Therm-A-Rest Trail Seat vs Therm-A-Rest Lite Seat

This is a comparison of and a discussion about the Therm-A-Rest Trail Seat and the Therm-A-Rest Lite Seat. These are inflatable cushions that can be used not only by campers, hikers, and backpackers, but also for stadium seat cushions at sporting events and concerts, or as cushions for seats on airplanes, trains, and busses. In fact, the size of these lends itself very well to making coach seats on airlines a whole lot more comfortable for international or otherwise very long flights.
These self-inflating cushions are made in the USA of very durable materials such as ripstop polyester weave outer and urethane foam inner and they are made by a great company Cascade Designs with a well trusted brand name for outdoor gear Thermarest. They offer quite a lot of comfort and some nice insulation between you and whatever surface you might need to sit on... such as while sitting on aluminum risers at a football game or in a stadium seat at a baseball game or just a big flat rock on top of a mountain.
I own them both (and more than one of each, in fact) and I can recommend them both, but there are some pretty big differences between them that you should know before you purchase one or the other.
Therm-A-Rest Trail Seat amzn.to/2byTY9D
Therm-A-Rest Lite Seat amzn.to/2byTD6x
Manufacturers Website Cascade Designs Therm-A-Rest www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-a...

Пікірлер: 47

  • @Super.Quasar
    @Super.Quasar6 жыл бұрын

    Most thorough review of a simple item I’ve ever seen. I like it. Thanks.

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    6 жыл бұрын

    I'm glad this was useful information for you! Thanks for taking the time to watch!

  • @MrBoxer1200
    @MrBoxer12004 жыл бұрын

    Very good and comprehensive review. I have used Thermarest pads and seat for years. Good coverage.

  • @SierraPrecursora
    @SierraPrecursora7 жыл бұрын

    I've used the Trail Seat constantly, in my car for my back, for more than a decade now. It is a wonderful, quality product that stays the course. Thanks for the comprehensive comparison with the Lite Seat. Well done!

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    7 жыл бұрын

    The trail Seat in this video ended up in a computer chair I have to sit in often. It made a huge difference in my day pretty much every day. These are quality and surprisingly durable. .. I'm glad you found the information useful! Thanks for taking the time to watch!

  • @TheInzip
    @TheInzip7 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for this very thorough and well-researched video!

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    7 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for taking the time to watch! I'm glad this was useful for you.

  • @CDPOutdoors
    @CDPOutdoors4 жыл бұрын

    Great review. Both of my mats are inflated stored. Both are still very comfortable. Newest one is about six years old and still fully inflates when in use. The older one is over 8 years old and as the other one still fully inflates when in use. All the best mate Regards Clive

  • @hummarstraful
    @hummarstraful2 жыл бұрын

    Bought the green one and used it on two 3-hour flights and it literally saved my ass! It actually made me even relax and enjoy the flight for the first time (Denver to Knoxville.) Put me in a good mood. Didn't realize how much the hard seats on Frontier and the pain was stressing me out. Got mine for about $20. Highly recommend!! Also, it can be just rolled up and shoved into your suitcase very easily without anything wrapped around it. Just do it quickly before it unfolds. Let me also add, that I wasn't sure how an "inflatable" cushion would perform compared to the other types out there (gel and foam.) But I can tell you the air-filled cushions are super comfortable, work great and there are several companies that make them and they are all pretty much the same and the advantage is you can roll them up instead of having to carry around a big cushion. So, go for an air cushion.

  • @NT-jm9uh
    @NT-jm9uh5 жыл бұрын

    Very helpful. Thank you for your eye to detail.

  • @Fluxdux
    @Fluxdux7 жыл бұрын

    I started with the smaller one due to packing size. Now, I added the big one to my property because I want a device which remains at home on my office chair and I have a bigger rear end. Great review btw..

