About Thermarest
Posted by Mark Richardson on Sep 03, 2024
Our Story
In 1971, a mix of unemployed Boeing engineers, a leaky foam gardening pad, and the dream of better nights under the stars came together to change how we experience the outdoors forever. By 1972, Cascade Designs was formed and began selling the Therm-a-Rest Standard 3/4 – the world’s first self-inflating sleeping pad. The rest, as they say, is history.
Thermarest can rightly claim that they started a minor revolution in backpacking comfort, before 1972 there was the 'closed cell foam mat' to sleep on that provided insulation but little comfort. Since 1972 we've had self-inflating mats and then ultralight airbeds from Thermarest and other companies that have transformed the quality of sleeping outdoors. Since moving into sleeping bags in 1997 Thermarest have demonstrated that whatever they do is to an amazingly high standard.
Built in Ireland
When our company was founded in Seattle, the founders were adamant about crafting the highest quality gear possible. To them, quality had multiple dimensions. It was about the using the best materials to craft high-performance gear that lasts, yes, but it was also about being a company in which customers could trust and believe. To accomplish this vision of quality, it was imperative, from the beginning, that Therm-a-Rest products were made in market.
When Cascade Designs Inc. opened its European headquarters in Midleton, Ireland in 1985, the founders made sure that its core values reflected those of the North American operation. Settled in the heart of the close-knit Midleton community, the factory manufactures nearly all of the Therm-a-Rest pad assortment for the European market, and employees over 100 staff.
Innovation & Technology
Sure, we made the first self-inflating mattress but, more than that, our legacy of groundbreaking technologies continue to define the entire category of outdoor comfort. Fifty years of experience means we’ve spent decades more than anyone focused exclusively on crafting innovative solutions to outdoor comfort so you can make the most of your time outside.
Advocacy & Sustainability
We are vested in doing all that we can to preserve and advocate for the wild places we all love and rely on. From locally adopting trails and supporting conservation organizations, to globally making the right choices in materials and manufacturing in-market to reduce our footprint, we believe that doing it right matters now for a bright future.
Thermarest can rightly claim that they started a minor revolution in backpacking comfort, before 1972 there was the 'closed cell foam mat' to sleep on that provided insulation but little comfort. Since 1972 we've had self-inflating mats and then ultralight airbeds from Thermarest and other companies that have transformed the quality of sleeping outdoors. Since moving into sleeping bags in 1997 Thermarest have demonstrated that whatever they do is to an amazingly high standard. In 2022 Thermarest was 50 years old. They were the first to design a self inflating sleeping mat for backpackers, and have been innovating ever since. Thermarest, we salute you.