Best camping mattresses tried and tested: Our top picks for comfort, convenience, and protection

This mattress really is over the top for your average camper, by which we mean someone who's used to a little discomfort when sleeping in a tent. But by golly is the Exped Megamat a luxuriously spacious mattress that easily beats out a few real beds we've stayed in when it comes to comfort.

We tested the LXW edition; this particular model is infamous amongst Exped’s sleep range for its unbeatable comfort levels and excellent insulation. Width is an often undervalued aspect of a sleeping mat, yet it’s one of the most notable and pronounced elements of the Megamat 10, which measure 197 x 77cm.

We believe that near meter of width is the secret behind the Megamat’s massive comfort levels, as the ability to turn over in the night without slipping off your mat is a rare and wonderful treat. It's also 10cm thick, which and the foam construction keeps you toasty and off the ground all night long, while avoiding the bubbly feeling of a blow-up pad.

With a whopping R rating of 8.1, insulation in deep winter conditions is no problem for the Megamat 10. That said, insulation isn't the same as actual warmth (which is your sleeping bag's job) so don't worry about overheating on this in the summer months.

The Megamat 10 is designed to be self-inflating, and of the picks in our list, it does take the longest. But luckily it comes with a mini pump for topping up to your desired firmness – or speeding the whole process along if you don't have time to wait.

In all, the only area where this mattress falls short is in versatility. It's just massive, and while it's easy to deflate and pack away, it's packed size is still shoulder-strap-requiringly large. Also, it's 2.6kg. It won't come on every trip, but if you're not pitching too far from a car, then its the best bed you can get.

This may not be a 'budget' camping mattress, but we believe that the value provided by the smart engineering of the ZOOM UL by Big Agnes is second to none.

Where comfort powerhouses like the Exped Megamat or the Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe are designed for long stays in basecamps or winter outposts, the Zoom UL Insulated camping mattress thrives in your hiking pack – on the move. The base model weighs just 397g and packs down into an impressive 10 x 20cm bundle. This level of portability isn't unheard of, but it's rarely combined with an equally high level of comfort.

The pad is 8.25cm thick, but the outer chambers are bumped up to 8.89cm to give a soft raised boarder that keeps you cradled in the centre. Our biggest gripe with air mattresses is how easy it is to slide off of one while sleeping; this seemingly subtle detail is what puts the Zoom UL miles ahead of the inflatable competition.

Additionally, we found the nylon ripstop pleasantly soft, and the insulation was more than good enough for a blustery British October, though we wouldn't push it much further into the winter months.

We had an easy enough time blowing up the Zoom UL using the included inflation sack. If you've never used one before, picture a sturdy pillow case with one open end and a valve opposite which smoothly connects to the valve on the mat. You basically catch a load of air inside the sack and then roll it down to push the air into the mattress – it's quite fun to do, actually.

In all, this mattress is a dream for ultralight enthusiasts looking to catch some quality Z's. It takes some effort to set up every night, but we will definitely be bringing the Big Agnes Zoom UL on our next long-distance backpacking trip.

This is another luxurious pick for comfy camping in a spacious tent. At 4 inches thick, it's marginally thinner than the Exped Megamat, but for our money it's still extremely comfortable. We tested the regular wide model and found it more than accommodating for a fussy 6'1 man, but if you want to get crazy, this mattress is also available in a double size.

Sea to Summit reportedly use their 'delta core technology' to reduce the amount of foam in their mattresses. The interior of the Comfort Deluxe is comprised of hollow tessellating foam shapes, which are quite noticeable when you go to roll this mat up. Admittedly, we found the Comfort Deluxe much easier to pack away and carry than the Megamat, so it earns a few points for portability.

That said, the Comfort Deluxe is still knocking on the door of 2kg heavy and should not be on your kit list for backpacking. The self inflation is fairly quick and easy, and the air valve does a good job of preventing re-inflation when you're packing up. It's spacious, comfortable, and with an R-value of 6.5, this mattress can definitely get you through some chilly nights.

Compared to some of the behemoths in this article, the Alpkit Dozer might strike you as laughably thin. However, once fully inflated, we found that it offers plenty of comfort without needing to take up the majority of your car's boot.

The design is fairly no-nonsense, with one valve that automatically starts taking in air once you turn it. The mattress is quite fast to inflate and, while you can top it up with a few breaths, we didn't feel the need. The polyester surface is soft to touch and the mattress has an impressive R-value of 6.8.

Considering the fairly drastic reduction in thickness compared to the Sea to Summit or Exped mattresses, we expected the Alpkit Dozer to be a lot more portable. However, with a packed size of 22 x 66 cm, the Dozer is only a tiny bit smaller, and weighs about the same as the base model from Sea to Summit.

Still, one of the biggest advantages Alpkit has over the competition here is price and ease of use. If you're looking to upgrade your sleep setup for the first time and you've already picked up a good sleeping bag, then the Dozer is a great choice for elevating your kit without breaking the bank or having to fiddle around with layered, multi-purpose valves.

Another option with a sub-£100 price tag, the AirCore 90 from Robens is a classic example of an air bed. It feels a bit floaty, and it lacks the ingenious raised boarder of the Big Agnes Zoom UL, but it still massively outshines a thin matt, being sturdy enough for side-sleepers to feel supported and not have their shoulders touching the hard ground.

The AirCore 90 is also pretty lightweight, clocking in at a respectable 695g, which is made more impressive when you realise that, unlike other options, this mat's inflation system is 100% built-in. The iconic footpump in the bottom corner is easy to use and gets the mattress fully inflated within a minute or two.

It's worth mentioning that, with an R-rating of 1.7, this mattress is best suited to fair-weather campers looking for extra bounce and comfort in their sleep system. The AirCore 90 was certainly very comfortable for our tall tester, but you may prefer the slightly smaller but noticeably lighter AirCore 60 if you don't need the extra legroom.

As well as easy inflation, The AirCore 90 has excellent durability, with a PFC free TPU coating for total water resistance and a construction using 390T nylon. That's a whole lot of threads. It's reassuring, when you're turning over at night or fumbling around your tent looking for a head torch or something, to know that the airy surface under you is not going to pop.

Glamping haters, stand aside. This absolute monster of an airbed is available at a wildly good price, giving anyone access to a luxury sleep option. It was our run tester Kate's choice for Love Trails Festival, and it managed to keep her (and co.) excellently well rested through four days of hardcore trail running

This double airbed fits into a generous 2-man tent or larger, and is plenty big enough to sleep two adults. It’s incredibly simple to set-up too, by use of Coleman’s 12V QuickPump. Two air chambers need to be pumped, with the idea that if you only pump one you can use the mattress as a single, if desired.

The best part? This mattress will also come in handy back home when you have mates and family over to stay. A win-win.