10 Comfortable Air Mattresses for Every Camping Adventure This Season

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FRESH AIR, sunshine, and breathtaking views of nature make sleeping in the great outdoors worth trading in your cozy bed at home for a night or two in the wild. But getting a good night’s sleep is important, even when your four walls are an all-weather tent. A good night’s sleep affects your mood, energy levels, and health. Whether you’re spending a rare day exploring the wilderness, fishing on the lake, or building a bonfire, a solid eight prepares you for the day ahead. But how do you get a good night’s sleep on a camping trip? Easy. Upgrade your sleeping setup to one of the best air mattresses for camping, an item that should be at the top of your outdoor essentials checklist.

Air mattresses have come a long way from the loud, overnight-deflating, bumpy surfaces they once were. The right modern-day air mattress should guarantee a good night’s sleep, while also being convenient to assemble, easy to break down, and most importantly, match your style of both sleeping and camping. Unfortunately more or less every camping air mattress on the market promises all these things and more, but in our experience only a select few actually deliver. If you're struggling to separate the best from the rest, you've come to the right place.

We have researched and reviewed dozens of products to find you the best air mattress for camping. Whether you’re regularly camping with your significant other and want the best bed for couples, or if you’re simply a bigger dude and need the find the best option for a heavy person, we can match your needs with the right air mattress. From ultra-lightweight options for backcountry use to more luxury, bed-like options for plush car camping weekends, we have you covered. These 10 top-rated beds are the best air mattresses for camping money can buy, guaranteed t0 give you a restful night’s sleep under the stars.

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MondoKing 3D Self-Inflating Foam Camping Mattress

The Therm-A-Rest Mondoking 3D has a unique body contouring pad that makes it feel custom and comfortable to any type of sleeper. It features a dual valve and compressible foam, meaning you can forget the traditional pump because it is completely self-inflating. This makes the setup and breakdown easier than any other mattress on this list, while its four inches of stabilized loft makes it suitable for any type of surface.

Backpacking is our of the question with this bed, as it packs a bit larger than others and weighs in at just under five pounds. For your typical car camper, however, you're guaranteed a good night’s sleep on this mattress-meets-sleep-pad hybrid.

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Camping Cot, Air Mattress, and Pump Combo

For under $200, you can't you can’t beat the durability of this sturdy Coleman air mattress and cot combo. Its fold-out steel frame holds up to 600 pounds, making it a solid choice for couples. Plus, each side of the cot features slide-out side tables with cup holders. As for the mattress, the no-leak design ensures it stays firm through the night, making it ideal for side sleepers who need a little support.

The only downside to this mattress is it takes up some space when packed away and weighs more than many of the mattresses on this list (about 40 pounds). But when you consider you're getting a comfortable mattress that rises up off the ground and comes with side tables, this is a lux pick avid campers will love.

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Static V Inflatable Sleeping Pad

When you don’t have the convenience of packing an entire sleep system in your car, your goal is minimal packed weight and size. The Klymit Static V sleeping pad combines a thin layer of air with a quilted baffle design, making it more comfortable than your traditional sleep pad while also being more compact.

It weighs just a pound and a half and is a solid option for all-weather camping thanks to its cozy 4.4 R-rating. Combine that with a full three inches of support between you and the ground, and you're looking at one of the best air mattresses under $100 money can buy.

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Sleep System

Hest sleeping pads require a more significant investment than most air mattresses, but if you're out camping a lot then the money up front is well worth the long-standing comfort and durability. The Sleep System is designed with a cooling memory foam top and an inflatable bottom to help provide additional support.

The result is hands down the most comfortable air mattress you can currently buy. It also comes with features like a roll-up design with a carrying bag, a washable cover, and a hidden phone and stash pocket at the top of the mattress.

