So you are looking for the best sleeping pads for kids? Initially, it might look challenging to find the best option for your toddler/kid, but with the help of this article making the right decision should be pretty easy!
What to look for in a kid’s sleeping pad?
In fact, finding a good sleeping for your kids is really easy, just don’t try to find a small sized sleeping pad. The only downside of bringing a full-sized sleeping pad for your kid/toddler is that it’s a bit heavier to carry. However, in almost all situations the pros prevail over the cons! If you are looking for a smaller sized sleeping pad, don’t leave just yet – even though I wouldn’t recommend these for most people, I will still dedicate a section to it.
So is there actually anything specific to look for in a sleeping pad for kids/toddlers? Well, most kids -especially toddlers- tend to move a lot in their sleep. Therefore, it’s quite useful to buy some kind of anti slip sleeping bag. Also, I like to look at super durable products that they could potentially use their entire life.
Quick note: it’s no problem that a sleeping pad is “too big”, but this does not count for sleeping bags (more on that later).
Best sleeping pads for kids
I have made a small selection of some of the best sleeping pads for kids. I have mainly focused on anti-slip, comfort and durability. Note that all these sleeping pads can also be used by adults!
MalloMe Sleeping Pad
Why is the MalloMe so great for toddlers or older kids? Simple, it’s both slip resistant and super comfortable! For regular camping trips I would highly recommend this sleeping pad. However, this is not the best one for very cold temperatures as it has no listed R-value. What I can say is that it has been used and tested in temperatures of around 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the sleeping bag was definitely warm enough.
The focus of this sleeping pad is to be comfortable at night. This results in a heavier and less compact sleeping pad – this might be less convenient for hiking trips. However, if you don’t really care about that, this is probably the sleeping pad that I would recommend.
One of the main reasons why this pad is so comfortable and slip resistant is the soft memory foam. Almost everybody seems to love this for a good night sleep!
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- Super comfortable
- Self inflating
- Slip resistant
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- Heavy
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Usually, I find that the lowest price can be found on amazon: MalloMe Sleeping Pad
Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol
The Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol is such a great sleeping pad for everybody – including kids! This one is also great for kids because it is both super durable and is pretty slip resistant. It’s one of the few products that could actually last a lifetime.
With an R value of 2.6 you do not have to worry about cold nights (unless in extreme situations of course – and if your kid has a proper sleeping bag). Also, it’s super lightweight – about 14 ounces. This sleeping pad could also be used on more serious hiking trips.
It’s not very expensive to start with, but if you consider that this product is super durable and basically lasts forever, you’ll realize that this is a great bang for the buck. Therefore it even made HikeHeaven’s list of the best cheap sleeping pads.
The only real cons are that the sleeping pad makes some noise when turning and tossing, this could be slightly annoying, but the noise is almost neglectable. Also, it’s a pretty hard sleeping pad, which some people don’t like as it’s not as comfortable. I know that a lot of kids won’t care about this, as they can basically fall asleep anywhere, but for others this might be a problem.
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- Durable
- Warm
- Pretty slip resistant
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- Makes some noise
- Medium comfort
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For more information or if you are interested in buying: Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol
Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest Classic
The RidgeRest Classics is in many ways comparable to the Z Lite Sol. Both of these are very durable and are not really focused on comfort.
So what’s the main difference? Well the RidgeRest Classics is even more “basic”. It’s super cheap, lightweight, has an R-value of 2.6, but it’s super basic and won’t offer that much comfort (less than the Z Lite).
One of the pros of this sleeping pad for kids is that it doesn’t make sound. If the kid doesn’t really need the comfort in order to get a good night’s sleep, this might be the one to get!
Also, it’s just very cheap considering the quality of the sleeping pad.
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- Durable
- Warm
- Slip resistant
- Cheap
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- Poor comfort
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The latest price can be found here: Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest Classic
Best small sized sleeping pads for kids
The next selection of sleeping pads for kids will be small sized pads. These can obviously not be used by adults. Also, these will usually not provide as much warmth so I wouldn’t recommend these type of sleeping pads for cold winter nights.
Coleman Company Youth pad
The Coleman Company Youth pad can be used for camping as long as it doesn’t get too cold at night.
Check out the latest price here: Coleman Company Youth pad.
Wildkin Nap Mat
The Wildkin Nap Mat is not primarily created for camping. It’s more of a nap mat that can be used indoors.
For more information about this product make sure to take a look on amazon: Wildkin Nap Mat.
Why size matters for a sleeping bag
I have been talking about how it doesn’t matter that the sleeping pad is too big for a kid. However, it’s pretty important to realize that this is not true when it comes to sleeping bags.
Why? Think about it this way: it’s very hard for a small heater to warm up a big room. See, a sleeping bag basically just traps your body heat, so your body is basically the heater and the sleeping bag is the room. The bigger the empty space inside the sleeping bag, the harder it is to heat the air inside. This might not be super important on a warm summer night, but if you are expecting some colder nights make sure to keep this in mind.
If you are still looking for a child sized sleeping bag I would recommend one of the following two:
- REVALCAMP Sleeping Bag: For regular use
- Kelty Boys & Girls Big Dipper Sleeping Bag: For colder temperatures
Conclusion
If you are looking for the best sleeping pad for kids or even toddlers, you don’t have to care too much about the size of a sleeping pad. Especially if you are planning on going on camping trips where it could get pretty cold during the night it’s better to have a solid high-quality sleeping pad.
So what should you look for in a sleeping pad for kids? Well, since kids seem to turn and toss a lot during their sleep, it’s nice to bring a sleeping pad with some kind of anti slip mechanism.
In terms of comfort it depends, for some kids it’s more important than others (the same goes for adult).
Last but not least, I like sleeping pads to be durable, especially when they are meant to be used by kids.
It’s also a good idea to bring a seat pad for your kid, check out this article for more information: best seat pads.