Exped - MegaMat Ultra

Exped MegaMat Ultra is indeed super comfortable, sadly, it's also quite heavy.

Sea To Summit Ether Light XR (XT is the old model, definitely go for the XR it's lighter, warmer and pack smaller) is a great all-rounder, one of the best actually when it comes to comfort-weigh-pack size ratio. Other good all-rounders are REI Helix and Zenbivy Ultralight Mattress, both of these has very similar comfort but are slightly heavier. If you seek ultimate comfort there would be there competitors: Zenbivy Flex Air Mattress, ThermaRest NeoLoft and Exped MegaMat Ultra. Each of these are basically best of the class, which one would be the best comes down to personal preferences as each of them using different baffle construction.

Exped Megamat 10 for yourself. Then any foam pad next to you for pooch. (R2 zlite or any equivalent) Lightweight for you, but 10cm thick so it won't bottom out hopefully. I'd not want my dog on the same mat as me. That'd be asking for trouble.

Exped Megamat 10 is close to a real bed.

Personally I rock out the Exped MegaMat 10. I wouldn't call it affordable but it's a great mat overall. If you do end up getting this id recommend getting the megapump to deflate it fully.

Love my Megamat 10

Cabelas lever arm cot with Exped Megamat 10. I sleep better on this than my Tempur-pedic. I am mostly a side sleeper and sometimes on my stomach. My husband thought the price of the Exped was crazy, until he saw me sleep so soundly. He has one too, now.

Norwegian winter camper chiming in: My bed platform is elevated off the floor inside the car, and I sleep on a thick isolated mattress (Exped Megamat 10), with a real down feather sleeping bag. If you got a sleeping bag with synthetic isolation, just throw it out. If it's below freezing, I tend to sleep with one or two full sets of wool inner layer clothing. And it has to be real 100% wool, even the underwear. Anything cotton will suck out the heat and give nothing back. I often put on two or three layers of socks, also 100% wool. And something warm on your head is also mandatory. I've slept like this in -12°C/10°F without any problems at all. I recently built myself a diesel heater, which easily keeps the interior anywhere from 10 to 25°C warmer than the outside. You can buy fairly easy to setup kits and mobile units. Also know a few people who's tried electric heated blankets, and they work wonders. Been considering one myself just to try it out, but they take a good amount of power if you're using it every night through a whole weekend. Another thing I recommend, that's made the whole winter camping experience so much better, is electric heated shoe soles.

Gotta name the pad to start. Are you going ultra light? Does weight matter? I’ve got an exped megamat 10 and it is amazing but hardly small in compact size.

I used a Nemo Tensor previously for weight savings which sure works great in the back woods. Took it car camping once and was just miserable knowing I didn’t need the weight savings. Bought the megamat and it was a game changer for car camping. Never slept so good in a tent.

love my megamat 10 also.

This is the best sleeping pad. EXPED Megamat…high R value. It’s expensive, bulky, big and AWESOME! [REI](https://www.rei.com/product/113719/exped-megamat-10-sleeping-pad)

Keep in mind infants CANNOT sleep on a camping mattress. They lack the back strength to turn themselves over in case they end up on their stomach. Regular air pads and even the MegaMat fully inflated is NOT safe for an infant. You need a very firm mattress for your baby and they should never sleep in the same bed as you. Crib mattresses are usually small enough where they could be brought with you camping. As far as a recommendation for the adults get an Exped MegaMat or one of it's clones. Exped MegaMat 15 (the best on the market) Exped MegaMat 10 ALPS Outback Mat REI Camp Dreamer (note this only has a 1 year warranty) Nemo Roamer 3D Thermarest MondoKing 3D Big Agnes Captain Comfort Sea To Summit Comfort Deluxe Stoic Cloud and Cloud Lux (Stoic is a Backcountry.com brand)

