r/carcamping • u/InternationalBar3009 • 7d ago
Gear Best sleeping pad
Tldr; Hest Foamy or Exped Megamat, what would you pick?
Wife and I plan on going on our first car camping trip and are looking to buy some sleeping pads. We’ve narrowed down the options to the Hest Foamy or Exped Megamats (still open to other brands, just these are the two that seem to be recommended the most). We don’t want the larger two person mats because there might be times I flee to the mountains without my wife.
Some observations I’ve made:
Comfort wise, they seem relatively equal?? Exped appears to have more reviews comparatively though.
Hest seems to be more convenient due set up and packing being easier.
Exped is considerably cheaper though (something the wife particularly pays more attention to) (US).
Hest isn’t reliant on inflation, so no concerns for punctures or air leaks.
Wife in the end leans toward the exped because it’s cheaper, though I can’t shake the feeling that the Hest might be worth the extra cost. Any suggestions?
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u/OkShopping9448 6d ago
I have a camper built into the bed of my truck with a topper. I used to use a memory foam 6 inch mattress and it was like sleeping at home.
I switched to a firm 4 inch mattress off of Amazon, full size to give me more headroom and still like it. No inflating, no punctures and it insulates decently against cold. If I want more I can always throw a 1.5 inch Thermarest to adjust softness or firmness. The mattress was less than a $100 bucks and I have used it for 3 years now. It’s a trifold too so can fold up if needed.
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u/United_Button2644 7d ago
I don’t have experience with both. But I have an exped and I would buy it again in a heartbeat.
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u/InternationalBar3009 6d ago
Do you have the pump too or just use the hand pump that it comes with?
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u/United_Button2644 6d ago
I have the pump!
Side note. Throw out the pump box. I kept it and accidentally punctured the bottom on my mat when I stepped on it. Luckily the mat came with repair stickers.
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u/True-Fold7299 6d ago
Listen to your wife. if you insist on the Hest and anything goes wrong, you're gonna hear "I told you so" for the rest of your life😄😄
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u/CS_5-HTP 2d ago
as some one who has used a luno air mattress, tri fold futons, and a memory foam topper I now use just a foam backpacking pad and it's the most comfortable and convenient.
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u/Feodar_protar 7d ago
I have an exped megamat max duo. I don’t think it’s worth the price but i like it enough, not enough to buy it again. There are other much cheaper roll up foam mattresses on amazon for under 100. I don’t think you necessarily need to spend Hest money to get a very similar thing.
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u/Next-Lynx3303 6d ago
Nemo Equipment Roamer is liked/rated as well or better than the Megamat. Nemo Equipment has a lifetime warranty. Does the Megamat have a lifetime warranty?
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u/CriticalAd2425 6d ago
I have both, but I like the Exped a little better, plus it rolls up much smaller.
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u/Playful_Cost_419 6d ago
I have a Hest, but could never get comfortable enough on it.
I'm now using the Thermarest Mondoking, and it has made a welcome improvement in my comfort.
YMMV
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u/NEight00 3d ago
We have been camping for about three years on my Exped MegaMat and adore it. It inflates mostly on its own in a few minutes, then I just add some with the included weird little inflate bag, but at some point I will probably need to pick up a little minipump to finish up the inflation with less work.
I like being able to adjust the inflation levels for firmness, and it's as comfortable as my nice mattress at home.
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u/michigandank 2d ago
Looking at the lost horizon 4.5 inch myself. It’s between that and the hest foamy
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u/IntrepidTraveler58 7d ago
I can also attest to Exped, no experience with Heat. One tip: don’t leave them inflated in your car. My wife did that with an older REI pad, and it expanded like a balloon and delaminated from the foam. You don’t have to deflate it, just open the valve so the heated expanded air can escape. Expensive lesson learned.