The fly sheet material is more thin and scrunchy than the laser’s, as I expected if course since you could buy 2 of these for the price of one laser. The frame of the helium creates a bit more height, making sitting up in more comfortable. The colour of the inner tent is a very attractive russet. I find it a very warm and uncramped space to be in, with the reservation that it has one zip that opens only to the one diagonal, so immediately feels more enclosed than the laser with its two zips to allow access by both flaps of the one side. I will have to give more consideration to the direction of pitching if there’s wind and rain and i want to cook in the shelter of the foyer. The foyer is not as deep as the laser’s - by not much - but I still see room there for an emptied pack, boots etc.. The ventilation system, being the small triangular end vents and a small amount of inner mesh at each end of the inner, and the top half of the door, is much less than the laser’s, which itself attracted a fair bit of condensation - so we will have to see about that. The pack size is great, and i like the footprint, which i bought as part of the bundle. Unlike my (17 yr old) laser, however, the lack of end-venting attachments and toggles inside means the outer and inner are easily separated for erection or packing, and i can imagine sometimes doing without the inner and just sleeping on the footprint.
The way the inner ‘snaps’ onto the plastic hooky bits of the outer using elastic cord feels a bit brutal on the cord. I would prefer a more robust connector, but in practice this may not be an issue at all. I cannot say how it performs in the field yet but I will be spending 4 weeks in Ireland with it this Summer, by which time I will know all its foibles and whether i will regret the saving of £300+ over a new laser or not!