On our wishlist was a self-inflating camping mat that would roll up fairly small, but be comfortable enough for long trips. Ideally, it wouldn’t have a shiny plastic-like surface for sleeping bags to slide off, and it would have valves we could trust. We narrowed our search down to Exped, Thermarest and Vango. We decided against mats by companies such as Outwell, Kampa, Robens and Gelert because they all tend to use the same sharp-edged valves inside the fabric. Over time, this can rub the fabric and eventually cause a leak. To be fair, that can be years down the line, but we wanted to see if there were better designs out there. The first thing you notice with the Exped mats is that they seem a cut-above many of the high street brands in the choice of materials and quality of manufacture. And you certainly pay for the difference! The Comfort range has single and double mats ranging in thickness from 5cm to 10cm, and including the mighty Mega mat, which is more of a guest-bed than a travelling mat.
The camping-size (though still generous) LW models have a Velcro strip along the side so that two mats can be joined together. They inflate themselves through a single flat valve (there’s a second valve for deflation) and have foam in strips inside to increase the comfort. It takes 24 hours to get the mat fully inflated the first time it comes out of its carry-bag and a bit of puff helps the process. A tip we’ve learnt over the years: if you’ve got the space, leave your self-inflating mat semi-inflated (you can fold it in half to take up less room) rather than keeping it scrunched up in its bag. Fantastically comfortable, warm and look great…but you have to pay the price! Exped also make a huge range of camping mats that have built-in pumps – not so convenient for quick setting up (or for use where you don’t have a stable surface to press on, such as in a car). The upside is that they’re much smaller and lighter, and, in the case of the Downmats, very well-insulated.
The Downmat we tried felt very well-made and the pump quite effective, once you get the knack (watch the entertaining videos on their website!). We liked it for comfort too. Thermarest invented the self-inflating mat, so they ought to know what they’re doing. The most comfortable in the range is the 7.6cm thick LuxuryMap camping mat, which comes in regular, large and extra-large sizes. The internal foam varies in thickness so that you get support where it’s needed without adding unnecessary bulk and weight. We tested the large, and liked the single valve with its nicely rounded inside – no sharp edges to wear through the fabric. Comfortable, lightweight, but a bit harder than the Exped. That might suit some sleepers. The Comfort camping mat range offers thicknesses of between 5cm and 10cm and there are single, double and a ‘Grande’ extra-wide single to choose from. The top material is fairly soft and slip-resistant and the self-inflation works with just one valve.
We weren’t so keen on the sharp edge of the valve inside the fabric, as this has a tendency to wear through the fabric over time. We tested the Comfort single 7.5cm. There’s also an Adventure DLX 7.5, which is a little more expensive and operates with two valves. Comfortable, though slightly more solid feeling than the Exped. The valves are still the sharp-edged type, but the fabric feels tougher and so more able to cope with the wear. And just out of interest…we also looked at the Duvalay memory foam mats with built-in duvet. Sadly, we weren’t convinced. We tried a 4cm three-season weight version (around £120) and found the cover a bit cheap and scratchy. Our main problem, though, was that we couldn’t see an advantage in building the duvet and foam into one product. In fact, we thought it just made it hard to get the cover on and off for washing. But, people do seem to love them, so we’ll accept that tent campers perhaps aren’t the market. They’re really intended to soften an uncomfortable bed, and for that you do need to opt for the more expensive, thicker mattresses.
Got a camping bed, mattress or mat that you love (or hate!)? There’s something to be said about roughing it with nothing but a sleeping bag and tent, but there’s no shame in being a little more comfortable than that. A mattress will add some extra weight to your pack, but if you don’t like sleeping right on the ground, you’ll be happy to have it. Nothing’s worse than carrying the extra weight for an air mattress that ends up being a total dud, or falling asleep on a perfectly inflated mattress only to wake up flat on the ground. This can be avoided by going with a sleeping pad, for example. A sleeping pad is more reliable in terms of survival gear and if you opt for one you need to keep that extra weight in mind. We ensured that the weight was kept below 5 lbs for our reviews. Anything higher would be too taxing for your pack. There are options, but how do you choose the best bed for camping? Take a look at the pros and cons of all the highest rated options, figure out what best fits into your budget, and you’re well on your way to finding the best camping mattress.
Don’t worry, you aren’t on your own. As usual, we’ve got you covered with an informative and helpful guide that takes the guesswork out of buying camping gear. We’ve done all of the heavy lifting for you, so here are our top choices in several different categories. No matter which type of camping bed you’re looking for, we want to help you pick out the best one. Even if you aren’t really sure what you’re looking for yet, by the end of this page you’ll know more than enough to make up your mind. This is a smaller, lighter version of the traditional air mattress that you might be picturing. It gives you that little extra bit of cushion between yourself and the ground, without taking up as much space in your pack. It’s a good compromise if you want to save room compared to a full air mattress or a camping pad, but when you also want a little more comfort. It’s also very affordable, and has great reviews. It self-inflates, but you’ll need to blow up the pillow yourself.
If there’s a single weak point to this item, it’s the pillow – so just keep that in mind, you may want to bring something better for your head, or just wrap up a couple of shirts to use instead. This is a great camping pad. The Adventurer Camp Pad weighs only 4.25lbs, which isn’t negligible but if you’re backpacking and have the extra room, it’ll make life a lot more comfortable. The foam is two inches thick, so it gets you off of the ground and helps if you’re not on the flattest surfaces, too. It’ll fit on most standard size cots, and has ties on the ends to make sure it stays in place, along with a fold for your pillow. It includes a roll-assister which helps you pack it up as small as possible when it’s time to pack up camp. Overall, it’s a very solid choice with hundreds of 5-star reviews. But if you don’t want your pad right on the ground, and you’ve got some extra room and don’t mind the extra weight, you can grab a nice camping cot to go with it.
As usual, Coleman’s got you covered. This easy-folding cot stores away into a small carrying bag, and is super simple to setup. You can put your camping mat on it, and you’ve got something close to the best bed for camping without breaking the bank. It can support up to 300lbs, and somebody who is up to 6 feet 8 inches tall. The little table that attaches to the side is also handy, we all know how hard it can be to keep track of our belongings in a tent. For its size and weight, it’s a very solid unit – not flimsy at all. You’ll be using it reliably for many seasons to come. If you’re looking for a full-size air mattress for the ultimate in camping luxury, this is going to be your best bet. With almost 10,000 positive reviews, you really can’t go wrong. It includes a built-in pump so you don’t have to remember to bring one, and you also don’t have to stand around for an hour with a hand pump trying to get in inflated. Now, keep in mind that you will need an outlet in order to power it up.
This really isn’t the choice for people who are camping in any kind of deep woods. This is the “luxury” option, it’s basically designed for in-home use but it can be used in a camper, trailer, tent, cabin… it’s great if you have a significant other who isn’t too keen on camping, tell them it’ll be an incredibly comfortable sleep and they’ll be a little more excited. We usually cater to the more serious and hardcore of campers, but every now and then we like to throw in a little something for the rest of ‘em. It’s also great to keep at home for when you’ve got guests. Now if that last one had you thinking “Uhh okay, but… that’s not really what I’m looking for,” here’s a similar bed by the same brand, which also has tons of great reviews, that’s specifically made for camping. If you want to sleep on the best air mattress that’s available at an amazing value, this has got to be it. It also includes a built-in air pump, except this time around the pump is rechargeable.