Read more: Best Memory Foam Mattresses

Dream Series Air Mattress

The Sound Asleep series isn’t for the light packer, but it will bring comfort pretty damn close to that of a real bed. You’ll need a larger tent to fit this heavy-duty mattress, but in our experience it's been a worthwhile tradeoff. It features something called ComfortCoil and SureGrip technology to ensure firmness and stability on any surface. The description says it’s best for indoor use, but we've spend plenty of time testing it in the outdoors and found it to be plenty durable.

The SoundAsleep can hold up to 500 pounds, making it the best camping air mattress for a heavy person, while its thickness makes it firm enough for people with back pain. It inflates in just under three minutes and even comes with a rechargeable electric pump.

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Kingdom Insulated Air Bed

REI’s Kingdom Insulated Air Bed is a trusted dual sleeper in the camping community. Its soft-touch surface has done a great job of keeping us cool throughout the night, and also benefits from little added texture to keep us from slipping around. The mattress also comes with welded seams to prevent annoying overnight leaks, and you get a manual air pump and a stuff sack for your money as well.

We've found the Kindom works well for all-weather camping and sleeps much more like a traditional mattress than an air bed. Big, comfortable, and durable, the Kingdom is one of our favorite options for car camping in a 4+ person tent.

Sleeping Mat MegaMat

At first glance, this might look pricey, but if you’re an avid camper, it’s one of the most worth-it investments you can find. The Exped Megamat might look like a traditional foam sleep pad, but it’s actually self-inflating, combining the convenience of a pad with the comfort of an air mattress. It’s made from durable nylon and a thick level of foam that feels like a pillow top.

The most common review is that you don’t bottom out when changing positions, something many campers experience with a sleeping pad or air mattress this low to the ground. We'll also note that the added durability of this pad has made it our go-to when we're camping with pets as the rugged face fabric can handle our dog's nails without springing a leak.

Read more: Best Sleeping Pads for Camping

Inflatable Sleeping Mat

If you’re only cmaping once or twice a year, an expensive air mattress doesn't make a lot of sense. But that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your sleep on the rare occasion you find yourself sleeping out in the woods. This Powerlix air mattress will only set you back around $40, making it the best bang for your buck on this list.

It may not be the most sophisticated option out there, but it's built surprisingly tough and rated to handle up to 250 pounds of weight. We've found it quick to inflate using lung power alone, and warm enough for three-season use thanks to its included thermal insulation.

Astro Lightweight Sleeping Pad

The Astro Lightweight is a lofty sleeping pad that weighs under a pound and a half (regular, non-insulated) and inflates to about 3.5 inches thick. It's also extremely packable and made with tear-resistant 75D recycled polyester.

Our favorite feature this pad is Nemo's impressive range of size and shape options. The Astro comes in regular, long, and extra wide sizes, and can also be ordered with insulated. We've been particularly impressed testing their insulated models, which use name-brand Primaloft synthetic fill for outstanding loft and warmth without the crinkle.

Comfort Plus Self-Inflating Sleeping Mat

When you don’t have the convenience of packing an entire sleep system in your car, your goal is minimal packed weight and size. The Klymit Static V sleeping pad combines a thin layer of air making it a more comfortable option than your traditional sleep pad and a more compact version of the other air mattresses on this list.

It weighs just a pound and a half and is a solid option for all-weather camping with insulated temperature regulation, even when you’re three inches off the ground in the middle of nowhere. It’s the best air mattress under $100 that literally packs in comfort in the least amount of bulk.

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River Gorge All-Terrain Queen Air Mattress

For $100, you can’t beat the durability of the sturdy Coleman mattress. It features reinforced construction and puncture-resistant material, so you can pitch your tent on any surface without worrying about popping your bed.

Its no-leak design ensures it stays firm throughout the night, making it the best mattress for side sleepers who need a little support.

Other Air Mattresses We've Tested

White the 10 camping air mattresses above are our favorite standouts in their respective categories, we've got a few other's we've been testing over the last year that are worth looking into as well. Here are a few of our favorite alternatives for ultralight backpackers and glamping aficionados alike.

