24 Best Sleeping Mats for Wild Camping in 2024

A bad nights sleep can ruin a wild camping trip. Whilst choosing the right sleeping bag is a top priority, making sure you have the right surface to sleep on can really make the difference between a good and great nights sleep.

Below I have found what I believe are the best sleeping mats for wild camping. These include some beginner options as well as others for the more experienced wild camper.

In a hurry? Here are my favourite sleeping mats you can buy today:

Different Types of Sleeping Mat

Closed-Cell Foam Mats

Closed-Cell Foam mats are a tried and tested industry standard. These mats are durable, and relatively inexpensive compared to other sleeping mats available.

Because these are made from foam and don’t require inflation, you can’t pop them on spikey items, such as crampons. They are also well suited to camping trips where you might have rocky terrain or when a sleeping mat “failure” would be disastrous.

The downsides to these mats are that they are not as comfy as other sleeping mats. They also don’t fold up as small as inflatable mats and don’t really provide much insulation.

So if you are planning on some extreme wild camping expeditions, foam camping mats are a good choice. For your fairly normal wild camping trips, there are better options available.

Inflatable Mats

Inflatable mats are camping mats that you fill up with air. There are two main types of inflatable mattresses, insulated and non-insulated.

Non-insulated air mattresses are filled by blowing them up, either with your mouth or a pump. More expensive options are structured in a way that means the air is trapped inside of separate chambers or baffles, reducing the air flowing throughout the sleeping mat and reducing how cold the air inside drops to. These mats are extremely lightweight and pack down very small, so are a great choice for those concerned about not having to carry too heavy a load on their back.

Insulated air mattresses are filled with material, such as down, to reduce the amount of air inside the mattress, providing a much warmer surface for sleeping on compared to a non-insulated air mattress. Whilst this does increase the weight a little, the benefit of a much warmer nights sleep is likely to outweigh the extra load you will need to carry.

Self-Inflating Mats

Self-inflating mats or “SIMs” are sleeping mats that contain foam in the middle and are inflated by simply opening the valve of the sleeping mat. As the foam inside the mat expands, it sucks air into the sleeping mat. Once fully expanded, you simply add a couple of extra puffs of air to get it to the desired inflation level and you’re all set.

These mats have become a bit of a standard in recent times, due mainly to the simplicity of inflation, as well as the fact that they pack down quite small.

They do tend to weigh more than inflatable mattresses and simple foam mats.

These are a good choice for beginners looking for a simple option that is one step above a basic foam roll mat.

Factors to Consider When Buying a Sleeping Mat

Price

The cost of a sleeping mat can vary massively, with the ones on my list alone starting at £10 and going up to as much as £170.

You do tend to get what you pay for when it comes to sleeping mats. If you are just starting out, you might not want to invest heavily upfront and should probably opt for something a little cheaper. That said, it really depends on how much you value your comfort, as cheaper options won’t be quite as comfortable to sleep on.

Weight

The weight of your sleeping mat will vary significantly depending on the type you purchase and the material used.

Basic foam mats tend to be the lightest of all, but are often thinner than other types of sleeping mat. Inflatable mats are more likely to weigh less than SIMs, however, this really depends on the quality of the materials used.

Making sure your sleeping mat isn’t too heavy is something you will need to consider carefully, as you will already have your, tent, sleeping bag and rucksack which will be quite heavy anyway.

That said, I personally would rather carry an extra 1kg in weight if it means a better nights sleep!

Pack Size

The pack size can be an important factor as you will need to think about how well it will fit inside your rucksack with all of your gear.

A closed-cell foam mat won’t fold down very small at all, so may need to be strapped to the outside of your rucksack. This will probably be ok if you don’t then need to cover your rucksack from the rain.

SIMs and inflatable sleeping mats will fold down much smaller and can be stored inside your rucksack fairly easily.

Camping Terrain

Understanding the terrain you will be camping on can make a big difference as to the type of camping mat you choose.

If you are likely to be camping somewhere with rough terrain, you might think that going for an inflatable mat or SIM would be a better option, as they tend to be thicker. However, there is no point in having a fat mat if it is likely to get punctured and go down in the night. You may prefer to go with the safer option and use a closed-cell foam mat in this situation.

Insulation Rating (R-Value)

The R-value expresses the thermal performance and resistance of the mattress. The higher the R-Value, the more the mattress insulates you from the cold ground.
– R-value from 0 to 1.9: mattress designed for use in the warm season (summer) only
– from 2 to 3: mattress design for use in 2 or 3 seasons (spring/summer/autumn)
– from 3 to 4: 4 season mattress, winter use possible
– higher than 4.5: winter use and extreme conditions

Best Sleeping Mat for Wild Camping

Best Closed-Cell Foam Sleeping Mat

Lightweight and durable, closed-cell foam mats are a great option for beginners.

