Greatest Tenting Mattresses & Sleeping Pads of 2023

Car camping offers a lot of benefits. Not only do you get to enjoy being outside, but you also don’t have to be as concerned with limiting weight or gear.

In terms of a sleeping pad, this means you can get something more comfortable. From an ultra-cushioned double sleeping pad to our top pick for budget savings, these are the best car camping mattresses and pads.

We all have different needs when it comes to sleeping pads, so while there isn’t a single camping pad that will suit everyone out there, we’ve broken them up into categories to help you find the right camp pad for you.

Scroll through to see all of our recommended buys or jump to the category you’re looking for. At the end of our list, we’ve included a buyer’s guide which spells out the ins and outs of camping mattresses, ensuring you can key in on the one for you. We’ve also included a product spec table for easy comparison. And if you still have questions about camping mattresses there’s an FAQ for that.

The Best Camping Mattresses and Sleeping Pads of 2023

Camping Mattress Comparison Chart

Why You Should Trust Us

As avid campers ourselves, we’ve spent hundreds of nights sleeping outside. From backpacking in the Desolation Wilderness, overlanding in Apalachicola, to camping out across the Rocky Mountains, we’ve logged a lot of hours testing sleeping pads.

During our testing process for this roundup, we focused specifically on camping pads and mattresses that aren’t strictly designed for backpacking. Backpacking pads tend to be ultra-light and packable, so certain sacrifices are made related to comfort and durability.

Because this list mostly includes pads that are campground and car-camping friendly, our testing primarily occurred in truck beds, family-size tents, and directly under the stars.

Our primary considerations while testing were packed size, comfort, warmth, and ease of use. Secondarily, we looked at durability and value. These mattresses were carefully inspected and repeatedly slept on. We took many of these pads on our annual GearJunkie Camp Test — a full week completely devoted to thoroughly field-testing camping gear.

At the end of the day, we’re confident these are the best camping mattresses available today.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a Sleeping Pad

Before reading our buyer’s guide, take a few moments to think about how you plan to camp and sleep.

Will you be driving up to a camp spot, sleeping in your vehicle, hiking a mile or so in, or heading out on a weeklong backpacking trip? Do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? Is extra cushioning important, or do you care more about saving weight?

Understanding your sleep preferences will help determine the best sleeping pad. Read on for the most important factors in choosing a camping pad. For this particular roundup, we focused specifically on pads made for car camping and similar applications. We did not test pads or mattresses designed to fit into a backpacking pack. If you’re looking for a backpacking pad, check out our favorite products here.

Sleeping Pads vs. Mattresses

The difference between a sleeping pad and a mattress is a gray area. Consider the terms to exist on a continuum, with sleeping pads being more of your standard backpacking fare and prioritizing compressibility, and mattresses being thicker, cushier, and less portable. These mattresses also very often incorporate more foam in their builds, and this can be a sure sign that a mattress prioritizes comfort over all else. At 32 pounds, the HEST Dually is definitely in the “mattress” category.

Sleeping pads are relatively thin, light, and portable. Though this list mostly focuses on car camping products, certain camping sleeping pads are portable enough to bring along on river trips and short backpacking missions. The Sea to Summit Comfort Plus SI Sleeping Pad is a prime example of a versatile sleeping pad.

Then, there are some options that buck convention and exist comfortably in-between titles. A pad like the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Topo Luxe is relatively thick at 4 inches, but due to its full air-pad design, compresses down to a size that rivals many through-and-through backpacking pads. The Klymit Klymaloft, with its hybrid half-foam, half-air design also lands in this category.

Weight & Packed Size

If you’re mainly car camping, you can maximize comfort by going with a more padded, inflatable option like the NEMO Roamer or a deluxe foam mattress like the Hest Dually. The tradeoff is that these don’t pack down as small and are too heavy for backpacking. If you plan on hiking into the backcountry, a pad that packs down small and weighs less is ideal. Just how small and light you want to go is up to you. The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Topo Luxe packs down to the size of a Nalgene bottle and weighs just 1 pound, 7 ounces.