  • @kevinklein4748
    @kevinklein47482 жыл бұрын

    Good job in explaining the self inflation mechanism... I never thought that I would carry something like this for wild camping. I always thought of these things as an unnecessary gimmick. However, after several hours of sitting on edgy rocks and hard wood in front of the camp fire - sometimes with everything being all damp and wet - I decided to give the Lite Seat a try... and boy, what a game changer! Not only does this make you sit a lot more comfortable over a longer period of time, but this will keep your clothing clean and dry as well. Plus it also comes in handy for when you're trying to climb out of your tent. You won't need it on a day hike, or overnight camp... but on a seven day wild camp, you'll definitely notice the difference. It packs so small that it can be strapped to the exterior of your backpack as well.

  • @GlobalAdventurer
    @GlobalAdventurer4 жыл бұрын

    I've had both, the original green is the way to go! Mine totally outlasted the orange one.

  • @denelll.bennettsurvivorwar8224
    @denelll.bennettsurvivorwar82246 жыл бұрын

    *Fantastic! Thank you so much!*

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    6 жыл бұрын

    I'm glad this was useful for you! Thank you for watching!

  • @us5634
    @us56346 жыл бұрын

    Thank you...helped me to decide which one would work for me.

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    6 жыл бұрын

    Excellent! These are well made. You'll be happy with whichever one it is that's the right one.

  • @NeilHancock
    @NeilHancock4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the video! FYI the Amazon links no longer go to the active listings (not sure if they are affiliate links and if that matters or not).

  • @storm480
    @storm4807 жыл бұрын

    Great review. Buying mine now.

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    7 жыл бұрын

    I'm glad the information was helpful! Thanks for watching!

  • @steveh6483
    @steveh64835 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the great info, I do long distance flying to the Philippines and my rear gets sore on the commercial airline seats. This could possibly be the solution to the discomfort!

  • @Oldsparkey
    @Oldsparkey7 жыл бұрын

    I keep my Therm-A-Rest sleeping pads inflated and only deflate them just before I leave for camping so I can pack them. I DO NOT ( huff and puff ) blow any air in them since moisture from my breath will get inside and over time cause mildew. A standard Therm-A-Rest mummy mattress about 1/2 to 3/4 inflated works wonders as comfortable insulation in a hammock. It stops a person from having a case of the Cold Butt Syndrome when you lay in the hammock. Thank you for the video and now I know which way to go. I'm believe the Trail Seat would work better as a makeshift frame ( about 1/2 inflated ) inside the inner sleeve of my light weigh backpack due to it's extra inch in length and width. Plus as a seat when in camp.

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    7 жыл бұрын

    I agree with you about keeping pads partially inflated and you're sure pointing out something more people should be concerned about... The mold and mildew that can grow in inflatable pads. I like some of the newer designs that come with stuff sacks that can be used as pumps. Avoiding inhaling whatever spores might be growing in an inflatable pad or avoiding allowing it to happen in the first place (or at least mitigating the issue as well as you can) should be on everyone who uses these things minds. ... I'm glad this video was useful to you making a decision! Thanks for watching!

  • @dallashill23
    @dallashill232 жыл бұрын

    Dude you’re awesome

  • @alanjhornung7077
    @alanjhornung70778 жыл бұрын

    Great Review very good info .

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    8 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! And thank you for watching! I appreciate your time.

  • @flipout50
    @flipout506 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for this. Very helpful. A suggestion about the audio for this video- disconcerting how you keep talking at the transition points and the your voice fades out or interferes with itself.

  • @thaddeusmikolajczyk9055
    @thaddeusmikolajczyk90557 жыл бұрын

    Good info.

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    7 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching!

