When travel requires traveling light, a camping sleeping mat is a great alternative to larger bedding options like an air mattress or cot, but if you’ve never used a sleeping mat for camping, you may be a little hesitant about which type to buy. Most sleeping mats are easy to transport, which is important when you are planning long hikes or accessing more remote campsites.
Another thing to consider is the R-value of a sleeping pad, which is the insulation it can provide at different temperatures. If you’re planning to camp in colder climates, it’s important to make sure you’re equipped with the right gear, and since a sleeping pad sits between your body and the ground, it’s important to make sure the R-value is high enough to ensure your comfort and safety throughout the night.
Here are some of the best camping comforters you can buy online right now.
Editor’s Note
The recommendations in this guide are based on extensive product and market research by our team of product experts. Choices are based on a review of user reviews, product specifications and, in some limited cases, our experience with the specific products listed.
Sleepingo Sleeping Pad
With nearly 30,000 reviews on Amazon, the Sleepingo Sleeping Pad is easily one of the top choices for camping sleeping mats. Made from 20 denier waterproof ripstop nylon, this sleeping mat is perfect for hikers because it shrinks to the size of a water bottle. The Sleepingo sleeping mat weighs only 14.4 ounces, and measures 75 inches long, 25 inches wide, and two inches thick. While some users appreciate its portability and ease of being inflated for comfort, others would trade the portability of this sleeping mat for a little more comfort and warn that the narrowness of this sleeping mat is not worth the ease of packing and makes it easier to slide around.
This sleeping mat would be best used for summer camping for users looking for something basic to get off the ground, as it has a low R-value of 2.1.
Pros
Lightweight
Waterproof
Cons
Narrow site
Slippery
Outdoorsman Lab Sleeping Pad
Four colors offer a range of customization options to the Outdoorsman Lab sleeping mat, making it easy to distinguish your sleeping mats if you purchase multiple ones. At only 14.5 ounces, this camping sleeping mat expands from a compact 8 inches by 3 inches to 73 inches by 21.6 inches by 2.2 inches. As a slim option, it’s not a good choice for those looking for a little more width in their sleeping mat, and it’s not suitable for taller uses.
The durable 20-denier ripstop nylon makes this a standard sleeping pad option, and while Outdoorsman gives this sleeping pad an R-value of 2.2, users agree that this is an overestimate and do not recommend using this bag in cooler weather.
Because of the size, weight and easy-to-use air valve for quick inflation of this sleeping bag, it would be a great addition to your child’s backpack for summer camping trips.
Pros
Easy to inflate
Multiple color options
Cons
Narrow site
Not for winter use
Zooobelives Extra Thick Inflatable Sleeping Pad
The dimensions of 74.8 x 24.41 x 3.94 inches make the Zooobelives Inflatable Sleeping Mat the thickest and widest sleeping mat we’ve found. A built-in air pump makes it easy to inflate the mat with a tap of your foot or a squeeze of your hand, but you can also inflate it by mouth if you haven’t figured out how the pump works yet. The 75 denier polyester pongee fabric (with extruded PVC lamination) makes this mattress an excellent option for long-term use; They often use it in the manufacture of military parachutes.
Another prominent feature of this camping mattress is that it has built-in snaps, allowing you to connect multiple mattresses to create even more sleeping space for one or more people. Folding into a compact six-by-six-by-14-inch size, this camping mattress is heavy, weighing in at three pounds, and would be best used on camping trips rather than hiking expeditions.
Although it boasts an R-value of 4, many users would not recommend using it for cold weather camping and would put the rating lower.
Pros
Very wide
Can attach to others for more surface area
Cons
Heavy
R-value is not accurate
Gear Doctors Self-Inflating Sleeping Pad
The numbers speak for themselves, with 81% of reviewers giving the Gear Doctors self-inflating sleeping mat five stars, but what fun would it be without our own survey? Simply turn the no-leak valve and unroll the sleeping mat slightly and the open cell foam fills, creating a comfortable sleeping mat that measures 72 x 22 x 1.5 inches. Unlike other sleeping mats, fans love the Gear Doctors sleeping mat for wintry nights - and with its accurate R-value of 4.3, it’s a brilliant choice for all-weather adventures.
It’s a heavier option, weighing in at 2.2 pounds, but we wouldn’t rule it out of your backpacking bag, as we can pack it into an 8 x 12-inch bag. The Gear Doctors pad comes with a repair kit in case of a tear, and reviewers seem to have a wonderful experience with their customer service in case of a problem.
Pros
High R-value
Self-inflating
Cons
Narrow site
Heavy
Trekology Camping Mat
The Trekology camping mat is the thickest sleeping mat we’ve found, offering a four-inch cushion between you and the ground. A fantastic mattress choice for taller people. This mattress measures 75 inches long, and while it’s still narrow at 22.4 inches, its curved design helps keep you in place while you sleep.
At just over a pound and a half, this camping mattress isn’t a good choice for people looking to keep weight in their pack. But if you’re looking for a thick sleeping pad, you can inflate by mouth or with a standard air pump, then it’s worth checking out. Users like this model because they find it easy to roll into a small 7.3 by 4.7 inch size, but others note that this sleeping mat can be noisy if you move around a lot during the night.
Pros
Rolls up easily
Thick
Cons
Noisy
Not waterproof
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