Consider also how you’re going to be transporting your camping mattresses around. Many manufacturers today are getting wise to the issues caused by tube-style stuff sacks, which while they may work the first time, good luck returning a mat to its nylon sleeve after you’ve used it. Many camping mattresses today now come with side-opening stuff sacks, which feature a wide mouth for easy storage, as well as compression straps to cinch down the whole affair for easy transport.

Comfort

In general, the thicker the pad, the more comfortable it is. Additionally, having a bit of foam or extra insulation increases the comfort factor and decreases the noise (see below).

Since camping sleeping pads don’t need to often be carried far, they can afford to bump up the thickness in many cases. The average thickness across the pads we tested was 4 inches, with the thinnest of the bunch being the Kelty Mistral SI Sleeping Pad at 1.5 inches and the thickest being the luxurious Sierra Designs Air Bed at 7 inches.

Pads that rely on air alone for their structure can sometimes feel a bit bouncy if underinflated, which is why many will incorporate closed-cell foam in their construction. This gives the pad a self-inflating quality as the foam bounces back. We have found through our testing that around 3 inches is about the minimum we’re comfortable sleeping on a mattress that features no foam at all — while a mattress with foam has the ability to keep us comfortable down to below this thickness.

If you’re a side sleeper, you understand the need for plenty of cushioning under your hips and shoulders. For a better night’s sleep, you’ll want to consider a thicker sleeping pad.

Durability & Denier

Denier is a unit of measurement used to describe textile strength. The higher the denier, the thicker and stronger the fabric. When it comes to sleeping pads, this is mainly important for puncture resistance.

On one end, the lightweight and packable Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Topo Luxe is made with 50-denier nylon. On the other end, consider that the NEMO Roamer is made with 75-denier polyester. As you can imagine, there’s often a tradeoff between durability, weight, and packability.

Consider also the durability of the components used elsewhere in the pad, such as the interior closed-cell foam, or the inflation valves. As in most things, the maxim of getting what you pay for applies here as well. We have used certain sleeping pads for entire thru-hikes and have been impressed by their tenacity and ability to shoulder abuse. As always, take care of your equipment and it will pay dividends in longevity.

Repairing your camp mattress can be a stressful endeavor, but being prepared for the situation can greatly alleviate that. Many pads today will ship with a small patch kit, which can be utilized in the field to repair small leaks. For more serious issues, consider a more total solution like the Therm-a-Rest Permanent Home Repair Kit, which features a long-cure epoxy and fabric patches. Even certain valves today are user-replaceable.

Price

We love a good value. But even more than that, we appreciate gear that performs well and lasts through several seasons of use.

If you only plan to sleep outside a weekend or two a year, a cheaper pad may get the job done just fine. But if camping is a regular occurrence, it’s worth investing more in a pad. At $45, the Kelty Mistral SI is an impressive value, but it certainly won’t be winning any awards for comfort. We find that pads and mattresses in the $250-300 range are about the sweet spot when it comes to balancing price and features. These include pads such as the Therm-a-Rest MondoKing, Big Agnes Capitan Comfort, and the NEMO Roamer.

Toward the upper end of the spectrum are the luxuriously thick and warm pads, such as the Exped MegaMat Duo 10 and MegaMat 15 Max. These pads both will put a bigger hurting on your wallet at $300+, but offer up incredible comfort in return.

This is the foundation of your sleep, and getting enough rest at night will make spending all day outside that much more enjoyable. In general, forking over a few extra bucks will get you some combination of increased comfort, durability, and warmth.

Warmth & R-Value

In addition to comfortable cushioning, a good camping pad should provide some insulation from the ground. Enter the R-Value: a measure of thermal resistance that can shed some light on just how warm a sleeping pad might keep you.

R-Value testing goes a little like this: inside a cold chamber, a sleeping pad is placed between two metal plates. An array of sensors measure the temperature flow between these plates, and provide a numerical value relative to the sleeping pads ability to retain and reflect warmth.

Since testing can occur in different ways, many sleeping pad manufacturers have adopted the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) R-Value Standard. The higher the R-value, the warmer and more insulating the sleeping pad will be. Notably, the MegaMat and Big Agnes Capitan Comfort clock in with whopping 9.5 and 8.3 R-values, respectively, making them both cozy for year-round car camping.