  • @msilverhammer
    @msilverhammer8 жыл бұрын

    Wow, I thought that rocks, boulders, and logs were what I was supposed to be sitting on, when I was out in the woods. Here all along, I could have had one of these nice cushy self inflating mats. While working as a wildness patrol range in Alaska, I usually just sat in, or on my kayak; or when resting, or eating on shore, I would try to find a comfortable rock or boulder to sit on for awhile. Of course, I did have a non-self inflating pad for sleeping on in my tent which worked well. We did have these little canvas chairs, if you want to call them that, but they were basically just a backrest, that would give you some lower back support, but you were still at ground level. I would have loved to have had a regular size beach chair, that would allow me to sit like I was at my desk, or the dinner table, and the pad would have just been extra nice support on top of that. Unfortunately, size and weight precluded the carrying of any type of chair, except maybe in a car camping scenario. Actually, that small pad would probably have worked great in my kayak seat, which I never really liked that much. The older I get, the harder it seems to be for me to get my shoes and socks back on, if I have taken them off to cross a stream, or for some other reason, as I just prefer to be elevated in order to perform the shoe fitting task, not flat on the ground. I never can find a suitable downed log, or boulder when I need one. Anyway, I digress, but I think that the pads look good, and you mentioned some uses, like airline seats, football games, and probably wooden picnic tables; now point me in the direction of a chair that weighs next to nothing, can support 250 pounds at least, and fold up for easy storage on, or in a backpack. I will then gladly place one of your recommended seat cushions on the seat of that chair. By the way, do these have an R value rating? THanks for the time to make the review.

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    8 жыл бұрын

    I can actually do exactly what you want. I have one of these and I sort of showed it a little bit on camera in a couple of my tarp videos... I'm sitting on it in the second half of the Aqua Quest Defender Camo/Prairie Storm Pitch video. Search Amazon for "Tribe Provisions Ultra-light Compact Portable Adventure Field Stool". It weighs about 12 ounces, is rated to 250lbs, and easily fits in just about any backpack because folded, it's 16" long and about 2 1/2" diameter. That little stool has been part of my kit for about 2 1/2 years and I don't know what I would do without it. And, though I have once or twice threatened to do a video on that stool, I never really seriously considered it until now. I might do a really short video on that in the next week or two. Regardless of if or not I get a video done on that, I highly recommend it.

  • @Jwatchdizzledrip3003

    @Jwatchdizzledrip3003

    7 жыл бұрын

    Great info and well worth the time.

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    7 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching and I'm glad the information was useful to you!

  • @TheStephen3417
    @TheStephen34178 жыл бұрын

    Great job do more of it do more of it great job or see some more we need to know the saying god we need to go the woods thank you

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    8 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! And thanks for taking the time to watch!

  • @michaelreed649
    @michaelreed6498 жыл бұрын

    Great video as usual. How is the texture. Are they soft or plastic feeling. They both seem great.

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    8 жыл бұрын

    They are a 50 D polyester outer with a urethane membrane bladder and urethane foam inside. It's a little hard to describe what it feels like... it isn't a plastic feel, but it isn't a cloth feel either because of the stiffness of the inner layer. It's a whole lot like a very tightly stretched polyester tarp, I guess. ... Thanks for taking the time to watch another one!

  • @phatoutdoors306
    @phatoutdoors3065 жыл бұрын

    Would one of these double as a kneeling pad for around camp? Great review BTW!

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    5 жыл бұрын

    Sure. I don't see why not. You'll want to blow them up a little more firm than you might for sitting on them, but they're both thick enough to cushion your knees.

  • @jonathanpipe8249
    @jonathanpipe82497 жыл бұрын

    do you know if it would do any damage to the green seat padpad if it was folded in half before rolling it up ?

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    7 жыл бұрын

    I don't think it will hurt it.

  • @jonathanpipe8249

    @jonathanpipe8249

    7 жыл бұрын

    Cheers thank you.

  • @robertproben2022
    @robertproben20228 жыл бұрын

    On the trail Seat can up roll it up smaller or is there a reason why you can not? THANK YOU!

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    8 жыл бұрын

    It can be folded in half before being rolled up, but it comes out about 5 inches thick and 6 1/2 or so inches long, and it wants to unroll so you have to keep a good grip on it until you get a rubber band on it. It has more urethane foam inside than the lite seat, so it's harder to roll up folded, but it can be done that way. I hope that helps! Thanks for watching!

  • @robertproben2022

    @robertproben2022

    8 жыл бұрын

    thanks, that helps a lot! Well done.

  • @whatfreedom7
    @whatfreedom74 жыл бұрын

    I just need the most cush for my tush. Mainly for my kayak cause the seat sucks.

  • @betweenfiveandseven

    @betweenfiveandseven

    4 жыл бұрын

    They're really similar. Just anecdotally since it's a sample of one of each of probably millions they made: My light-seat is still in service and my trail-seat gave up over a year ago.