When you head out for your next tent camping adventure, making sure you have the right stuff to sleep well on your trip is so important. It can make or break your entire camping adventure. Trust us, we know.
Since sleep is so important, we decided to help you choose which sleeping accessory to bring along by comparing the camping cot to the air mattress. Both can be great choices but ultimately it will depend on you as the individual to decide which comfort features work best for your needs so hopefully, after reading this post, you will be able to make the best decision for you.
There are other choices like a sleeping bag, hammock, or sleep pad, but for this post, we will break down just the cot and air mattress.
Some people prefer only the cot because they are very durable, they keep you off the ground and they are easy to set up. While other people prefer the air mattress and swear by it because you can adjust them and they’re easier for more than one person to sleep on.
We must tell you that we have always been fans of the air mattress but this doesn’t mean that a cot is out of the question. Let us give you a side-by-side comparison and you can see for yourself.
What’s a Camping Cot?
When it comes to sleeping arrangements for camping, the camping cot has been around for ages. It has even been used by soldiers in the Roman Army.
When most people think of tent camping, they assume you are sleeping directly on the ground. Well, this just isn’t true anymore. What they don’t know is that there are affordable and easy options to keep you elevated and warm on your outdoor adventures.
Sleeping directly on the ground might not be an option for most people. At least it’s not for me.
Even using a sleeping pad or air mattress might still be too close to the ground for some people, so an elevated option like a cot would be what we recommend.
Think about this…what if, heaven forbid, your campsite floods and water gets inside your tent. Well, with a camping cot, you will be dry and off the ground.
So what is a camping cot? Well, it’s just simply a camping bed. It’s an elevated, portable, lightweight bed covered with a canvas or a polyester pad.
They’re lightweight and very portable. They usually have a metal frame which helps make them durable. They’re easy to clean and most are resistant to rust.
The metal of choice is usually aluminum and it keeps the cost down while keeping the cot lightweight. When it comes to the canvas or nylon pad, nylon is usually easier to clean than canvas.
What’s an Air Mattress?
An air mattress is an inflatable airbed made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) that’s blown up with air and slept on. It’s very portable and easy to use.
In order to inflate your air mattress, you will need a pump. Most air mattress pumps are battery operated or plug directly into your car or power source. Some air mattresses have built-in pumps which can make packing easier, too.
Air mattresses come in various sizes from a twin to a king, but the bigger it is, the heavier it will be and it can take up more room due to its size so you will have to consider the size of your tent when picking out which one to use.
Which is More Comfortable?
Whether or not you are comfortable is going to be based on your individual preference. With an air mattress, you can change the firmness by letting air out to make it softer or inflating it more for a firmer feel. Also, they will provide some cushion between the ground, possible rocks or twigs, and you.
With a camping cot, you might have to put an extra sleeping pad or sleeping bag down to make it more comfortable. This is because most cots only have a canvas cover on them making them firmer.
For most side sleepers, a cot is not a good option because cots are firmer than an air mattress. The fabric that cots are made of is going to also be a lot more rigid than an air mattress. If you are a side sleeper, you can adjust the sir mattress to a medium firmness which is usually the preference.
If you are a back sleeper, the cot will be the best choice for you. Most back sleepers like a firm or extra firm sleeping surface. With the cot, you can’t adjust firmness, you can only add a pad for an extra cushion so ideally back sleepers will pick the cot.
Cots are usually for just one person so if you are camping with a partner, you might consider an air mattress so you can both sleep on it. There are two-person cots but they have a support bar in the middle so this could keep you from snuggling up on a cold night.
What is the Price Difference?
They both have several price points ranging from $20 to $300 or more. The price difference is going to depend on whether you choose the budget-friendly version or the premium version and it’s hard to say which one is better. It will be based on personal preference and budget.
How do You Set Them Up?
Both camping cots and air mattresses are pretty simple to set up. The camping cot might be the easier option when comparing the two because a camping cot usually has a very easy fold open option.
Air mattresses are easy to put up too. You simply lay it out where you want it to be, open the valve and inflate.
Will You Stay Warm?
Being able to stay insulated from the cold ground when you are camping is a big deal that is often not considered. Air mattresses are pretty good at keeping you insulated from the ground. Some will let you know their insulation value (r-value) but most will not.
Camping cots don’t offer insulation, in fact, they allow air to pass underneath so you might need an extra sleeping bag or sleeping pad.
If you had to choose between the two for insulation I would pick the air mattress.
Are They Durable?
Camping cots are made to be durable, while air mattresses are too, they could potentially pop if they were punctured. There is always the risk of an air leak with the air mattress too.
Most cots are made of aluminum or steel frames and can hold up to 500 lbs. Their construction makes them durable. You may need to lubricate the joints and wipe down the canvas but they are pretty maintenance free.
Since air mattresses are prone to tears or punctures, make sure you have a kit to patch them just in case this happens while out camping.
Can you Pack them Well?
When you are camping, there is so much to bring like food, water, clothes, your tent, sleeping gear, so you will want to be able to pack everything well.
An air mattress tends to pack a little better than a camping cot. This is because you can deflate the air mattress and roll it up pretty tight.
The camping cot, on the other hand, can sometimes be bulky or heavier than the air mattress (not much but enough to make a difference). This will vary between the models but the air mattress would be the winner in this category because they are lightweight and more portable.
Camping cots are foldable and most hikers and backpackers pick this.
Which is More Convenient?
To determine which one is more convenient, you will have to figure out which activity you are using it for. If you are going car camping, you can grab an air mattress and pack it easier, but for hiking, you might want to choose a cot specific to this.
You will also need to consider storage space and the size of your tent when deciding. If you have lots of room in your tent, an air mattress might be good but if you are in a small tent, the camping cot will give you more room for your stuff.
There are camping cots that have storage pockets on the sides and this can be a good choice if you have things you need to keep off the ground. Air mattresses don’t offer pockets like this.
You can always store stuff under your cot, like bags or shoes, if your tent is small whereas an air mattress, you can’t. You might let this be the determining factor that will help you decide which one to bring.
Camping cots are easier to get in and out of than an air mattress because they’re elevated off the ground and more rigid. They also give you a place to sit and are suited for all weather conditions.
Best of Both
If you just can’t decide which you want to bring, there might be an option that satisfies both. The Coleman Camping Cot is both a cot and an air mattress combined. It comes with a pump and side table, too. If you can’t decide which features you will love most, go ahead and get this combo so you don’t have to decide.
Our Favorite Picks
We like this cot because it’s 75″ inches long, 28″ inches wide and 15″ inches tall. It holds 220 lbs and folds up nicely into a carrying bag. Its weight is only 13.98 lbs and it has a side pocket for storage while also coming with a matress pad for comfort.
This is the air mattress we use when we tent camp. Our Intex has been very durable and lasted us for 11 years. It has a 600 lbs weight limit, it’s 18″ inches high, and a queen size so 2 people can sleep comfortably. While our model doesn’t have a built-in pump, this one does.
This mattress is very comfortable because it has a support system inside to help keep the entire mattress in place.
