Trail Gear Picks
Buying guide

The Best Camping Cots

Which cot to buy for car camping or a base camp, from about $55 to $400.

By Alex HartDay trails mostly, a few nights out a year, mountains when the time allows.
Updated Oct 2026·22 compared

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For car camping or a base camp, get the Kelty Lowdown Cot. It weighs under five pounds, so one person carries it from the car, it holds 300 pounds, and it sits less than seven inches off the ground, which matters more than any other number on the box. It costs about $150.

When I camp, I sleep on a pad in a tent, and what I know best about sleeping outside is the cold that comes up from below in the middle of the night. One October at Davidson River Campground I woke at 3 a.m. shivering on a thin pad, a good bag on top of me and the ground pulling the heat out from underneath. A cot gets you off the rocks and the damp, but it doesn't get you out of the cold: it trades the ground for air, and air moving under you carries your warmth away. The higher the cot, the more air. That's why I'd start low.

The Trailhead II is the cheap way in, a wide bed for about $55. Tall and heavy sleepers get a 600-pound rating and more length than a twin bed from the Outfitter XXL. For a cot that rides on your back, there's the Lite Cot, under three pounds, as long as your hands are up to putting it together.

Our picks

Kelty Lowdown Cot
Our pick
Kelty Lowdown Cot

Under five pounds to carry from the car and less than seven inches off the ground, so it sleeps warmer than the tall cots. Rated for 300 pounds.

Check price on Amazon$149.95
Coleman Trailhead II
Budget pick
Coleman Trailhead II

A 35-inch bed for about $55, roomy enough to turn over without finding the edge. It sits high, so bring a pad once the nights cool off.

Check price on Amazon$54.99
Helinox Lite Cot
Lightest
Helinox Lite Cot

Under three pounds in a 22-inch bag, the one cot here you'd carry on your back. Putting it together takes strong hands.

Check price on Amazon$349.95
Helinox Cot One Convertible
Upgrade pick
Helinox Cot One Convertible

Wider and stronger than the Lite Cot, with legs that extend, so it sits low in a tent and higher in a cabin.

Check price on Amazon$399.95
Teton Outfitter XXL
Biggest
Teton Outfitter XXL

Rated for 600 pounds and bigger than a twin bed, with a lever Teton built for the last corner, the one that fights back at setup.

Check price on Amazon$149.99

At a glance

Product names go to Amazon. Rank numbers jump to the full write-up.

CotBest forRated capacityHeight off groundSleeping surfaceAbout
1Kelty Lowdown CotMost campers300 lb6.75 in75 by 27.5 in$150
2Coleman Trailhead IIUnder $60300 lb17 in73 by 35 in$55
3Helinox Lite CotCarrying it in265 lb5 in73.5 by 23 in$350
4Helinox Cot One ConvertibleRoom to move320 lb6.5 in75 by 26 in$400
5Teton Outfitter XXLTall and heavy sleepers600 lb19.5 in86 by 45 in$200

The cots, ranked

1Most campers
Kelty Lowdown Cot

Kelty Lowdown Cot

Under five pounds to carry from the car and less than seven inches off the ground, so it sleeps warmer than the tall cots. Rated for 300 pounds.

$149.95
Check price on Amazon
4 lb 12 oz totalPacks to 7 by 17 inchesAluminum frame600-denier ripstop polyester
+Read the full write-up

Why I picked it

This is the cot that asks the least of you. One person carries it from the car in its sack, nobody has to hold the other end, and once it's up you're sleeping 6.75 inches off the ground. That leaves far less air moving under you than a tall cot does, and it's still high enough to keep you off roots, stones and wet ground.

It holds 300 pounds, which leaves room for most adults plus a sleeping bag and a pad. The frame is aluminum and the bed is 600-denier ripstop polyester, and the whole thing weighs 4 lb 12 oz by Kelty's count.

