Air mattress vs. foam sleeping pad

[Backwoods Rambler]

For the purposes of this discussion, lets compare (despite the price difference) a Coleman twin Quickbed Ait Bed and a Thermarest DreamTime foam pad.

I know that the Thermarest is 3.0" thick and has an R rating of 8 (out of 10?) and that the Coleman bed is 8.5" thick when inflated (variable depending on how inflated you want it and perhaps how large you are??)

My biggest question is: considering all other variables equal, which will keep me warmer while sleeping on the ground?

If someone can think of a better comparison, please offer it up!

 

[DaveM]

I think the real question should be "which will keep you more comfortable" on the ground (warmth being only part of the equation). I'd go for foam personally. I find pure air mattresses to be annoying because of the way they feel under me, too bouncy. A 3" thick foam pad will keep you very warm and will feel like a real bed. It may even be warmer, I don't know. The air mattress has no conductive material inside it, except air (whcih will initially sap your heat). The foam pad has almost as much air plus a support system of foam that not only insulates you from the ground but holds your heat close to your body.

I'd make my own foam pad BTW, way cheaper than buying.

 

[Backwoods Rambler]

I'd make my own foam pad BTW, way cheaper than buying.

You know, I'm considering this. My wife is a JoAnn fabrics regular and can sew like nobody's business. I was thinking 3" high density, open cell foam (since it will be in the vehicle, open cell should be fine) with a fleece cover. Combine this with an electric blanket and a nice comforter and I should be nice and comfortable and getting a good nights sleep on even the coldest nights!


EDIT: Something I hadn't thought of is that this option will allow me to custom size it for the exact size of my sleeping area in the Jeep!

 

[Bergger]

Go with the foam. We used a coleman air bed for a while then switched over to a 4" foam mattress. The foam is much more comfortable and much warmer in my opinion.

 

[Tanto]

I've got one of the new Coleman chambered air mattresses with the quickair pump. They are much better than the old ones, not as bouncy and comfortable. I've never tried a 4" foam mattress though.

 

[adventurebuddies]

The R rating is an insulation rating and is not on a scale of 10. The fiberlgass insulation in a standard wall built of 2x4s is R13 for comparison's sake. An air mattress will always be colder because it's R0 - there is no insulation as the air in the chamber will be the same as the ambient air temp.

The warmest for camping is closed cell foam with no air, but this is bulky. That's why Thermarest is a good compromise. R8 is decent insulation, but it rolls up small when the air is let out. If space is not an issue, then foam several inches thick will be very warm.

Walmart sells a blow up bed with a "memory foam" topper built into it. The edges are firm so it doesn't have any of the floppiness of normal air mattresses and it's warm cause of the insulation. It actually feels like a real mattress when inflated, but might be too firm for some people.

 

[kerry]

Air mattresses on cold ground will be cold. It also takes skill to fill an air mattress with just enough air to be comfortable and not too much to be bouncy. I've been using a single air mattress with 1/4" of ensolite on top of it. Air mattress for comfort, ensolite for insulation. I've found that with double air mattresses if one person moves, the other gets bounced so my wife and I use two singles.
Stephensons sells a down filled air mattress but it can't be blown up by mouth because of the moisture in breath. I have one that came with my Stephensons sleeping but I only used it once about 20 yrs ago.

 

[Backwoods Rambler]

Well, it looks like foam wins hands down! Thanks for the replies guys. :victory:

The warmest for camping is closed cell foam

Why closed cell vs open cell?

The closed cell that I've priced is very pricey $$

Looks like I'll need 70" x 30"

 

[kerry]

Closed cell doesn't compress like open cell so you get better insulation per thickness with closed cell. Closed cell is not as comfortable as open cell. Thermarests (I believe) use open cell for insulation and air to seal the mattress so the open cells won't compress.
I'll have to look into that Walmart combo mattress. How bulky is it? Are they available in singles?

 

[GibsJeep]

Im definitely for the foam. As I get older, Im probably going to be looking for that 4'' pad .

I will however say to not ever purchase the Coleman self inflating air pad. That thing is a complete failure. It doesn't inflate and if you decide to inflate it manually (lungs), it feels lumpy and bumpy on your body.....Very uncomfortable.

I just recently purchased it a couple days after Christmas and returned it the same day after I tested it out. No disrespect to Coleman though as they are known for quality products at an affordable price, but that ''self inflating'' pad brought the fail.

 

[OverlandZJ]

Glad you decided on the foam, that will take a puncture inside the Jeep better than an air mattress for sure.

 

[98dango]

we use air when tent camping and foam when in the trailor.

this is 100% on space my foam pads wont fit in my jeep.

With the new trailor this will all change

 

[ntsqd]

We have a Coleman air and I'm looking to abandon it. Putting a thick blanket over the top of the mattress cured the lack of insulation issue. The cold weather bags we use are 0*f and just that blanket made all of the difference.

The problem with air for us is two-fold. I weigh a little more than twice what my GF weighs, so she gets bounced around whenever I move, and it will not stay full. No filling technique yet tried, and I've tried several that should have addressed the thermal rise from pumping, keeps my hip from finding the ground eventually.

 

[JIMBO]

:yikes: :088: I've been camping for MANY years and I want a comfy sleeping spot, so

I will never use a foam pad, been there done that--NO comfort

I'M 6'4"+ 200 LBS AND PADS DON'T WORK, BUT

WWW.TRUCKBEDZ.COM, several years ago supplied me with a big matteres that works in my Xterra/tent/jeep JK

Easy to carry, in a neat little brown bag and weighs 2lbs (?), never had a leak and inflates in about 45 seconds

I don't BACKPACK so I'll never use a pad (again)

:REExeSquatsHL1: :yikes: :safari-rig: :safari-rig: JIMBO

 

[Rexsname]

Another vote for the thermarest....The airbeds have been very bouncy and cold. I think that this is a classic case of "Buy the best, Cry once"

We winced a bit when we bought our thermarests a few years ago but now I cant even remember what the price was.


REX