Key Points
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When choosing the best air mattress for couples, choose the correct R-Value for the weather conditions.
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If you hike to your campsite, choose a lightweight couple's air mattress that deflates to a size you can comfortably carry.
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If you drive to your campsite, the best air mattress for couples can easily stow in your car.
Many couples are trading a weekend of binging Netflix for a weekend of hiking and camping. After all, why watch an adventure movie when you can have your own adventure?
If you're planning your next camping adventure, choose an air mattress you can comfortably sleep on. There are a few features and options to consider before choosing a couple's air mattress.
Things To Consider When Buying a Couples Air Mattress
Couples choosing their camping gear often start with two sleeping bags, a tent, and a sack full of protein bars. To make the experience even more exciting, they move to a two-person sleeping bag, a larger tent, and learn to cook on a camp stove. It's best to put a two-person mattress under that two-person sleeping bag.
Sleeping Mattresses and R-Value
When choosing a sleeping mattress or pad for camping, you have many things to consider. What time of year do you plan to camp, what is the temperature, and where are you camping? According to adventurer Bear Grylls, these choices are important to a comfortable camp. If you plan to camp in cold weather, you'll need to consider the R-value of the mattress or pad.
The R-value of a mattress or sleeping pad is much like that of the insulation in your attic or windows in your house. The lower the R-value, the less insulation you have from the ground. Technically speaking, the R-value represents the ability of an item to prevent heat transfer.
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Best R-value for mattresses or pads during the summer: 1-3
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Best R-value for mattresses for camping during the spring, summer, and fall value: 3-5
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Best R-value for mattresses for camping during the winter of extreme cold: 5+
What Makes a Good Air Mattress?
The unit of measure used to determine the density of the fabric of an air mattress or any other fabric is the denier (D). The larger the number, the more dense or durable the fabric. For instance, a couple's air mattress may be rated at 75D.
The material on an air mattress with a rating of 75D is more durable than, say, an air mattress rated at 70D. You will often see these ratings when researching air mattresses. There can be a trade-off, though. An air mattress with a high denier rating often weighs more than a lower one. It's up to you to decide which might suit your camping type, weight, or durability needs.
Size Matters
When looking for an air mattress that the two of you will take camping, pay special attention to the size of the mattress. Often there are two sizes listed: the size of the mattress deflated and the size of the mattress inflated.
If your camping consists of long hikes to a remote camping site, you will likely want a mattress with a small deflated footprint. If you drive to your campsite, comfort often trumps a small deflated footprint.
A Versatile Air Mattress Solution
The trouble with an air mattress for two is that they are either lightweight and uncomfortable or too heavy and comfortable. The two-person air bed from Lightspeed Outdoors is the best of both worlds. It's lightweight enough to carry for miles in a backpack and is easily stowed in a car for more accessible camping trips. The Lightspeed is even comfortable enough to use in a guest room.
by Lightspeed Performance
Their two-way Boston valve system lets you release air gradually instead of opening the intake and letting too much air out. It allows you to inflate the mattress to the perfect firmness for couples. Once inflated, it's the size of a queen bed, and a queen sheet fits fine. The patented stabilizer system keeps bouncing to a minimum and distributes the weight evenly. Even if one person is heavier than the other, both can sleep comfortably on the Lightspeed air mattress.
When compressed, the Lightspeed Air bed dimensions (L x W x H) are 16.5" x 8.9" x 8.9". It weighs just under six pounds (5.6 lbs). The compressed dimensions and weight are impressive, even for an air mattress made for one person, let alone two.
Remember that the air bed has no R-value rating, so plan on using it for warm-weather camping. The two-person air bed from Lightspeed Outdoors is one of the best camping mattresses for couples.
Camping Systems for Extended Stay Camping
by Coleman
If you go camping longer than a weekend, you might as well be comfortable. The Coleman Air Mattress Cot is built for those not concerned about weight or size but more about comfort. This air mattress fits on top of a camping cot built for two and has two fold-out trays with cup holders. Not only are you off the ground, you have two nightstands!
The steel cot frame is high enough to keep you comfortably off the cold ground, and you can store things underneath. The mattress zips into a cover to keep it from sliding. The combination cot frame and air mattress can easily convert a home office into a bedroom.
The Coleman air mattress for two weighs 41 pounds and is not something you want to backpack with. However, if you are driving right up to your camping sight and plan on staying a week, it is definitely the air mattress for you. The compressed system dimensions are 11" x 10.25" x 40".
Versatile Self-Inflating Sleeping Pads for Camping
by Therm-a-Rest
For more adventurous couples who prefer camping off the beaten path, there's the Therm-a-Rest MondoKing 3D self-inflating sleeping pad. It is lighter than many mattresses made for couples camping because two mattresses are connected to make one. Each camper carries your mattress and attaches the two when you're ready to sleep.
The MondoKing is lighter than other options because there's no air pump to carry. Each mattress weighs 4.3 pounds and needs about 26" x 10.3" of space in each pack. The TwinLock valves provide a dedicated valve to inflate and a dedicated valve to deflate, significantly decreasing the time needed to set up and tear down.
The pad is 4.5" thick, providing a warm 7.0 R-value for camping in cooler weather. When joined with the Synergy Coupler, the walls of the mattress are even, allowing for a comfortable night's sleep no matter where you lay on the mattress. It is an excellent option for couples who also occasionally camp solo.
Sleeping Mats for Year Around Camping
Couples who want to camp year-round should choose a sleeping bag and sleeping mattress and sleeping for all seasons. An Exped MegaMat Duo 10 is hard to beat when sleeping in cold weather. It has an R-value of 8.1 and a 6" air-channeled foam construction that keeps couples warm while camping in the winter.
Even though it is 72" x 41", it weighs just 5 pounds. It's self-inflating but comes with a mini pump if you want that extra air to top it off. This mattress is very comfortable, and the 50-D polyester fabric makes the surface durable and puncture-proof.
It does come in various sizes, so you can outfit the whole family with an Exped MegaMat and keep everyone warm. Remember that the MegaMat is an easy sleeping pad to inflate, but it deflates slowly like many couples' mattresses.
Air Beds for Hardcore Camping
by ALPS
The ALPS Mountaineering Vertex Air Bed is both rugged and comfortable. You get the durability of a polyester Oxford fabric with the comfort that a coil spring mattress gives. The Vertex Weighs in at just 4.12 pounds; it is light enough to carry in a backpack for more adventurous campers.
The rechargeable air pump comes with chargers for both wall and electrical outlets. The charger will inflate and deflate the air bed for a quick and easy set-up and tear-down. You can inflate Vertex using your mouth if you forget to charge the pump.
The inflated size is 56" x 80" x 6", and the deflated size is 17" x 14" x 5". The Vertex can be used indoors or outdoors and is rated to accommodate weights up to 250 lbs. Its R rating is an R1, which is great for summer camping. You should bring a heavy sleeping bag when camping in cooler weather.
There is no D rating available for Vertex.
A Couples Mattress Makes For Happy Campers
If you are part of a couple looking for more adventure than sitting on the couch binging NetFlix, look for what you crave outdoors on My Outdoor Gear and find the best camping mattress for couples. You'll find that setting up camp, cooking over a campfire, and snuggling into a sleeping bag is an exciting way to spend a weekend.
Whether you're part of a camping couple driving right up to your campsite or a couple that backpacks for miles before you make camp, these mattresses can keep you both comfortable all night. Pair your mattress with a camping pillow, and you'll be sawing logs before you know it! After all, a good night's sleep makes for happy campers.
Maybe a mattress isn't quite your style? Consider trying out hammock camping instead.