The R-value you need depends a bit on if you tend to be a warm or cool sleeper, as well as the specific sleeping bag that you’ll be using. In general, you’ll want a sleeping pad with a value greater than 5 for comfortable winter camping. For summer, something in the 2 to 4 range should work for warmer nights.

If waking up with a cold back is a common complaint, consider choosing a warmer sleeping pad or adding a foam pad like the Z-Lite under your normal pad for additional insulation.

Length & Width

Most camping sleeping pads come in regular and long versions. Some also come in short, wide, and extra-long varieties. The length and width you need depend not only on your dimensions but also on your camping goals. The pad you go with will also ultimately depend on the space that’s available to you to sleep in. Consider that typical backpacking tents more often have more space-efficient floor plans, while camping tents will provide more space for larger sleeping pads.

We’ve found that while many backpacking sleeping pads begin at around 20 inches wide, many camping pads start at around 25 inches and expand from there. And while mummy-style profiles are popular in backpacking pads, most all camping mattresses will afford the extra comfort and space that comes with a true rectangle design.

We know tall thru-hikers who happily cut their Z-Lite pad in half to shave a few ounces off their pack weight. And we know some tiny testers who prefer a wide sleeping pad because they like the ability to roll around in their sleep.

The main thing to remember is an increase in length and width almost always corresponds to an increase in price and packed size.

Valves & Inflation

Up until recent years, almost all sleeping pads utilized a twisting plastic valve. Turn one direction to open it for inflation, and (quickly!) turn the other to close and trap air inside.

While this system works, it’s not the easiest to inflate. Because air can freely move back and forth, you need to either create constant pressure while blowing it up or skillfully use your tongue to stop air from exiting the pad while inhaling. It can be done, but we prefer the new inflation technology when tired on the trail.

Luckily, many sleeping pads now use flat valves with dedicated inflation and deflation settings. Best of all, a one-way flap keeps air from escaping during inflation.

While many pads feature separate valves for inflation and deflation, the Klymit Klymaloft has a valve that flips from one mode to the next. This makes achieving the perfect firmness a breeze.

In addition to valves, many pads now come with inflation bags. The Therm-a-Rest MondoKing 3D comes with an inflation bag integrated into the stuff sack. The Big Agnes Pumphouse Ultra ($35) is sold separately and works as both a dry bag and an inflation bag. Utilizing these pump sacks has multiple benefits, and they are easy to use once you get the hang of them.

Begin by attaching the sack to the valve of your sleeping pad, then expand the bag so that it fills with air. We often find that a light breath will expand the bag quickly. Then, close off the opening and compress the bag so that it forces the trapped air into the pad. The upside to this system is not only speedy inflation but also that no moisture from your warm breath enters the sleeping pad. At its most benign, warm air will contract overnight and lead to a saggy mattress, but there are also concerns of mildew to be mindful of.

Finally, many manufacturers are now coming out with diminutive electric air pumps to assist in getting your sleeping pad up and running. These include the Exped Widget, the Klymit USB Rechargeable Pump, and the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Micro Pump ($43). Bringing these along may seem trivial at the trailhead, but after a long romp in, we’ve happily borrowed many to get our camp set up quickly.

Self-Inflating

Self-inflating, also abbreviated as ‘SI’, pads have been around the block for a number of years, and rely on a foam interior to rebound to their original dimensions to inflate the mattress. We have found that given enough time, these generally will get about 75% of the way to fully inflated, and will require a quick few breaths or pumps from a pump sack to fully inflate the pad.

Consider tossing your self-inflating mattresses into your tent early on in your camp setup, to better ensure that it has enough time to fully reconstitute itself. It’s also worth noting that these mattresses are less susceptible to cold contraction overnight, as the air they are filled with is ambient temperature, versus the warm air from your lungs.

Noise

The most common complaint about camping sleeping pads is the loud, crinkly noise. While packing less is great, sleeping on a pad as noisy as a potato chip bag is less than ideal. And having your tentmate toss and turn all night is even worse.

Fortunately, brands are taking note and making quieter sleeping pads. On this list, the Exped MegaMat is noticeably crinkle-free. This is largely due to the inclusion of foam in the build, and any pad that utilizes it will see a definite reduction in noise overall.

FAQ