Exped MegaMat 15 LXW or the Hest foamy are the most comfortable by far on the market. They are expensive though. The MegaMat 10 is a bit less expensive but not as thick. You can look at some of the Exped clones though and they are quite comfortable. ALPS Mountaineering Outback Mat Big Agnes Captain Comfort Hikenture semi inflating foam mat King Camp semi inflating foam mattress Lost Horizon AirSoft REI Camp Dreamer (warning, only a 1 year warranty) Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe Stoic Cloud and Cloud Lux Thermarest MondoKing 3D You can usually find the Exped MegaMat 10 at most REI stores as a return in the ReSupply (Garage Sale) section. They are usually 50% off or so. Just make sure to bring a portable air pump like a FlexTail Gear or Exped air pump to test in the store. Just be careful as there are NO returns and your warranty from Exped might also be denied if they can determine it was a ReSupply purchase. They usually tell if it is a ReSupply purchase because REI likes to take a silver Sharpie and put an X mark on the product. If the X is on the outside stuff sack then your are ok, it they put it on the actual mat you consider the warranty void with Exped. If they put an X on the stuff sack then just don't send the stuff sack into Exped if you ever have a warranty claim.

I own both the Duraz Ultra and both MegaMat 10 and 25 models. The Dura is better for base camping, car camping (where pack size is important) and winter camping. Way way more durable with the 170D bottom fabric face. Way better to use with dogs. Ultra will be fine if you are careful. Take out sharp objects from your pockets. Actually have nothing in your pockets. I have the Ultra 5 LW mummy, Dura 8, Dura 5 and both MegaMat series.

MegaMat 15 Max or a HEST mat if you want the absolute most luxurious sleeping experience while camping. Large pack sizes and they can be a pain to roll up. Exped does make a specific air pump, the Mega Pump, that has plenty of pressure and vacuum to help pack it away and pump it up. Otherwise to pack it away you really have to body slam the pad to get all the air out. The Dura 5 or 8 are very comfortable and are like 75% smaller pack sizes. Way easier to pack away and to deflate. Plenty of high R value to handle even the lowest winter temps. I take my Dura pads for car camping when I fly to a destination and the MegaMats for local car camping.

An exped mega mat is great. You might consider checking out them. If you like it, but not the price, see if you can find one online from the rei resupply website.

Check out the listing: https://www.rei.com/product/113719/exped-megamat-10-sleeping-pad It’s not huge but my no means super small. But, for comfort, it’s worth the extra space to me.

Although I can’t speak about the brand mentioned, it appears to not have any insulating properties. As an air mattress it will transfer any cold from the ground to you. You need something with foam insulation. If it is losing air immediately you may have a leak or if it could be due to temperature changes which is common with air mattresses. There are several good brands out there that have foam insulation. The ones I’ve bought that I’ve liked have been EMS, Thermarest and REI brands. I picked up a couple Embark (Target brand) on clearance because of the price and those seem solid too. They have only been replaced as something nicer came out as technology changed (thicker, better insulation and ability to pack down smaller). My most recent upgrade was to an Exped Megamat 10 because my arthritis pain was getting worse. It’s a lot thicker and has a higher R value (how much insulation the mat has) and it has been. Game changer. The only issue is it is huge. Anyway, look at the R value of the pad and get one that has self inflating foam. Some pads you just open the valve and they fill on their own and you top it off to your desired firmest while others you inflate with a pump).

I would go for it. It does seem similar to the Exped Megamat 10 (it’s 4 inches vs 3). I just bought the Megamat and if the Core is anything like it, it will be an awesome mat. One of the reviews on the Costco site said the stuff sack as a pump doesn’t work very well so I would consider a USB mini pump so add another $25-30 to make pumping it up easier.

Bought an Exped Megamat 10 right before my last camping trip of the season. So much better than any other sleeping pad I’ve used. Comfortable, hip didn’t touch the ground (I’m a side sleeper) and much warmer than my other pads (higher R value). I expect it to last unlike some of the cheaper pads I’ve used over the years. I got it on sale. Still expensive, but worth it for these older bones that have arthritis pain.

Exped megamat 10 for the win. I have the xlw just for me. Best nights sleep I ever gotten have been in it. It’s expensive but I got mine on sale. When I considered the duo, the sale price would have been in your budget.

I upgraded to a Megamat Exped 10 right before my 9 day camping trip at the end of last season. As others have said it’s big and bulky (4” thick) plus on the expensive side but it provided the best night of sleep I ever had camping. I’m US based so am not sure if it’s available in the UK.

I love the Exped Megamat 10 but it 72 inches. However, it scrunches fine in the back, and it is very comfy and warm. Air pads suck for this…get something with a foam core.

