I tested bargain inflatable mattresses – the winner blows up by itself and would be perfect for festivals
ONE of the biggest worries for campers and festival goers is whether you’ll get a good night’s sleep in a tent.
But a good inflatable mattress can make a world of difference.
The best ones are lightweight, compact to carry around and inflate by themselves – saving you the hassle.
But you also want them to elevate you off the cold (and let’s face it, often wet) ground.
There are plenty of options available to buy this summer. But some are prone to deflating in the night, can be plasticky and uncomfortable to sleep on.
Lynsey Hope reviewed some best-sellers for The Sun, including some bargain options. Here’s what happened:
Mountain Warehouse Compact Inflating Mat
- £34.99, mountainwarehouse.com
Definitely the most compact option in our test, so great if you don’t have a lot of space in your backpack.
It’s lightweight too and easy to inflate but it’s quite thin, not the most comfortable and it lost some air over the course of the night.
It’s made with durable polyester and was quite crinkly and noisy to sleep on too. There are comfier options for the price.
Ease of use: 7/10
Comfort: 3/10
Value: 5/10
Overall score: 4/10
Quechua Self-Inflating Camping Mattress
- £39.99, decathlon.co.uk
I thought this mattress from Decathlon was amazing value for less than £40.
Simply unfold it and it will inflate itself to around 80 per cent of its capacity.
You then just have to blow up the rest yourself so you an adjust it to the pressure level suitable for you and this didn’t take long, a matter of minutes.
It’s not the deepest at just 4.5cm depth but I couldn’t feel the cold ground under me and thought it was comfy enough.
It was soft and supportive, if a little narrow. It was super easy to deflate and pack away, too.
Ease of use: 9/10
Comfort: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
Outwell Sleeping 10cm
- £64.99, outdoorworlddirect.co.uk
This mattress has a decent 10cm depth to protect you from the cold ground.
The valve makes inflating and deflating very easy and there’s no messing around with pumps in the dark.
Whilst I thought it was straightforward enough, I gave it to my 10-year-old son to take on a school camp and he wasn’t able to deflate it on its own.
But I thought it was easy enough to do. It comes with a carry bag for easy transportation.
Ease of use: 9/10
Comfort: 9/10
Value: 7/10
Overall score: 8/10
Vango Thermocore 6.5cm Air Mattress
This mattress is super lightweight weighing just 740g so it’s perfect if you are backpacking and don’t want to carry anything too heavy around with you.
You have to use the carry bag to pump it up, which saved carrying around a pump, but make sure you don’t lose it.
The 6.5cm depth was comfy enough and it has hollow fibre insulation which made it feel warm to sleep on.
The fabric was soft and didn’t crinkle or make noise in the night. The integrated pillow was comfy too.
Ease of use: 9/10
Comfort: 10/10
Value: 7/10
Overall score: 9/10
Mountain Warehouse Self Inflating Mat with Pillow
- £24.99, mountainwarehouse.com
An incredible price, this was very easy to inflate.
Simply turn the valve and it does most of the work itself.
It need a little extra puff from me to get it fully inflated, but it wasn’t difficult.
It rolled up easily after use too and came with a handy storage bag.
It’s 183cm in length, around 6ft, but because of the pillow my feet hung off the end.
It might not be the best option if you are tall. But it’s great value.
Ease of use: 7/10
Comfort: 6/10
Value: 10/10
Overall score: 7/10
Bestway Pavillo Inflatable Air Bed
- £11.85, amazon.co.uk
This looks like it would be the most luxurious for a good nights’ kip but when you lay on it, your body drops through and you can still feel the ground.
It folds up smaller than you’d imagine though which makes it quite compact for storage but it’s not the lightest to carry around with you.
You’ll need an electric pump or a lot of puff to blow it up. Great price though.
Ease of use: 6/10
Comfort: 4/10
Value: 7/10
Overall score: 5/10
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