Exped MegaMat Duo 10 Review

The Exped MegaMat Duo 10 is one of several mattresses in this review that are large enough for two people. Keep in mind, these mattresses are not only for couples, as a solo person can happily starfish across the whole thing in deluxe fashion, but they are designed with two people in mind. The MegaMat Duo is different from its competition in that it is a self-inflating air mattress rather than an air bed or straight-up memory foam.

It is not nearly as thick as many of the air beds but provides greater warmth and comfort due to its interior foam cushioning. The Duo 10 is easy enough to inflate with the included hand pump but a bit of a beast to deflate. It also has a relatively large packed size, but the warmth, comfort, and versatility are worth it.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The foam that fills this mattress serves many fine purposes. Not only does it insulate from the ground, but it provides a good amount of padding, especially at those pressure points, like the hips, feet, and shoulders, where your weight sinks deeper into the pad. It also evens out the cushioning under your body, dampening the air mattress effect. We felt that the most comfortable way to use this pad was much less inflated than other mattresses. This way, your body is equally supported by the air and the foam, and more importantly, the mattress wasn't so full of air that when one part of your body sinks into the pad, the other parts would naturally rise with the displacement. Luckily, the inflate valve has a rubber flap to impede air from escaping while inflating, allowing you to blow this thing up as rigid as you want it. You can then adjust the inflation by letting small amounts of air escape as you lie on it until it feels just right.

Additionally, the face fabric is smooth and comfortable to the touch, without a hint of rubbery, nylon-y, or plastic-y feel. The foam does a great job of absorbing the movement of the other person without disturbing you, and we gave it the highest possible score in this metric.

Ease of Use

While it isn't all that hard to inflate and deflate this beast, it does take the proper strategy and a bit of time. For inflation, it is best to open the inflate valve, roll out the mattress, and let it self-inflate for a while as the foam cushioning inside expands. Propping the inflate valve open with the supplied toggle helps speed up this process. You will want to allow it to inflate for at least ten minutes, preferably more. When the pad is brand new or has been stored really tightly, it's helpful to let it self-inflate for up to an hour to open up the cells to air.

Now, inflate it the rest of the way with the provided “mini-pump,” a small, whoopee cushion-like device that works as a tiny hand or foot pump. While we like how small this pump compresses, it still takes some patience and the willingness to stomp on a whoopee cushion a few hundred times to fully inflate this mattress. An accessory pump that plugs into your car or is battery-powered will save a lot of time.

To deflate the Duo, the technique we found most convenient is to open the deflate valve, roll up the mattress, and lie on top of it, forcing much of the air out. Then, unroll the mattress, fold it in half and roll it into a smaller package. This process takes a few minutes. The less you deflate the pad, the faster it will inflate the next go-around.

Warmth

The ample foam cushioning that is found inside this mattress helps it provide an R-value of 8.1, a very high rating. R-value is a measurement of how well any given material, or combination of materials, impedes heat (or cold) transfer. The higher the number, the better a job it does. The ground, or metal frame of a vehicle, that is underneath your car camping mattress is always going to be colder than you are, so a critical function of your mattress is to insulate you from absorbing that cold. This mattress does an excellent job at that task, earning the highest score in this metric.

Versatility

We could only give the Megamat Duo a middling score for versatility. This mattress is gigantic when packed down and is very heavy as well, ensuring that you won't end up carrying it anywhere (it is as big as a backpack!).

It doesn't separate into two mattresses for individual use. This bed needs to be used near, or inside of, the car, limiting its versatility. However, it can be used in any season due to its great insulation, something that cannot be said of the air bed alternatives.

Packed Size

As you might expect from a foam mattress big enough to sleep two, the packed size of the MegaMat Duo is huge. However, it is still smaller than two single foam mattresses of equal warmth and comfort. Additionally, the stuff sack is large and very easy to get the pad into. Once it's 90% deflated, you can get it into the bag, but you will need a large space to store it when it is not in use.

Value

The Exped Duo is an expensive purchase. A good night's sleep is invaluable, however, and if you camp a lot or sleep in your van, you will want the best. Because we think this is the top mattress you can buy for two people, and it is still quite a bit cheaper than buying two single-person mattresses of the same quality, it is a good value.

Conclusion

Compared to the other two-person options available today, namely inflatable air beds, even those that are insulated, this mattress is light years more comfortable. If you need a mattress for two people, this is, without a doubt, the one we would recommend.