Sleeping mats - they’ll help you relax!

Sleeping mats

It’s super important to get a good night’s sleep on multi-day adventures. Sleeping helps you recharge after an active day, and it’ll get your body ready to go on the next morning. A sleeping mat will prevent you from waking up cold or with a stiff back because it offers optimal insulation from the ground. Although it doesn’t directly warm you up, it prevents the cold coming from the ground from cooling your body. The way it works is that the air trapped inside acts as insulation. The material inside the sleeping mat ensures that the air stays in the sleeping mat and that there’s no exchange of air. Examples of such materials include foam, synthetic fibre and even down!

As with other outdoor products, there is also a huge range of sleeping mats to choose from. We recommend getting a lightweight sleeping mat with small packing dimensions if you’ll be spending several days on technical terrain. Some people might also prefer an inflatable sleeping mat that provides enhanced insulation. In addition, how you'll use the sleeping mat will also play a big part in choosing the right one for you.

How do you measure the level of insulation?

The so-called R-value specifies the sleeping mat’s insulating capacity. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation. The R-value also indicates in what temperature range you should use the sleeping mat. If you put two sleeping mats on top of each other, then you can simply add the respective R-value. You’ll then know up to what temperature you can use the combined sleeping mats for sufficient insulation.

Which sleeping mat for which purpose?

The most common sleeping mats include foam mats, self-inflating mats and air mats. The latter includes down-filled sleeping mats, which have a particularly high R-value. The individual air chambers of air mats are filled with down feathers, which means you can comfortably sleep on the ground even in double-digit minus temperatures. The advantages of self-inflating sleeping mats is their price, comfort and small packing dimensions. However, they can get punctured, which will minimize the insulating effect. Traditional foam mats are also very cost-effective, they’re very durable and winterproof. However, they are larger and are not as comfortable as other sleeping mats.

You’re guaranteed to find the right sleeping mat in our shop, whether it’s for your next trek or camping holiday.

Subscribe to the newsletter and receive £5
Subscribe to our newsletter &
get a £5 voucher
Subscribe to our newsletter &
get a £5 voucher
£ 5 now
For your next order
No thank you.