Who it is for

Your first cot, or the one that replaces a heavy steel folder. It's the one I'd pick for a tent, a spare room and the back of a van alike.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

  • Its Amazon listing says aluminum frame in one line and steel in the next. Kelty's own site and the product name both say aluminum.
  • At 6.75 inches there's no room for a duffel underneath.
  • Getting up at 3 a.m. is closer to getting up off the floor than off a bed.
2
Coleman Trailhead II
Under $60

Coleman Trailhead II

A 35-inch bed for about $55, roomy enough to turn over without finding the edge. It sits high, so bring a pad once the nights cool off.

$54.99
See it on Amazon
Fits sleepers to 6 ft 2 inSteel cross-bar frameFolds into a car trunkOne year limited warranty
+Read the full write-up

Why I picked it

Width is what you notice at night, when you roll over and your elbow finds the edge. At 35 inches, the Trailhead II gives you more room than anything here except the Teton, for about $55. It's also tall, 17 inches, so you sit on the edge like a chair and stand straight up, which is easy on stiff knees when you have to get out in the dark.

Coleman puts the tallest sleeper it's meant for, 6 ft 2 in, right in the name on its listing. Nobody else here tells you that. The frame is steel with cross bars, it folds to fit a car trunk, and the warranty runs one year.

Who it is for

Guests, family weekends, a spare cot in the car. It's a good way to buy two or three at once without spending much.

Skip it if

You're taller than 6 ft 2 in, or you sleep cold and won't bring a pad.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

  • At 17 inches, it's the second-highest bed here, with a lot of air under you. From fall on, put an insulated pad on top.
  • Steel is heavy, and this one is meant to stay near the car.
3
Helinox Lite Cot
Carrying it in

Helinox Lite Cot

Under three pounds in a 22-inch bag, the one cot here you'd carry on your back. Putting it together takes strong hands.

$349.95
See it on Amazon
About 2 lb 11 ozPacks to 22 by 5 by 5 inchesDAC aluminum frameFive year warranty
+Read the full write-up

Why I picked it

You can walk in with this one. It packs into a bag 22 inches long and 5 inches across and weighs about 2 lb 11 oz, so it rides on a pack or in a canoe where the other cots here would stay in the car. Helinox gives two weights, 2 lb 10.5 oz on its own site and 2.80 lb on Amazon, which is why I say about.

It sits only 5 inches up, and Helinox says that's on purpose: low is warmer, and it suits side sleepers. It's the same point I made about cold air. The frame is DAC aluminum, and Helinox backs it for five years.

Who it is for

Anyone camping where a car can't go, and anyone who has decided the ground is no longer an option but still wants to carry their bed.

What owners report

Most Lite Cot owners are happy with it, and when they do complain, it's about putting it up. A couple spent more than an hour trying to push the cross bars into place. Another owner bruised her hands bending the poles and needed a cloth to finish the job. For a third, following the instructions to the letter, it was taking the cot apart that wouldn't work. Five reviews name this, and two of them sit among the ten harshest on the page. It's the same tension that makes a frame this light stiff enough to hold you, so try it at home before the first night out, not at dusk in a campsite.

Width is the other complaint. Two owners found 23 inches too narrow, and one of them, after two nights without sleep, sold it.

Over time it mostly holds up. An owner who bought his in spring 2017 reports a patch of fabric coming loose underneath. Someone else slept on theirs every night for three weeks and says the middle started to sag. Wear or breakage comes up in 16 reviews, and all but one of those owners still rated it highly.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

  • Setting it up takes real hand strength, and several owners say so. Do it once at home.
  • At 23 inches, it's the narrowest bed here.
  • About $350, against about $150 for the Lowdown.
  • Rated to 265 pounds, the lowest here.
4
Helinox Cot One Convertible
Room to move

Helinox Cot One Convertible

Wider and stronger than the Lite Cot, with legs that extend, so it sits low in a tent and higher in a cabin.

$399.95
See it on Amazon
4 lb 9.5 oz totalLegs extend to raise itDAC aluminum frameFive year warranty
+Read the full write-up

Why I picked it

The legs on this one extend. In a tent on a cold night you keep it low, 6.5 inches, with little air under you. In a cabin or a garage you raise it, so you can swing your feet to the floor and slide a bag underneath. Every other cot here has one height.

