What a great way to have two pads in one. With the pillow top, you've got your luxury, and when you need a backpacking sleep mat, just slip off the pillow top and you have a light weight (1lb 13oz) and still comfortable pad. As with all Nemo gear I've tried, this thing screams quality. Horizontal baffles keep your weight more evenly distributed, you won't sink into the middle as can sometimes happen with vertical baffles. It's a wonderful mat for us side sleepers and feels stable. An integrated foot pump makes for a quick set up, and a raised pillow area can either function as one, or it will help keep your pillow from sliding off the mat. Really nice design with the Cosmo, very comfy for such a light weight pad. I am spoiled rotten and love my comfort and I would be perfectly satisfied with this in a backpacking situation. But if I'm car camping, I like decadence.
Enter the pillowtop. The washable fabric is very soft and substantial microsuede, and there's about an inch of foam that makes for extra comfort and warmth between you and the mat, for a total of three inches between you and the ground. This adds warmth and makes the pad useful for three season camping. I can toss around on this and never feel the ground, it's very comfy and cozy. The whole system packs down quite small into an included stuff sack which is great if you are limited in your cargo space or storage space at home. If you could have only one pad, the Cosmo Air with Pillowtop is a solid choice, find it HERE.
