KingCamp Folding Deluxe Review

The KingCamp Folding Deluxe features a design that is exceptionally similar to the folding chairs in a bag commonly seen at the beach or tailgate parties. This makes the KingCamp Folding Deluxe our favorite cot for a day trip or a short excursion by far — it's an excellent option for lying down and staying out of the sand on a beach day.

Ease of Setup

Our setup metric is the most significant of all our testing metrics, accounting for 40% of the total score for each camping cot. We consider how much effort and time it took us to unfold and break down each cot, if we found that that a cot's design made it prone to pinching a finger during this process, and the total number of pieces included and how hard it was to fit the whole thing back into its carrying bag. The KingCamp Folding Deluxe did amazingly well in this metric.

To set up the KingCamp Folding Deluxe, simply remove it from its bag, undo a single strap, and then unfold it. Press down on the head and foot of the cot to lock it into position.

Your hands are well away from the folding mechanism, so it is very hard to pinch your fingers during the unfolding process. It's easy enough to break down as well, just by popping the locking mechanism loose as you fold the cot back in half. Then simply secure the Velcro strap, and you're set. The KingCamp Folding Deluxe easily slides back into its storage bag, making the entire breakdown process usually take less than 5 minutes.

Portability

Our next metric focused on how easily each cot can be moved and carried. We examined the weight of each cot, the size of the final package when packed, and the amount of effort required to haul it on its own or strap it onto a pack. The KingCamp Folding Deluxe performed about average, earning a rating of 5 out of 10.

This cot weighs just a bit more than 15 pounds with a folded size of approximately 9" x 7" x 41" — the same volume as a chair in a bag. It isn't too bad to carry with the shoulder strap on the bag.

It's a little too bulky to strap to a bag, but it's one of the least difficult of the standard-size cots to carry over any distance. We still wouldn't really want to hike any significant mileage with it, but it would be our first choice of the larger cots if we had to carry one for 20-30 minutes. Gear doesn't stack too well on top of the KingCamp Folding Deluxe, but it's small enough to easily fit around other gear.

Comfort

Next, we evaluated and compared the comfort of lying down and sleeping on each cot, which accounts for 20% of its final score. We evaluated the overall comfort of each cot by polling the opinions of several testers and then aggregating the results. We also examined whether the cot was wide enough to prevent most people from hitting their elbows on the side rail and whether it was possible to avoid knocking one's head or feet on the bars at the top and bottom of the cot. The KingCamp Folding Deluxe isn't the most luxurious or comfortable cot we have tested, but most people still slept quite well on it, earning it a 6 out of 10.

The KingCamp Folding Deluxe is a little more rigid than some of the other cots, with the fabric pulled taut. It starts to relax over time, but doesn't conform to your body as well as some of the other models. It's a little narrower than some other cots we tested, so you could hit your elbows on the side. However, this cot doesn't have a continuous side rail, so there are only a few points where it would really hurt if you smacked your elbow or knee into them.

There are no bars that cross the head or foot of this cot, so there's no chance of hitting your head or ankles. The integrated headrest is also a nice feature.

Overall, our judges found this cot to be more than comfortable enough if you are just camping for a couple of nights, but could see wanting to go with a slightly more luxurious cot if you are looking at extended stays of a week or more — as long as you are staying in the same place. At that point, the ease of setting up and breaking down your camping cot becomes secondary to comfort, in our opinion.

Durability

Our fourth and final set of tests focused on its strength of construction and design of each camping cot, which constitutes the remaining 10% of the final score for each product. Although we can't discuss the overall durability since we only tested a single unit of each product, we did find some stark contrasts between them. Points were awarded after assessing each cot's design and construction, if we saw any common issues pointed out in other user reviews, and whether or not it sustained any damage or other wear and tear over the course of our testing, as well as what the manufacturer's rated weight limit is.

KingCamp Folding Deluxe is meant to support up to 265 pounds, and we saw no real damage during our testing. There were a few minor scrapes and scuffs, but nothing that would affect the overall integrity of the cot.

However, the frame of this cot appears to be significantly less robust in terms of materials than many other options. The chair-in-a-bag folding mechanism also has significantly more pivot points — or failure points — than other options. Additionally, our own experience with these types of chairs leads us to believe that they may not last as long or withstand rough use as well as some of the other models. We've seen a few negative reviews mentioning that pivots broke — particularly around the headrest — but only a few.

Value

If you are searching for a camping cot and trying to save some cash, then the KingCamp Folding Deluxe is a fantastic bargain, and we highly recommend it.

Conclusion