PlacidWaters
Adventurer
This is an incomplete review of three cots as I only purchased the first two. First the specs:
1) HELINOX COT ONE
$300
4 lbs 4 oz
6 x 26.5 x 72
5 parts plus fabric
2) TRAVEL CHAIR SLEEP RITE
$198
6 lbs 4 oz (weighed by post office)
6 x 30 x 78
8 parts plus fabric
3) THERMAREST LUXURY LITE SIZE LARGE
$240
3lbs 6 oz
24 x 74 (no height given, but it’s low)
30 parts plus fabric (That’s not a typo.)
WHY A COT? I find that a cot with a mattress can be up to twice as comfortable as a mattress alone, because of the feeling of being suspended. This is especially helpful for people with joint problems. A cot makes imperfections in the ground under you irrelevant. And you can store things under a cot.
WHY A LIGHT COT? The ultimate in car camping luxury is the Camptime Roll-a-Cot with the Exped Mega Mat. Together they weigh 16 lbs, they’re bulky, and the cot is difficult to assemble. You could cut that weight in half with a lighter cot and mattress. Sometimes I like to pack lighter and simpler even for car camping. I was also hoping to use a cot for kayak camping. Maybe you’re looking for a compact cot for motorcycle camping.
One difference between a standard cot and a lightweight cot is the height. The Camptime Roll-a-Cot is 15” high while the above cots are 6” or less. It’s much easier to get on and off a taller cot, but I was surprised to find that even 6” high makes it easier to sit sideways and change your clothes.
PRICE: Are these cots worth their very high price? As a frugal person I say no. $300 is a scandalous price for a camping cot. But as an avid camper and an older person with arthritis, I was tempted to try these products. What is a good night of sleep worth to you?
All of these cots claim to support 300–325 lbs. But how do they really stack up?
HOW THEY COMPARE:
First I would cross the Travel Chair Sleep Rite off your list due to problems with its design, comfort, and assembly. The design does not support weight well and it feels unstable. After just 15 minutes of trying this cot at home the seams were already pulling apart from the tension on the fabric (I am more than 100 lbs under the weight limit). The fabric is very noisy each time you move. The legs need to be folded in an elaborate pattern to get the parts to line up correctly and get them back in the bag. This cot doesn’t have any advantages over other cots on the market.
I didn’t buy the Thermarest Luxury Lite because the reviews mention problems with the assembly (it has a whopping 30 parts that need to be assembled) and the durability. The Thermarest website says you can’t break the cot because you will bottom out before it breaks, an indication that it doesn’t support weight well. Reviewers complain about broken parts.
That leaves the Helinox Cot One, which I bought from LL Bean for $270 using their current web special––10% off plus a $10 gift card. It’s just 14 oz heavier than the Thermarest Luxury Lite and is far more stable, durable, comfortable, and easier to assemble than either the Luxury Lite or the Sleep Rite. Those 14 oz. are only meaningful to a backpacker.
Assembling the Cot One is very intuitive and fast––about two minutes. Breaking it down and putting it back in the bag takes one minute.
The Helinox Cot One is very strong––the side poles don’t bend under pressure. The top surface is very taught. When you move around the cot doesn’t move, and it’s noiseless. The design of the locking mechanism on the legs that provides tension to the fabric is very smart and works perfectly. It takes moderate pressure to lock it and minimal pressure to unlock. Getting on and off the cot I felt like it could easily support my weight with no fear of breaking it.
I tried the Helinox Cot One with the REI Campbed 3.5 and the Exped Synmat 7. Both were excellent. Five minutes on this cot and you’re convinced that you would be comfortable for a whole night.
I don’t think I’ll use the Cot One for kayak camping. It’s the size and weight of a two-person tent, and space is precious in a kayak. You could pack the poles and the legs separately to use hatch space more efficiently. It should fit well in a canoe.
BOTTOM LINE: I give the Helinox Cot One 5 stars for comfort, design, and ease of use. But is it worth $300? To my knowledge it’s the best cot on the market under 6 lbs. It’s also the most expensive. I guess things are worth the value that they have for us. I may keep the Cot One because it will fulfill my goal of packing lighter for car camping. It’s a sinful price, but as I get older I want to spend more time enjoying beautiful places and less time wrestling with gear. What about you?