Next to the Lite Cot, it answers the complaints: 26 inches wide instead of 23, 75 inches long, and rated to 320 pounds. It weighs 4 lb 9.5 oz, just under two pounds more, and it keeps the five-year warranty.

Who it is for

People who like the idea of the Lite Cot but sleep wide, or weigh close enough to 265 pounds that its rating gave them pause.

Skip it if

Carrying it is the point. Two extra pounds count when the cot rides on your back.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

  • About $400, enough for two Lowdowns and a Trailhead II.
  • Nearly two pounds heavier than the Lite Cot.
5
Teton Outfitter XXL
Tall and heavy sleepers

Teton Outfitter XXL

Rated for 600 pounds and bigger than a twin bed, with a lever Teton built for the last corner, the one that fights back at setup.

$149.99
See it on Amazon
26 lb packedPatented pivot armSteel S-leg assemblyLifetime warranty
+Read the full write-up

Why I picked it

If you're 6 ft 4 in or weigh 280 pounds, most cots were built for someone else. This one is 86 by 45 inches, bigger than a twin bed, and rated for 600 pounds. You won't hang off the end.

It's also the only cot here with a part built into the frame for setup. Teton puts a patented pivot arm in the frame, a lever that stretches the fabric tight, and says it ends the fight with the fourth corner, the one that won't go on when you're setting up at dusk. The legs are steel, S-shaped, and the warranty is for life.

Who it is for

Tall sleepers, heavy sleepers, and a base camp that stays up all week.

Skip it if

You'd carry it farther than the tailgate. It weighs 26 pounds, and at 86 inches long it won't fit in a small tent. Measure your tent floor before you order.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

  • Twenty-six pounds and bulky when folded.
  • At 19.5 inches, it's the highest bed here, so it's also the coldest. Teton sells a matching pad for about $150.
  • Too long for most two-person tents, and next to it there's little floor left for a second sleeper.

Who this is for

This guide covers cots for tent camping and car camping, plus two light ones you could carry to your site. If you're backpacking and counting ounces, a cot is the wrong answer, and a good sleeping pad is the right one. Once the bed is sorted, a lightweight camping chair is what makes the rest of the evening comfortable, and a good camping table gives you somewhere to eat that isn't your lap.

It assumes a tent with a floor, so measure that floor both ways first. If you're still choosing the tent, my 6-person tent guide gives the floor size of each one. A 35-inch cot in a two-person tent leaves the second person very little room, and an 86-inch one leaves none. If two of you want to share one bed, my 2-person camping cots guide covers the doubles.

How to choose

Figure your capacity, then buy above it

Take your body weight, add a fifth, then add your sleeping bag, your pad and anything else that stays on the cot overnight. Buy a cot rated well above that total, not one you'll load to its limit every night. The five here run from 265 to 600 pounds, so there's usually a roomier one within reach.

Height decides how warm you sleep

Every cot box promises to get you off the cold, damp ground. It does, and it puts you in the air instead, which moves under you and takes heat with it. The higher the bed, the more air. So the 5-inch, 6.5-inch and 6.75-inch cots here suit cold nights, and the 17-inch and 19.5-inch ones want an insulated pad on top from fall on. A tall cot is easier to sit on and get out of, and you pay for that in warmth.

Think about who sets it up

Every cot here is a frame under tension, and someone's hands have to put it there. Teton built a lever for it. Helinox has you bend the poles into place by hand, which is why it's light and why some owners struggle. If hand strength is a question for whoever pitches camp, let that decide.

Check the sleeping length

Seventy-three inches is just over six feet. Coleman is the only maker here that says how tall a sleeper its cot fits, 6 ft 2 in. For the rest, go by the bed length: 75 inches for the Lowdown and the Cot One, 86 for the Teton. If you're six feet or taller, the difference between those numbers is where your feet go.

