Berghaus Air 10 Single Self Inflating Camping Mat with Carry Bag and Repair Kit, Air Bed for 1 Person, Compact Air Mattress, Camping Equipment, Blue, One Size

Product Information

Measuring 198 x 130 x 7.5cm, the Deluxe offers a sufficient length of 6ft 6” which should be ample for most of the adult population of the world – apart from Sultan Kosen perhaps. For those that don’t know, he’s the current world’s tallest man! Whether it’s a super comfy air mattress or something altogether more luxurious you’re looking for, we’ve rounded up some of the best luxury camp bed options for a comfortable night under canvas. The Shangri-La is for all intents and purposes a proper mattress when it’s fully inflated. It has vertical side walls to maximize the top-level surface area and this means that you don’t roll off in the night.

In terms of dimensions and operation, the Dreamcatcher is pretty standard in most areas. However, the inflated size is a little restricted compared to the more expensive Vango and Berghaus options – the length is 195cm (just under 6ft5) and so we would recommend either of those two over the Outwell if you’re lanky like me. At Camping Secrets we often like to highlight niche products we uncover which accomplish a task in a clever way, whilst maintaining quality and value. The 3rd generation IForrest Sleeping Pad accomplishes this task extremely successfully.So it it comfortable? We can give this a resounding thumbs up – it is by far the comfiest double SIM we’ve tested for the money, and while it may seem expensive, this is up there with the best air mattresses but without the stress of punctures or requiring pumps. There’s no denying that the SIM was comfortable for my wife though who is a much more svelte 11 stone. OK, 10.5 stone – she’s watching me type! With Vango goods you are are always assured of decent quality fabrics and components, and the company have extensive experience in the inflatable arena with their tents and sofas. We really love Outdoor Revolution – they make great quality items at the mid-to-top end of the camping spectrum. Yes they may be slightly more expensive than the Decathlon’s of this world, but we’ve never been let down by their tents or their general camping gear.

Measuring 201 x 74 x 5cm when inflated, the IForrest includes both an integrated pillow and armrests for significant added comfort. What is great about the armrests is that they stop you rolling off the mattress in the night very effectively. If you are planning to use it on top of a camp bed then this is an important consideration – you might be a foot off the floor! It’s pricey, but it means no more waking up on a partially deflated bed. Also do bear in mind that you need to be camping with an EHU as it’s mains operated. Fully-inflated dimensions are 201 x 132 x 10cm and so it can cater for somebody up to 6ft 7 in height. I found I had plenty of room at 6ft3 tall.

Preview

The most comfortable and luxurious single self-inflating mat from Zempire, the Monstamat Single provides a home-from-home feel on any camping trip. A 10cm self-inflating mat luxuriously coated in soft stretch fabric provides instant comfort. A 150D Polyester base provides durability and resilience against the hard ground, whilst the internal cross-core foam allows for fast inflation and ultimate comfort. One good feature of the Ultim is that both the single and the double SIMs in the range come with clips which enable you to join up multiple SIMs into an enormous bed. Perfect to practice your gymnastic routine on after a few beers!

The Decathlon Quechua Ultima is a comfortable mattress at a pretty reasonable price point. It’s not the cheapest double and it’s not the most expensive. Would we like a little more cushioning, say 10cm total? Well actually we didn’t really miss those extra 2cm, and the great insulation really made a difference on a cold autumn night. We slept very well, with none of the ‘sleeping bad sliding’ you get on some smoother SIMs. For real additional comfort to the Ultim you need to be looking at a 15cm SIM such as the Outdoor Revolution Skyfall or similar.

How we tested

However a low R-Value (<2) could mean you end up getting cold in the night. Inflatable air mattresses which are essentially big air balloons which you sleep on have notoriously low R-values and are no good at all for sleeping on in winter or autumn. The KingCamp Deluxe Double SIM comes in two great covers a delicious electric blue or a gorgeous grey/anthracite mix. It uses a novel ‘wave-like’ top surface layer to provide a tactile 150D surface to lie on and hold your sleeping bag in position.

For inflating, remove the cap and make sure the valve is in the ‘inflate position’. Unroll the mattress and it will automatically let air rush in and will self inflate. Spot the top-selling author in that previous sentence! And oh how it’s worth it. I’ve long been an admirer of Vango inflatable gear and the Comfort 10 follows on a familiar theme of reliability coupled with performance. The Comfort 10 really lives up to its name, providing ample cushioning for even the weightiest of folk. The comfort of the MondoKing is exceptionally good. I lay down on it for a few minutes to ‘test it out’ and found myself dropping off surprisingly rapidly – that wasn’t the plan, but it’s testament to the cushioning on offer. Thermarest use a ‘Stratacore’ construction to achieve this which combines a continuous layer of thermal foam with alternating ridges of air and foam. It works very well.

The verdict: Camping mats

There’s no doubt that the Kip Highrise is an absolutely blissful in terms of the luxury it offers and actually it offers good value at the pricepoint we’ve seen for this year. For all intents and purposes the Kip becomes a proper home-style mattress when it’s fully inflated. It has vertical side walls to maximize the top-level surface area and this means that you don’t roll off in the night. In reality (unless you are a heavy person over 15 stone) a 7.5cm option is acceptable, but we wouldn’t recommend going any lower than that if comfort is your main objective.