We slept on seven of the most popular double-wide sleeping pads to see which was best for the great outdoors
So comfortable you’ll forget it’s a camping mattress.
Warm enough for chilly camp nights.
At a certain point, every outdoorsy couple looks at their matching twin sleeping pads and wonders why their tenting setup resembles a 1950s sitcom bedroom: time to upgrade to a couples camping mattress. But getting your first double-wide sleeping pad is typically a significant investment—and one that can mean the difference between a cozy, restful night of sleep and dark looks on the car ride home. To help you make the right choice for you and your significant other, we checked out seven popular models to find the best camping mattresses for couples available today:
The exterior of inflatable camping mattresses for couples are typically constructed from either polyester or nylon at varying thicknesses, which is measured in denier (D). Most camping mattresses for couples are around 75D in thickness, with a thicker shell providing additional durability. Nylon is generally a stronger material than polyester, but laminates (which can make a pad more airtight) apply better to polyester than to nylon.
Some camping mattresses for couples use all foam, some use all air, and some use a combination of both. There are advantages and disadvantages to these different makeups. Camping mattresses that include foam tend to be bulkier, while all-air mattresses tend to suffer more long-term durability issues and have more motion transference that can be a problem for light sleepers. While those that use both foam and air typically feel more like the mattress you use at home (and also are typically middle of the road for durability and packed size), they are almost always the most difficult to set up and pack away.
There are two stored sizes to keep an eye on when choosing a camping mattress for couples—the stored size in your car, and the stored size in your home. While air mattresses and closed-cell foam mattresses will be the same size in both situations (small and huge, respectively), self-inflating mattresses, which should be left inflated when stored in your home, can be rolled up to a manageable size in transit.
As anyone who has been camping during a shoulder season knows, the cold from the ground will suck out your body heat faster than cold air, leaving you shivering underneath even the best sleeping bags and best camping blankets. The R value measures how well the pad insulates (or “resists,” hence the R, the cold,) with 1 being the lowest rating (suitable for lowland camping at the height of summer) all the way up to 10 (typically only needed in extreme conditions). Where sleeping pad manufacturers once conducted their own testing (or in some cases simply guessed) as of 2020, R ratings are standardized by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Camping mattresses that only use air provide essentially no insulation from the cold of the ground, and typically do not have R ratings.
Why It Made the Cut
The Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe was so cushy that I actually forgot I was sleeping on a camping mattress.
Of everything, the Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe came closest to the feel of my mattress at home—easily the most comfortable double camp bed in my test. Its four inches of foam not only made this pad super cushy but also provided substantial warmth. The 6.5 R rating here was more than enough to protect me from the cold of the ground while sleeping outside in temps that fell to the 40s. I also appreciated that I was able to inflate this camping mattress to my preferred level of firmness after the self-inflation period was complete.
Like all self-inflating mattresses, it’s best to keep your expectations low the first time you try to inflate. During testing, the Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe did not inflate at all when left open for an hour—typical for self-inflating mattresses during the first use and after lengthy storage periods. (Subsequent attempts to allow the air mattress to self-inflate went much better, but still expect to do some significant top-off). The valve for the Comfort Deluxe is also somewhat confusing if you are used to the valves seen on their air sleeping pads: the valve that I thought I was supposed to use to dump out all the air from the mattress was in fact the valve to self inflate. To deflate the mattress, I had to open the self-inflate valve, flip the toggle around (not twist, which is what the arrow on the toggle initially seems to imply) to the side that said “deflate,” and then reattach it to the valve. But once you get the hang of the setup, this one comes together surprisingly fast for a self-inflating sleeping pad.
The dimensions of the Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe when rolled up are significant—this pad was as big as the 8-person tents that I tested on the same trip. It is also recommended that you store this pad inflated at home to maximize its lifespan, which can be difficult for anyone with limited storage space.
Why It Made the Cut
The EXPED Deep Sleep Duo was so warm that our 20-degree quilt ended up being too warm on a night when temps dropped into the forties.
The EXPED Deep Sleep was a close second to the Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe during testing, just losing out on sheer comfort. But if I was headed out on a car camping trip during the shoulder season months, there is no question that this is the camping mattress I would bring along. The 9.0 R rating on this pad was very noticeable, even when temps dropped into the forties on my testing trip. In fact, I got so warm while sleeping on this pad that I had to kick off part of the sleeping quilt I was using. My husband ended up switching to a lightweight camping blanket.
While the so-called self-inflatable aspect of the EXPED Deep Sleep behaves similarly to the Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe—expect to top off both using either a pump (not provided) or use your breath—the valves were much more straight-forward. With the EXPED, there is also the option to purchase a widget that, in addition to serving as an air pump for your camping mattress, can also be used as a light and a battery pack for your phone.
If you’re looking for the extreme warmth of the EXPED Deep Sleep coupled with the comfort of the Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe, the popular EXPED MegaMat (which was not in stock at the time of my test) may be exactly what you are looking for.
Why It Made the Cut
This closed-cell foam mattress was comfortable and easy to use, even if it did take up an inordinate amount of space.
