Top 3 Queen Size Camping Cots Available on Amazon!
While “sleeping under the stars” is a nice way to romanticize camping, you’re probably sleeping inside a stuffy tent and on rocky ground. An elevated cot is the best option if you want to sleep as soundly as possible and avoid back pain.
The best queen-size camping cot is the Simpli Comfy EZ Air Mattress. It is self-inflating, provides excellent comfort and great stability for your back, comes with a case with wheels, and has a steel base.
There are other lovely camping cots, though, including cots for kids and toddlers — all of which are available on Amazon.com. In the rest of this article, I’ll detail a few of the best camping cots you can buy. I’ll compare them in terms of how comfortable they are, how much back support they provide, how portable and durable they are, and how affordable each one is.
Best Overall: Simpli Comfy EZ Air Mattress
I’ll start with this cot because it’s the best you can get. I’d go as far as to say it’s the complete package. Although it’s called an air mattress, it’s actually a cot with legs to elevate you off the ground. This provides extra comfort and much more stability, keeping you in a deep sleep.
Pros
- It has sixteen steel legs that deploy themselves automatically as the cot inflates. It’s self-inflating and has an air pump, making setup a breeze. The mattress itself is made of a heavy-duty PVC material that’s waterproof on top.
- This cot is well-made and can endure the wear and tear that comes with camping. This cot is also very comfortable thanks to the number of legs it has and where those legs are on the frame. Although it’s incredibly sturdy and stable, the mattress isn’t overly rigid.
- The legs merely provide support from underneath. All of this makes for excellent back support as well.
Cons
- Weight is the first drawback of this Simpli Comfy cot. This is the heaviest cot on this list at 55 lbs (almost 25 kilograms), which can be a dealbreaker. However, it does have a case with wheels on it so you can pull it behind you instead of carrying it.
- This is the most expensive cot on this list. Since this is arguably the best cot you can buy, it will also cost the most. But if you can afford it, this cot is well worth the cost.
Most Reliable: Coleman Folding Camping Cot
Coleman is a well-respected name in the camping industry. They’ve been around for a long time and make good quality products. This folding cot is just one of their many great camping products.
Pros
- This cot folds up like any other cot, making the setup very straightforward. The legs are made of steel and fold out when you unfold the cot itself. The frame is also made of steel, which makes for a durable and sturdy frame.
- The sturdy steel frame may scare you if you have a bad back, but this cot has an inflatable air mattress you can put on top of it. A battery-powered pump inflates this mattress. In addition, it has a built-in cover that holds the bed in place.
- The steel frame provides extra stability on uneven ground. When the frame is on flat ground, it will be incredibly stable, and it won’t slide around or rock back and forth.
- This cot is excellent in terms of portability as well. The whole thing folds up into the size of a large tent bag if you need to fold it down that far. Also, it weighs about 40 lbs (about 18 kg), so it’s not too burdensome to carry.
- Cost is another strong point of this Coleman cot. Even though it costs significantly less than other cots on this list, it’s quite functional. The parts are made from high-quality materials, and the components stand up to the test of time.
Cons
The only real complaint about this cot is that it may not be the most comfortable to sleep on due to the steel frame. But with the cushion of the air mattress, this cot can still provide adequate back support. If that’s not enough, you may have to bring an extra cushion.
Best Air Mattress: Intex Dura-Beam Elevated Air Mattress
This air mattress is made by Intex, a well-known name in the air mattress industry. It’s slightly different from a cot because it doesn’t have steel legs or a frame. But if a healthy back and good sleep are your priority (regardless of whether you’re using a “cot” or not), it can still elevate you off the ground the same way a cot does, making it easy for you to get in and out of bed.
Pros
- Since there’s no steel frame, there’s no need to worry about unfolding legs and uneven ground. This air bed is straightforward to set up. There’s an air pump inside, so it’s self-inflating. Just lay it out where you want it and turn the switch. The pump easily deflates as well.
- This is an incredibly durable airbed. It can hold up to 600 lbs (about 272 kg). The sides are puncture-resistant, and the whole thing is made of Intex’s Enhanced Fiber-Tech material. This makes the bed not only incredibly durable but very comfortable too.
- This is the most comfortable bed on this list. It provides the firmness you’d never expect out of an air mattress. At the same time, it’s very soft and allows you to sink into it without bouncing. This mattress is soft to lay on and soft to the touch, and the whole thing is wrapped in a velvety layer for added comfort.
- This air mattress has a feature that’s unheard of on most normal cots — a built-in headboard. Yes, you read that right: This air mattress has a headboard. It’s soft and plush like the whole bed. You can use it as support when sitting in bed — not to mention put pillows on it if you like.
- If you want a soft mattress when your back hurts, this is the camping mattress for you. The whole thing is soft while providing adequate support and firmness where you need it. The fact that it’s one piece makes the stability of this air bed unmatched. The bed won’t be moving around the tent while you’re trying to sleep, helping you sleep deeper.
- The fact that this air bed doesn’t have steel legs or a steel frame makes it the most portable camping bed on this list. It weighs half as much as any other bed on this list because of the lack of metal and comes with a carrying case.
- It’s the most cost-effective option on this list as well. If you’re on a tight budget, this air mattress is the best option to keep you elevated off the ground while providing great comfort.
Cons
- While this is an air bed with many features, it’s still an air bed. Air mattresses on the ground are susceptible to punctures no matter how durable they are. You may end up sleeping on the ground instead because your air mattress popped.
- This will not be a good fit for those needing an ultra-firm mattress to soothe their back. The manufacturer describes this mattress as ‘soft and plush.’ If you need a rigid mattress with little give to it, this isn’t the camping bed for you.
Conclusion
These are three of the best camping cots on the market. I’ve outlined the pros and cons of each and detailed each cot’s durability, comfortability, portability, and affordability. This information should help you narrow your search for a camping bed.
