Camping Mattresses
Best Camping Mattresses
7 picks compared
8 min read
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The short answerFor most campers the Zzuvjoy self inflating pad is the best all round camping mattress, with a thick 3.1 inch foam, a high stated 9.5 R-value for cold ground and a built-in pillow. If you backpack, the MOXILS ultralight air pad packs smallest, the OGERY is a comfortable self inflating alternative, and the Intex and Dr. air raised queen beds are the plush car camping choice for two. Match the type to how you travel and how cold it gets, and remember R-value is only stated on the Zzuvjoy.
?How we pickedWe compare published specifications, safety certifications and thousands of verified owner reviews, and we do not physically test every unit. Read the full process in our review methodology.
Zzuvjoy Self Inflating Sleeping Pad, 3.1 inch Foam, 9.5 R-Value with Pillow
★★★★★ 4.6 / 5 Best overall
This is the most complete all round pick here, a self inflating foam pad listed at 3.1 inches thick with a stated 9.5 R-value and a built-in pillow. The high stated R-value points to strong warmth on cold ground, and the thick foam plus attached pillow make it an easy one piece choice for tent and car camping.
- High stated 9.5 R-value for cold ground
- Thick 3.1 inch foam for comfort
- Attached pillow saves packing a separate one
- Self inflating foam packs bigger than an air pad
- Weight is not stated in the listing
Best for: Cold weather and car camping where warmth matters most
OGERY Self-Inflating Sleeping Pad, 3 inch Memory Foam Camping Mattress
★★★★★ 4.5 / 5 Self inflating pick
A clean self inflating option listed with 3 inches of memory foam, so it opens the valve and fills itself before you top it off by mouth. The thick memory foam aims at comfort in a tent, though the listing does not give an R-value so its cold weather warmth is unclear.
- Thick 3 inch memory foam for comfort
- Self inflates, no separate pump needed
- Simple one piece pad to set up
- No R-value stated, so warmth is unclear
- Self inflating foam is bulkier than an air pad
Best for: A comfortable self inflating pad for tent camping
MOXILS Ultralight Inflatable Sleeping Pad with Built-in Pump and Repair Kit
★★★★★ 4.4 / 5 Best for backpacking
This is an inflatable air pad rather than foam, listed as ultralight and compact with a built-in pump, a carry bag and a repair kit. That combination packs down small and makes it the pick to carry on a hike, where an air pad beats a bulky foam mat for pack size.
- Packs down small for backpacking
- Built-in pump means no separate inflator
- Repair kit included for field fixes
- Air pads can feel less stable than foam
- R-value and thickness not stated in the listing
Best for: Backpacking and hiking where pack size and weight count
Selectico Extra Thick Supportive Foam Camping Mattress with Travel Bag
★★★★★ 4.3 / 5 Simple foam pick
A straightforward foam camping mattress listed as extra thick and supportive, with a travel bag for carrying it. There is no inflation step, you just unroll it on the tent floor, though the listing does not give a numeric thickness or R-value.
- Thick supportive foam for a tent floor
- No inflation needed, just unroll it
- Travel bag included for transport
- Exact thickness and R-value are not stated
- Solid foam is bulky to carry
Best for: A simple thick foam mattress for tent floors
CYMULA CertiPUR-US Memory Foam Camping Mattress Pad, Roll Up Sleeping Mat
★★★★★ 4.3 / 5 Most versatile
This is a roll up memory foam pad made from CertiPUR-US certified foam, listed to work on a tent floor, a cot, in a car or SUV, or as a guest bed at home. It rolls up for storage and transport, which makes it the most versatile foam pick here for mixed use.
