worldwide service and repair contact information, please click here.
Can I replace the valve on my Therm-a-Rest mattress?
Yes. A Therm-a-Rest Valve Replacement Kit will replace all metal and plastic mattress valves. Instructions for the kit can be found here.
What do I do if water gets inside my mattress?
Roll the mattress up to force the water out of the open valve. If there is a lot of water, you may have to do this several times. Hang the mattress upside down with the valve open in a warm, dry place. It will take about three days for the mattress to dry out.
What is the best way to clean my mattress?
Regular cleaning will extend the life of your mattress, especially if you sleep in direct contact with its surface.
Do not put your mattress in the washing machine. Cleaning with a hose or in a bathtub is best. Do not forget to close the valve while washing. For general cleaning, a quick scrubbing with Formula 409®, BioClean™ All-Purpose Cleaner, or other general household cleaner is best.
What’s the best way to remove tree sap/tar?
For tree sap, spot clean with a cotton rag soaked in rubbing alcohol. This will take some work and sap will likely leave a stain. However, a dusting with talc or baby powder when you are done should eliminate any residual stickiness.
My mattress doesn’t seem to self-inflate. Is it defective?
Likely not. Although all of our foam-core mattresses self-inflate, (the NeoAir™ mattress does not have a foam core, therefore mouth-inflation is required) the extent to which they do is directly related to the properties of their foam. For example, our Camp & Comfort™ mattresses inflate incredibly fast because they use a much denser foam with a greater ‘memory’ of its uncompressed state. The ultralight, die-cut foams in our Fast & Light® mattresses on the other hand are chosen for their extremely light weight, trading off some self-inflation efficiency for ultralight performance and may require a few breaths to inflate fully.
If your mattress is new, or has been stored rolled or compressed for a significant amount of time, it could take up to 24 hours for the foam inside your mattress to fully regain its loft and maximum self-inflating efficiency. To help with this, we recommend inflating your mattress fully by mouth to help stretch the foam core back to its original loft.
What’s the best way to inflate my NeoAir™ mattress?
Unroll your NeoAir mattress and open the valve. Blow air into the first section of the mattress and close the valve. Push the air from the inflated section into the bottom, non-inflated section of the mattress with the valve still closed. Open the valve and continue inflation. A regular length mattress takes an average of 20 strong breaths to inflate fully. Once inflated, you can personalize firmness by lying on the mattress with the valve near your head. Simply reach up and open the valve slightly to create your ideal level of support.
Will moisture build-up and ruin my mattress if I blow into it?
No. We have spent decades refining our coatings and fabrics to withstand such things and this assurance of lasting quality is what separates Therm-a-Rest mattresses from every other competitor. However, minimizing moisture is always a good idea. Always allow self-inflating mattresses to inflate on their own as much as possible, then just top them off with a few breaths at the end for added firmness. We also recommend storing your mattress unrolled and with the valve open. This keeps the foam core at maximum loft and allows any moisture build-up to evaporate slowly.
Will my breath freeze when blown into my mattress at low temperatures?
As your warm breath condensates in the cold, it is possible in extremely low temperatures to get a small accumulation of ice crystals inside your mattress. However, these pose no puncture hazard to any of our mattresses and the moisture itself is not a problem at all. (See “Will moisture build-up and ruin my mattress if I blow into it? “)
My NeoAir mattress loses air throughout the night. Do I have a leak?
Unless your mattress is going completely flat, it is unlikely that you have a leak. What you are noticing is the natural effect of cooling. The air you are inflating your mattress with is at body-temperature and, like all air, it contracts when cooled. A few more breaths once the mattress has cooled to ambient temperatures should suffice.
What’s the best way to store my mattress?
NeoAir™: Your NeoAir mattress can be deflated and rolled tight for storage. We recommend leaving the valve open and storing your mattress in a stuff sack to protect it from dirt and sharp objects.
All Self-Inflating Mattresses: Store all self-inflating mattresses dry, unrolled and with valves open. Beware of extreme heat in places like attics and parked cars that can damage your mattress permanently. Under a bed or behind a couch that’s against a wall are good, space-saving options. (See “How Do I store my NeoAir mattress?" for instruction on storing non-self-inflating mattresses.)
RidgeRest® or Z Lite™ Closed Cell Pads: Store your RidgeRest pad flat or loosely rolled. Z Lite pads can simple be stored in their pre-formed accordion folds. Though fine for active use in the field, neither should be stored long-term with straps to hold it rolled or attached to a pack or under heavy objects. This can permanently deform a closed-cell mattress.
What side of the mattress do I sleep on?
Sleep on the side with the logo. It is made of our nonslip fabric to ensure that even with a slippery sleeping bag, your mattress stays under you all night long. The bottom is generally a more rugged fabric that adds protection from punctures and abrasion. Some of our mattresses also come with small urethane dots on the bottom to prevent it from sliding around during the night.
What is R-Value?
Technically speaking, R-Value is a measurement of a given material’s resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-Value, the greater the insulation provided.
How is heat lost while sleeping?
There are four methods heat is lost while sleeping:
Conduction — This is heat loss through two adjacent substances due to a temperature gradient such as direct contact of your warm body with the cold ground, and the primary type of heat loss that a mattress reduces. Without a mattress or pad, you will continue to lose heat until the ground beneath you (e.g. the planet) warms—a battle you cannot win. The higher the R-value of your mattress, the slower this process becomes and the warmer you will sleep.
Convection — This is active heat loss when warmed molecules move from one place to another and take the heat with them. In a sleep situation, this is generally encountered when a breeze blows across you or into your sleeping bag, moving away the warmed air around you. Your sleeping bag and tent reduce this method of heat loss.
Radiation — The transfer of heat energy between two objects via electromagnetic waves. This heat transfer does not require a medium - think about how the sun warms your face from way out in space on a freezing day. Redirecting those waves will minimized this type of heat loss is. The reflective barrier in our NeoAir mattresses does just this and contributes to their exceptional warmth.
Evaporative — Evaporation occurs when a liquid changes to a vapor. This “phase change" requires energy (heat) and your body is the source of it. There are two ways this cooling takes place.
Insensible or active perspiration is the direct loss of vapor through the skin, such as while breathing. This effect is enhanced greatly when in an extremely dry environment due to the driving effect of a humidity gradient. For instance, the extremely dry air of deserts and high altitudes can vaporize sweat before it has a chance to accumulate on your skin. When inhaled, it pulls more moisture from your body as well, raising the need to be hyper-vigilant when it comes to staying hydrated.
Sensible or active perspiration has a powerful and straightforward cooling effect, via the formation of sweat on your skin. On a hot summer day this is great, but sweating profusely because you are overdressed and overheated in winter can wet-out your insulative layers, requiring vast quantities of heat from your body to dry them, with disastrous results.
How does self-inflation work?
In general, a self-inflating mattress is comprised of an open-cell foam core and an airtight fabric shell with valve. When you open the valve on a compressed self-inflating mattress, the open-cell foam core expands, inflating the mattress passively as it pulls air to the inside. Once inflated, you can adjust the firmness with additional breaths, or by letting air out.