Self-inflating camping mattresses for couples do an exceptional job of balancing car space with personal comfort. But if storage space is not an issue in your camping setup, then the pure simplicity of a closed-cell foam mattress may be an even better choice. The HEST is one of the best camping mattresses for couples, with two layers of memory foam that provide ample support and protection from any bumps on the ground without the need for additional air. Since the memory foam is divided in the middle (so that the camping mattress can be folded up for travel) it also means there will be no movement transference between two people while sleeping on the HEST Dually Long.
This camping mattress doesn’t really pack down at all, only folding in the center with a handle. It is also awkward to move and surprisingly heavy. If you plan to leave your camping mattress out for significant periods of time (such as in a truck bed), this could be a good choice, but if you are traveling in anything smaller than a Chevy Suburban you may find that the HEST Dually Long takes up more space than you like.
Why It Made the Cut
The tallest camping mattress in my test was easy to set up and proved surprisingly durable.
The first thing that you notice about this camping mattress is just how tall it is. I’ve had regular Queen-size mattresses that aren’t this tall. If bending over to lie on a low air mattress has you reconsidering camping, then this might be the solution for you.
I was impressed by the durability of the SupportRest Plus. After several days, it was still almost fully inflated—more than comfortable enough to sleep on. Unfortunately, the included air pump for this air mattress (a requirement to inflate something of this size) requires an AC outlet, so check to see whether your camping battery pack has one before committing.
Because the interior of this camping mattress is nothing but air, it’s easy for the cold of the ground to seep in. Consider choosing a pick with a higher R rating if you plan to camp during the shoulder seasons or at higher elevations. I also noticed that the motion transference on the Coleman SupportRest Plus is pretty significant. Light sleepers may not only find it too distracting to share with another person but even to sleep solo.
Why It Made the Cut
This foam-and-air double-wide sleeping pad is both comfortable enough for car camping and has a low enough profile to take backpacking.
If you want one pad for car camping and low-key backpacking trips, look no further. At six pounds, the Klymaloft more than justifies its weight for low-key backpacking trips or base camps. And its foam topper above the inflatable air chambers resulted in a level of comfort during testing that was only a notch below the self-inflating pads and closed-cell foam pads.
Unlike the other camping mattresses for couples in this test that used both air and foam—the Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe and EXPED Deep Sleep—this sleeping pad is not self-inflating. Plan to spend a little extra time inflating this one on backpacking trips, and consider purchasing the Klymit air pump for car camping trips.
One thing I noticed during testing was that the construction of the valve looks as if it needs a pump to inflate—but it works the same as an air valve on the best backpacking sleeping pads once you get the hang of it. Two tie-down straps make this one more of a chore to pack down than other backpacking pads but still significantly easier than a typical self-inflating pad. Once I had the Klymit Klymaloft cinched in, its packed volume was smaller than everything but the ALPS Mountaineering Vertex Air Bed.
Why It Made the Cut
This all-air mattress took up very little space in my car and was a breeze to set up at camp.
For a 6-inch-high air mattress, the ALPS Mountaineering Vertex delivers a surprising amount of durability and comfort. I was able to charge the provided air pump at home before heading out for a long weekend of camping, which made blowing up the mattress a cinch. The air pump was so useful that I ended up using it to inflate the EXPED Deep Sleep and Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe as well.
While there is some motion transference when two people are using this air mattress, it was less than other air mattresses I’ve used in the past, including those in my test. If you are an exceptionally light sleeper, it might be better to opt for the HEST Dually Long, but for most people this shouldn’t be an issue.
The 150D fabric of the ALPS Mountaineering Vertex was the thickest of any in my test, and the durability showed. After three days of testing, the air mattress was still fully inflated. The thickness of the fabric also didn’t compromise the small packed size of this mattress, which, at about the size of a basketball, was the smallest in my test
Camping mattresses for couples range in price from $100 to over $500. Typically, the least expensive options are air mattresses, while those incorporating high-quality memory foam will be more expensive.
The absolute thickness of a camping mattress is less important than the thickness of the foam inside of it. The more foam there is inside of a camping mattress the more like an actual bed it will feel and the more insulation you will have from the ground temps. On the flip side, air mattresses allow couples to choose their desired level of firmness.
While camping cots have a number of advantages over inflatable sleeping pads—they’ll never spring a leak on you—they are typically not as comfortable as inflatable sleeping pads, as there is no way to regulate the level of firmness or support the cot provides. For that reason, some people prefer to stack an inflatable sleeping pad on top of a camping cot so they can enjoy the height of the cot with the comfort of the inflatable sleeping pad.
To choose the right camping mattress for you and your sleeping partner, start by considering your priorities, including firmness, comfort, ease of use, durability, and packed size. Typically, the most comfortable camping mattresses for couples will have a large packed size, while those that are easiest to use will either be less firm or less durable.
I tested camping mattresses for couples over a series of weekend trips and evaluated them on a range of criteria:
The two self-inflating mattresses in my test—the Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe and EXPED Deep Sleep—while expensive and comparatively difficult to use, delivered such exceptional comfort and warmth that they earned the top spots in this review. If you have plenty of extra space in your outdoor rig (or plan to keep one of the best camping mattresses for couples in the same spot all season), the HEST Dually Long is an exceptionally comfortable closed-cell-foam mattress. If space is at a premium, either the easy-to-use ALPS Mountaineering Vertex or foam-and-air Klymit Klymaloft provide plenty of comfort.
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