Can't comment on the queen size, but I have the Exped MegaMat 10 and I can finally sleep when camping. Stupid expensive, but it's not fun if I can't sleep. Previously, it would take 2 nights of no sleep so I would be tired enough to sleep though discomfort on the 3rd night. Now I sleep from night 1.

Exped Mega Mats. Pricey, but worth it. REI has a similar one that some speak highly of, but never tried it.

I don't think any of them have real memory foam. It doesn't compact as much, etc. I have used Thermarest and REIs. But the best IMHO is the Exped Mega Mat. Not cheap but well worth it since you want non backpacking size.

I've used Thermarest, REI house brand, and Exped. All have worked great and I'd recommend any of them; they've all been super reliable. For pure lux comfort though, the Exped Mega Mat rules that particular roost.

Exped Mega Mats. I bristled at all the hype about them until I got one. I liked it so much I got one to replace a mattress in the apartment, since it works especially well when my back issues flare up. Cots alone are not that comfortable, and are considerably cold. So most use a mat on top of one much of the time.

If you have an rei near buy you could buy it and simply return it no issues if you don’t like it. But I have one and love it as well

Exped mega mat. Mine is 10cm of orthopedic hedonism.

when I’m at home I like a thin wool pad on the ground, I love an extra firm sleeping surface. the exped mega mat is nice. You can inflate it quite hard. Unfortunately it deflates through the night so it doesn’t stay as firm

We bite the bullet and bought two MegaMats. They have a Duo pad for couples, but we sometimes camp separately.

2x megamats with a coupler is the luxury option.  2 pads are more comfortable than 1 because you can properly adjust the inflation of each to match its occupant and one person moving doesn't upset the other's sleep.

Been sleeping on an Exped Mega Mat and a cot for 3+ months, and an Exped on top of an overly soft mattress for a year before that. I have lower back issues, and this has been one of the best mattresses I have slept on in years.

I find the cot/Exped combo more comfortable/supportive than the Exped/mattress, so it seems to help in that regard. Possibly just better firmness match for me. I have used the Exped on the floor or in back of a car a handful of times, but didn’t notice a big difference between that or the cot (as far as I remember).

If you want something that’s still somewhat portable and packs down a bit exped mega mats are genuinely great. We went through 3 air mattresses in as many years. Got these and never had a leak in 3 years now and I sleep through the night. If your strictly car camping and don’t mind more bulk I’ve heard the Hest systems are unbelievably comfortable like taking a nice comfy hotel bed camping with you. Good luck!

Super comfortable. I got an exped mega mat too and this one is way more comfortable. You should get the pillow and the comforter too. They are both fantastic.

I do like to sleep comfortably when backpacking, and have spent a lot of time trying to figure out what works best for me. I've tried many pads over the past decades, including these two, along with similar Exped sleeping pads like the Ultra, Versa, and Dura. I am primarily a side sleeper, so that informs some of my sleeping experience on these, and am 190cm and 95kg. Personally I was not able to sleep comfortably on the Exped MegaMat Lite, or its siblings (Dura/Versa/Ultra). A through-line in my testing of these is the vertical baffling: I regularly wake up and find my arm is numb. I think these might work better for me if I was primarily a back or chest sleeper; lots of people like them and recommend them. But in my adulthood I've probably maximum only got about two hours of sleep at a time on a design like these. I have only had to contact Exped for warranty once, and they ended up shipping me a new unit before I even had to send the old one back: top marks here in support. I just picked up the Therm-a-rest NeoLoft before the holidays and took it on two trips in Mt Hood National Forest. Maybe the most comfortable backpacking pad I've personally used recently, even if the large (long wide, 78x26) weighs 2lbs! When fully inflated it is 4.6" thick. One of the few pads I've slept more than six straight hours on, which is kind of how I prioritize pads. Not only comfortable, but has a soft-touch stretchy fabric which feels good against the skin (I tend to sleep with quilts rather than bags). The first night I did wake up to find my arm was numb, so curious if that was a one-off with a weird sleeping position... R-value is 4.7, so I haven't used it at all in the past 45 days because of the cold where I am. It looks like the REI exclusivity is now over in early 2025, and this can be picked up lots of different places. Honestly the thing I dislike the most is the valves; I just don't care for the old-style Therm-a-rest valves. Realizing your question was specifically about those two, I also wanted to recommend what I have found to be my most comfortable pads in recent years: 1. Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Extreme Insulated. This specific pad and its sibling, Ether Light XT Insulated, have been my primary pads the past four-ish years. They are 4" thick and the most comfortable pads I've used, probably tied with the NeoLoft. Never woken with my arm numb, and the only pad I've ever slept seven-plus hours straight-through. In the PNW I use the non-Extreme-variant in the warmer half of the year, and the Extreme-variant in the colder half. The stuff sack with the inflation aid built-in is the smartest I've seen. Extreme version has an r-value of 6.2, and the non-Extreme version r-value is 3.2. The Extreme has that spider-web looking Thermolite insulation, which in my mind is the most reliable winter/cold insulation; it doesn't crinkle and potentially fail like newer thin reflective films in other lighter pads (NEMO Tensor, Big Agnes Rapide, etc). On the flip side that makes the Extreme very heavy, more than 2lbs, and also packs down the biggest of any backpacking pad I've owned. 2. REI Helix. Been using this on-and-off for the past few seasons. One of the few pads that has me sleeping through the night. It is only 3" thick, but I have found the trick is to fully inflate: the dimples do a good jump of evening out my weight and not experiencing any arm numbness. The long wide is 1lb 13oz, and seems pretty sturdy compared to other REI-brand pads I've used in the past; no leaks yet... R-value of 4.9. I always wake up refreshed and feeling good on those mats, baring any environmental issues outside of the pad. I cannot recommend the NeoLoft in that way yet, but will continue to use and test it out in the near future with an additional foam pad underneath to make it safe for snow conditions (as the r-value stacks). And I don't think I will ever recommend an Exped pad for backpacking. Exped does make fantastic foam inflating car-camping pads though!

