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I’ve had an exped megamat max duo for 5 years, and it just got its first leak (I also have a new kitten. Im not saying those two things are related). I emailed Exped and they are repairing it for free and shipping it back to me on their dime, I just had to pay the shipping to send it in (admittedly not cheap). It was a big purchase but having my repair covered after 5 years of owning a piece of gear is pretty outstanding. If the customer service isn’t enough to sell you, this mat is the most comfortable thing I’ve ever slept on outside. Guests prefer it to an air mattress in the house, too, so it’s not collecting dust when it’s not outside
We have the max duo W I think? It’s for me and my wife and sometimes our 1 year old.
If you are car camping, look into the Exped MegaMat line. I have the single LXW and used to have the double LXW before upgrading to the Duo Max. They are hands down the reason I'm willing to camp. They have great insulation and cushioning. Putting your pad on a cot will also help your wife because it's more like a regular bed and you don't have to get up from the ground.
My double Megamat developed its first very small patchable leak after about 8 years of use. This includes being used as my primary bed for several months when I was waiting on a new mattress to arrive. It has also survived some truly vigorous date weekends!
If you are car camping, look into the Exped MegaMat line. I have the single LXW and used to have the double LXW before upgrading to the Duo Max. They are hands down the reason I'm willing to camp. They have great insulation and cushioning. Putting your pad on a cot will also help your wife because it's more like a regular bed and you don't have to get up from the ground.
The Megamat has held up really well for me. My LXW is ten years old and hanging in there, though the duo gets more use these days.
The exped megamat: https://www.snowys.com.au/megamat-max-duo-lw-plus-burgundy It’s spenny, but worth it. It’s as comfortable as my mattress at home, packs small, inflates and deflates easily (and has a battery pump you can buy for extra ease), and doesn’t need to be stored open and flat like many other self-inflating mattresses do. We camp a lot, and I’ve watched this mattress slowly become the standard in our friendship group, as we all get a little bit older.
Exped Megamat is the best
I’ve had a Coleman queen double high air mattress for several years and it hasn’t let me down. With all air mattresses it stretches and needs topped up after a couple days but I’ve never woken up on the ground or even had it deflate to the point of being uncomfortable and I’m 6’4 330. I like not having to get down to the ground to get in and out of bed and have found it comfy enough. Your air mattress shouldn’t be failing after a couple uses. Problem with air mattresses is cold weather it’s not a very warm experience. That’s where self inflating pads shine giving you some foam insulation from the cold making for a warmer sleep. I actually just bought the exped megamat max duo because it was on sale and I’ll be camping in mid October for the first time so I’m preparing for cold weather. I haven’t slept on it yet but my brother happened to be visiting when I got it and he tried it and liked it a lot, better than the spare room mattress he normally uses. I’ll have a better comparison come late October but I’ve heard nothing but good things about exped mega mats. My only issue with them being they are basically ground level as opposed to my double high mattress being nearly 20 inches tall and they are absurdly priced.
https://www.expedusa.com/products/megamat-max-duo-2025 Its amazing and was the single best upgrade I’ve made currently. It’s like a home mattress
fwiw my spouse and I went from thermarest, to an all-air bed (like a Coleman one), to a megamat duo xl (the biggest thickest one they offer) and it’s been worth every penny. Bought it used from REI resupply but knowing how great it is for us, would have been happy to pay full price. We will never go back. Think about you and your wife’s comfort first and foremost since you don’t know what the kids’ sleeping arrangements will always look like. Also just a point of clarification- I’m assuming since you’re considering the megamat at all, you’re front country/car camping… this all goes out the window if we’re talking backpacking.
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