Yellowstone Insulated Foam Mat – Best All Round Option

This Yellowstone Insulated Foam Mat is a bargain, entry level foam sleeping mat.

Weighing just 160 grams, you will barely feel is sleeping mat is on your back.

As a size of 51cm x Ø13cm, you might struggle to get this into your rucksack without dislodging something else, so may need to attach this to the outside of your rucksack.

Other Closed-Cell Foam Sleeping Mats

Multimat Camper Mat

Forclaz Trek 100 Foam Folding Mattress

Best Inflatable Sleeping Mat

Folding down very small and providing a more comfortable nights sleep, these are suitable for wild campers of any experience.

Geediar Inflatable Sleeping Mat – Best All Round Inflatable Sleeping Mat Option

The Geediar Inflatable Sleeping Mat offers a great balance between price, weight and pack size.

Weighing 700 grams, this entry-level sleeping mat isn’t necessarily the lightest option available, but won’t weigh you down. It also packs down to a very small size for easy packing it into your rucksack.

A great all-round option for those just getting started with wild camping.

Thermarest NeoAir XLite – For The All Year Round Wild Camper

The Thermarest NeoAir XLite sleeping mat is a great option for serious wild campers.

With a small pack size of just 23cm x Ø10cm, it will easily fit into your rucksack. It also weighs just 360 grams, which makes this one of the lightest camping mats available.

The R-value of 4.2 means that this sleeping mat will provide thermal resistance from the ground in extreme conditions, making this a great option for all year round camping.

If you are serious about wild camping and looking for the lightest and best gear, this might be the sleeping mat for you.

OEX Traverse IMX – Smallest Pack Size Inflatable Sleeping Mat

The OEX Traverse IMX is a sleeping mat that provides a good set of features for a fairly low price.

Packing down to just 14cm x Ø9.5cm, this sleeping mat is the smallest on my list and will take up very little room in your rucksack. It also weighs just 410g, which also makes it one of the lightest as well.

At £70, this would make a good sleeping mat for those looking to level up their kit from beginners standard.

Other Inflatable Sleeping Mats

Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Mat

Forclaz Trek 700

Trinordic Camping Mat

Thermarest NeoAir Venture

Thermarest Venture Air Mattress

Sea to Summit Comfort Light

Quechua Air Pump 70cm

Quechua Air Comfort 70cm

Best Self-Inflating Sleeping Mat

Providing a comfortable sleeping surface and with very little effort to inflate, these sleeping mats are a great option for those who want something quick and reliable to sleep on.

Sea to Summit Ultralight SI – Best All Round SIM

The Sea to Summit Ultralight SI strikes a great balance between price, weight, size and r-value, making it a great all-round SIM option.

With an R-Value of 2.6, this SIM is suitable for use in 3-seasons in the UK, offering great thermal protection from the ground. Coupled with a well-rated sleeping bag, it could possibly be used in colder weather as well.

Weighing just 550 grams, this is one of the lightest SIMs available, although slightly heavier than an inflatable sleeping mat.

This SIM is great for those looking to start wild camping with a healthy budget, as well as those looking to upgrade from a basic kit to something more durable in the long term.

Trail Outdoor Leisure – Cheapest SIM

The Trail Outdoor Leisure SIM is a low-cost option for those after a self-inflating mat for their wild camping trips.

At just £15.99 (at the time of writing) this cheap SIM still offers a decent sleeping surface when compared to other SIMs, at 2.5cm thick.

The compromise is that it doesn’t fold down as well as other SIMs, with the pack size length at 55cm, which is almost double that of other options.

A decent option for beginners looking to dabble with wild camping.

Outwell Dreamcatcher Single – Best R-Value SIM

The Outwell Dreamcatcher Single SIM is an all year round SIM which can be used in very cold weather, with an R-Value of 4.3.

There are several compromises for this extra warmth, which weighs 1,900 grams, making it the heaviest SIM on the list and more than triple the weight of the Sea to Summit Ultralight SI. It also doesn’t pack down as small as other SIMs available.

A good option for those who value comfort and warmth over saving weight in their rucksack.

Other Self-Inflating Sleeping Mats

Vango Trek 3 Short Mattress

Berghaus BGH Peak

Thermarest ProLite Apex

OEX Traverse SIM

Quechua Basic F400 SIM 60cm

KeenFlex SIM

Quechua Comfort SIM 65cm

Summary

Sleeping mats are a great way of improving your warmth when wild camping and increasing your comfort as well. Coupled with a good quality sleeping bag, you should be able to sleep really well out in the wild.

Remember, there are other things you can do to stay warm when out camping, so make sure you check out my guide on how to keep warm when camping.

I have personally gone for the Sea to Summit Ultralight SI sleeping mat, though I am tempted to get the Geediar Inflatable Sleeping Mat as a backup. Let me know which mat you have in the comment.