PlacidWaters
Adventurer
Price paid: $279 incl. legs on sale at Backcountry Edge. Regular price is about $390 with the legs. I wouldn't pay that much for any cot, but the sale price made it easier to justify this purchase.
The Cot One Convertible is just as the name says: a Cot One (height 6") plus a set of legs that bring the height up to 15". I've reviewed the Cot One before so will only repeat here that it's a comfortable, very lightweight, amazing piece of engineering. Now, the Cot One Convertible has a different base design, with a socket at each corner of the three base pieces. I never had difficulty assembling the original Cot One. The Convertible takes about 5 times the pressure on the base levers. Time will tell whether the top fabric will stretch a bit and make assembly easier.
I wondered whether the 12 separate legs would be a pain to assemble. Answer: no. They snap easily into their sockets and are easy to remove. It takes about 4 minutes to assemble the cot and 30-45 seconds to put in the legs.
I also wondered whether the cot would be unstable with so many parts and the small legs. Answer: it's surprisingly stable. There is no excessive movement of the frame when you sit down or turn over on the cot.
Some people don't like how taught the top of the cot is. I actually like it. It makes a firm base for a good mattress like the Exped Synmat 3-D 7 or the REI Campbed.
Helinox versus Camptime. For a reasonable lightweight high cot I believe your top two choices are this Helinox (5.9 lbs with legs) and the Camptime Roll-a-Cot wide (10 lbs). The Helinox costs twice as much as the Camptime, but weighs a bit more than half as much and the packed size is half the size of the Camptime or less. I also think the Helinox is easier to assemble. The comfort of the two is about the same. The Helinox is 26" wide, and all of that width is usable due to the very taught fabric---a 26" Exped mattress works well with no sagging in the middle of the cot. The Camptime Wide is 32" wide but only 28" of the surface is usable due to the construction---the rails use up about 4". The capacity is 320 lbs for the Helinox and 250 lbs for the Camptime. I find it hard to image 320 lbs on the Helinox.
Bottom line: The justifications for paying so much for the Helinox would be (1) in situations where weight and size matter a lot, as in kayak, canoe, and motorcycle camping and (2) for someone who does activities that require two different heights, like kayak camping with a 2-person tent and car camping in a taller tent. I bought it for both of those reasons and am not disappointed. The cot and leg set will actually fit in my kayak hatches. For vehicle camping you might be just as happy with the Camptime (and happier about the price.
I recommend both of these cots: the Helinox for its light weight and small packed size, and the Camptime Wide for its sturdy comfort and low price.
The Cot One Convertible is just as the name says: a Cot One (height 6") plus a set of legs that bring the height up to 15". I've reviewed the Cot One before so will only repeat here that it's a comfortable, very lightweight, amazing piece of engineering. Now, the Cot One Convertible has a different base design, with a socket at each corner of the three base pieces. I never had difficulty assembling the original Cot One. The Convertible takes about 5 times the pressure on the base levers. Time will tell whether the top fabric will stretch a bit and make assembly easier.
I wondered whether the 12 separate legs would be a pain to assemble. Answer: no. They snap easily into their sockets and are easy to remove. It takes about 4 minutes to assemble the cot and 30-45 seconds to put in the legs.
I also wondered whether the cot would be unstable with so many parts and the small legs. Answer: it's surprisingly stable. There is no excessive movement of the frame when you sit down or turn over on the cot.
Some people don't like how taught the top of the cot is. I actually like it. It makes a firm base for a good mattress like the Exped Synmat 3-D 7 or the REI Campbed.
Helinox versus Camptime. For a reasonable lightweight high cot I believe your top two choices are this Helinox (5.9 lbs with legs) and the Camptime Roll-a-Cot wide (10 lbs). The Helinox costs twice as much as the Camptime, but weighs a bit more than half as much and the packed size is half the size of the Camptime or less. I also think the Helinox is easier to assemble. The comfort of the two is about the same. The Helinox is 26" wide, and all of that width is usable due to the very taught fabric---a 26" Exped mattress works well with no sagging in the middle of the cot. The Camptime Wide is 32" wide but only 28" of the surface is usable due to the construction---the rails use up about 4". The capacity is 320 lbs for the Helinox and 250 lbs for the Camptime. I find it hard to image 320 lbs on the Helinox.
Bottom line: The justifications for paying so much for the Helinox would be (1) in situations where weight and size matter a lot, as in kayak, canoe, and motorcycle camping and (2) for someone who does activities that require two different heights, like kayak camping with a 2-person tent and car camping in a taller tent. I bought it for both of those reasons and am not disappointed. The cot and leg set will actually fit in my kayak hatches. For vehicle camping you might be just as happy with the Camptime (and happier about the price.
I recommend both of these cots: the Helinox for its light weight and small packed size, and the Camptime Wide for its sturdy comfort and low price.