Best Sleeping Bags, Air Mattresses & Camping Mats Australia 2026
Self-inflating mats, air beds, car mattresses and sleeping bags: how to sleep warm and well away from home.
6 min read · Updated October 2026
A bad night's sleep ruins the next day's drive. Whether it's the spare bed in the annexe, the kids' swag or a mattress for the back of the 4WD, the right camping mattress and sleeping bag make the difference.
This guide explains the two numbers that matter most (insulation and temperature rating) and which type of mat suits which job.
Mats, mattresses & sleeping bags in the KamperHub Store
Sold and shipped by us, from Australian warehouses.
Weisshorn Self Inflating Mattress - GreyView in store →
Happy Kids Glow in The Dark Sleeping Bag Snow PrincessView in store →
Rosy Four-Season Rectangular Sleeping Bag for AdultsView in store →
Kids Shark Sleeping Bag Plush Doll Pillow (Purple)View in store →
Weisshorn Self Inflating Mattress Camping Sleeping Mat Air Bed Pad Single GreenView in store →
Weisshorn Car Mattress 175x130 Inflatable SUV Back Seat Camping Bed GreyView in store →Self-inflating mat, air mattress or car mattress?
Self-inflating mats have foam inside a sealed cover. Open the valve and they mostly fill themselves; a few breaths top them up. They insulate well, pack fairly small and rarely go flat overnight.
Air mattresses are the comfiest per dollar and pack small, but they insulate poorly on cold ground and need a pump. Best for warm nights, or on a bed base off the ground.
Car and SUV mattresses are shaped to fill the back seat or cargo area. Measure the space with the seats folded before you buy: a too-big mattress bulges and a too-small one leaves gaps.
Insulation: what an R-value means
The cold you feel at night mostly comes up from the ground, not down from the air. A mat's R-value measures how well it blocks that. Higher is warmer.
Roughly: around R2 is fine for summer, R3–R4 handles cool shoulder seasons, and R4+ is for winter or inland nights that drop near freezing. If a listing doesn't give an R-value, thicker foam generally means warmer.
Sleeping bags: read the comfort rating
Sleeping bags list temperature ratings. The comfort rating is the one to trust: it's the temperature most people sleep comfortably at. The lower "limit" or "extreme" figures are survival numbers, not comfortable ones.
Rectangular bags give room to move and can unzip into a quilt; mummy-shaped bags are warmer for their weight. Double bags suit couples in the annexe; kids' bags are shorter, so there's less empty space to keep warm.
Pack size and storage
Sleeping gear is bulky more than heavy. Store sleeping bags loose (not compressed in their stuff sack) between trips so the filling keeps its loft, and leave self-inflating mats unrolled with the valve open when you can.