Best Camping Mattresses in Australia

Best camping mattress — Self-inflating, air, foam roll-up — the right camping mattress depends on what you’re doing. Our team’s pick of the best camping mattresses in Australia for car camping, hiking and family trips.

James on our team has tested camping mattresses everywhere from the Snowy Mountains in winter to Litchfield in October. The big question is always the same: how comfortable do you need to be vs how much weight you’re willing to carry. Here’s the matrix.

1. Sea to Summit Comfort Plus SI — Best Self-Inflating (Best camping mattress)

Australian brand. Self-inflating valve, 8 cm of foam, R-value 4.1 (warm down to about 0°C). About 1.5 kg for a regular. $230. The best balance of comfort and weight for car-camping.

2. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite — Best Hiking

340 g for a regular size. Inflates manually but uses internal Triangular Core Matrix to feel close to 6 cm thick. Around $300. The benchmark for ultralight hikers.

3. OZtrail Camper Self-Inflating — Best Budget

10 cm thick, single or double, around $160. Heavy (3.5 kg) but very comfortable for car camping. R-value 3 — fine for spring/summer trips.

4. Coleman ComfortSmart Camp Cot — Best for Bad Backs

Not a mattress strictly — a folding cot with a built-in foam topper. Gets you off the ground. Around $200. The mattress to take if you have a back that hates the ground.

5. Domex Family Air Bed Queen — Best for Family Trips

Big queen-size air bed with built-in pump. Around $250. Not for hiking. Sleeps two adults comfortably and packs into a duffle.

R-value, simply

R-value measures insulation from the cold ground. R 1–2 = summer only. R 3 = three-season. R 4+ = into the cold. Most Australian conditions are fine with R 3, except alpine winter trips.

For independent guidance on sleep and wellbeing, the Sleep Health Foundation is a good starting point.