By The Hazli Family — Peter & Louise · November 1, 2026
Quick answer: A bare camping cot is often not very comfortable: the fabric is taut, the side rails and end bars are hard, and the air under it can make it feel cold. A foam mattress on the ground is more comfortable than a bare cot for many people, because the surface gives and there is nothing to bump into. The most comfortable option is usually both: a cot with a foam mattress on top, which gets you off the ground, gives you storage underneath, and puts a real sleeping surface over the frame.
People search "are camping cots comfortable" for a reason. This post compares the three setups honestly. For what the foam itself does, see our memory foam camping mattress guide.
Are camping cots comfortable on their own?
A cot is a fabric sheet stretched over a folding frame. That design is good at being off the ground and folding small, and poor at being soft. Here is what you feel on a bare cot:
- Tension. The fabric is pulled tight so it does not sag, so your hips and shoulders press into a surface with little give.
- Edges. The side rails run along both long edges. Turn over and your elbow or ankle can find one.
- Cold from below. Air moves freely under a cot. In summer that is pleasant; on a cool night the cot can feel cold underneath you.
- Noise. Frames can creak when you move.
- Width. Most single cots are narrow, so side sleepers who bend their knees can run out of cot.
Our post on how to make a camping cot more comfortable covers the quick fixes; the most effective one is the subject of this post.
A foam mattress on the ground
A roll-up memory foam mattress laid straight on the tent floor fixes most of the cot's problems. The surface gives, there are no rails, there is no moving air underneath, and it is quiet. It also comes in widths a cot does not.
What it does not do:
- Get you off the ground. You are sleeping at floor level, and getting up is a bigger movement than from a cot.
- Give you storage underneath. Gear goes beside the bed.
- Pack small. Foam is heavier and bulkier than a cot, and it rolls rather than folds. It needs a car.
- Be instant. Rolled foam needs time to expand after unrolling, so it comes out of the bag when you arrive, not at bedtime.
On a cold night, put a blanket or a closed-cell pad under the mattress for comfort; we do not publish insulation ratings, so treat it as a comfort step. Our cold-weather foam post explains how memory foam feels when the night is cold.
Cot plus foam mattress
Put the mattress on the cot and you keep the cot's two advantages (height and storage) while softening its disadvantages. The foam covers the rails and puts a layer between you and the moving air underneath.
The practical notes:
- Match the width. A mattress a little wider than the cot drapes over the rails and is fine. One much wider folds down the sides and feels unstable. Measure the cot's sleeping surface inside the end bars. The Hazli Cot size is 72 × 26 × 3 inches and is made with cots in mind; check it against yours.
- Thickness. Three inches suits a cot well, and it keeps the bed lower in the tent.
- Keep it from sliding. A fitted sheet pulled over the mattress and the cot's end bars helps hold everything together. A couple of cam straps work too.
- Tent height. A cot plus a mattress plus you needs more headroom than a mattress on the floor. In a low tent, the floor wins.
Tip: Unroll the mattress on the ground first while you set up the cot, then lift it onto the frame already flat.
Side by side
| Bare cot | Foam mattress on the ground | Cot + foam mattress | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface feel | Taut, little give | Soft, contours | Soft, contours |
| Rails and bars | Noticeable | None | Covered |
| Cool nights | Can feel cold from below | Add a layer underneath | Foam adds a layer |
| Off the ground | Yes | No | Yes |
| Storage under | Yes | No | Yes |
| Noise | Can creak | Quiet | Can creak less |
| Bulk to carry | Low | Medium | High |
| Setup time | Minutes | Unroll early to expand | Both |
| Works in a car | No | Yes | No |
Which to choose
- You car camp and want one piece of gear that also works in the car and as a guest bed: the foam mattress alone. See one foam mattress for camp, guests and sleepovers.
- You already own a cot and camp in a tall tent: add a foam mattress in the Cot size.
- You camp for a week at a time in a big tent and want a bedroom, not a floor: cot plus mattress, with the storage underneath.
- You sleep in a low tent or in a vehicle: the mattress on the floor.
- You backpack: neither. A cot and a foam mattress are both car-camping gear.
If you are also weighing an air bed, our guide to the most comfortable thing to sleep on when camping puts all the options together, and what is a camping cot covers cot types.
Our recommendation
Whether it goes on the ground or on a cot, the mattress we recommend is the Hazli Matrix Air-Cell memory foam camping mattress. It was named Best Camping Mattress in the USA for 2025 by Best of Best Review. It comes in six sizes, from Kids to Queen, including the Cot size at 72 × 26 × 3 inches. The cover is waterproof, removable and machine washable. Every Hazli product is CertiPUR-US and OEKO-TEX certified.
The trade-offs, plainly: it is heavier and bulkier than an air bed or a bare cot, it takes cargo space, and it needs time to expand after unrolling. You have 30 days from delivery to decide. It is sold here, on Amazon US and on Amazon Canada. Compare all six sizes on the memory foam camping mattress collection.
