I am looking to upgrade my sleep system to be able to continue my trail running and wild camping adventures into the winter. It is a big investment for me so I really need to get it right first time.

For inflating, remove the cap and make sure the valve is in the ‘inflate position’. Unroll the mattress and it will automatically let air rush in and will self inflate. Spot the top-selling author in that previous sentence!There’s no denying that the SIM was comfortable for my wife though who is a much more svelte 11 stone. OK, 10.5 stone – she’s watching me type! Our team rated this as one of their best budget sleeping pads because it still provided excellent warmth and protection from the hard ground at a fraction of the price. Ok, so it’s not the most comfortable on the list but for a foam pad, it’s up there with the best. On the plus side, this thing is never going to get puncture or deflate! They also found that they could fold the pad over double in some sections to add a bit of extra padding. For all intents and purposes the Kip becomes a proper home-style mattress when it’s fully inflated. It has vertical side walls to maximize the top-level surface area and this means that you don’t roll off in the night.

One good feature of the Ultim is that both the single and the double SIMs in the range come with clips which enable you to join up multiple SIMs into an enormous bed. Perfect to practice your gymnastic routine on after a few beers! Measuring 201 x 74 x 5cm when inflated, the IForrest includes both an integrated pillow and armrests for significant added comfort. What is great about the armrests is that they stop you rolling off the mattress in the night very effectively. If you are planning to use it on top of a camp bed then this is an important consideration – you might be a foot off the floor!

Vango offer a 2 year warranty on all their gear and that gives peace of mind when buying a self inflating mattress. If there are any issues with the valve or unexpected deflations in the night then they will unhesitatingly repair or replace your treasured SIM.

So it it comfortable? We can give this a resounding thumbs up – it is by far the comfiest double SIM we’ve tested for the money, and while it may seem expensive, this is up there with the best air mattresses but without the stress of punctures or requiring pumps.

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Measuring 198 x 130 x 7.5cm, the Deluxe offers a sufficient length of 6ft 6” which should be ample for most of the adult population of the world – apart from Sultan Kosen perhaps. For those that don’t know, he’s the current world’s tallest man! R-Value for the KingCamp is ~6.5 which is pretty decent for cold weather camping, but not quite on a par with the Outwell Dreamcatcher. For typical UK winter conditions though, this is ample. Just make sure you bring along a decent sleeping bag or use electric hookup for an overnight heater. So the babble of words above is my findings of testing this Berghaus sleeping mat, here are some key features of the manufacturers blurb;

In terms of dimensions and operation, the Dreamcatcher is pretty standard in most areas. However, the inflated size is a little restricted compared to the more expensive Vango and Berghaus options – the length is 195cm (just under 6ft5) and so we would recommend either of those two over the Outwell if you’re lanky like me. Let’s start with some definitions. At Camping Secrets, we generally distinguish between a Camping Mat and a Camping Mattress as follows: In this article we concentrate on our experience and recommendations for the choice of best self inflating mattress, and so the size and weight of the product is of less concern than how comfortable it is and how well it stays inflated etc.In reality (unless you are a heavy person over 15 stone) a 7.5cm option is acceptable, but we wouldn’t recommend going any lower than that if comfort is your main objective.