The competition

Coleman ComfortSmart Big and Tall

Comes with a thick foam pad on coil springs and fits sleepers up to 6 ft 6 in, the tallest on any cot I looked at. Coleman doesn't give its height off the ground or its packed weight, and height is what decides how warm you sleep, so I left it out.

MARCHWAY Ultralight Folding Cot

About $67 for 275 pounds of capacity, 10 more than the Helinox Lite Cot. MARCHWAY doesn't list how high it sits, and that's the number I'd want first.

Helinox Cot Max Convertible

Eighty-three by 29.5 inches, 6 lb 1 oz, rated to 320 pounds. It's the one to look at if you're tall and still want a cot you can carry, at about $530.

OneTigris Supragris

Four hundred pounds of capacity for about $83, a hundred more than the Trailhead II for under $30 more. OneTigris says little else about it, and for a frame I'd sleep on all night, I want to know more.

REI Co-op Wonderland Comfort Cot

A first choice on several other lists, with a pad built in. It's sold only at REI, not on Amazon.

How we picked

A capacity published by the maker, at least 265 lbBed length and width publishedHeight off the ground publishedSets up by one person without toolsUnder $400

The first list had 22 cots sold to American campers, from $55 steel folders to $530 aluminum ones, and went through what each maker publishes: capacity, the size of the bed set up and packed, weight, frame, fabric, warranty and, where they say it, the tallest sleeper it fits.

Three of those numbers made the table: capacity, height off the ground and bed size. With cots, those really do decide the purchase. A cot holds your weight or it doesn't, fits your tent or it doesn't, and puts you 5 inches into the air or 19.5. Two cots that other guides recommend fell out because their makers don't give all three.

For what it's like to live with one, I read the 93 owner reviews Helinox publishes on its own site for the Lite Cot, most critical first.

Common questions

Will I be cold on a camping cot?+

Colder than on an insulated pad on the ground, and more so the taller the cot, because air moves underneath and carries your warmth away. In summer that's welcome. From fall on, put a sleeping pad on top of the cot and look at its R-value, the number for how well it holds heat. The cot takes care of comfort, and the pad takes care of warmth.

What weight capacity do I need?+

Multiply your weight by 1.2, then add your sleeping bag, your pad and whatever else stays up there overnight. Buy above that number, not right at it. The cots here run from 265 to 600 pounds, so there's room to be generous.

Will a cot fit inside my tent?+

Measure the floor first. These beds run 73 to 86 inches long and 23 to 45 inches wide, and many tent floors narrow toward the ends. A 35-inch cot takes up most of a two-person tent by itself.

Can you use a camping cot on uneven ground?+

Small slopes and bumps are usually fine. On rougher ground, clear the stones and sticks from under the feet before you set it down. It takes two minutes.

Camping cot, air mattress or sleeping pad?+

A cot keeps its shape all week, never needs pumping, and puts you high enough to stand up from. An air mattress, or air bed, packs smaller and costs less. Neither is warm on its own, since both put air under you, and both want an insulated pad once the nights get cold. If you're buying because of a bad back or bad knees, get the cot.

A sleeping pad on the tent floor is the warm one of the three, if its R-value is right for the season, and it's what you carry when you're counting ounces. For backpacking, that's the answer, and my sleeping pad guide picks one. For car camping, a cot with a pad on top gets you both: off the ground, and warm.

The verdict

Buy the Kelty Lowdown

The Lowdown is the cot for most people at about $150. It holds 300 pounds, one person carries it from the car, and it sits low enough that you sleep warmer than on the tall steel cots.

If you're well over six feet or heavier than about 250 pounds, get the Outfitter XXL, which is rated for you. If the cot goes on your back, get the Lite Cot, and set it up at home first.

Check price on Amazon$149.95

Related guides

The Best Camping GiftsEight camping gifts and gadgets for campers, hikers and backpackers, from about $26 to about $330, and what to know about each one before you wrap it.The Camping ChecklistEverything for a weekend at a campground, from the tent stakes to the can opener, with the things you can't forget marked.The Best 2-Person Camping CotsFive cots that sleep two adults, one bed or two side by side, from about $130 to $370.