Very difficult to inflate and deflate.  I bought this and a self inflating mat to test out the difference.  I ended up not even using this as I didn't have a pump to inflate it.  If you buy one, make sure you have something otherwise you will end up light headed from trying to blow the thing up.  The valve also made it very difficult to deflate.  I think it will work for some but I found it more nuisance than it was worth.  Somewhat heavy and awkward when compared to the self inflating mats.  If you have a few extra $ I would spend a little more on a better one.  I will probably give this one away or use it as a pool float.