- CertiPUR-US certified foam
- Rolls up for storage and transport
- Doubles as a guest or cot mattress
- Thickness and R-value are not stated
- A foam roll is bulky for backpacking
Best for: Campers who also want a roll up cot or guest mattress
Intex Dura-Beam Queen Air Mattress, 22 inch High-Rise with Built-in Pump
★★★★★ 4.4 / 5 Best for car camping
A raised queen air mattress listed at 22 inches high with a built-in pump and a 600 pound weight capacity, aimed at travel and camping. The tall bed is easy to climb in and out of and suits a base camp or a car camping trip rather than anything you carry on your back.
- Tall 22 inch bed is easy to get in and out of
- Built-in pump inflates it without extra gear
- 600 lb stated capacity suits two campers
- Too bulky for backpacking, car camping only
- Built-in pump on a bed like this usually needs power
Best for: Car camping and road trips with room to spread out
Dr. air Queen Air Mattress, 18 inch Raised with Built-in Pump, 800 lb Max
★★★★★ 4.2 / 5 Raised air bed
Another raised queen air bed, this one listed at 18 inches high with an 800 pound maximum honeycomb support and a built-in pump that the listing says fills it in about three minutes. It is built for home guests and car camping, with the honeycomb structure aimed at a flatter, steadier surface for two.
- High 800 lb stated capacity for two people
- Built-in pump fills it in minutes
- Honeycomb structure aims at a flatter surface
- Bulky raised bed, not for backpacking
- Built-in pump on a bed like this usually needs power
Best for: A raised queen bed for couples at a campsite or for guests
A camping mattress has one job, to put a warm, comfortable layer between you and the cold, hard ground so you actually sleep. The picks below are drawn from current Amazon listings and chosen to cover the real spread of camping sleep gear, from ultralight air pads for backpacking through self inflating foam pads to thick foam mats and raised queen air beds for car camping. We call out R-value, thickness and weight capacity only where a listing states them, and say so where it does not.
Self inflating pads, air pads and foam mattresses
There are three families here and they suit different trips. A self inflating pad, such as the Zzuvjoy and the OGERY, has a foam core that draws in air when you open the valve, so it part fills itself and gives a balance of warmth and comfort with little effort. An air pad like the MOXILS is just an inflatable chamber, which packs the smallest and is the one to carry on a hike, though air alone can feel a little less planted than foam. Solid foam mats such as the Selectico and the CYMULA roll up pad need no inflation at all, you simply unroll them, which makes them easy but bulky. The Intex and Dr. air raised queen beds are a fourth step up in size, plush base camp beds that are far too big to backpack with. Pick the family first, then the model.
R-value and staying warm on cold ground
The ground pulls heat out of you faster than the air does, so warmth is as much about your mattress as your sleeping bag. R-value is the number that captures this, and a higher one means more resistance to that heat loss. Among these picks only the Zzuvjoy states its figure, a high 9.5, which points to strong insulation for cold or shoulder season nights and is why it leads the list. The OGERY, MOXILS, Selectico and CYMULA listings do not give an R-value, so rather than invent one we treat their cold weather warmth as unknown and suggest them mainly for milder conditions. The raised air beds focus on comfort and height rather than stated insulation.
Thickness and comfort
Thickness is the cushioning you feel against roots and stones, and it trades off against bulk. The Zzuvjoy lists 3.1 inches of foam and the OGERY 3 inches, which is a comfortable amount for most tent sleepers and still rolls down to a manageable size. The Selectico is described as extra thick supportive foam and the CYMULA as CertiPUR-US memory foam, though neither states a number, so judge those by feel rather than a spec. At the far end, the Intex sits 22 inches off the ground and the Dr. air 18 inches, the kind of raised bed that is easy to climb into and sleep on like a home mattress, with the Dr. air adding a honeycomb structure aimed at a flatter surface.
Packed size and weight for backpacking versus car camping
How you get to camp decides what you can bring. If you carry everything on your back, pack size and weight rule, and the MOXILS air pad is the only pick here really built for that, listed as ultralight and compact with a carry bag and a repair kit. The self inflating Zzuvjoy and OGERY pads are heavier and bulkier but still packable for a short carry from the car. The Selectico and CYMULA foam mats and both raised queen air beds are car camping and base camp gear, comfortable to sleep on but too large and heavy to haul far. A fair rule is to carry an air pad, drive the foam and the big air beds.
