You’ll want to think carefully about the size of your mattress in terms of its dimensions. Air mattresses tend to run slightly smaller than their traditional mattress counterpart, but flocking on the tops and sides can help hold bed sheets in place. The amount of floor space you have for an air mattress ozark trail chair is a key factor as you’ll want to have clearance for getting out of the mattress, just like you’d want with a standard bed frame. The Veer has one-touch pedal foot brakes that are simpler to use (even when you’re wearing flip-flops) than the Pivot Xplore’s smaller, stroller-like brakes.
While most air mattresses need to be plugged into a power source to inflate or deflate, this one from Coleman uses a hand-held pump, making it perfect for on-the-go camping. When fully inflated (in less than 2 minutes in our tests!), it stands at a comfortable 18-inch height with a plush flocked surface. And once you’re ready to head home, the unique “Wrap ‘N’ Roll” storage system lets you roll the mattress right into the attached bag as soon as it’s deflated. The one catch is that you’ll need to purchase a pump separately (unless you buy from the brand’s site), but Coleman offers several options, from a battery-operated pump to a rechargeable pump. Most of today’s air mattresses have pumps to inflate them, which saves you the trouble of blowing them up manually. However, check whether the mattress you’re considering needs to be plugged into an outlet or has a battery-powered pump; the latter is an essential feature if you plan to take it out into the wilderness.
The mummy cut is designed to maximize the warmth-to-weight ratio, and the four-chamber hood helps to maintain an even loft around the head. The contoured footbox follows the natural position of the feet, and the draft collar blocks the escape of warm air from inside the bag. Yes, this bag is pricey, but it’s also a very unique product that serves a specific purpose. This reduces the amount of down required, and we love that it’s the lightest sleeping bag they’ve owned for below freezing temps. Filled with 900-fill-power fluorocarbon-free down that has a durable water-repellent coating, the bag boasts an even insulation distribution to eliminate cold spots, plus it resists moisture and dries quickly. While the price tag makes it one of the most expensive bags on our list, if you are backpacking a lot, you might want to make that investment.
Designed to contour to a woman’s figure for the most comfortable, body-mapped, thermally efficient sleep, we loved the additional zippers along the side of this bag. Plus, the zippers allow for added ventilation if you start to feel too warm. This lightweight bag has a jacket-style hood that contours to the shape of a woman’s face for a cozy fit, plus a cordlock that lets you un-cinch it with one hand. When used with the brand’s sleeping pad, it protects from the cold ground. After using the bag for a total of five nights in temperatures ranging from 24 to 31 degrees, we loved its warmth and comfort regardless of whether you’re a side or back sleeper. With high marks for its lofty down, quality material, and superior construction, we also gave a thumbs-up to the anti-lock zipper that doesn’t get stuck in the fabric.
If you want real down, look for a liner protected by Gore-tex Windstopper, for example, which renders the sleeping bag water-resistant, windproof, and breathable. To curate this list of recommendations, we sent 26 sleeping bags to our testing experts to use over a period of six months. We researched popular brands in advance in order to compare a variety of features and accommodate multiple preferences. Sleeping under the stars might sound magical, but actually trying to get some shut-eye on the cold hard ground isn’t quite so romantic. Luckily, the best sleeping bags are not only easily portable, they make your outdoor rest downright enjoyable instead of merely tolerable.