
1 in Sleeping Pads
Exped - MegaMat Auto
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Based on 1 year's data from Feb 24, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
27
4
"worth every penny for car camping."
"Ridiculously comfortable."
"The comfiest pad there is ... definitely for car camping only"
84
3
"it helps me, with herniated discs, better than even some of the fancy back-relief specific ones for home use."
"One Megamat is always in use at home though; great mattresses for guest beds, etc. Or even main beds."
"Mine is 10cm of orthopedic hedonism."
9
0
"Plus, being able to adjust the stiffness is a game changer for couples."
"It can be super firm or you can let out some air and adjust it to your preference."
"You decide on the amount of give by how much extra you inflate it beyond what the foam can do itself."
17
0
"I've used it in May and January, perfection in every season."
"That's how I feel about my exped megamat. I think it just turned 12."
"Got these and never had a leak in 3 years now and I sleep through the night."
7
2
"It can inflate the mattress in just a couple of minutes ... the best part is it can deflate absolutely all of the air out of the mattress, and it can be easily rolled up into its included storage sack."
"And it’s quick to air up and deflate with their rechargeable air pump."
"Self inflates to about 80% and easy to top off after that. ... Easy to adjust firmness."
Disliked most:
4
12
"too heavy for backpacking"
"Megamat is wonderful but it's not fitting in a backpack, you'll have to take a second trip for it. It takes up a lot of space in the car even."
"But it's huge. ... If you're hiking more than 10-20 yards I'd get something else."
1
1
"the "self-inflate" part is a lie ... Well I haven't and it doesn't. It just sits there."
1
1
"inflatable gap filler for under the seats is a must, we have 2 we half inflate each"
\+1 for Exped Megamat Duo. I have two. One LW+ for camping on the ground and one Megamat Auto that fits in my GX460.
happy with my megamat auto purchase i think the extra space on the sides is more than worth it
I have limited experience since we only started camping last year but I cannot recommend enough the Exped Megamat camping mattress. We used the Exped Megamat Auto mattress since we were sleeping in the car and it’s got the tapered sides for the wheel arches but the normal Megamat would be ideal for your situation. Great for side and back sleeping. It can be super firm or you can let out some air and adjust it to your preference. Definitely worth considering if funds allow 👍 Will be taking our dog on a car camping road trip this year so will soon find out how dog proof they are! We’ve got a couple videos showing the mattress set up and in use. Edit - don’t listen to me, others have provided much better solutions 🫡
I have limited experience since we only started camping last year but I cannot recommend enough the Exped Megamat camping mattress. We used the Exped Megamat Auto mattress since we were sleeping in the car and it’s got the tapered sides for the wheel arches but the normal Megamat would be ideal for your situation. Great for side and back sleeping. It can be super firm or you can let out some air and adjust it to your preference. Definitely worth considering if funds allow 👍 Will be taking our dog on a car camping road trip this year so will soon find out how dog proof they are! We’ve got a couple videos showing the mattress set up and in use. Edit - don’t listen to me, others have provided much better solutions 🫡
Exped megamat.
Buy once, cry one. I have a dozen different sleeping pad/cot/mattresses stored because I kept thinking that *this* is the one that will finally work. You know what finally worked? Dropping $500 on an Exped Megamat. I’ve been using that one for 5 years. No regrets.
I have two expeds- a Megamat duo and a single. They’re the most comfortable and warm pad I’ve tried. I’ve been using them for 5 years and camp at least once a month. Our Duo sprung a leak a few years ago, which I patched, and it still works great. Pro-tip: Get the widget air pump or a Flextail Gear mini air pump. Don’t use your breath to finish inflating because it will introduce moisture into your mattress.
\+1 on getting two single mega mats and placing them together. This way, you have redundancy if one gets punctured, each person can adjust their inflation level, and one person's movement won't affect the other much.
I have the single version. It is an amazing pad for sleeping. I would look for it on sale though. I got mine 50% off from REI one year
Wiggy sleeping bag. High r value pad like a thick exped. Ignik heated pad cover if you have power. Sleep in clothes so you don’t get cold taking them off then cold again putting them back on in the AM. Get super organized so you’re not wasting time dicking about. Things that you don’t mind doing in summer warmth can get really annoying really quickly in the cold.
I used one for a bit and it definitely collects condensation. It did feel good for my back though. Ended up investing in an Ex Ped camping mattress, full size for me and my spouse. Takes up the same amount of space in the car but fits 2 people and no condensation problem. Also purchased a $20 rechargeable micro air pump to inflate it fast. They’re not the cheapest, but also didn’t get sore back after a week on it.
Exped is the current king of the semi self inflating mattresses but there are other worthy considerations which are more affordable, especially on sale. I went with a Lost Horizon I found on clearance for half price. Probably not as bomb proof as the Exped, but after about a dozen trips this summer it’s going strong without issues. The bottom line is these type of mattresses are exponentially more comfortable than anything else on the market. I will never go back. The only drawback is they don’t roll up small.
I can't remember if ours is an exped or not, but it's a double size one for my wife and I. I remember kind of cringing at the price initially, I think I paid double what our sleeping bag cost. Total game changer. We sleep so comfortably, even in 30 F temperatures.
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