Questions people ask
Which camping mattress should most people choose?
For most campers the Zzuvjoy self inflating pad is the strongest all round pick. It lists a thick 3.1 inch foam, a high stated 9.5 R-value for cold ground and a built-in pillow, so it covers warmth and comfort in one piece. If you are heading out with a pack, the MOXILS ultralight air pad is the one to carry, and for a base camp bed the Intex or Dr. air raised queen is easier to sleep two on.
What is R-value and how much do I need for camping?
R-value measures how well a sleeping surface resists heat loss to the ground, so a higher number keeps you warmer on cold nights. Summer campers can get by with a low to mid R-value, while cold or shoulder season trips want a higher one. In this list only the Zzuvjoy pad states its figure, a high 9.5, so it is the clear choice when cold ground is the concern. The other picks do not state an R-value, so we have not guessed at their warmth.
Self inflating pad, air pad or foam mattress, which is right for me?
A self inflating pad such as the Zzuvjoy or OGERY opens a valve and fills with foam on its own, giving a good balance of warmth and comfort. An air pad like the MOXILS packs smallest and is best for backpacking, but can feel less stable. Solid foam mats such as the Selectico and CYMULA need no inflation and just unroll, while the raised queen air beds are the plushest for car camping but far too bulky to carry.
Are these camping mattresses good for backpacking?
Only the MOXILS air pad is really made for backpacking, since the listing calls it ultralight and compact and it packs down small with its carry bag. The self inflating foam pads from Zzuvjoy and OGERY are heavier and bulkier, and the foam mats and raised queen air beds are strictly car camping or base camp gear. Match the mattress to how you travel to camp.
Do the queen air mattresses work without electricity?
The Intex and Dr. air raised queen beds use a built-in pump, which on high rise beds like these usually runs on mains power. So before you count on inflating one at camp, check the listing and plan a power source such as a campsite hookup or a vehicle inverter. The pads and foam mats in this list need no power at all, which is one reason they travel better off grid.
How thick should a camping mattress be?
Thicker usually means more cushioning from the ground, but also more bulk to carry. The Zzuvjoy lists 3.1 inches and the OGERY 3 inches of foam, which is plenty for most tent sleepers. The raised Intex and Dr. air beds sit much higher at 22 and 18 inches, which is comfortable at a base camp but heavy and bulky. The Selectico and CYMULA foam mats do not state a number, so judge those by feel.
Can two people share one of these camping mattresses?
The raised queen air beds are the ones built for two, with the Intex listing a 600 pound capacity and the Dr. air an 800 pound maximum, both in a queen size. The self inflating pads and foam mats here are sized and shaped as single sleepers, so a couple would want two of them side by side rather than sharing one.
How do I keep a camping mattress warm and holding air?
For warmth, pick a pad with a higher R-value for cold trips, which is where the Zzuvjoy at a stated 9.5 stands out. For air pads and air beds, inflate them at camp rather than at home so temperature changes do not leave them soft, and carry a patch kit, which is why the MOXILS including a repair kit is handy. Store foam pads loosely rolled so the foam keeps its loft.
The bottom lineSo which one?
Our top pick is the Zzuvjoy self inflating pad for its thick foam, high stated 9.5 R-value and built-in pillow, which make it the most complete choice for cold weather and car camping. The MOXILS air pad is the one to carry backpacking, the OGERY is a simple self inflating option, and the Selectico and CYMULA foam mats just unroll with no pump. For a base camp bed that sleeps two, the Intex and Dr. air raised queen air beds are the most comfortable, as long as you can power the built-in pump. Choose by trip style, how cold the ground gets and how much pack space you have.