Air Mattress 2.0

When you’re not ready to splurge on an expensive car camping tent, an air mattress made specifically to fit in the bed of your car is a smart alternative. It’s also much easier to set up and great for spontaneous trips.

Luno makes custom camping air mattresses that fit the make and model of your car. It’s a tailored design for optimum comfort and convenience, ensuring a perfect fit every time. Luno thinks of every detail, so you don’t have to stress on the road, even if you pull off for a quick snooze on a long road trip. We've been particularly fond of Luno's decision to split the mattress into two separate inflatable panels, which works great for minimizing motion transfer between you and your partner. We also love that the entire assembly packs down to about the size of a carry-on bag, so we can keep it stashed in the vehicle 24/7 for impromptu overnights on the road.

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NEMO Tensor Insulated Sleeping Pad,

If we were to put together a wish list for the perfect backpacking pad, the Nemo Tensor would be about as close to the perfect do-it-all air mattress we could imagine. Lightweight, warm enough for three-season use, and impressively compact: This one checks all the major boxes and then some.

We've taken the latest Tensor out on a few backpacking trips this year, and one thing that really stands out to us is just how quiet this pad is. Most air mattresses this light crinkle loudly as you roll around throughout the night, but the Nemo uses a unique design that suspends the insulating film inside the pad between two channels of air, giving you all the benefits of reflective sheeting with none of the drawbacks.

Exped MegaMat 10 Duo

Take all the thickly padded foam coziness of the original Exped MegaMat and stretch it out over 80 inches wide and you've got the MegaMat Duo. We've used this pad in our plus-sized car camping tent throughout spring and fall, and we're not sure we'll over go back to regular sleeping pads.

The MegaMat Duo works much like a memory foam mattress (in fact it has four inches of memory foam stashed inside), which means you won't feel your partner rolling around or getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. This is a particularly good pad for the cold months, as all that added insulation delivers a whopping 8.1 R value, which is ideal for sleeping even in freezing conditions.

What to Consider When Buying an Air Mattress for Camping

TYPE OF CAMPING

The first thing you should consider when buying an air mattress is the type of camping you're going to be doing. Whether it's quick overnights backpacking or weekend-long camping trips at the lake, the best air mattress for camping is going to play off the environments you're most commonly staying at.

If you're backpacking, a camping air mattress that packs up fast and is lightweight should be prioritized. If you're doing multi-day camping trips at a site, you can go with a mattress that's bigger and provides more comfort.

PUMPS

We all know a bad pump can ruin an air mattress, so it's important to invest in an air mattress that doesn't have any trouble inflating. Some small camping air mattress pads only inflate via a convertible air sack or via breath, which is nice because you don't have to carry a pump around. Any regular air mattress should have a high-quality hand pump or a battery-powered pump—built-in battery pumps are especially great due to the fact they save space.

SIZE

If you're shopping for a backpacking pad, both size and weight are a major consideration. We look for sleeping pads that weight in well under two pounds, and pack down as small as possible to save room in your pack for other essentials. When it comes to car camping pads, we recommend buying the largest mattress you can fit in your tent without touching the walls, so long as its size and weight are within the confines of your vehicle's storage space.

The number of max sleepers also plays into size, and it's worth mentioning that if you're buying a mattress for more than one person you'll want to prioritize comfort and a strong build, which typically means a larger investment. Pay extra close attention to the width of the pad, and whenever possible we also recommend getting one with a foam core to cut down on noise and energy transfer throughout the night.

Why Trust Us?

Kurt Spurlock is a seasoned outdoor writer with more than a decade of experience covering hiking, camping, and all-things outdoors. He's personally tested all of these camping air mattress brands that we've listed, and he's even gone to the headquarters for some of these labels to see how they're manufactured, so he can attest to their quality.

How We Selected

For the past year, Men's Health editors and writers have been testing tons of air mattresses for camping. To narrow down our favorites, we evaluated air mattresses based on durability, number of max sleepers, type of camping, and price point. We also considered air mattresses for camping that had at least 100 five-star ratings on e-commerce sites we trust.

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