Three guys, a gardening pad and the quest for a better night's rest under the stars.
"We got started because I wanted a better sleeping pad," says John Burroughs, co-founder of Therm-a-Rest®. As an experienced mountaineer, John knew that the thin, closed-cell foam pads of the early 70's left a giant opportunity for the creation of something that offered a better night’s rest, resulting in more productive days in the mountains.
At the time, John was an engineer at the Boeing aerospace corporation. His two friends, co-founders Jim Lea and Neil Anderson, had just lost their jobs in the now-legendary Boeing layoffs that brought Seattle to an economic standstill in the late 60's and early 70's. As a project, John suggested that Neil and Jim focus on designing the more lightweight, comfortable and durable sleeping pad of their dreams.
The "Ah-Ha!" moment struck Jim one day while gardening. As he shifted his weight on his foam ground cushion, he heard air escaping from within the pad. A deduction was made that if open-cell foam could be secured in an airtight chamber, a valve could control internal air pressure. The combination of foam and air would protect and thermally insulate campers, keeping them warm and comfortable; plus, the tendency of open-cell foam to rebound would allow a compressed pad to self-inflate.
The First Prototype
A year and much field-testing later, they had reached a design that offered far superior comfort and performance than anything that had existed before. John dubbed it the "Therm-a-Rest". Cascade Designs, Inc. was started as the company to sell it, a patent application was filed and, by 1972, the Therm-a-Rest self-inflating mattress was on its trajectory to revolutionizing outdoor comfort. It would become an integral piece of gear for millions of outdoor enthusiasts around the world.
Ireland Made
In response to European demand, 1985 brought the opening of our Midleton, Ireland production and distribution facility. This addition of an "in-market" hub allowed us to efficiently meet the needs of a rapidly growing customer base, while also maintaining the exceptional quality and customer service that allow us to stand behind every Therm-a-Rest product with a warranty that's second to none.
Sleep Systems
In 1994, with a nod to the future, we introduced the world's first-ever integration of sleeping pad and sleeping bag. Though the idea was ahead of its time, we would spend many years refining the concept, culminating in our current offering of system-based sleeping bags and blankets.
The Invention of NeoAir®
With an insatiable drive to innovate, we released the NeoAir® insulated air pad in 2009 - the single greatest innovation in outdoor sleep comfort since the original Therm-a-Rest pad. Combining two patent-pending technologies, the NeoAir pad has been recognized with over a dozen awards and remains peerless in its ability to deliver more warmth per ounce than any other camping pad.
New Sleeping Bag Technology
The 2012 acquisition of LuxuryLite® ultralight cots again allowed us to introduce a product that redefined an entire category, and the release of our new sleeping bags and blankets–integrating bag and sleeping pad into a cohesive, comfort-boosting system–are sure to do the same, with the Hyperion and Polar Ranger sleeping bags recognized with Editor’s Choice Awards from Backpacker Magazine.
TwinLock™ & WingLock™ Valves
In 2020 we updated all Therm-a-Rest sleeping pads with high-volume WingLock™ and TwinLock™ valves. Three and five times faster than traditional valves, these systems also offer one-way inflation meaning no more wasted effort while inflating.
WarmZip™
In 2024, we released the WarmZip™, a patent-pending center zipper design that reduces a sleeping bag's internal space and tucks insulation around the sleeper to boost warmth by up to 10F/6C.
Therm-a-Rest Timeline
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1971
In a quest for a better night’s rest under the stars, the self-inflating mattress is born from the collective vision of Jim Lea, Neil Anderson and John Burroughs.
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1972
Seeing great promise in their product, the trio forms the company Cascade Designs, under which the world’s first self-inflating sleeping pad will be manufactured and sold.
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1973
The original Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad–the “Standard ¾” rolls out to the U.S. market from a temporary production facility in Seattle, WA.
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1975
The U.S. patent office agrees; Therm-a-Rest is something special, awarding Cascade Designs a patent for the self-inflating sleeping pad.
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1985
Cascade Designs Limited formed in Ireland to manufacture and sell Therm-a-Rest mattresses in Europe.
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1986
The game-changing RidgeRest® foam mattress is introduced, utilizing a pattern of heat-molded ridges and valleys to elevate the performance of basic foam sleeping pads.
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1992
Therm-a-Rest introduces three models of chair kits: Lite, Long & Camp Rest
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1993
Therm-a-Rest introduces the Synergy System™ sleeping bag, the first of its kind to feature a built-in sleeve for a sleeping pad.
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1994
The Z-Rest® closed-cell foam mattress sets a new standard in ultralight comfort that stands the test of time. It remains the go-to choice for long-distance hikers seeking ultralight comfort.
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1995
A high-tech, in-house cold-chamber is built on-site, allowing us to achieve another first: accurately measuring R-value of our sleeping pads and for the development of the first Therm-a-Rest® sleeping bags.
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1995
The first NeoAir® air pad and a host of patented technologies are developed, providing previously unimaginable warmth and stability in an air mattress.
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1996
Vertically die-cut foam technology is developed as the most efficient way to create even lighter sleeping pads without sacrificing comfort; another Them-a-Rest “first” that remains a standard in the industry.
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2005
Seeing an opportunity for upcycling the foam cut from the new ProLite™ pads to reduce waste, Compressible Pillows are created.
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2011
Sleeping bags re-introduced along with many new unique design features including ThermaCapture™ technology, Toe-asis™ foot warmer pockets, Zoned Insulation and SynergyLink Connectors.
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2016
Therm-a-Rest, along with a group of other sleeping pad manufacturers, began developing a standard methodology for rating the insulative properties of sleeping pads, that would become known as the ASTM F3340-18 standard.
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2018
Designed in conjunction with renowned polar explorer Eric Larsen, the Polar Ranger winter sleeping bag wins a Backpacker Editor’s Choice Award: “Not only is this bag warm enough for deep, sub-zero cold, it also has features that we often don’t see all in one package.”
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2020
As technology allows us to craft lightweight, high-volume mattresses, WingLock™ and TwinLock™ valves are developed to make inflation and deflation faster and easier than ever before.
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2024
WarmZip™ is introduced, a patent-pending center zipper design that reduces a sleeping bag's internal space and tucks insulation around the sleeper to boost warmth by up to 10F/6C.
Shop Award Winners
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• Award Winner
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• Best Seller
Polar Ranger™ -20F/-30C Sleeping Bag
The lightest, most feature-rich down sleeping bag for high-performance in the extreme cold. -
• Best Seller
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• Best Seller