1) HELINOX COT ONE
$300
4 lbs 4 oz
6 x 26.5 x 72
5 parts plus fabric
2) TRAVEL CHAIR SLEEP RITE
$198
6 lbs 4 oz (weighed by post office)
6 x 30 x 78
8 parts plus fabric
3) THERMAREST LUXURY LITE SIZE LARGE
$240
3lbs 6 oz
24 x 74 (no height given, but it’s low)
30 parts plus fabric (That’s not a typo.)
WHY A COT? I find that a cot with a mattress can be up to twice as comfortable as a mattress alone, because of the feeling of being suspended. This is especially helpful for people with joint problems. A cot makes imperfections in the ground under you irrelevant. And you can store things under a cot.
WHY A LIGHT COT? The ultimate in car camping luxury is the Camptime Roll-a-Cot with the Exped Mega Mat. Together they weigh 16 lbs, they’re bulky, and the cot is difficult to assemble. You could cut that weight in half with a lighter cot and mattress. Sometimes I like to pack lighter and simpler even for car camping. I was also hoping to use a cot for kayak camping. Maybe you’re looking for a compact cot for motorcycle camping.
One difference between a standard cot and a lightweight cot is the height. The Camptime Roll-a-Cot is 15” high while the above cots are 6” or less. It’s much easier to get on and off a taller cot, but I was surprised to find that even 6” high makes it easier to sit sideways and change your clothes.
PRICE: Are these cots worth their very high price? As a frugal person I say no. $300 is a scandalous price for a camping cot. But as an avid camper and an older person with arthritis, I was tempted to try these products. What is a good night of sleep worth to you?
All of these cots claim to support 300–325 lbs. But how do they really stack up?
HOW THEY COMPARE:
First I would cross the Travel Chair Sleep Rite off your list due to problems with its design, comfort, and assembly. The design does not support weight well and it feels unstable. After just 15 minutes of trying this cot at home the seams were already pulling apart from the tension on the fabric (I am more than 100 lbs under the weight limit). The fabric is very noisy each time you move. The legs need to be folded in an elaborate pattern to get the parts to line up correctly and get them back in the bag. This cot doesn’t have any advantages over other cots on the market.
I didn’t buy the Thermarest Luxury Lite because the reviews mention problems with the assembly (it has a whopping 30 parts that need to be assembled) and the durability. The Thermarest website says you can’t break the cot because you will bottom out before it breaks, an indication that it doesn’t support weight well. Reviewers complain about broken parts.
That leaves the Helinox Cot One, which I bought from LL Bean for $270 using their current web special––10% off plus a $10 gift card. It’s just 14 oz heavier than the Thermarest Luxury Lite and is far more stable, durable, comfortable, and easier to assemble than either the Luxury Lite or the Sleep Rite. Those 14 oz. are only meaningful to a backpacker.
Assembling the Cot One is very intuitive and fast––about two minutes. Breaking it down and putting it back in the bag takes one minute.
The Helinox Cot One is very strong––the side poles don’t bend under pressure. The top surface is very taught. When you move around the cot doesn’t move, and it’s noiseless. The design of the locking mechanism on the legs that provides tension to the fabric is very smart and works perfectly. It takes moderate pressure to lock it and minimal pressure to unlock. Getting on and off the cot I felt like it could easily support my weight with no fear of breaking it.
I tried the Helinox Cot One with the REI Campbed 3.5 and the Exped Synmat 7. Both were excellent. Five minutes on this cot and you’re convinced that you would be comfortable for a whole night.
I don’t think I’ll use the Cot One for kayak camping. It’s the size and weight of a two-person tent, and space is precious in a kayak. You could pack the poles and the legs separately to use hatch space more efficiently. It should fit well in a canoe.
BOTTOM LINE: I give the Helinox Cot One 5 stars for comfort, design, and ease of use. But is it worth $300? To my knowledge it’s the best cot on the market under 6 lbs. It’s also the most expensive. I guess things are worth the value that they have for us. I may keep the Cot One because it will fulfill my goal of packing lighter for car camping. It’s a sinful price, but as I get older I want to spend more time enjoying beautiful places and less time wrestling with gear. What about you?