Exped mega mat with the mega pump to inflate and deflate well. Slept without being able to feel the floor. No pain except for some issues from how I slept on the bus lol.

Have you ever spent the night in a crash pad? It's pretty awful... REI will let you lay on pads. If you have one near by, go try the Megamat out. You'll understand.

Own and tried several other sleeping pads, megamat is the best (unless you backpacking)

XPed mega mat makes a solid mattress for cold car camping.

Yes. Air mattresseds suck. The megamat is 10000% worth it's price.

If you aren’t needing to carry it long distances go with the exped megamat. Comfiest sleeping pad you can get.

The Nemo Roamer, if it’s not sold out, is the best car camping pad. I’ve had that and the megamat and the Nemo is much better than the megamat in every way. Plus it’s a smaller company with a zero questions asked warranty. On a different Nemo pad that I tore on a sharp rock I was out in the middle of nowhere Wyoming they said I had 2 options. They’ll send me a new pad free of charge to any address or they located the closest Nemo dealer and to purchase the same pad (they had already made sure it was in stock too) and send them the receipt and I would be reimbursed.

Expend Megamat is the best. I put it over the EO mattress and it’s like home. Stay away from the iKamper one.

The MegaMat is just a self-inflating mattress. It’s filled with foam, so when you release the compression straps and open the “in” valve, the foam expands which draws in air. Most camping self-inflating mattress are cored out, they have channels or holes cut through the foam to reduce bulk and so they pack down smaller. If you puncture one, it’s not a disaster like an air bed. Your body weight pushes air out but the foam is constantly trying to draw air back in. Any decent camping shop will sell self- inflating mattresses. I have a Zempire one.

Another vote for Megamat. Wife and I share the biggest one they make and we're both more than happy with it.

We bought the Exped air mattress that really fits well in the back and made our own mosquito net window covers. Love it!

I also love my megamat! It's more comfortable than my bed.

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 🫡

Just splurged on a megamat for car/tent camping and had the best sleep in a long time while camping.

Might still be worthwhile for grip but realistically, putting an 1/8" pad underneath you air mattress will not protect it from anything that would otherwise cause a puncture. Anything sharp enough to actually puncture an air mattress (sharp rock points, stick ends/etc) will poke right through that 1/8" foam without any trouble. This has happened to me once in \~50 Sierra nights from a small sharp rock end stick out that was embedded into the ground (impossible to see beforehand), it went right through both my tyvek groundsheet and DCF tent floor. I think the only true ground protection would be a thicker CCF like z-lite or megamat (which is what I use now), and I also prefer this since they double as camp sit pad/yoga mat/nap mat/etc.