Self Inflating Mattress

A self-inflating mat is the layer that keeps the cold ground away from you and takes the edge off stones and roots. Open the valve and the foam pulls in most of its air on its own, then a few breaths set the firmness. The range runs from thin, packable mats for backpacking to thick 9 to 10 cm mats for car camping and side sleepers, plus doubles for two.

How to choose a self-inflating mat

• Thickness is the number that matters most: 2 to 3 cm packs small for backpacking, 5 cm suits most camping, 7.5 to 10 cm keeps bony hips off the ground for side sleepers and bad backs.
• Warmth: more foam means less cold coming through. Where a maker states an R-value it is on the product page, otherwise use the thickness as your guide.
• Weight and packed size are listed on every product, so you can tell a backpacking mat from a car-camping one.
• Size: single, large or double, with some models clipping together for a shared layer.

Honest about self-inflating

No mat fills itself with zero effort. Open the valve and the foam does most of the work in a few minutes, then a couple of breaths top it up to full firmness. That is normal, not a fault, and we say so rather than repeat the marketing line.

Warm, not waterproof

The coated underside resists ground damp and keeps the foam dry, but a mat is not a groundsheet or a shelter. Use a tent, tarp or bivvy for the weather, and store the mat unrolled with the valve open so it keeps its loft.

Build the rest of your sleep system

To round out the overnight kit: a sleeping bag for warmth, a sleeping bag liner for extra degrees, a camping pillow for your head, a camping tent for shelter, and a bivy bag for wet nights.

Free UK delivery and 30-day returns

All UK orders ship free and tracked, processed within 3 to 5 business days and delivered within 10 to 20. If the mat is not right, return it within 30 days of delivery, unused and in original condition, once the return is approved.