Camping is a wonderful way to reconnect with nature and all the creatures that inhabit it. It’s also an opportunity for some family time, a chance to make new memories, and an opportunity to experience some peace and quiet.
It is not a must to have an air mattress for camping but an air mattress will make your sleep more comfortable, enjoyable, and memorable. An air mattress is better than sleeping on the ground or a sleeping bag.
A recent study found that one hour of hiking in a forest can give you the same mood-boosting and health-promoting benefits as walking for an hour on a treadmill. Hiking has been shown to reduce depression, anxiety, and blood pressure. Additionally, it also reduces muscle tension and chronic pain.
All of the excitement from traveling and exploring nature can keep you awake at night. However, a good night’s sleep is important for everyone on your camping trip.
The big question now becomes; do you need an air mattress or camping cot to get a good night’s sleep? Here we will make a comparison between an air bed and a camping cot to see which is better.
Table of Contents
What Is An Air Mattress?
Air mattresses are used as temporary beds and can be inflated in just a few minutes with an electric pump or manually. Air mattresses are made from rubber, PVC, or Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU).
The mattress may be one continuous chamber or may have different chambers with air coils, and air beams for greater support and comfort. The air mattress may have a built-in pump or may not include one. There are manual and portable pumps that can be used to inflate the air mattress quickly.
Air mattresses came in different sizes, shapes, and colors and each air mattress is designed to carry a specific weight level. Excess weight will damage the air mattress and may cause the development of air bubbles, cracks, and leakages.
The desired firmness of the air mattress can be adjusted by the level of inflation that you give it. Its comfort can be adjusted accordingly. The danger with over-inflating an air mattress is that it may burst and will damage the seams making the air mattress less durable.
The choice of an air mattress will depend on your tent size, the number of people using the air mattress, the material used to make the bed, and of course price.
What Is A Camping Cot?
A camping cot is a lightweight narrow bed made from sturdy clothing material that is stretched over a folding frame. A camping cot elevates you from the ground and prevents you from being in contact with the cold ground.
A camping cot may feel a bit uncomfortable depending on the material used to make it. This may call for a topper to be added to make the camping cot more comfortable to sleep on
Camping cots are easy to set up and usually have a wider base that prevents the cot from rocking from side to side as you sleep and turn. The cot usually folds into a small unit but is a bit heavy compared to an air mattress.
Most sleeping cots can support weights of around 300 pounds and most are not wide enough to be shared by two people but are designed for single users.
What Should You Go For? Air Mattress Or Camping Cot?
The choice of the bed for a night’s sleep while camping will depend on the length you will be camping and your individual preference. Here we look at the differences from different angles.
1. Weight Support
This refers to the weight that the air mattress or the camping cot can support. Most camping cots are small in size and designed to be slept on by 1 person. On the other hand, air mattress sizes vary and the various sizes can support different weights.
A camping cot can support 300 pounds while a twin air mattress can support a weight of 300 pounds. On the other hand, a California king-size air mattress can support as much as 650 pounds.
Where more than 1 person will be sharing a sleeping area, the air mattress is better suited.
2. Set-Up
Setting up a camping cot is easy as it just unfolds the cot from the container. This will require no special skills and will take a short time.
On the other hand, setting up an air mattress can be a daunting task. You need to unpack the mattress and inflate it to the required firmness. If you do not have prior knowledge you might end up over-inflating or underinflating the mattress.
When an electronic air pump is not available, it can become cumbersome to inflate the air mattress, especially without the know-how.
3. Bulkiness
A camping cot is bulky and heavy compared to an air mattress. An empty camping cot weighs more than 14 pounds. This is a standard cot that can support a weight of 300 pounds.
An empty twin air mattress that can support a weight of 300 pounds weighs around 8 pounds. This difference in weight adds up to your camping luggage.
When fully folded, the camping cot is bulky and will occupy a bigger space compared to an air mattress that can be fully folded to a small size.
4. Comfort
When you plan to camp for a few days, a camping cot can be used but if you plan the camping to be prolonged, an air mattress will provide greater comfort.
A camping cot is sturdy and stiff when fully stretched to support the body weight while the air mattress even when fully inflated is bouncy. This adds to the comfort. Adding a mattress topper can make the air mattress even more comfortable.
Raising the air mattress off the ground will make it a more firm and ordinary bed. Air mattresses tend to be colder to sleep on plainly but you can use a heated blanket, a mattress pad or a thermal pad to make the air mattress warmer and more comfortable.
A camping cot can be made more comfortable by adding a mattress topper also.
5. Durability
A camping cot has a longer life span compared to an air mattress. While a cot can last up to 10 years with frequent heavy usage, an air mattress will last approximately 2-3 years.
An air mattress is likely to be punctured and torn but a camping cot is not likely to suffer the same.
6. Cost
A twin air mattress that can support a weight of 300 pounds will cost $30 and above while a twin air mattress costs less as low as $10 but can support the same weight.
This makes the air mattress more affordable though it might not last as long as a camping cot and therefore the go-to sleeping option.
7. Elevation
Camping cots are elevated from the ground and this will protect you from the cold ground. This is healthy as the extreme cold may cause illness. An air mattress is not elevated and is in contact with a camping ground and will subject you to extreme weather.
You will need a metal frame, a box spring, or other mattress raisers to get the air mattress off the ground. This adds to the weight and cost of camping accessories.
Final Thoughts
One cannot use one difference between a camping cot and an air mattress to decide what to buy. You will need to look at the differences from major sides to arrive at the best option.
But for a good sleep experience, while camping, an air mattress will be a welcome accessory in your camping luggage.
